CENTRAL STRENGTH NEWS

Vol. 2, Ed. 9

Monday, April 16, 2007

Rakkasan Raiders

Hartshorn's hallow

"I will not lose". This simple statement goes through my head

Post Workout Nutrition

everytime I attempt any movement in the weight room or come across

The first step to recovery after a training session should be to ingest a post-workout shake. This

any challenge. It has become more than a battle cry, it has become

shake needs to be consumed within thirty minutes of the end of your workout, because that is when

a way of life. I would encourage all of you to adopt a life motto,

your body is most receptive to protein and carbohydrates. A protein/carbohydrate shake helps to

something that reminds you what it is you are after in life. Something

replenish the depleted glycogen stores, increase lean body mass, and decrease post-wokout

that you can call on when things appear to be more than you can

muscle soreness. A good post-workout shake has a combination of protein and carbohydrates,

handle. Too often in the weight room and in life our limits are set by

and very little or no fat. Fat slows down the digestion process and the whole purpose of a liquid

what we cannot do rather than by what we can do. If we go through

shake is to get the nutrients into your body quickly. With all of the low-carb diets in the world today

life afraid of something then we will go through life never really knowing

most supplement companies are selling no-carb or low-carb protein powders. This is great, but

what we are capable of. We all need to be ready, willing, and wanting

without carbohydrates the protein cannot be efficiently driven into the muscle cells, so look carefully

to push ourselves farther than we ever thought possible. When you are

at your protein powder and if it doesn't have at least 2 times as many carbs than protein, then you

pushed out of our comfort zones it is important that you have

need to ingest a simple sugar such as Powerade, Kool-Aid, or Gatorade with your protien shake. If

something familiar to focus on. That is how one simple line can bring

your are on a budget, skim chocolate milk has a great ratio of protein to carbohydrate.

you back into the game and allow you to focus on your goals. For me

Foundations of the haus

it is about knowing that in everything I do I leave nothing in the tank.

Heavy Back Work To Jack Up Your Bench

Whatever it is that motivates you, or keeps you excited about what

Several years ago at a bench competition, I was talking to a very strong man backstage. I asked him what I

you are doing, use that to keep yourself on target. You must always

should do to get my bench to go up. I had tried everything. Push ups to failure, Incline work, Decline work,

know what you are working for, and always know why you are woking

tempo stuff, cable crossovers. Nothing worked. He said one sentence to me and I will never forget it.

for it. Stay focused, you either get better or you get worse.

"A strong back equals a strong body." Let me ask you something, would you ever consider building a house

Central Nutrition

without a strong foundation? Of course not. Well a strong back is the foundation of the bench press. You

Workout Nutrition

must take your back work seriously. Too many athletes just go through the motions with their accessory

back work. Now you cannot always go to failure or you will burn yourself out. However, you can go a lot

Finally I think most athletes have embraced the importance of post wor

heavier than most are now. I suggest the following method. One week if you have a set of 8 reps, pick a

out nutrition but could there be an even more important time to get

weight that is heavy enough where you are not sure if you are going to get the last rep. The next week if you

nutrients? Yes, and that is during your workout. Most of you get water

have a set of 8 reps again pick a weight that you could perform for 10 reps if you had to. This strategy will keep

during your training, which is important, but you must take it a step

you from burning out and overtraining. So, how do you use this foundation once it is built? On the bench press

further and include protein and carbs as well. By doing this you will hel

you must pull your shoulder blades together tight. Imagine you are trying to squeeze a pencil between them.

promote glocogen resynthesis, improve immune function, decrease

This will do two things. 1) Get both your shoulder blades onto the bench where they will help you press the

the stress response to training (fight off cortisol increases), increase

weight. 2) Decrease the distance you must press the weight. Why press any farther than you have too?

testosterone production and prolong both anaerobic & aerobic enduran

Just because you’re an athlete doesn't mean you can't train smart. Take some advice from a man who was much

So the bottom line is that your strength levels will remain higher longer

stronger than me and remember, knowledge is not power; applied knowledge is power.

and you can sustain your intensity levels for a longer period of time if

Final Thought

you involve, water, protein and carbs in your workout nutrition. How

Get out of your comfort zone! Too many times in our lives and in our training we like to remain in our comfort

much is needed? Not nearly as much as what should be in your post-

zone because it feels better. The only problem with this is that you will never get better. You must be willing

workout meal but it should include roughly 15-20g protein, and 40-50g

to put yourself in situations that don’t "feel" good. Everyone feels pain when they train it is just those who are

of carbs in addition to staying hydrated during your trianing workout.

willing to push thru the pain that will reap the true benefits of their training. The body is controlled by the mind.

The biggest thing is that you must find something that your stomach c

If you believe you can do it then you will, if you don't then you won't-it's that simple. There are times in your

handle. Some simple advice is to sip on a diluted post workout drink

training where you will have to challenge your own mind. You may be going thru some seemingly unbearable

in addition to drinking water between sets. When it comes to nutrition:

pain and your mind tells you to quit. You must tell your mind at that instance that you will never quit. Once you

it is more important to know when to take it in than how much.

have done this then you have established a new pain threshhold and your level of training will dra

a champion must have the desire for perfection & the will to punish himself in the process

Central strength-training: Redefined

A special thanks to Coaches Tim Bates, Joe Niehaus & Tom Hartshorn for their great contributions to the newsletter.