Next target is to make the front cover.

Hannah is a real life example of what honest hard work and perseverance can achieve. I couldn’t be more proud of her and more happy for her.

Myth 1 – “I have all the answers”.

There are self-proclaimed “gurus” who claim their way is the only way. Some will have you follow a keto plan, some will give a carb cycling plan. Forget it. Remember, we are all different, and in a pre-contest phase, those individualities, such as responses to stress, are what need to be managed to ensure best results, not what worked for someone else at one time or another. Pathetic.

The best pre contest approach is to work closely with a real experienced coach who knows your body, knows you, and can help you adapt what you do each week to make that little bit of progress each week. If you get someone who gives you a sheet of paper and says “follow this it works” then ask for your money back fast.

Myth 2 – LSD Cardio.

You can waste hours every day doing LSD cardio, or you can wise up. The body is an adaptive organism, meaning it is designed to adapt to whatever stimulus you present it with. IF you want to get a body like a marathon runner then do tonnes of LSD cardio. If you want to be lean and in shape, then consider the effects of your training on your hormonal system, your thyroid gland and your metabolic rate. LSD cardio will slow your metabolic rate, increase cortisol (cortisol is that stress hormone that shuttles excess fat to the abdominal area, just what you want pre contest!!!!!!) and slow the production of T3 from the thyroid gland. Plus, the more you do, the less effective it gets, meaning you have to do even more, and thus make even more cortisol etc etc. A marathon runner does about 8-10 hours training a week. Some pre-contest bodybuilders do about 16 hours LSD cardio a week. You want to look like a marathon runner on stage? Those chemically enhanced of course are another kettle of fish. I dont work with anyone using steroids, that is their choice and up to them, but I would never coach an athlete using steroids.

Some “gurus” preach lots of LSD, some preach none at all. In my opinion, it is effective when cycled with other forms of cardio, like intervals, and when used at the right times, such as after weight training, when your body will naturally “bleed” more fat into the mitochondria for fuel. I see people banging out hours of LSD without any consideration to what fuel they are actually using to do it. And the wonder why they lose muscle, hence slow the metabolic rate even further. Incredible really.

Your cardio in a pre-contest diet, especially for natural athletes, must not lower your metabolic rate, must not change type 2b fibres to type 2a, must not increase cortisol, must not use proteins for fuel to get through it, and most not slow down T3 production.

Myth 3 – The Keto Diet

Let’s get this cleared up. The Keto diet, where you essentially don’t eat carbs, will work in terms of fat loss, but only for extreme protein types, as it is basically, eating for their type. But, use keto on a mixed type, or autonomic dominant, and you will just ruin their body, I’ve seen it happen. For a mixed type or autonomic, cutting their carbs, which most “gurus” do, will just slow their rate of fat loss. For those types, you should be looking at protein and fat cuts, not carbs.

Also, people run keto for 12 weeks then try to carb load!!! Are you kidding me. IF you have taught your body to use proteins and fats for fuel, in effect for the body to convert them to glucose, then how on earth do you think you can carb deplete and carb load? Your body makes the carbs it wants from proteins (gluconeogenesis) so when you start chucking in carbs the night before a show, it doesn’t really know what to do with them. Most people will just smooth out and look bloated.

Your pre-contest diet should be in line with your metabolic type.

More myths to come, pre-contest dieting is an area I have witnessed so many people make huge mistakes with, saddens me to see people spend so much time and effort and get nowhere near where they thought they would be.

Any questions on your prep, drop me a line.

Simon

I thought it may be useful to address a number of the common errors that take place with sports specific training programs. I’ve listed some really simple improvements that you can make, rather than listening to those with “a little knowledge”.

I always start any athletic program design with a full analysis of both the components of the sport, and the abilities of the athlete. Then together with that athlete, well start to draw up a list of the training modalities that they most want to develop, the areas they most need to improve/excel to achieve their sporting goals. An example maybe a boxer who needs to develop punch power, or a footballer who needs to be quicker over 10 yards. You need a proper analysis before even starting to think about a training program, in effect, you are GOAL SETTING (see download on my site).

Once you have the goals and targets confirmed, then you can start to look at “what they need to do”.

“Conditioning”

What exactly does this mean? I think for most coaches, it means “how hard can I continually push my athlete in all areas until they drop?”. Now, “character training”, meaning where you push an athlete to test their character, that, at the right time, is fine, and an essential part of their training. But, just smashing an athlete for the sake of it, without any structured plan, or any specific goal for a workout, is dangerous and worsening performance rather than improving it.

Conditioning to me means, improving their efficiency at a particular heart rate range, mimicking the movements and intensity zones they will need to excel in to perform at their sport. There are a number of factors to include here:

1, Movement specific conditioning – At a basic gym level, you can be good at running, good at rowing, good at boxing. But, science tells us that as you reach the higher percentages of your genetic potential, excelling in one can affect others, and lactate thresholds ARE in fact movement specific. Meaning, if you row at a high intensity level, the carry over to a boxer if very minimal. Sure the cardiovascular system is being developed, but the movement specifics are not those that the boxer is going to replicate in the fight, making it, in my opinion, an inefficient use of training time and energy.

2, Psychological state mapping – This is hard to do. It is hard to make a local park feel like Wembley, it is hard to make a studio feel like a cage. But, if you want to train the intensity zone for a particular sport, then you need to best map the mental state they will adopt during that sport. The best practice here I believe, is to work on going “up” in training, and coming “down” in the actual performance. To explain, athletes generally are less intimidated, less focussed to train, and more nervous, more anxious, before the actual event. This affects adrenaline production, and in turn, heart rate, rate of energy usage etc. Identifying the athletes “peak performance state” and then training their mind to mirror that in training, and to carry that into the performance, is a key element in producing a great performance athlete, not a great trainer. Training with the same ATTENTINO TO DETAIL as you need in each contest is another area to look at, so you don’t develop bad habits. Many athletes are so uptight when it comes to show time that they end up beating themselves.

3, Periodisation – An athlete is not going to hold their elite level of conditioning all year around, and for sports like boxing/MMA, they need to periodise their intensity levels, and loading, to ensure they are at their best when it matters. The general approach I see from most coaches is to push hard when they feel like it, I mean when the coach feels like it, rather than to proactively plan a 10-12 week phase, or even yearlong cycle, so they focus on the various elements of that sport, at the right times, in the right loads. Coaches tend to shout loudest and push hardest when they have had a bad day, not necessarily when their athlete needs it. Proactively building the training plan ahead of time, and then making amendments if needed, ensures that athletes peak at the right time, if the prescription is correct.

What is the goal of each exercise, rep range, tempo and rest period?

Again, much of what I witness is a circuit style approach, a number of exercises combined without rest, repeated with poor form, poor movement patterns and at a lower percentage of 1 rpm to ever generate strength, yet too heavy to allow for an increase in explosive speed. Lack of specificity is literally killing the performance of most athletes. The coaches need to do some study, and stop trying to wing it!!! Making a workout “hard” is not enough. Making a workout progressive, so they get closer to the sport specific goals, that is progress. I think a number of coaches I have seen work were planning more to enhance their own egos, not the performance of their athletes.

Machine Exercises really have no place.

I am sure there must be some exceptions, and of course there will be some times when a machine might need to be used for a specific purpose. But, for any sports performance, barbell, dumbbell, Fitball, bodyweight, strength bands, chains and plyometric exercises are going to make up at least 99% of the program. Using a machine really teaches the body to be “better at using the machine” and I doubt any sport is going to involve using that machine. The exercises you select should either best train the muscle groups that require development in the way they need to develop, or should best map the movement pattern of that sport with an obvious increase in loading through resistance. In my opinion, machines will always “isolate” rather than “integrate” meaning they are going to weaken a sports action. Sports movements are generally quicker and multi-joint, think about a scrum, throwing a punch, jumping to head a ball. They are really whole body exercises. Machines are great for bodybuilders who want pure hypertrophy, they are great at isolating muscles, but not for building absolute strength or force production improvements. Bodybuilders are generally not the strongest of athletes and when they transition to sports often have problems with agility and flexibility, as well as being very prone to injuries because they have “shut down” basic movement patterns. I am sure there are exceptions, but in the main, bodybuilding training is great for bodybuilding results, not for any other sport. In fact, I think it is that style of training, “12, 10, 8” that is most at fault with how British athletes train today. The influences in football and other mainstream sports from pathetic fitness industry courses is holding back our athletes when compared to the States, where high school children are wrestling, deadlifting, squatting and taking gymnastic classes. All far better than how our junior programs in schools take place, which is more about avoiding legal problems and “no win no fee” cases, than it is building champions.

Adding Muscle mass when it only slows you down.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to add muscle mass to make you stronger or faster. Sure, you need some muscle to drive the joints, and to initiate the force at the start of each movement, but hypertrophy can do as much damage as it can good. In sports where endurance is an issue, boxing, MMA, football, rugby, for some adding muscle, particularly in the wrong places, can hinder performance.

In general terms, hypertrophy is produced by working in the 8+ rep range, sets of 10 and 12. If you are trying to keep someone’s weight down, for a weigh in, or for speed purposes, then you shouldn’t really be touching this rep range. I call this the “Strength Endurance” rep range, and it works best for direct hypertrophy, or “puff up” as some of my friends in the states call it. I do know that for a number of professional American Footballers, “puff up” is actually an essential part of their training, as it should be with front row rugby players. Their weight gives them a competitive advantage in that it is harder for their opponents to move it. It only becomes counterproductive when they can’t carry it around the field.

Restoration, Central Nervous System and Muscle Soreness.

This is another very misunderstood part of exercise programming, the ability to restore energy and super compensate, meaning get better from the workout. Coaches don’t generally schedule anywhere near enough restoration type components, things that restore energy and recover the nervous system from the trauma of the last workout. Meditation, visualisation, chi energy, yoga, even low intensity recovery style workouts. Understanding “yin and yang” I suppose is a simple way to think of it. Muscle soreness is one thing, and generally goes away within 72 hours or less. Nervous system damage from huge compound lifting, or high intensity work, is another thing entirely and can lead to burn out if not addressed using waves in a training program.

There are a tonne more considerations into sports programming that I could do into, but in summary, if you are training for a sport, consider all the above and think about how it could improve your training. Don’t go into a session without a key focus and structure to it, don’t train the same way all year around, and don’t neglect rest and recovery. If you have any questions about your sport, Id love to help you out with them, please drop me an email.

Simon

I entered the Fitness category, which involves a 2 minute high energy routine, which I was really excited about, having done gymnastics for around 12 years when I was younger. However, I found that being a grown-up, gymnastics wasn’t as easy as it was as a youngster! The strain it put on my body was almost unbearable! The pain afterwards lasted for days, and I got frustrated that I couldn’t do the moves I could 15 years earlier (quite naïve really!!) I decided, around 9 weeks out from competing, that something had to give – I changed category to Fitness Model, which didn’t require the 2 minute routine. This way I could concentrate on the diet and training without trying to fit in the gymnastics as well – it all felt instantly more achievable.

Simon changed my diet from eating 6 meals a day, to 4 meals every 4 hours, to help stabilize my blood sugar levels. All meals were protein with veg/salad and good fats, with the only carbs in the form of a small amount of bio yoghurt and blueberries at meal 1 – this was my daily saviour!!

Training wise, I was taken off morning cardio and ordered to lie in and concentrate on quality sleep. I definitely underestimated the importance of sleep when trying to drop body fat! After work I was doing 4 weights sessions a week followed by 45 mins of cardio.

These first few weeks felt good. I saw weekly changes (monitored by photos and measurements – waist, hips and thighs – rather than scales) and had great energy levels from the variety of proteins and all the good fats in my diet, as well as the better quality sleep. I won’t lie – there were days where I craved chips, chocolate or sweets so much I thought I would go crazy – but then I told myself I had a goal to reach, reminded myself how proud I would be when I got there, and I stuck to the diet – when you want something bad enough, and really focus on the end goal, you’ll do whatever it takes to get there!

A few weeks in, Simon was happy with my progress, so we introduced the morning cardio – 45 mins of hill walking on an empty stomach. It’s not much fun, but it works really well, but only if all variables are in place. I was lucky there was a guy at the gym also in training for a show, so we would always be the first people at the gym motivating each other to keep going, commenting on changes we noticed in each other, and usually discussing what foods we missed!!!

Over the next few weeks the cardio increased so that I was doing 45 mins pre-breakfast and an hour post-weights in the afternoon. Soon after this, food changed so that almost all the protein I was having was very lean – no beef, mackerel, etc, reducing my overall calorie and fat intake. This made the training feel harder, but I just got on with it, knowing the goal was getting closer. I was now finding it easier to visualize myself on the stage – using visualization can be a very powerful tool of motivation.

With only a few weeks to go, supplements changed to help shift fat from my lower body, and the cardio changed, introducing some high intensity interval training, while still doing some LSD training as well. If you keep doing the same thing for too long, your body will stop reacting.

Coming into the final week, I was feeling pretty good about how I was looking, I had my posing suit, hair, tan, make-up etc all sorted, and I was getting excited. BUT the final week is the toughest! My diet lost pretty much all fat for 5 days, so I was just eating lean white protein and greens 4 times a day. Now, I like strong flavours, so this was very hard for me! I also had to train upper body twice a day on these days (no cardio, thank God!), and my energy levels were so low, these workouts used up anything I had! I was pretty horrible to be around, but luckily had warned my boss, and had a very supportive boyfriend (a good support network is so important when you do something like this). I didn’t see much of my friends during these 12 weeks, because it was easier to keep myself to myself, and get on with things, but the good friends are still there at the end, to see the show and congratulate you.

Having fat-depleted for 5 days, the last 2 days before the show I fat loaded to fill my muscles – these 2 days were great! Whole eggs, mackerel, steak – it all tasted sooooo good! And I had loads of energy!

On the day before the show I did a photoshoot, so I had some great shots of me in the best shape of my life! I had steak, chips, cheesecake and wine in the eve before the show! (talk to SJ!) Unfortunately I spent a lot of this evening on the toilet!!!! I assume this was a combination of nerves, and the body’s reaction to the fat-load! Luckily, this stopped in time for me to go to bed and have a great nights sleep (thanks to the extra calories!)

The day of the show came, and despite being an appallingly organized show, I had a great day. I was nervous as hell, but all the other girls were really friendly and we all supported each other. The top 3 girls were in incredible shape!!

I really enjoyed my first experience competing, and found a lot of inspiration from the other competitors, wanting me to get in even better shape, and compete again next year!

Taz did an amazing job in a very short time, and is a real life example of what you can with focus and hard work. When she first contacted me she was miles from being show ready, miles. But I knew her character, and I knew shed be receptive to coaching, so she had a chance.

Taz is in the category of very hard worker, sometimes too hard. Getting her to sleep better was the key, to improve her digestion and stabilize her blood sugar. Then adding in foods that fit with her metabolic type and taking out foods that were irritating her digestive tract were part of the stage 1 plan.

Moving forward, using LSD cardio at the right times, to maximize its efficiency, was a crucial part of her plan. Plus mixing in the interval work at the right time to prevent some negative hormonal and metabolic rate changes. Taz actually did a lot more LSD cardio than I would normally have a client of mine do, simply because I didn’t have the time I wanted to get her metabolic rate up and balance some of the hormonal issues. So, I had to drive her body a lot harder than I wanted to, which was something we discussed. I don’t believe in “robbing Peter to pay Paul”, in effect weakening someone’s health severely during a contest prep. It just isn’t worth it in the long run.

I think the biggest pre contest mistake most people make is the use of LSD cardio, mainly too much, at the wrong times. As a natural, it is way over used during pre contest in my opinion. If you want to maximize your cortisol levels, sure, carry on, just what you need to get that extra fat storage on your abs!!!

In clients with whom I work and have longer to prepare, I focus far more on maximizing the metabolic rate and taking care of the endocrine system, which are the 2 key components for natural athletes who want to be lean. Not hours of endless cardio.

Pre-contest dieting is not the science some claim it to be. And because one thing works for one person, it doesn’t mean it works for the next, that is a common mistake of the so called experts. In addition, there is a huge difference between natural athletes, like the ones I coach, and steroid assisted trainers. Using steroids really takes away the need to consider the endocrine system, and how the training and diet stimulus affect cortisol, thyroid, testosterone and growth hormone production.

I know so many people who diet for contests by simply cutting carbs, loads of cardio, then chucking in some T5 and clenbuterol, and claim they have this great approach to dieting!!! Forget the fact they have no muscle at all when they come to the show, plus have pissed off everyone around them in the process and are ill for about 2 years afterwards. Crazy.

Moving forward, the long term aim with Taz is to do some work on health work that we had to put on the back burner during the pre contest phase. Pre contest work is a stress, right now Taz is going to really work on building perfect health. That is the goal I set with all my clients, so they can maintain a great physique and athletic performance all year around. My own personal believe is that looking great is just one part of the process. Feeling great, being productive in every area of your life, and having a body that works to its best, are the targets I set for anyone I work with.

Congratulations to a great hard worker who deserves all the success she achieved.

Simon

I spent a week training here, watching and learning, soaking up all the exercises, talking to all the athletes and learning how I could apply their science to my own training and that of all my clients.
I was fortunate enough to hook up with Buckeye Josh Rees, who was in preparation for his NFL audition, his Ohio State pro-day. He was targeting 40 reps at 225lbs (100kg) and to get his 40 time under 5 seconds, plus his vertical over 40 inches (he did all 3 when the time came!!!!). Josh has been training at Westside for 5 years, and weighs in around 290 lbs, with a body fat around 15%. His job is to block and protect the quarterback, so his weight is a necessity for his position.

I got to work on a number of great movements, like the chain floor press, band resisted speed bench press, maximal rep training with dumbbells, stability work with the bamboo bar, vertical jumps out of foam, box squatting for speed, single deadlifts for force production, broad jumps with a weight vest, and outdoor prowler and sled work, all in about minus 5 wind chill!!!!

I’ve been to Metroflex in Texas and trained with Brian Dobson (Ronnie Coleman’s trainer), I’ve worked out with Mike Francois (former Arnold Classic Winner, 3rd place in the Olympia) plus been fortunate to attend a number of college programs in the states and study their training principles. However, nothing comes close to Westside, it is an amazing place, and I cannot wait to go back and learn some more.

Check out their site, and get stuck into the articles. If you are serious about your training, stop wasting time on any other strategy, learn the Westside way, and start making gains today, and every day.

Thanks to Louie for his hospitality, plus to Josh and his brother (former Minnesota Viking Chad Rees), plus to all the other athletes for their time and courtesy in helping me learn the science behind their training.

I need to get my 225 up…

Absolute strength –
This is the type of strength you use for something like lifting a car, a huge big single lift. To develop this type of strength, you focus on lifting very heavy poundage’s, above 90% of your 1 rep power maximum, using the big major lifts. Don’t get caught up completing the same movement each week and expect to get stronger, all that happens is you are overcome by the law of Accommodation, and you will eventually go backwards, reversibility (Accommodation refers to the decrease in biological response to the same stimulus each time the body encounters it.
An example here would be to do a floor bench press using chains and to work up to your 1 rep maximum, using around 2-4 prep sets before you get into 1-3 work sets, the last of which you use to try and set a new personal best in that lift.

Force Production –
Probably the most mis-understood and undertrained area. Force production is an important part of developing absolute strength, but also very important for any athlete involved in a sport where quick and powerful movements form part of their sport/event. To train force production, you select poundage around 40-50% of the 1 rep power maximum, and complete around 2-5 sets of 3-5 reps. Once the movement cannot be completed with maximal speed, stop the set. These exercises should not be trained to failure, rather to the point you start slowing down. Examples would be flat bench band speed bench press, say 8 sets of 3 reps, with around 45 seconds rest period. Use a band where you have around 25% tension at the top of the lift, and small tension at the bottom.

The law of potentiation refers to one exercise improving another. It is widely regarded that performing a large neural lift (absolute strength, say the floor press) prior to a force production/plyometric movement has a positive effect on the speed and power generated. I think there is some truth in this, although it is not the only way potentiation can be manipulated to improve gains. I think the nervous system can be prepared for this type of lift in other ways.

Strength Endurance –
Most people train in this area without even knowing it. Bodybuilding/fitness industry movements are generally in the 8 and above rep range, or metabolic as I would call it. The hypertrophy is generally sarcoplasmic, and generated by an increase in waste products (lactate) in the local area. This style of training would be say performing 4 sets of 12 reps on incline dumbbell press, or using drop sets, pause reps etc. For athletes who have to make weight demands, this type of work has to be limited, e.g. a boxer having to make weight. With a boxer or martial artist, you want to make the muscle more powerful, faster, without bulk, there is no use to bulk at all, and hence training should be designed to avoid this.

In addition, this type of training is very one dimensional and as most trainers want constant progression, they need to include some work in each area to achieve that. What is often mis-understood is that without increasing absolute strength and force production, there will be no improvement in strength endurance; it will be set at a level based on absolute strength limitations.

Plus, the hormonal and neurological response to absolute strength training is critical for testosterone and growth hormone production. Particularly as we age, past 30, there is even more emphasis on those heavy sets, for a number of reasons, not least the strength of the bones and reproductive system.

To summarise, forget the crap in those so called “fitness” magazines, which I wouldn’t even use to line a hamster cage. Forget the BS spouted by some wannabee waving his PT certificate. Find a trainer who can program you effectively to make constant gains using the scientific principles above, as well as having an understanding of the law of accommodation, and applying the rules of the conjugated program developed by Louie Simmons, Mel Siff and more recently Joe DeFranco.
Impossible is nothing, limitations exist only if you allow them too. Choose progress, choose power.

Emmy trained on a Conjugated Training program, similar to those I use with all my athletes, and made big gains in musculature in her legs, arms and back.

Emmy works in my Newton Abbot club and is a fantastic example of hard work and determination. Another natural athlete competing against many who are chemically enhanced and coming off favourably.

Emmy is now planning to compete in Bikini and Figure in the states, as well as undertake a career Fitness Modelling.

Very proud of you Emmy.

Fuge is up next, off to Kansas in June, Mr Perfect as I like to call him, followed by the return of “The Champ”, Miss Helen Collins, in July. I am hoping for very big things from both of these athletes.

Both are more importantly amazing people, rounded, selfless and hard working. I hope my daughter marries someone like Fuge and turns out a lot like The Champ.

SJ

At this time of year, everyone wants to know “how do I lose this bit” or “how can I get my abs out”. Thoughts invariably turn to cardio, and more cardio. Cardio on its own is very one dimensional, and not going to get it done. A good resistance program, lots of sleep, a diet to suit your metabolic type, AND THEN some cardio, and we may be onto something.

The biggest failing I see with cardio is people doing it at the wrong time. A lot of people do it on an early stomach, which works to a degree. But, unless a number of bases are covered, early morning fat burning can end up costing you some muscle tissue as well as some fat. Not efficient, as you end up lowering your metabolic rate, exactly what you don’t want, through the loss of muscle tissue. Gluconeogenesis is a process where amino acids are converted to glucose in the liver, to be used as fuel. So early morning empty stomach may not be the best idea.

Cardio too close or too far from meals is also a disaster. Depending on your type, it can take between 45-90 minutes following a meal for your body to stop producing and using insulin, and for your body to start using fat for fuel, through the release of the sister hormone to insulin, glucagon. For those reasons, scheduling cardio activity around 90-120 minutes after a meal gives you a natural advantage in terms of what fuel you use for that workout.

In addition, leaving it too long from a meal can be a disaster. If the body is really low on energy, then it can start using adrenaline to make energy, meaning you end up breaking down anything you can, to supply the fuel for cardio. This not only can slow the metabolic rate, but also can burn out the adrenal glands and leave people vulnerable to illness and infection.

So when is the best time, the most efficient time? I believe immediately following hard resistance training, say 30-45 minutes, completing LSD cardio activity around 65% max heart rate, will burn the most fat whilst limiting the damage done to muscle. It also serves as a good recovery session, helping to speed full restoration from lifting.

Alternatively, schedule cardio around meal times, meaning you do it when your body is more than happy to oblige with using fat for fuel, or to put it more correctly, a greater percentage of fat for fuel than at other times of day.

Cardio can burn fat, but you need to it at the right time, in the right conditions, with an eye on variety and using your metabolic rate as the real key to long term fat loss.

And that is before we even start going into the livers roll in what gets burnt for fuel!!!!

SJ

-The thyroid gland is located in the neck and controls the rate at which food is burned to form energy (metabolism).

-The thyroid gland works in conjunction with the pituitary gland (located in the head), to maintain a constant body temperature. If the metabolism slows down to much it will cause body temperature to lower so the pituitary gland secretes a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) that stimulates the thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormone which results in the metabolism speeding up and returning the body to normal levels.

-The hormone produced by the thyroid gland is known as T4 and is inactive until it reaches the tissues of the body as a raw material to produce T3, the active hormone.

-So, if a person has problems with their thyroid gland not producing enough raw material, T4, to run the thyroid system, their metabolism will slow down and lower body temperature. This condition is known as hypothyroidism.

What can cause Hypothyroidism:

-Low protein diets, Organic animal protein is needed for the production of thyroid hormone and its conversion to the active form in the liver. Low protein or vegan diets lead to low thyroid function and low cholesterol which can cause major chronic degenerative diseases such as lung problems, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, depression and more. Women are more vulnerable as it can lead to estrogen dominance and prevent them from making progesterone.
The risk to men can be increased if they eat a lot of high pesticide plants, fruits and vegetables, as the pesticides are estrogen mimics (xenoestrogens) and are carcinogenic.

-All forms of estrogen, whether they are natural, synthetic, herbal or environmental, are toxic and cause the diseases of aging (heart disease, cancer, arthritis etc). Natural progesterone can prevent these diseases.
Estrogen prevents your thyroid from secreting thyroid hormone and inhibits the conversion of T4 to T3.

-Soy products, these contain 3 potent estrogenic substances so they will also inhibit thyroid function and T4 to T3 conversion.

-Pesticides in foods, these are estrogen mimics and inhibit thyroid function. Foods containing pesticides have 200-400% less nutrition than organic foods. So even though organic is more expensive, you will get more for your money and be satisfied with less food.

-Fluoride, common in water, reconstituted beverages, foods and toothpaste causes severe hypothyroidism and poisons over 100 enzymes. Showering or bathing in fluoridated water causes you to absorb more than 100 times more fluoride than drinking tap water.

-Synthetic and genetically engineered hormones (estrogen and others), found in meat, dairy products, poultry, eggs and in birth control pills, blocks the release of thyroid hormone from the gland.

-Excess Iodine, is a powerful thyroid inhibitor and people get to much of it as it is used in table salt.

-Mercury, present in silver amalgam fillings and as an environmental toxin, inhibits the conversion of T4 to T3.

-Endurance exercise also depresses thyroid function. This is why endurance athletes have a slow pulse, it is a protective slowing of the metabolism as exercise accelerates the breakdown of thyroid hormones.

Common symptoms of Hypothyroidism:

If the thyroid system malfunctions it causes the metabolism to slow down causing symptoms such as, migraines, depression, easy weight gain, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, dry skin, dry hair, hair loss, fluid retention, brittle nails and many others.

-Increased cholesterol, may occur if there is inadequate thyroid hormone to convert it to bile salts and the anti-ageing hormones (pregnenolone, progesterone and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). A deficiency of these hormones can lead to some of the anti-ageing conditions associated with low thyroid function.

-Blood sugar problems (Adrenalin and Cortisol):
Glucose (sugar), is needed to convert T4 into T3, which occurs mainly in the liver. The glucose activates enzymes that convert T4 to T3. If T3 is decreased for some reason (stress, liver problems etc) the respiratory enzymes do not work as T3 is essential for activating the transport chain down to the production of oxygen. When T3 is inadequate, glucose is burned inefficiently to lactic acid instead of all the way to carbon dioxide. So the body gets less energy from the same amount of glucose.
When the liver runs out of stored sugar (glycogen) it stops converting T4 to T3.
This low blood sugar leads to increased adrenalin to compensate for the deficiency of energy, glucose and oxygen.

-The adrenalin attempts to mobilize glycogen and stored fat but this soon triggers the pituitary gland to release a hormone which converts progesterone into cortisol.
Cortisol increases blood sugar by breaking down protein (catabolism), this increase in cortisol can decrease adrenalin, leading to the low pulse common in hypothyroidism.
But, if the adrenal cortex (where cortisol is produced) becomes exhausted and cannot continue to produce cortisol, adrenalin will rise again. The production of cortisol is a life saving response to stress, but in hypothyroid people, it takes place to keep blood sugar up.

-Unfortunately, cortisol also inhibits the thyroid gland creating a viscous cycle that can only be broken by proper hormone balancing such as, thyroid therapy and by opposing cortisone and estrogen with progesterone and pregnenolone.

-Heart disease, adrenalin and its synthetic drug mimics such as inhalers used for asthma are toxic when used or produced continuously in response to the stress of hypothyroidism or endurance exercise. This is because excess adrenalin damages the heart mitochondria (the site where energy is produced in a cell), which is needed to supply the energy dependant tissue of the heart. This is due to the rapid mobilization and oxidation of unsaturated fats to raise blood sugar, resulting in peroxidation (damage to the cells by free radicals) which is aggravated by inadequate antioxidant protection.

-Cancer, the risk is greatly increased in hypothyroid patients as they have increased estrogen levels and decreased production of the anti-ageing steroids from LDL cholesterol: pregnenolone and its end products progesterone and DHEA.

-Blood pressure, hypothyroidism can cause either high or low blood pressure depending on whether adrenalin or cortisol is in excess. Generally, adrenalin will result in high blood pressure and cortisol will cause low blood pressure. Hypothyroidism can also cause hypoxia (low tissue oxygen) which is why sufferers complain of cold hands or feet and that their hands and feet “go to sleep” easily due to poor circulation.

-Depression is a common symptom of hypothyroidism and in women it can lead to severe depression after childbirth. This is easily treated with correct thyroid therapy.

-Hyperactivity, insomnia and fatigue, all of these can occur at the same time in response to low thyroid function. The frontal lobes of the brain are the most highly evolved part and give us the ability to plan and understand complex things that require prolonged attention. This has a very high energy requirement which can be affected by hypothyroidism resulting in hyperactivity and a lack of concentration.
As we know the body produces adrenalin in response to low blood sugar which means the body gets tired and tense at the same time, which is why some people use coffee as a stimulant to raise the energy level of the brain.

-Weight gain or loss, is common in people suffering from hypothyroidism, as well as an inability to lose weight. Most of the weight for a hypothyroid person is water not fat.

-Immune deficiency and frequent infections, to allow proper immune system function, adequate thyroid hormone is required. Low levels will result in anemia and other infections, as well as multiple sclerosis and arthritis.

-Multiple sclerosis(MS), Cells called Oligodendrocytes are responsible for myelinating nerve fibres and are steroid forming cells. These cells produce pregnenolone but in MS they stop functioning and cluster around deteriorating nerve cells in an attempt to supply them with pregnenolone. Pregnenolone and progesterone protect against nerve damage from aspartame and nutrasweet, but an inability to convert cholesterol into these hormones leaves the nerves unprotected.

-Female problems, including infertility, miscarriage, fibrocystic breast disease, cystic ovaries, and PMS are caused or aggravated by hypothyroidism coupled with estrogen dominance. This dominance can occur with a normal level of estrogen if progesterone is low, or a normal level of progesterone if estrogen is high.

Why the body relies on metabolism

-The metabolism can be increased or decreased in certain circumstances to work on 2 levels/speeds.
1)Productivity mode (fast speed) where the body will use energy to get things done. 2)Conservation mode(slow speed) where the body restricts the availability of energy to survive, e.g. if there was a famine.

-It is normal for the body to switch between conservation mode and productivity mode at appropriate times and conditions. For example, if there was a plentiful supply of resources, the body will remain in productivity mode.
If there is a threat to survival and/or physical, mental, emotional resources of the body, such as child birth, divorce, death of a loved one, job or family stress, surgery or accidents, the body will begin to enter into conservation mode to conserve energy.

-To allow the body to conserve energy it needs to slow down. It does this by decreasing the amount of raw material T4 that is converted into the active hormone T3, while increasing the amount that is converted to the inactive RT3. During times of fasting, the levels in the bloodstream of T3 can drop by 50% whilst RT3 increases by 50%, this has a massive affect on the amount of active thyroid hormone in the body and the metabolic rate drops during these conditions of fasting.

-If you put this into a modern day scenario, a person stops eating to lose weight so the body recognizes this and goes into conservation/starvation mode. The person ends up slowing their metabolism down to conserve energy so any food consumed is not going to be used freely as energy (like in productivity mode) but stored for emergency, and so, the vicious cycle continues.

-The conservation mode is used effectively by newborn babies, as they are born with very high levels of RT3 in their body and low levels of T3. It is thought that this is a survival mechanism to allow the baby to conserve as much energy as possible, and is backed up by the fact that babies spend a lot if time sleeping, eating and gaining weight, and they are often irritable. Hunger for a baby seems painful and their screams are a desperate matter of life and death.

-As T4 to T3 conversion decreases, the cells of the body slow down causing the body temperature to drop. When temperature drops, many of the body’s enzymes do not function as well.

-Certain enzymes are more susceptible to the decrease in body temperature than others, and most of these are related to the bodies more expendable functions.
E.g. The Skin, which is the largest organ of the human body, uses a huge amount of energy to maintain healthy. It can function for weeks on a low level of energy, conserving the bodies energy supplies, but it will result in dry skin, dry hair, hair loss, dry, brittle nails etc.

-Vital functions such as vision, hearing, heart function and breathing are not greatly affected by the changes in temperature as they are needed for short term survival.

-The greater the tendency a body has to enter into conservation mode, the greater the tendency a body has to remain in conservation mode. Proper functioning of the body depends on how effectively and appropriately the body enters into and out of productivity and conservation modes.

How to test for hypothyroidism

As hypothyroidism is greatly related to metabolism, the best way to test for low thyroid function is to see how fast your metabolism is running by measuring the bodies temperature. Digital thermometers can sometimes be inaccurate due to low batteries or being dropped, so a mercury thermometer is recommended.

The temperature should be taken under the tongue for 5-7 minutes 3 times a day, 3 hours apart starting 3 hours after you wake up for 3 days. You should add the 3 days temperatures and divide by 3 to get each days average. Avoid drinking anything hot or cold before testing. If your temperatures run less than 98.6F (37C) this would indicate low thyroid function.

Another method of testing for thyroid function is via a blood test to determine the levels of T3 and T4.

How to stabilize/normalize the thyroid gland

-Food enzyme support, the endocrine glands are driven by digested food so having a fully functioning digestive tract can help to alleviate many problems. By using food enzymes and eating whole organic foods it will nourish the organs with whole digested foods and result in an increased performance from these organs.

-Thyroid support, the best choice for this would be whole food derivatives such as whole bovine or porcine glandulars as these contain protein precursors to both T4 and T3. Synthroid is an ineffective form of thyroid because it only contains T4 so a patient with liver problems cannot convert it into T3, which is especially prevalent in estrogen dominant women.

-Progesterone support, this stimulates the thyroid to secrete its hormone and opposes the effects of estrogen and cortisol as well as stimulating the immune system.  In men with thyroid problems, pregnenolone is preferred as progesterone inhibits testosterone.

Thyroid stimulating foods:

-A diet high in organic animal protein will enable the body to produce thyroid hormone and convert T4 to T3. Meat, fish, poultry and dairy should be eaten 3 times per day.

-Fruits and fruit juices help to adjust blood sugar levels and calm down the adrenal glands. By adding ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to fruit juice, it will raise blood sugar to normal and calm you down. Fruit juice can also stimulate an increased production of T3 from T4. Finally, fruit juice provides magnesium which works with the thyroid to moderate stress. Note that most vegetable juices are anti-thyroid as the juicing concentrates the toxic unsaturated oils present in vegetables.

-A diet containing carrots allows the carrot fibres to tone the bowel and bind to toxins.

-Sea salt is a natural diuretic and it mobilizes glucose which lowers adrenalin to stabilize blood sugar helping convert T4 to T3. Sea salt (without added iodine) that contains 48 minerals should be used as table salt only contains sodium chloride.

-Coconut oil is one of the healthiest saturated fats other than butter and extra virgin olive oil. It has several thyroid promoting effects, firstly, it contains butyric acid which helps thyroid hormone move into the brain by increasing T3 uptake. Secondly, it opposes anti-thyroid unsaturated oils. Finally, it contains short and medium chain fatty acids which stimulate the immune system, help to modulate blood sugar, and protect the mitochondria against stress injuries.

Note: Grated carrots, coconut oil, sea salt and vinegar can be mixed together to create a salad dressing, so each can carry out their specific function.

Your GP or Naturopath will advise you as to testing and possible treatment options should you feel you have thyroid symptoms. Be sure to check with your GP before undertaking any significant change to your diet with regard to thyroid health.

To contact:  dean@winners2000.co.uk

In both sexes it plays a key role for health and wellbeing as well as in sexual functioning. Some of the actions of testosterone include increased energy, enhanced libido (sex drive), increased production of red blood cells.

The levels of testosterone in males and females differ dramatically, with males producing 7mg each day with blood levels ranging from 300-1000ng/dl (nanograms per decilitre). Females produce 1/15th of this amount with blood levels of only 25-90ng/dl.

Testosterone levels decline gradually during age, so one option is testosterone replacement therapy. The signs of a decrease can be confused with normal aging characteristics, such as loss of muscle mass and bone density, decreased physical endurance, decreased memory ability and loss of libido.

Appropriate testosterone therapy can prevent or reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, cardio-vascular disease (CVD), obesity, depression and anxiety.

Like other steroid hormones, testosterone is derived from cholesterol which is converted into the hormone pregenolone. From here there are 2 ways it can take to be degraded into testosterone:

Progesterone  >   androstenedione  >
cholesterol >pregenolone>                                                     TESTOSTERONE
DHEA(dehydroepiandrosterone)  >  androstenediol  >

Once testosterone has been secreted into the blood stream 96-98% of it is bound to proteins called albumin and globulin. This binding makes testosterone soluble for transport within the blood, protects it from degradation by the liver and kidneys and serves as storage to be used to reduce fluctuations in plasma testosterone.

The 2-4% that is not bound is known as ‘free testosterone’ and is the active fraction of the hormone that can cause physical changes in the body.

Regulation of testosterone levels is influenced by 2 factors: the total amount of testosterone in the blood, and the binding capacity of the plasma proteins. So as binding capacity increases, blood levels of free testosterone decreases. Drugs, such as anabolic-androgenic steroids and insulin can reduce the binding capacity of the blood and result in higher free testosterone levels.

Androgens, in general promote protein synthesis and growth of those tissues with androgen receptors. Testosterone effects are classified as virilizing (development of sex differences) and anabolic effects.
ANABOLIC= Growth of muscle mass and strength, increased bone density and strength, and stimulation of bone maturation.
VIRILIZING= Maturation of the sex organs, a deepening of the voice, growth of beard and axillary hair.

Much of the free testosterone that interacts at the tissue level is converted by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase to DHT (dihydrotestosterone) which is a more potent androgen. The other tissues such as skeletal muscle and bone lack the 5-alpha reductase enzyme and therefore respond directly to testosterone.

Testosterone can also be converted into estrogens by the aromatase enzyme which occurs mainly in the liver, brain and fat tissue. If you were a body builder, you would attempt to avoid/ reduce the conversion of testosterone to DHT and estrogens by having low body fat and using drugs or supplements that block 5-alpha reductase and aromatase. Some examples of legal, plant derived supplements that will maximize testosterone and minimize its conversion to DHT and estrogens are chrysin, saw palmetto and indole-3-carbinol.

Throughout the day, testosterone blood levels rise and fall in response to the balance of biosynthesis and biodegradation. The testes, adrenals and ovaries are responsible for testosterone biosynthesis, while the liver and kidneys are responsible for biodegradation and excretion. For example, after a weight training session your increased testosterone is not just the result of increased production from the testes, but also from a reduction in its clearance as blood flow is reduced to the liver and kidneys during exercise.

Anabolic-androgenic steroids

While testosterone is naturally produced in the body, AAS are synthetic versions of testosterone. They were first produced to treat osteoporosis and muscle wasting disorders by using relatively safe drugs such as nandrolone decanoate (deca durabolin) and oxandrolone (Anavar). However, there are others that are more potent and dangerous such as fluoxymesterone, trenbolone acetate, methandrosterone and oxymetholone. In general, injectable steroids are safer, more potent and remain in the system longer than oral steroids.

The benefits of using AAS are that it enhances muscle development, strength, and endurance. It does this by directly increasing the muscle’s protein synthesis resulting in the muscle fibres becoming larger and repairing faster than the average persons

The side effects from AAS abuse are lowered HDL-cholesterol levels (good cholesterol), testicular atrophy, reductions in sperm count, prostate enlargement, liver damage, menstrual irregularities, suppression of hormone levels, development of breast tissue in men, clitoral enlargement and acne.

These side effects will differ from person to person depending on genetics, what is used, what dosage is used and the duration it is used for.

If you are looking for improved physical performance, then natural testosterone management should be high on your agenda. Maximising the use of your free testosterone, minimising your negative conversion to oestrogen and DHT are the safest and best ways to develop new muscle and improved health. The short term fix provided by illegal synthetic versions carries huge risks to both health and mental state. The abuse of these drugs has been linked to not only many serious physical conditions, but also to many violent crimes and psychological disorders.

For more information about how to optimise your hormone balance for new muscle growth, contact me at: dean@winners2000.co.uk.