Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by darklight79

About how test boosters DON'T WORK

darklight79 — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 23:18:13 +0800

This guy offered a challenge to any supp company to let him test their products and publish results. NONE have responded.

[YOUTUBE]dvXa0dNp_R4[/YOUTUBE]

Let me teach you how to spot good protein

darklight79 — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 17:46:24 +0800

Original article by Daniel H from Sports Nutrition

Amino spiking!? How can I be sure my whey protein is quality??

Okay firstly I want to say something which is probably a little bit contradictory to the point of this whole discussion - but generally protein shakes don't differ a lot from each other. It all comes down to clever marketing.

Men's is marketed at gaining lean muscle, and has big muscular men on the advertising. Women's is marketed as 'slim' etc, and has petite and thin women in the advertising. Basically the product is exactly the same, men's just comes in larger packaging and with larger serving sizes. Yeah some contain blends of soy or pea proteins etc etc, but mostly are all milk based, and contain whey or casein protein.

ALRIGHT!! Here comes the tricky part.... Dan’s science lesson about protein. Tips and lessons to know what to avoid, and which proteins are quality. I hate it how companies label protein. Commonly the first ingredient will be some kind of protein matrix, which is bracketed, and combines all the different types of protein and aminos. Now this gives the impression as it is the first listed ingredient that it will be abundant in BCAA. However, sometimes this can be as littled as a couple of hundred mg!! Taurine is a common added 'amino'. Taurine is similar to an amino acid, but it slightly differs as it is not used for protein synthesis. One of the few known naturally occurring sulfonic acids; in the strict sense, it is not an amino acid, as it lacks a carboxyl group the molecule does not have the amino acid structure. Taurine is often referred to as a “nonessential” amino acid, or more generously as a “conditionally essential” amino acid.

Taurine is a derivative of cysteine and is DID YOU READ THAT!?! IS NOT USED FOR PROTEIN SYNTHESIS. SO WHY IS IT IN MY PROTEIN??

AMINO SPIKING. Heard of it?? Probably not. It’s when companies add cheap amino acids to their protein formulas because substances such as glycine and taurine cost manufacturers half as much as a pure whey product would, saving them money. So these tricky guys in the marketing department will say thngs like for "time release" or "enhanced amino profile" to justify their bullshit protein ‘blend’. I’ve seen products that contain around 10 grams of protein from whey, and then all this glycine/taurine/ alanine /creatine/amino matrix bullshit to bring it up to 23 grams or so of ‘proteins’. Have you ever read an article about the awesome performance enhancing qualities of glycine? Or its properties as a muscle-builder of fat-burner? Nope. That’s because it’s not even an essential amino acid. OUR BODY PRODUCES IT NATURALLY!!

So why would we want to supplement it?? Or even dilute our precious whey?? Because it’s cheap and it makes the product look like it’s 23 grams (or whatever) of whey protein when it’s really 18 grams plus five grams of a worthless amino.

Protein synthesis – essential amino acid levels

If a diet is inadequate in any essential amino acid, protein synthesis cannot proceed beyond the rate at which that amino acid is available. This is called a limiting amino acid. A good interpretation of a limiting amino acid is thinking of a barrel of liquid. The amino acids are the individual pieces of plank making up the barrel. If one plank (amino acid) is shorter than the others (limiting), the barrel can only be filled to the level of the shortest plank. This shortage of one of the essential amino acids will reduce growth rate and performance. On the other hand, when a diet is balanced for the most limiting amino acid – for example another protein source is added, other amino acids are usually in excess of one’s requirements.

Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) is a method of evaluating the protein quality based on both the amino acid requirements of humans and their ability to digest it. The PDCAAS rating was adopted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) in 1993 as "the preferred 'best'" method to determine protein quality. Whey protein is one of four foods (egg white, soy protein & casein) with a PDCAA of 1.

This means the body can readily use the whole protein source. When the profile of the amino acids is changed, the PDCAAS value of the protein is reduced, therefore less amino acids are absorbed and readily used by the body. If the natural EAA profile of whey is changed, i.e. cheap aminos added, then more of the shake must be consumed to receive optimum EAA levels. This questions the logic of supplementing BCAA such as Leucine with a Whey shake to make it ‘more anabolic’. Adding leucine to a whey protein drink doesn't stimulate any additional muscle protein synthesis, according to research on whey: "Our results indicate that the whey protein plus leucine in healthy young volunteers results in an anabolic response in muscle that is not greater than the previously reported response to whey protein alone."

Determining protein content: Nitrogen content & combined amino acids weight

There is no official Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) method for amino acid determination in foods. A standardized method with support for collaborative research and scientific consensus are needed in order to bring this about For many years, the protein content of foods has been determined on the basis of total nitrogen content (determined by Kjeldahl or Dumas method) multiplied by a specific factor. This method has been around for over 100 years. Nitrogen content is then multiplied by a factor to arrive at protein content. This approach is based on two assumptions: that dietary carbohydrates and fats do not contain nitrogen, and that nearly all of the nitrogen in the diet is present as amino acids in proteins. Although more expensive, it is considered more accurate to base protein content of foods on amino acid data. A study on the nutrient composition of beef analysed the full amino-acid profile of fifteen retail cuts from three age groups and six fat codes, as well as determined total nitrogen content to determine proximate protein composition. On average, the sum of amino acids per cut amounted to 91% of total determined protein for the same cut. The amount of protein in a food is calculated through the sum of individual amino acid residues (the molecular weight of each amino acid less the molecular weight of water) plus free amino acids. In this method, food composition tables should reflect protein by sum of amino acids. Because proteins are made up of chains of amino acids joined by peptide bonds, they can be hydrolysed to their component amino acids, which can then be measured by ion-exchange, gas-liquid or high-performance liquid chromatography.

The sum of the amino acids then represents the protein content (by weight) of the food. This is sometimes referred to as a “true protein” or “complete protein”. When a manufacturer submits their protein product to most analytical chemistry labs around the country, the labs determine the total nitrogen content to calculate the protein content. However, they're unable to differentiate the nitrogen found in protein from the nitrogen found in non-protein sources! Not only do these aminos and nitrogen-containing compounds (like creatine) show up as “protein”, they register as 110% & 143% protein! This means for every gram of glycine, it registers as 1.1 grams of protein... If you have read this far, I hope you are still with me!! okay, I have attached two images, one has a good protein profile, basically protein, plus carbs, plus fat = serving sizes. Contains no amino blends, or added singular amino acids. The second profile, carbs plus fat plus protein still leaves a bunch of grams leftover. FILLERS!! also when you look at the ingredients list, it contains an amino blend, and has added taurine/glycine.. BAD!!

So basically if you want a good protein, read the label. You want around 30 serve [not 40!] to have around 23-27 grams of protein [depending on concentrate or isolate] with 2-4 grams carbs and fat combined.

Check the ingredients to check there's no cheeky taurine or glycine in there

Powerlifting class level

darklight79 — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 12:40:58 +0800

http://www.criticalbench.com/powerlifting-...sifications.htm

To those who think it's easy reaching sub 10% bf

darklight79 — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:54:05 +0800

The typical progression for an overweight male is to lose your visceral fat first. That is the "gut" fat. It is under your ab muscles, around your organs. That fat is easy to lose and makes a huge difference in your waist line. It is an exciting time because you normally need to get new pants, you look a lot better, feel better, and get lots of compliments.

Next you start losing subcutaneous fat. This is the fat right below your skin. It is sort of like a fat wet suit. This fat is harder to lose and takes a long, long time. You have way more of this fat than you think you do. You are probably here. In the 13-20% body fat range.

When you lose 5lbs of this fat, it comes off from all over your body. So visually, there really isn't a big difference. You just get a little bit smaller. Your arms, chest, legs, back... everything just keeps getting smaller. Your ab fat and love handles get smaller too, but they seem to lose much more slowly than the other areas.

You actually look worse because you don't fill out your clothes like you used to. Your arms are just as strong, but they have less fat and look smaller. You don't get very many compliments losing this fat. In fact you will probably get people telling you that you are losing too much weight and you look worse.

Eventually, you start getting a little definition. Commonly your shoulders will start cutting up first. This is when the fat wet suit gets thin enough that you can start seeing muscle definition though it. It is an exciting time, but you still will not get many compliments because you will be a lot smaller than when you started. At this point you will probably think you look better with your shirt off than on. That is because you will look better/bigger with your shirt off.

The last fat you lose is the stubborn fat. It is normally around your lower abs and love handles. This fat is the hardest to lose. By this time most of your face fat will be gone and everybody will start thinking you are over doing it. They remember the fat guy and you are going to look really different. Your friends will be planing an intervention and swear you have an eating disorder. If you take your shirt off, they will go, "ohhh... wow... I wasn't expecting that. What diet are you on?"

Finally you have 6-pack abs and look fantastic as long as you have your shirt off. With your shirt on, you look tiny. This is when you figure out that:
1. Low body fat is freaking cold.
2. Most people have a nice fat layer to keep them warm and like going to cold places.
3. People are poor judges of lean body composition. They think you are way less muscular than you are when you are dressed. They think you are way more muscular than you are when you are not. You are probably the same way.
4. Unless you have fit friends, you will probably never go to places where people take their shirts off.
5. It is difficult to put on muscle when you are sub 10% body fat.

20 Most Overrated Supplements

darklight79 — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:24:37 +0800

http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/550744...ed-supplements/

Weight Gainers

The Claim: Weight gainers are typically marketed towards people who are desperate to put on muscle. The Facts: These products typically consist either a simple carbohydrate, or a complex (yet empty-calorie) carbohydrate such as maltodextrin, with protein, fat, and micronutrients rounding out the minority of the contents. People are deceived into thinking their gains in scale weight are quality pounds, but often it’s just a matter of packing on a bunch of fat along with muscle. The solution is understanding how much muscle can realistically be gained: about two to three pounds per month for beginners, one to two pounds a month in intermediate trainees, and about half a pound to a pound a month in advanced trainees.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

The Claim: CLA is a naturally occurring fat found mainly in meat and dairy foods. After showing spectacular success in helping rodents lose fat, it was assumed that similar effects could be seen in humans. The Facts: Depending on the funding source of the study, CLA has had both positive [7] and negative reviews as a weight loss aid [8]. However, in the only study to-date examining CLA’s effects on the athletic population, it was ineffective [9]. To top things off, CLA has been seen to adversely affect glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and blood lipids [10]

L-Arginine

The Claim: Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid touted for its ability to increase nitric oxide (NO) production, which in turn is hyped to promote training performance, muscle growth and recovery through vasodilation, better pumps, and enhanced nutrient delivery. The Facts: In a recent scientific literature review, 3 out of 5 short-term studies, and 4 out of 8 longer-term studies showed significant performance improvements from arginine supplementation [24]. That’s a pretty mediocre track record, especially considering that two other recent studies showed a lack of significant effect [25,26]

L-glutamine

The Claim: L-glutamine is a conditionally essential amino acid that has the potential to improve immunity and certain diseases of the digestive tract. It has been heavily marketed toward bodybuilders and strength/power athletes for its supposed ability to enhance muscle size and performance. The Facts: In spite of the hype, glutamine has a consistent track record of failure to enhance training performance or muscle gains [27-30]

L-carnitine

The Claim: L-carnitine is a nonessential amino acid abundant in the heart and skeletal muscle. It carries long-chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane for oxidation. In other words: your fat is hypothetically burned as energy. It’s been assumed that an increase of carnitine within muscles would increase the oxidation of fatty acids, and in turn result in weight loss. The Facts: There is no compelling evidence that muscle carnitine is the rate-limiting step for fatty acid oxidation. Even worse, L-carnitine supplementation has failed repeatedly in studies examining its effect on weight loss [17,18]

Whey & Casein Hydrolysate Protein Powder

The Claim: Protein hydrolystates (as opposed to protein isolates or concentrates) are further broken down into peptide fragments from their original intact/protein-bound state. This quality is touted to make these proteins superior for muscle recovery & anabolism due to their more rapid absorption. The Facts: There is no compelling evidence that the substantially more expensive protein hydrolysates are better than concentrates or isolates for muscle anabolism. The research thus far comparing intact proteins with hydrolysates is contradictory for both whey [42,43] and casein [44,45]. This means that spending double or triple for worse-tasting protein hydrolysates is a big leap of faith

Synephrine (Citrus Aurantium, AKA Bitter Orange Extract)

The Claim:: Synephrine is an alkaloid structurally similar to ephedrine (the powerful weight loss drug), so it’s been touted as a worthy replacement after ephedrine was pulled off the shelves. The Facts: Only one peer-reviewed study exists supporting citrus aurantium’s beneficial effect on body composition [22], but it’s impossible to tell if it caused fat loss because it was part of a supplement mixture. To quote an exhaustive literature review by researchers Fugh-Berman and Meyers [23], “Unless and until the short- and long-term safety and efficacy of C. aurantium extracts are established, consumers should be advised to avoid C. aurantium – containing weight-loss products…"

Tribulus Terrestris

The Claim: Tribulus terrestris is a plant native to warm temperate and tropical regions of Africa, Southern Europe and Asia, and Northern Australia. But more importantly, this herb has been hyped to raise testosterone, and thus aid in size & strength gains. Think steroids, without the shrunken goods. The Facts: Tribulus terrestris has consistently failed to show an increase in testosterone production [34-36]. And in tests of its impact on body composition (less fat) and training performance (more strength), it has also failed repeatedly [37,38]

Chromium

The Claim: Chromium is an essential trace mineral that showed potential in lowering fasting blood glucose and insulin levels in type 2 diabetics. The assumption was made that it could help with weight loss. The Facts: Multiple controlled studies across a wide range of populations have shown its ineffectiveness for weight loss [2-6].

ZMA (Zinc monomethionine aspartate and Magnesium Aspartate)

The Claim: ZMA is a combination of zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6. It’s hyped for its ability to improve performance and body composition in bodybuilders and pretty much every other type of athlete under the sun. It is also commonly hyped as a testosterone booster and a way to improve sleep and recovery. The Facts: ZMA showed positive effects in a study funded by the supplement’s creator & patent holder, Victor Conte (famous for the Balco Labs steroid scandal). However, subsequent independent research showed that ZMA failed to affect testosterone levels, strength, and body composition [46, 47].

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver split

darklight79 — Wed, 11 May 2011 22:32:43 +0800

http://gawker.com/5800257/arnold-schwarzen...hriver-split-up

Street Fighter short film

darklight79 — Sun, 16 May 2010 20:12:30 +0800

Polaris and another member posted this a week ago:-

[YOUTUBE]h2ZXSzaUIBQ[/YOUTUBE]

What about this? Any of you seen this yet? If I'm slowpoke sorry, will close.

[YOUTUBE]8K-F4eCDyUU[/YOUTUBE]

Muscle Growth Update

darklight79 — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:05:50 +0800

Muscle Growth Update

By Robbie Durand, MA

Shock Muscles Into Growth: Change Your Routine!

Hormones such as human growth hormone (GH) and testosterone have been shown to play a role in muscle hypertrophy and strength gains. One of the core training principles for muscle hypertrophy in bodybuilding is short rest— less than 1 minute between sets. In 1988, anabolic hormone guru William Kraemer, PhD, performed a study that literally changed the world of bodybuilding overnight.

In this landmark study, Kraemer reported that heavy resistance training protocols with shortened rest periods (less than 1 minute) between sets elicited greater GH and testosterone response than resistance training protocols with longer rest periods (more than 3 minutes).1 A previous study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research examined the effects of three different loading routines on testosterone and cortisol levels.2 Subjects were randomly assigned to a power workout (8 sets of 6 reps, 45 percent of 1-repetition maximum, 3 minutes rest), a hypertrophy workout (10 sets of 10 reps, 75 percent of 1-repetition maximum, 2 minutes rest) and a maximal strength workout (6 sets of 4 reps, 88 percent of 1-repetition maximum, 4 minutes rest). The hypertrophy scheme (10 sets of 10 reps) increased testosterone and cortisol, whereas the power and maximal strength schemes produced little to no endocrine change. In general, the post-exercise testosterone and cortisol response to the hypertrophy scheme was greater than the other two schemes, which themselves displayed largely similar profiles.

There is no doubt that short rest periods are going to lead to enhanced fat oxidation and a greater metabolic effect, but should you train with short rest periods year-round?

Longer Rest Periods Superior For Strength

A previous study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that short rest periods led to a decrease in the number of repetitions performed in the workout. In the study, resistance-trained men performed an upper-body workout consisting of two experimental training sessions. Both sessions consisted of 3 sets of 8 repetitions with an 8-repetition maximum resistance on six upper body exercises: wide-grip lat pulldowns, close-grip pulldowns, seated machine rows, barbell rows lying on a bench, seated dumbbell arm curls and seated machine arm curls.

The two experimental sessions differed only in the length of the rest period between sets and exercises: one session was performed with a 1-minute rest and the other with a 3-minute rest period. It should be of no surprise that the group that rested 3 minutes between sets was able to perform a greater number of repetitions compared to the 1-minute rest session.1 Think about a few extra repetitions performed during each workout over a six-month period and how much added strength and size that would add up to. New research has shown that the body has an incredible ability to adapt to exercise.

Short Rest Periods Increase Anabolic Hormones During The First Week, But Effects Decline With Training

In a recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers from the University of Nebraska recruited subjects and randomly assigned them to a 10-week resistance training program with either 1 or 2.5 minutes of rest between sets, training four times per week. Subjects were advised to consume 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass each day to ensure adequate nutritional resources for training-stimulated adaptation. Researchers found that in the first week, the ‘1-minute between rest’ group exhibited a greater overall hormone response to weight training than the ‘2.5-minutes’ group.

In week one, post-exercise testosterone and cortisol levels were significantly greater in the 1-minute group than in the 2.5-minutes group. However, these differences diminished by weeks five and 10, in which post-exercise hormone levels in the two groups were similar. What this study shows is that the body adapts to its training routine; the physiological stress of resistance exercise is diminished with time. The bottom line is that you have to constantly shock your body with new training routines!

Longer Rest Period Increased Muscle Hypertrophy More Than Shorter Rest Period

Another interesting finding was that the longer rest period group (2.5 minutes) tended to have greater increases in muscle arm mass than the short rest period group (1 minute). Additionally, the longer rest period group tended to have larger increases in thigh mass.

The author concludes that periodic changes in training protocols are needed for increased anabolic hormones and that there is an adaptation response that occurs to training. The groups became more alike as the weeks went along, as both groups adapted to their training regimen.3

The key point of the study is that the hormonal responses (GH and testosterone) were greater during the first week and had diminished by the 10th week of training. The study emphasized that changing your workout reduces the training adaptation that takes place and keeps you growing.

References:

1. Miranda H, Fleck SJ, Simão R, Barreto AC, Dantas EH, Novaes J. Effect of two different rest period lengths on the number of repetitions performed during resistance training. J Strength Cond Res, 2007 Nov;21(4):1032-6.

2. Crewther B, Cronin J, Keogh J, Cook C. The salivary testosterone and cortisol response to three loading schemes. J Strength Cond Res, 2008 Jan;22(1):250-5.

3. Buresh R, Berg K, French J. The effect of resistive exercise rest interval on hormonal response, strength, and hypertrophy with training. J Strength Cond Res, 2009 Jan;23(1):62-71.

The Girls Of Metroflex photoshoot

darklight79 — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 05:23:41 +0800

I hope I hope I hope.... the admins don't delete this. This is an inspiration for bodybuilders. A photoshoot of the Metroflex girls working out. If you guys deem it redundant I'll post it in the bb'ing thread:-

[YOUTUBE]zHt_1peaXWw[/YOUTUBE]

For those wanting 6 packs

darklight79 — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:00:44 +0800

[YOUTUBE]rhLvM59ARV8[/YOUTUBE]

Ultimate Gym

darklight79 — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:25:50 +0800

-edited out because of advertising-

Are you "working out" or or TRAINING?

darklight79 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:27:57 +0800

By JOHN GARGANI of bb.com

We get so many threads on here where people list their various workout programs, or, where they complain that a certain bodypart is not growing and then list their current program and rep and set configurations......

fine.....but I love when people use expressions like: " I throw in a couple of sets of lateral raises", for example, and then wonder why their lateral delts are not growing.

or better yet, so clean and neat: " I do 3 sets of this, and 3 sets of that " etc., as If it were a homework assignment!

here is an interesting quote from WIKIPEDIA on Training:

Quote:
Originally Posted by from WiKipedia
Training differs from exercise in that people may dabble in exercise as an occasional activity for fun. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, and performance.

the first thing I highlighted was SPECIFIC GOALS: just what ARE your goals?? to get bigger, regardless of stronger, to get stronger, regardless of bigger, to get defined, regardless of size, to get bigger AND defined...etc......

I also highlighted CAPACITY: Training involves improving or increasing capacity.

meaning: if you are doing a neat little tidy program, where you "throw in " 3 sets of lateral raises, then what makes you think they are ever going to grow...

why should they??? what is the impetus, what is the forcing issue that makes the body WANT to prioritize them?

(please, keep in mind, that I am just using one muscle as an example)

So: with that in mind, why couldn't you do 5 sets, or 6 sets or whatever, in this case, of the lateral raises....or, why couldn't you do a pyramid styled workout similar to what you might do in benching.....

if you want a bigger chest, do you "throw in" 3 sets of benches for 8 sets each??? The guys who have built some really truly deep and big chests have POUNDED THE LIVING SHITE OUT OF THEM with benching, earlier on, or still now.....

what makes people think that only works for one particular exercise??

My point, and it just comes around to an old rant of mine, resurrected again, is that once you start thinking in terms of a regimented written down, cross off the list, check off the boxes approach to bodybuilding, you are already self limiting yourself, and holding yourself back....

if you are TRAINING, then you are out to also improve your capacity, and for one workout, or several workouts, that might mean simply doing more of something else....and why?? for no other reason than 3 sets might simply NOT be enough to stimulate a weak bodypart......

a variation of this is when people will come on here and say: " give me another exercise for lateral delts, because I already did 3 sets of those".....

but I say: If you are getting a GREAT mind muscle connection with that movement, why move on to anything else??? instead of trying something else, which may not really hit that bodypart as well FOR YOU, why not simply DO MORE of what is working well for your body......

but if you are going to say " but I have already done what I was SUPPOSED to do in the workout plan", then forget about it, because in that case, I would have to say F@#$ the plan and F@#$ the horse it rode in on!

NEVER LEAVE AN EXERCISE IF YOU ARE GETTING GREAT MIND MUSCLE CONNECTION FROM IT AND ARE DOING GREAT AND MEANINGFUL REPS!!

don't worry if you "Leave out" something else that was "planned"...so what??

what would you rather do, some meaningless and pointless exhausted sets of whatever, at the end of a workout, or more sets of a movement where YOU ARE COOKING??!!

never be a slave to a written routine.....your body will tell you, every workout, what the routine should be.....

if you are simply NOT connecting to a certain exercise on a given night, then by all means, don't beat a dead horse and move on, but conversely, don't leave it if you are grooving on it.....

and don't worry about doing more sets than you were supposed to at the end, because, as I said, if we are "TRAINING" we are looking to increase some sort of capacity somewhere along the line at all times.....

going back to the Wikipedia quote: don't "DABBLE"....don't do 3 sets of everything all neat and pretty....do what you HAVE TO DO to get the job done......improve your capability and capacity and performance....in a word: TRAIN!!!!!!

Police brutality

darklight79 — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:28:01 +0800

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/20/al...ting/index.html

I like police brutality and have no problem with it. Police deal with the scum of our society everyday and even they get mad. Plus one of the cops almost got run over by the criminal. If the cop was a friend of mine, I'd beat the hell out of the guy too.

Sometimes people needs there asses kicked, its not like our judicial system is gonna do anything that is so bad our criminals will stop breaking the law.

If it's a repost I'll close it since some retards like harping on the issue.

Male-Female Relationship Theory

darklight79 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:16:56 +0800

Posted by unkept of bb.com

I was kind of bored tonight, people please give me feedback, thanks.

Over the years, I’ve been making observations and theories in social dynamics because I tend to have an outside view on things. I have no doubt that people will disagree, and in some cases flame me with what I’m about to say. I’m putting it up here for constructive feedback and experiences you can relate to what I’m talking about.

Old Ideas Revisited

Many times I see several boyfriend/girlfriend problems posted in this forum and the simple solution seems to relate back to the very basics that people tend to forget about in relationships. Genetically, we are not very different from our ancestors hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Men were the hunters and leaders of the family, and the women were supporters and in a way assistance to help the family prosper. It sounds sexist nowadays, but men ultimately told women what to do most of the time, and the women would follow. If you fast forward time and look at today’s age, there is a great deal of progression for independence and being an individual in society, depending on yourself for your own success. This has caused women to break out of their “following” role and become a self-starter or leader themselves in order to survive (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). One problem: relationship-wise we still follow our ancient subconscious thoughts and motives.

You may have several reasons for getting into a relationship, maybe you just want to have sex with someone all day, maybe you want the companionship, maybe you want a significant other, whatever it may be, we were designed to pursue these endeavors for a reason. We are thinking about reproducing and creating a family to support each other and grow on to produce another generation of our kind. When you get into a relationship that you want to turn out successful, you must follow the ancient ways in which we were programmed. Now hold on before someone calls me a sexist *******, I’m not talking about a man in a wife beater yelling for his wife to do the dishes and make him a sandwich, I’m talking about social roles.

When we pick a mate, males tend to analyze appearance and ability to bear children (and to pass on good genetic traits), females generally analyze social status, ability to provide for the family, and if their mate is to stick around. Attractive women who say that they will only date someone who looks like Brad Pitt are only fooling themselves because women (for the most part, this is a generalization) analyze men for different subconscious qualities as listed above. It’s no surprise women prefer clean and well groomed men over the guy with poor hygiene, it means he can take care of himself. If a man can’t take care of himself, how does he take care of the family? Women don’t want Brad Pitt because he’s “hot,” they want him because of his healthiness, ambition, social status, and all kinds of other factors that relate back to tribal days. Fact is, Brad Pitt is a good looking guy but women look beyond that to other important qualities when it comes to choosing a mate, sure they’d prefer someone looking like Brad Pitt, but most women will settle for someone else who has the traits to lead the family, regardless of appearance. Do you ever wonder how hideous guys get with some of the most attractive girls? They display all of the qualities females are attracted to, most notably their social status, usually because of being an alpha male or leadership ability.

Without getting too far tracked in how men and women subconsciously look for qualities in their significant other (and also because this is a highly debatable topic), there are ancient ways that need to be followed to a certain extent to maintain a healthy relationship (at any age). In the past, men were the leaders, head of the family, the hunters and providers, the women were essentially following, listening, and looking up to the man. This still holds true today, whether women want to admit it or not. When you get into a relationship, you aren’t immediately thinking about getting married, having some babies, and her staying at home while you go to work and do the job. Relationships at first are generally casual, while one or both of these people may not be looking to do all of the family stuff, they are both subconsciously thinking about it. In that essence, I bring the first requirement for a healthy relationship.

1. Be the leader, let her follow.
This holds especially true in this day an age, women have rights (nowadays) and have the ability to choose who she wants to be with very easily, while men on the other hand are literally horn-dogs looking for a new companion with little to no luck (relatively speaking about men in general). The fact is, many Men want to be with the attractive woman, thus giving the woman the ability to choose their mate. Women choose carefully and have the upper hand in the choice of mate because they subconsciously are looking for someone with the traits as the head of the family; they also want someone who is healthy and able to protect her and the children.

In over-generalized terms, most women can go out tonight and have sex, if they wanted to, while men on the other hand generally cannot. Think about it. If a decent to good looking girl came up to you and said she wanted to have sex with you, how many guys deny it? A small minority maybe, but the majority will follow through. Flip the tables; If a decent/good looking guy came up to a girl and asked her to have sex, he’d receive a slap on the face and doesn’t end up getting any (unless the girl is extremely unattractive and wanted some desperately, which in itself is a minority case as well).

What does this all have to do with men being leaders, you might ask? Women this day an age have the ability to choose their mate far more than men have. When you let the woman be the leader in the relationship, this empowers her to look for someone better because she’s not totally satisfied in the relationship and because she has many options. She’s not attracted to someone who does everything she wants, she wants someone who can lead the family and take care of everyone important to her, not someone catering to her (as much as women say they want to be catered to). My advice to men on this point is to be the leader, set the plans, and be your own individual while being in a relationship. Keep your girl on her toes, demonstrate that you have high value by doing things that are important to you, be fun, and don’t smother her. If this leader/follower balance is disrupted, the relationship is usually not successful.

2. Be a step ahead.
Women love to look up to their man, not only for leadership but in attempt to be able to learn and attempt to have control over him—don’t let this happen, if she controls you, she assumes leadership, when she assumes leadership, the balance is disrupted and the relationship will be unfulfilling and she will probably leave. Don’t take this too literally, I’m not saying women are control freaks and are out to make you slaves; they’re really just testing you and they do it subconsciously without actually thinking that they are testing you. If you can defend your stance and not become totally controlled, it shows that you have higher value because you believe in your own principles; it is seen as a quality women find in men.

This step again involves the practice of executing leadership. In other words, if you are a boring guy and can’t ever think of what to do, she will begin to get a control over you because it turns to be a privilege to be with her. She knows more interesting things to do and places to go, she also knows that you don’t have much to teach her or take her to, in essence you begin to follow her, and once again the leader/follower balance is disrupted.

You must be more socially known and knowledgeable than she is. Have a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Know the hotspots for entertainment, fun, and interesting things to do. Have connections and get to know and do more things that promote your higher value in the relationship. If she sees that you are an interesting person and have more knowledge and good social rapport, she will want to be with you to partake in what you do. If not, what does she have being with a boring guy? She can easily walk off and get a new one.

3. Stay up to par.
Never get too comfortable in a relationship. Look sharp (don’t slack off on appearance), be social, and never ignore anything for your relationship. Don’t ignore your close friends, don’t cancel plans significant to you to be with her, and don’t burn your bridges because you’re in a relationship. You want to portray the ability that you are able to find another partner should things go bad, this makes your partner want to be with you more, because you’ve got something in you that facilitates getting another girl, and will be attracted to keeping you. If she knows you are capable of getting another female companion, she wants to keep you for herself because there’s obviously something special about you that women want, she’s going to want to hold tight on to that. In turn, she will stay up to par and attempt to impress you to keep you around. You stay attractive; she’ll be attractive for you.

Ever notice how if you walk into a club, bar, or social area with some females, whether they be friends, family, or whatever, other women instantly look at you. Why? You’ve got something apparently that keeps those females there. Same concept here, if you are attractive to other females as well, she will want to hold on to you. Stay sharp and attractive and in turn, your partner will want to be with you.

[addedon]August 7, 2008, 10:17 pm[/addedon]4. Moderate the situations.
Again, this is another leadership quality. Don’t let her hold you on the phone for 3 hours talking about her girl problems. Don’t let her convince you of doing something against your own beliefs. If you were in an important lecture class and she calls you, don’t leave to go answer your phone. Set some ground rules for yourself. If your friend called you during your important lecture class, would you drop the lecture to answer? No. So why would you do this for your partner, knowing the conversation may have not been as important as the lecture, or knowing that it could wait until after? There is a way to be flexible and understanding, but don’t fall under control. Be available to help her out, but don’t be available all the time even when you shouldn’t be. You have a life you’re working on too! Don’t forget about number one.

5. Don’t forget to input into the relationship.
Many men might get carried away with the idea of being an alpha male (which these qualities are a part of) is far above the aspects involved in relationships. Remember, a relationship is mutual, if she is constantly seeking your “approval” or looks up to you as a partner and you don’t reward her for her behavior, she will leave because it appears you are uninterested or unappreciative. Don’t get too wrapped up in being in control. If she dresses up really nice for you, give her a compliment, if she does something nice for you, make sure you treat her for it. It becomes a process of the more she invests, the more she receives. Women like compliments and they like to be flattered, if they don’t earn it don’t give it to them. If you compliment or flatter them when unnecessary, they begin to see themselves as the prize, not you. You want to be the prize so they can stay with you. Reward them for good behavior and they will want to stay with you to get your affection.

[All in all, I may be adding to this list in time. The basic underlying principle is that becoming more of an alpha male results in more attractive qualities that females see in you. Everyone is capable of being an alpha male, start working at it.]

The Big Picture and Total Concept

The key to a long lasting and fulfilling relationship is your ability to display alpha male qualities, every point above is a reference to one. Alpha male qualities make your relationship stay healthy and in balance. Have you ever noticed how women are attracted to alpha males? The quarterback of the football team—leader of men, ambitious, protects his own, is confident, knows his own principles, in shape and healthy, high social status, etc. etc. When would the quarterback bend over backwards and get on his knees to keep a girl? Never. He has options because he has so much to fall back on, not to mention other girls are attracted to him already. How about that very popular guy you know who seems to know and get along with everyone and goes out every night? His social status is high; he believes in respect, protects his friends, leader of the pack, he’s confident, more than likely well groomed and in good shape. When does he bend over backwards for a girl? Never as well. He goes out every night, knows a lot of people, and has qualities many women find attractive. Women like to be led and be taught, they look for the leaders and teachers. They want protection and someone who stands up for the family. If you can’t meet these subconscious needs, she’d prefer to go out and find another male.

In essence, I find men treating their women in the relationship with too much courtesy, love, compliments, control, and a transfer of leadership because they want to do anything to keep her there. Fact is, if you make her the prize, she has every reason to leave you. If you are the prize, she has every reason to be with you to attain it. Don’t bend over backwards for a girl in your relationship, it’s not worth it. You don’t enjoy it and she’ll end up leaving you, it’s a double negative. You be yourself, keep your ambitions, you be the leader, she will follow, you will be happy for being yourself, she will be happy to be with someone interesting and capable of being her mate, it’s a double positive.

Women ultimately seek the alpha male because they are the best mates. If you show her that you have qualities of an alpha male, she is more inclined to be with you and you’ll both be happy. Alpha males don’t bend over backwards or become someone’s b**** (don't take that statement too literally). Alpha males are on top of their game; they lead people, have high social status, and watch out for number one while taking care of everyone else. When women see the alpha male, they see a prize to be had. On the other hand, when men see women as a prize, the woman has you in the palm of her hands… you turn her off because you are nothing like an alpha male, you are nothing like what she wants because you make her the prize, don't do this. You just bent over backwards for her in hopes of keeping her and she’s going to leave you because of it. Don't fall into this. The harder you try to keep her around the more inclined she is to leave. Remember, alpha males are willing to walk away because they have a lot more going for them than to try and fix a bad relationship.

An Informal Interview with Mr Asia Terry Gallyot

darklight79 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:35:23 +0800

This is in response to the recent arguments at the bodybuilding thread. Bear in mind i am completely neutral here. I am just asking relevant questions. Here is a screenshot as proof that this interview is genuine:-

Post will be updated as the msn convo continues. Some parts will be censored due to certain sensitive issues:-

PORKY says:
everyone needs carbs..it is clinically proven that u will need 60 - 100 gms carbs for brain function,liver ,kidneys,lungs etc
tell u what...u quote me in d forum
PORKY says:
first of all....
PORKY says:
all bbers in the late 80s him n me included were on a low carb low fat hi protein diet..alll
PORKY says:
till i eventually learnt more in the early 90s...that i changed my ways...i included fats in my diet BUT from omega oils like fish n flax seed
PORKY says:
some olive oil too
PORKY says:
so suffice to say..i'm not the sort who is opposed to new ideas.
PORKY says:
as he sez la'
Chris says:
alright, go on
PORKY says:
about ideas he puts forward..they are good...so doeas ideas i have preached
PORKY says:
there is afterall no one rules that is the golden rule in bbing simply bcoz everyone is created differently
Chris says:
how would you respond to a forummers post on the picture posted at the bb'ing thread:-
i damm sure all the participate involve in steroid..even though nowadayz kl junior oso damm big n few of them get banned bcos of positive in steroid.. am i rite???
Chris says:
he has a valid question, since this is like some sort of interview
PORKY says:
has a valid point
PORKY says:
a lot of people want to get "there" quicker
PORKY says:
sad part is...they do not take time to understand nutrition n training enough...and not giving their body a chance to reach max potential first
PORKY says:
beyond that point..then its their call..
PORKY says:
oh one more thing
PORKY says:
he ps me about taking no offence
PORKY says:
tell him none taken
PORKY says:
i just surt to read...not make enemies or insult others of their opinions
PORKY says:
n tell gleko that i didnt post d part about my philosophy being strictly low fat low carb..it was 4rings that said it n believed i do not believe using fats in the diet...
PORKY says:
he n registry then exchanged words..which was totally uncalled for on both sides...
PORKY says:
so gleko was wrong in a sense tat he kept saying i was wrong about d diet part as i did not say it there...and registry also did say i do ask people to use oils..
PORKY says:
so...it is up to people to really find out what works best for them...no one is right nor wrong here
PORKY says:
hopefully this clears the air....everyone has opinions...just like them who posted about hi fats diet....BUT there are those who believes otherwise simply because of the type of respond they get...so it is very individual to say the least.
PORKY says:
so no was was absolutely right BUT no one was absolutely wrong either...HENCE disputes should have been avoided.
PORKY says:
My take bottom line is...all those who were arguing with each other till it sort of gotten out of hand should shake hands and make up.We are so few...we should make friends and not enemies.
PORKY says:
if we do not look out for each other THEN who will?
PORKY says:
yours truly
PORKY says:
terry

What is the rate of IQ degradation?

darklight79 — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:29:41 +0800

I think I'm starting to show signs and symptoms of overdosage.

Please discuss.

Darklight's 12 day rotation

darklight79 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:33:36 +0800

New split which will start from page 17:-
Monday : Chest
Tuesday: Back
Wednesday : Legs
Thursday : Shoulders
Friday : Arms
Saturday : OFF
Sunday : OFF

Progress pics

Back progression from most previous to most recent:-

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Latest taken 5 weeks back:-

MM pose:-
Before

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

After

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Random narcissistic shots =P :-

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

My workout videos:-
http://www.youtube.com/user/darklight79

My back workout on Sunday:-

Back
Wide grip suppinated pulldowns
Warm up
80lb x 15,
100lb x 12

Work sets
180lb x 10,
180lb x 10,
150lb x 11,
140lb x 11,
110lb x 15

One arm db rows (per arm)
70lb x 12,
80lb x 12,
80lb x 11,
90lb x 8,
70lb x 15

Machine row (medium grip)
110 x 12,
120 x 11,
130 x 6,
130 x 6,
130 x 6,
100 x 15

Machine shrugs
275lb x 15,
295lb x 15,
295lb x 15,
315lb x 15,
275lb x 15

Cool down
Hammer chins
BW x 10,
BW x 8

Safe Baby Handling Tips

darklight79 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:53:42 +0800

[addedon]February 6, 2008, 11:59 am[/addedon]Ahh crap. I got a lot more but they might be reposts. It says I've posted more images than I'm allowed to. Any way toget around this? If it's a repost sorry.

Kid kills himself weightlifting

darklight79 — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:28:53 +0800

A kid in Sugar Land , Texas killed himself bench pressing. He dropped the weight on his neck.

http://www.click2houston.com/video/13653714/index.html

Fascia stretching

darklight79 — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:46:57 +0800

Alright people. With the recent bullshit by King83 around here, I've decided to liven up this place with some very good tips for bodybuilding:-

The fascia is a hard "sheath" that holds the bodies muscularity together.

It has been suggested and sometimes fully believed that the fascia plays perhaps the most important role in muscle size. As the fascia is stretched, its believed the extra room is easily filled with new muscle. Its theorized that this is the underlying reason for "muscle memory" in that once the fascia is stretched, it is easier to "restretch" it even after a layoff from training.

So lets look at an example to show this. A person trains for a few years and the fascia expand to allow 2-3 inches in increased arm size. The person takes a year off of training and there arms shrink back to there genetic size. The person resumes training after a year and may find they gain 2-3 inches of arm size in only 6 months. The idea is the first time around the fascia was resilient to expansion which is why it took years to achieve the growth. But the second time the fascia is already pliable from before and therefore growth is much easier to obtain.

But how important is the fascia? Some bodybuilders like Chris Cook talk about the fascia directly check it here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CGp-HUz5uI

Other bodybuilders like Jay Cutler and perhaps some old school lifters like Serge Nubret may indirectly be examples of it. The idea is a program based around higher volume and "pump" are geared more towards stretching the fascia as opposed to the lower volume intense guys who get less of a blood flow. Synthol and injectable oils are thought to expand the fascia, some guys may use them surely for this purpose and then after the oil has cleared find growth is easier to obtain. In modern days it is often site injected preworkout to obtain what many call the most incredible pump they've ever had to the point some guys can't finish there workout. Its thought this also has site specific benefits. Some go as far to say that steroids most important role for growth is there ability to increase pump and heighten nitrogen retention putting a constant strain on the fascia.