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Q: Joe,
Is it true that alcohol can prevent muscle gains? I like
to throw down a couple of beers on the weekends and I'm
wondering how this affects my ability to build muscle. Thanks
for your time.
J.W.
A: J.W.,
Yes, it is true that alcohol can prevent you from building
muscle. Excessive alcohol consumption has been shown to
decrease testosterone levels and disturb sleep patterns
for up to 72 hours. Proper rest and adequate testosterone
levels are two of the key ingredients that are needed to
build muscle tissue. Alcohol also causes dehydration. Think
of your muscle cells as plants. If your muscle cells are
not well hydrated, they are much less likely to “grow”.
These are just a few of the negative effects of alcohol
consumption.
We are all human, though. Don’t beat yourself up over a couple of beers. Consistency is the key. If you don’t make a habit out of getting drunk, a beer every now and then shouldn’t affect you. Remember - everything in moderation.
Joe D.
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Q: Joe,
Here’s my situation: I am a collegiate wrestler and
I have to get stronger before the season starts. Last year
I was a freshman and I got beat up. I found out the hard
way that the biggest difference between high school and
college wrestling is definitely strength. My problem is
that I don’t want to move up a weight class. Is it
possible for me to get stronger without putting on mass?
Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Danny
A: Danny,
I have good news. It IS possible to gain strength without
increasing muscle mass. Increasing strength without increasing
your bodyweight is best accomplished by lifting maximal
weights in the 1-5 rep range for multiple sets. You should
also take long rest intervals between sets – about
3-5 minutes. This will ensure that hypertrophy will only
take place in the higher-threshold motor units. These are
the motor units that are responsible for power output.
Joe D.
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Q: Joe,
What do you think about sprinting with a parachute on your
back? Are parachutes good for increasing an athlete’s
speed? I’m thinking about buying one. Please let me
know what you think.
Eric
A: The only time I would use a parachute is if I had to jump out of a plane. I can’t believe these things are still popular. They create a very uneven resistance due to the unpredictability of the wind behind you. They have a tendency to blow all over the place while you’re sprinting. This will screw up your running mechanics. Save the $80-$100 you would spend on a parachute and buy yourself a sled!
Joe D.
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Q: Joe,
Last night I was watching a documentary on Bergen Catholic
H.S. football on the MSG Network. I saw you on the show
performing an extreme stretch on one of the players. I’ve
never seen that kind of stretching before. What were you
doing?
Scott
A: Scott,
The stretch you saw me performing was a P.N.F. (Proprioceptive
Neuromuscular Facilitation)
stretch for the gluteals. This stretch being aired on TV
has definitely gotten me a lot of “pub”. The
stretch I was performing was taught to me by Ann & Chris
Frederick. In my opinion, they are the leading flexibility
authorities in this country. Check them out at www.stretchtowin.com.
Anyway, here’s a description of the P.N.F. stretching
variation that I was performing.
In order to perform this P.N.F. stretch, I first had the athlete take a deep breath. Upon exhalation he performed a 6-second isometric contraction against my resistance. Because there is little or no movement, much tension is created, and the Golgi Tendon Organ fires. This causes a relaxation (for a “window” of 10 seconds) of the muscle being stretched. During this “window” the athlete inhaled briefly and then exhaled as I took the stretch to a further/appropriate degree, while tractioning the joint. I performed this technique for three reps.
I think what made this stretch look “extreme” was the fact that after the last rep, I brought the leg around and through a different plane of motion upon its return to the start position. You see, you should never re-contract a muscle by bringing it back through the original plane of motion. A lot of trainers and coaches make this mistake. Finishing the stretch by bringing the muscle through a different plane of motion also increases the effectiveness of the stretch. At the end of the stretch, I also performed a light traction on the joint. Most people aren’t used to seeing this, either. Adding the traction increases the fascial stretch, which, in turn, increases the relaxation effect of the muscle being stretched.
To actually “see” what I’m talking about you would have to watch the documentary. It’s called “The Crusade” and it’s aired on the MSG Network. Check your local listings. (MSG is a cable station which is aired in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.)
Joe D.
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| + | Can you get stronger without getting bigger? |
| + | Does sprinting with a parachute make you faster? |
| + | Advanced flexibility techniques! |
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