Marijuana - don't believe the negative hype!

OK, I mentioned few posts back I have my 1st MMA fight in November. I'm pretty sure whoever I'll be going up against will have some pretty decent ground work and being as mine is relatively non existent - I went and got me a copy of Eddie Bravo's book "Mastering the Rubber Guard".

Eddie Bravo is a few things in my opinion.

1. A bad ass Jui Jitsu dude.
2. A fucking revolutionary!

I ain't got to the bit about the moves yet, the foreword has set me off on a completely different tangent altogether. This dude is a stoner basically. Only unlike me and many of the worlds population this guy actually knows the truth about weed. I ain't talking that shit the government tells you about how it causes psychosis and that it's X times more carcinogenic than cigarettes. I'm talking the truth!! Think about it like this, the War on Iraq was "apparently" started because of all these alleged Weapons of Mass destruction needed to be removed before they were used against us (and ain't been seen yet!). A few hundred thousand pointless deaths later and where are they? "Woops...sorry...our mistake...but hey...we got oil!". If they can lie to us about something like that - they can certainly lie to us about the benefits of weed. Why? a few reasons. When it boils down to it and I'm going to paraphrase Chris Rock here:

The Government = a bunch of freaking drug dealers!!

If you're selling chocolate which is basically bad for you and some guy comes along and starts competing with you selling something far nicer but way healthier - are you gonna say "You know what...his stuff is actually nicer and healthier - go buy that."?? Hell no! You'll pimp your stuff as much as humanly possible and kick dust in the face of this other dude at every available opportunity. Same situation here but instead of Chocolate, it's Alcohol and Cigarettes. Lets do a little statistical comparison shall we?

Alcohol
More than 100,000 alcohol related deaths occur each year in the US alone. That's people drinking so much that their body gives up, fools who drink and drive and go killing innocent bystanders as well as the related violent incidents that occur.

In the UK there were 4,144 alcohol related deaths in 1991 which rose to 8,757 in 2006. Apparently, the possible reason for the doubled number of deaths is because of the increase in the population. WRONG! The population of the UK has not doubled in the space of 15 years!! So the validity of 4,000 people dying is questionable at best (more propaganda to dilute a situation that is messing up the country).

"Between mid-1991 and mid-2006 the population grew by an average annual rate of
0.4 per cent and the average growth per year since mid-2001 has been 0.5 per
cent."
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?ID=6

Lets look at another source shall we. This article was written 8 years ago and suggests that the number of alcohol related deaths is closer to 33,000. Considering the drinking culture in this country and how it has snow balled over the years you can pretty much guarantee that figure has risen. So - let's be nice and split it and say 15,000 per year. 15,000 per year!! We ain't got the land mass of Africa!

Cigarettes
440,000 people die per year in the US from toking that stuff! That's nearly half a million people in a year...gone! In the UK around 106,000 people die per year from smoking.

Marijuana
Now lets take a look at the so called "Evil" Marijuana.

Deaths in recorded history EVER: 0, Zero, Nish, Nuthin, Nada, Nil

So why is it illegal?? Simple version...the government wants you to use their drugs. Smoking messes with your respiratory system and is one of the primary causes of lung cancer on the planet. Chemicals are added to keep you hooked and you can buy cigarettes from pretty much any newspaper shop, supermarket and public house in the country. Alcohol abuse tears apart families (I know this from 1st hand experience), makes people act totally retarded and causes so many negative situations that I can't even be bothered to start listing them. This too is available from pretty much every off-licence, supermarket, restaurant, bar and public house on the planet, all with the blessing of the governments of the world. Marijuana is not worse than smoking cigarettes and there is no evidence to suggest that it increases the risk of lung disease. Compared to smoking cigarettes, Marijuana is far healthier and has a number of medicinal uses (which are used to this very day by the same governments that have banned it!).

http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/#tobacco
http://sansstride.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/making-the-case-for-legalization-clean-lungs-clean-money/

Now I'm not going to say that there is no evidence to contradict what I am saying. Even research at Harvard has apparent evidence to the contrary. In this instance however I will merely quote Upton Sinclair.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on
his not understanding it."

The government has no problems with lying to you as a method of control - it has happened many times in the past, it will happen many more times in the future. Do the research, don't believe everything the government says and free your mind. Marijuana can be used as a conduit to change you state of mind for the better and Eddie Bravo's book is a testament to that. Joe Rogan himself says that his Comedy routines had flew of the chain due to his relationship with Mary Jane.

Eddie Bravo - I thank you for showing me the path. And to think I was gonna break up with Mary because of all the Government hype. If 1 person reads this and is enlightened by what I have written, my job here is done and I have every intention of fighting for "The Cause".

In the words of Eddie Bravo

Get Smart, Smoke Weed!



Some media that may help you:
- Magic Weed: The Truth About Cannabis
- Reefer Madness
- Jack Herer

Gaining weight for thin people (Part 3) : The Workout

Overview
This guide is meant as a continuation to the "gaining weight for thin people" series but the principles still apply for people just wanting to work out generally. It is important that you consult your doctor if you have or have had any serious injury and either a recurring or constant illness. I would also strongly suggest that you speak to and obtain advice from a professional including help with demonstrations of the routines outlined below. These are meant as an introductory guide and it is your responsibility to get the professional help you need.

BEFORE

Week 1: welcome to the pain train
The first session that I ever did with my trainer in the gym was a chest session. When we were done he says to me "see you next week", my reply..."no no, I'll be in tomorrow". "trust me, you won't". He was right. He had me do 10 reps of 20 kilos on a Smiths Machine which we took down to 15 kg for another 10 and then 10 kg until failure (more explanation on what that means later). When I was done I could hardly lift my arms to shower properly and could hardly open a door. 5 days this lasted but by the next session my body was already beginning to adapt.

Learn to walk before you run
It's very important that you build up your routine slowly and allow your body to adapt to the new stresses you're putting it under. Coming up with a workout plan that has you going full tilt on a 5 day workout routine is not the way to go if you're not used to it. Patience is the key. Build up slowly and don't put yourself under unnecessary pressure.

Reps, sets, to failure - what?
Reps: this is short for repetitions and defines the motion from the start to finish of an exercise. If you do 1 press up that counts as a single rep.

Sets: A set defines a group of repetitions. Therefore if you do 10 reps 3 times that would constitute "3 sets of 10".

To failure: Some people start on a lower weight for their first set and increase the weight per set. Others (like me) start with the maximum weight and decrease per set. Either way - most people average 3 sets of the same exercise and on the final set, doing the exercise to failure means doing your usual amount of repetitions, and then keep going until you are able to so no more (this is not usually more than 5 and if it is, the weight you are using is too light).

Don't overdo the routine and change it up every few months
As mentioned above, you want to concentrate on 1 or 2 muscle groups per session (most people stick with 1) which also means you'll want to do around 3 separate routines to work that muscle group. Doing more than that is going to be difficult and is getting into the realms of causing injury. So for your back you may want to do lat pull downs, seated rows and pull ups.

Warm Up
Before hitting the weights you should always have a warm up by either doing some light jogging, shadow boxing or one of my favourites, skipping rope. Pretty much anything that gets the blood flowing. This will definitely help minimise the chance of injury and ensure your body is at its peak readiness for when you start putting it under strain.

Also, remember that if you're trying to add bulk, don't do 3 miles a day on a treadmill. That relates to people with an endomorphic body type of course. Cardio work is good, but you want to do enough to keep you healthy, not so much that it causes you to loose mass. You'll invariably burn up the calories you are trying to maintain to achieve your goal.

DURING

Get your form right
Good form is a contributing factor to increase in strength, stability and size. You want to be able to do the exercises in a way that ensures your body gets the benefit of that exercise. If your form is incorrect it can waste your time being as you won't be getting the benefit afforded and can also be dangerous to you. This is the reason they have mirrors in gym's, not because people who go to the gym are vain, but so everyone can make sure their form is correct. Seeking help from a qualified professional is always recommended.

Don't over train!
By this I mean that each session should concentrate on 1 or 2 muscle groups. If you have a chest workout on Monday you wouldn't have another chest session on Wednesday. The reason for this is that you are putting your muscles under strain which creates tiny little tears in the muscle tissue. On average they'll take about 1 week to recover by which time you would have fed them with lots of protein and they would have repaired themselves, fractionally stronger and bigger than the last time.

Water, water, water!
Between each set you should be drinking water. Your muscles love the H2O, especially when you're working out and it will help you push yourself that much further as well as lubricating the tendons so that you don't cause yourself an injury. The human body is 80% liquid, so replacing those fluids you lose when working out is important. It'll also help add to your bulk.

AFTER

Have a source of protein within 20 minutes of your workout
You could actually wait up to 40 minutes apparently but the sooner the better. Your body will use the protein most efficiently directly after a workout. Most people opt for a protein shake being as it's in a liquid form and your body does not need to do any of the extra work to break it down. Your body is always going to be able to process a protein shake far quicker than a piece of chicken.


Get the rest you need!
If you usually live on 4-5 hours sleep a night this is going to have to change! Your body repairs itself best during your sleep cycle so you want to aim to get between 7 at the minimum 8 realistically hours of sleep a night. Also, you'll want to ensure you split your workout routine up so that you have rest days. Even though you may not be sleeping all day you'll need days when you don't put your body under stress (this does not mean book a day off work, sorry!) so that you have a chance to recover properly. If you workout 4 times a week you'll want to be resting between workout days 2 and 3 and days 3 and 4.

This is the second and final article in the subject of "gaining weight for thin people" and I hope it helps you in the same way it has helped me. Always remember that consistency is the key and there is no progress without struggle.

Good luck to you all!

Gaining weight for thin people (Part 2) : What you eat is very important

Overview
One of the biggest mistakes to make is to think that because of your fast metabolism you can eat what you like. Not true! Even though your body does not hold weight very well, you have to think about your arteries which will get clogged and restricted just as badly as anyone else's. Its been scientifically proven that larger people who lead a healthier lifestyle (a few hours of cardio a week and eat the right foods) will have less chance of heart disease and other related illnesses than someone who is naturally slim and shovels fatty foods down at every available opportunity. The human body is an amazing thing, heals itself, can adapt quickly based on its environment and so much more so taking care of it makes sense. To put it another way, think of your favourite car (for me its gotta be the X5), if you had it - you'd take care of it right? You wouldn't go throwing petrol in if it was a diesel engine and you wouldn't just leave it on the drive gathering dust either, so why would you do that to your body? The general rule of the universe is that if you take care of something, it lasts longer - so keep this in mind.

Good foods and bad foods
So, when I first started gaining weight people would tell me "easy, pie and chips every night should do it" which is probably true but as my old trainer used to say "eat crap - look like crap!". The point is not just to gain weight but to gain "good weight" and you don't need to stuff yourself with fatty foods to do it. Think sensibly and logically and you can't go far wrong - here are some examples.

Kentucky fried chicken with chips
Think about it, you got a piece of chicken covered in a form of batter deep fried in fat along with potatoes that have had roughly the same treatment for lord knows how long. May taste gorgeous but its the quickest way to send you to an early grave! Crispy or not, that fat has to go somewhere and your arteries are as good a place as any!

Healthy equivalent

Skinless Roast chicken pieces with jacket potatoes.
Tastes just as nice, both can be thrown in the oven without a lick of fat and come out tasting spanking if you use the right seasoning.

You'll also want to steer clear of processed foods! They're about as good as fast foods (which is not very good at all) and if you ask any dietitian they'll tell you "avoid that stuff like it's been dipped in cyanide!". Fresh foods are the way forward, no dodgy preservatives or artificial colourings are going to help you gain the "good weight" you need. They can also have a major correlation to your stress levels, skin condition and your mojo among other things. As an aside, try and keep skin on chicken, fat on steak/pork chops down to a minimum. May taste nice but that does not change the fact that you're shoveling pure fat down you!

Lots of protein, loadsa carbs and overdose on the calories - regularly!
Protein is basically what you need for your muscles to grow and carbs are what your body needs for energy (more on that in the next article). The human body can only process around 30 grams of protein per meal and requires a source of protein on average every 3-4 hours. This is why you may notice people eating smaller meals every few hours as opposed to large meals less often. The idea is to keep your Protein levels up and you metabolism going pretty much constantly throughout the day - 1 giant meal won't cut it even if it has your planned amount of carbs/protein/calories for that day. There is a formula with regards to gaining weight based on your current weight which will be added to this article at a later date. Either way - if you're like me, I can't be bothered with all of that so I generally go for something like this. Every meal I aim to have 30 grams of protein and 90 grams of carbs. Works out OK give or take a few grams. Also, calories help loads too - UK Medical guidelines state that the average woman should intake 1940 calories per day where as the average man should intake 2550. Being as we're not average (this is for thin people remember) a good idea would be to keep an eye on how many calories you intake in 1 day (this web site should help a ton!) once you know - aim to add 500 onto that. Try it for a week - check your weight before and after and then if no difference...keep increasing until you see a difference.

Best sources for protein
Meats! Chicken is the best followed by fish, steak, pork (not sausages!). However, if you're a vegetarian, pulses (baked beans for example) are going to be your best bet. One of the things that has helped me tremendously are protein/carb shakes. I have trouble eating anything first thing in the morning, I end up chewing for what feels like ages so a pro/carb shake every morning sorts me out.

Best sources for carbs
Wholemeal (not White) breads, rice and pasta and potatoes are excellent starting points. White bread is actually classed as being bad for you (shocked when I found out too!) it actually removes nutrients from your body and is not good for the digestive process.

Hang on! Every 3-4 hours? When am I meant to fit all that in?
Sucks I know but its all about routine (you'll see me say that a few times in these articles). Yeah you're not used to it but that does not make it impossible. As an example, here is my eating plan on an average workout day.

• 7 am - Wake up and have a protein/carb shake once I finish guzzling that down I'll make another one and put that in a container to take with me to work (most supplement shops will do them!). Breakfast is very important being as you want to start your metabolism going as soon as you wake up. I would have been asleep for about 12 hours and even though my metabolic rate slows down while I sleep - I'm going to need to fire things up again.
  
  (50g protein / 150g carbs / 970 Cal)
  
• 10.30 am - its been 3.5 hours so I'll have half of my protein shake.
  
  (25g protein / 75g carbs / 485 Cal)
  
• 12.30 pm/1 pm - Egg Mayo & Cress sandwich, carrot cake (we're all entitled to a treat!), packet of low fat crisps and an innocent smoothie (gotta squeeze those 5 a day in somewhere). Also, while the above may seem a little expensive...not really. Less than £3.40 from Marks and Spencer in the meal deal. Bargain!
  
  (26g protein / 133g carbs / 892 Cal)
  
• 3 pm/3.30 pm - The other half of my protein shake. Its only been 2/2.5 hours but with an hour journey home I don't wanna be running for the nearest loo the moment I get off the train!
  
  (25g protein / 75g carbs / 485 Cal)
  
• 7 pm - I would have just finished my workout so I'll eat first. Maybe some salmon cooked in the oven with steamed mixed vegetables and new potatoes accompanied by a protein shake. The reason for the drink just after the workout will be explained in the next article "Working out helps a ton".
  
  (75g protein / 185g carbs / 1320 Cal)

Total Protein Intake : 201 grams
Total Carb Intake : 618 grams
Total Calorie Intake : 4152

Different people have different make ups so while the above helps me gain weight at a rather slow rate - for someone else this could turn them into a complete bloater within weeks so find what works best for you and stick with it.

Now I have mentioned nothing about working out so far which will be in the next article. I think it may be an idea to get used to the eating bit first and then move onto adding the workout routines into it (your appetite will increase quite a bit once you start working out). Either way, this is all possible once you get into a routine and it takes mere seconds to have a quick read of a label (99% of products have a label telling you carb and protein content). So you don't need to become a slob to gain weight and with some careful consideration you can keep it all healthy too.

Good luck!

Gaining weight for thin people (Part 1) : Introduction

OK - those who know me will be aware of the fact that I'm not exactly "heavy set". I'm exactly 6ft and used to weigh 59 kilos/130 lbs / 9.3 stone (nope - not an eating disorder - but a metabolism that's so fast I feel like I'm going back in time!)

I'm close to 70 kilos/154 lbs / 11 stone now (and on the up) but it's not been without hard work! Anyway, all I ever see are articles about losing weight - "oooh the obesity problem" and blah blah blah. No one ever mentions a thing about people like me...the kinda guy who can eat whatever and never gain weight - and even though we're not overweight, the fact that we can eat crap and never see it in terms of rolls appearing around the mid-region, chin etc does not equate to being healthy.

Either way - I've made a decision to write a series of articles about gaining weight (I've been working on it for long enough) in an attempt to help what would appear to be "the minority" (fear not fellow thin people - I know your pain). I know there are people out there who are overweight who would dream of being able to eat anything and never put on weight but it's not a barrel of laughs for us either you know - especially if you're male (does nothing for your confidence for a start!).

So that was the intro - I'll be adding more articles relating to how I've managed to gain weight and "spreading the knowledge" that I've acquired over the years in my quest. I'll go over everything that works for me from work out plans to eating habits and lifestyle changes in the hope that it may well work for you too - so watch this space.