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M&F ULTRA Month4 Print PDF
M&F ULTRA Month4 Print PDF
U.L.T.R.A.
1 2 - M O N T H S Y S T E M
MONTH 4
By Christopher M.
Lockwood, MS, Jeff Page and
CSCS, Staff Writer Amy Fadhli enjoy
ou’ve probably heard these pearls the rewards of
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Taking Measurements
you’ve been with us from day one, then you know that this show improvement, redo it to verify accuracy. If the test
If is the month for your first quarterly fitness checkup. If
you’re a first-timer, though, consider it your initiation into the
repeatedly indicates no improvement, consider it your wake-
up call to better fine-tune that area of your training. If you fol-
ULTRA System. By taking some baseline fitness measurements, low the ULTRA System to a T, you’re guaranteed to see
you’ll be better able to track your progress throughout your positive results by the end of the program. And remember, the
involvement in the ULTRA System — bodyfat, flexibility, aerobic aim of much of the first half of the ULTRA System is to pack on
capacity, strength and body size. We’ll have you retake these muscle; it’s during the second half that you’ll specifically train
measurements at the end of months eight and 12. to shed bodyfat and get cut.
With three months under your belt, you should see progress For a detailed description of how to perform each test, see
in the varying fitness tests. Some may be more pronounced, part 1 of the ULTRA System in July ’99. If you don’t have that
others possibly not. If the results from a particular test don’t issue, see pg. 158 for ordering information.
NUTRITION
Supplementing for Strength in Month 4
By Chris Aceto
port supplementation has progressed with such lightning increase strength,” says Carpenter. To improve in strength, your
S speed that sifting through the multitude of new products
on the market can be an overwhelming task. Keeping current
body needs enough dietary protein to rebuild muscle tissue.
Carpenter suggests you eat a diet composed of a minimum of
and trying to pinpoint what works and what doesn’t requires a 30% of calories from protein, and he sees no harm in shifting
whole bunch of reading, not to mention a hawklike ability to your ratio to upward of 35% – 40%.
discern fact from fiction — and in some cases, even fraud. Dietary protein is also a very high priority on Bucci’s list. His
Which supplements can you add to your daily multivita- simple suggestion: “In addition to the protein you get from your
min/mineral intake — beyond generally good eating habits — to diet, add a protein shake consisting of another 50 grams of protein
increase strength? According to Luke Bucci, PhD, author of each day. If you weigh more than 200 pounds, you should add two
Nutrients as Ergogenic Aids for Sports and Exercise ( CRC Press, shakes a day to add another 100 grams to your daily intake.”
1993 ), “Protein and creatine have withstood the test of time, and
glutamine is proving to be a very viable nutrient to improve mus- Glutamine & HMB
cle strength.” Two other dietary supplements winning the praise of body-
Bucci explains: “Creatine works its strength-building magic by builders while withstanding criticism from some mainstream
boosting muscle levels of ATP, the energy molecule required dur- researchers are the amino acid glutamine and an amino-acid
ing muscle contraction. ATP also runs the enzymes to maintain metabolite called HMB (beta hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate).
membranes and to counteract free-radical damage in the muscle, Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the human
which is [ believed to be] a major cause of muscle soreness. body, and may be the perfect ally for the mass- and strength-
[ Therefore] creatine may help in recovery, leaving you less sore so seeking bodybuilder.
you can train more frequently.” “Glutamine can speed recovery and counteract cortisol, the
What’s the optimal way to take creatine? Brian Carpenter, MS, stress hormone that can slow down strength and muscle-mass
director of clinical sciences at MET-Rx, says, “The research seems gains,” notes Bucci. Cortisol levels may increase excessively as a
to indicate that a dramatic insulin spike may play a role in the result of overtraining, too little rest or inadequate nutrition.
uptake of creatine into muscle cells.” Insulin is the anabolic hor- Therefore, an ideal approach to gaining strength may be to eat
mone that’s released in response to carbohydrate intake. The a protein- and calorie-rich diet and avoid working beyond your
more carbs you eat at one meal, the greater the rise in insulin. body’s ability to recover. Bucci adds, “You probably need a
Carpenter clarifies how much carbohydrate is helpful: “I think pretty hefty dose of glutamine to get the benefit, though — over
you can take your daily creatine dose all at once, along with about 10 grams a day.”
100 grams of carbs. Specifically, high-glycemic carbs, as these are Surprised by that amount, I queried why so much is needed.
the kinds of carbohydrates that kick insulin levels up and appear “You have to remember, this is the most common amino acid in
to be most helpful in transporting creatine into muscle.” Some the body. To change its levels, you have to take a lot,” says Bucci.
examples of high-glycemic carbs include glucose, rice cakes, He points out that another benefit of using such a large dose is the
grapes, white bread, white rice and bananas. cell-swelling effect that occurs. “Glutamine levels in the muscle are
Another nutrient that heads the pack is protein powder. an indicator of which way a muscle will go. When glutamine is
“First and foremost, dietary protein is absolutely essential to abundant, the muscles themselves swell with glutamine and water,
and a trigger is turned on to encourage protein synthesis.” So what
ULTRA Supplementation if your muscles are low in glutamine? “The opposite is true,” he
says. “A catabolic trigger is turned on that can lead to catabolism.”
HMB is a derivative of the branched-chain amino acid leucine,
If you’re just joining the ULTRA system, go ahead and which can be used directly by working muscles as a fuel source
load up on 15 – 25 g of creatine a day for the coming week. when muscle-glycogen stores are low. HMB was discovered by
You can either take a dose of 5 g 3 – 5 times a day with Steven L. Nissen, PhD, when he was searching for a nondrug
meals, or pack it all in at once with the meal that follows medium to produce leaner cattle.1 The subject of a small abstract
your training. For three weeks thereafter, take a mainte- study published a few years ago, HMB caught the eye of body-
nance dose of 3 – 5 g each day following your training. If builders, who quickly incorporated this natural supplement into
you’ve been with us since the get-go, stay the course with their nutrition protocols.
3 – 5 g a day. Carpenter believes HMB is a good addition to protein pow-
For the full 30 days this month, take 10 g of glutamine ders and creatine to improve strength: “HMB may decrease
after training or at breakfast on nontraining days. Also, take protein breakdown in response to heavy training. Further-
11⁄ 2 – 2 g of HMB before and another 11⁄ 2 – 2 g after training. more, it may improve recovery and lead to more strength and
If you wish to give ephedra and/or andro a try, begin by lean body mass gains.”
taking only one capsule of Metaform Brand Metacuts
about a half-hour before training and/or 100 mg of Ephedra & Prohormones
androstenedione. Don’t take ephedra too late in the Another popular supplement is ephedra, or mahuang, an
evening because it will affect your sleep. Note the caveats herb that reportedly stimulates the central nervous system.
on page 151. Although it’s most often used to promote weight and fat loss,
To ensure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals bodybuilders use this stimulant for increased intensity during
your body needs, take one full-spectrum multivita- training. Jeff Feliciano, research manager for Weider Nutrition,
min/mineral each day with breakfast. says, “An ephedra /caffeine mix may allow you to get a better
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contractile force by directly stimulating beta-2 agonists on the ULTRA Meal Planning
muscle.” Beta-2 agonists are receptors on muscles that, when
stimulated, have been shown to increase the force of muscle During the strength phase of the ULTRA system,
contractions and may prevent protein breakdown. you’ll be eating a high-protein, high-calorie diet.
Bucci sees the caffeine/ephedra combination from a different Approximately 30% of your daily calories should come
perspective. “Sure, neuromuscular coordination is improved from protein, and you should consume 250 – 500 more
with these products, leading to greater power output. But an calories per day than you burn (refer to the ULTRA
overlooked reason for increased strength gains is the behavioral guidelines in the July or August issue to determine
effects these supplements impart.” In simpler terms, these prod- your daily requirements).
ucts wake you up and often make you more willing, confident Listed on page 152 are 10 meals, roughly 600 calo-
and motivated to use heavier weights. You push more weight
ries each, with carbohydrate/protein/ fat calorie ratios
simply because you go into the gym jazzed to train hard.
Reading product labels is critical since ephedra is banned by a of approximately 50/30 /20. Also listed are six different
number of sporting organizations, and taking too much can have snacks, each devised to yield a similar 50 / 30 / 20 ratio
very serious side effects. Some people shouldn’t take this stimu- for a total of about 300 calories.
lant at all, so check with your doctor. Your best bet, says Here’s a quick tally of the approximate number of
Feliciano, is to start with a small dose of 250 mg of ephedra calories, carbs, protein and fat grams you get when
(which yields about 15 mg ephedrine), combined with about 100 you combine meals and snacks. Choose the calorie
mg of caffeine (the equivalent to the caffeine in a cup of coffee). level that most closely meets your daily requirements
Lastly, prohormones — including DHEA and androstendione during this phase.
(or andro for short) — have seen an increase in use by body-
Meals Snacks Calories Carb(g) Pro(g) Fat (g)
builders and other athletes looking to pack on strength and size.
The theory is that because these supplements are precursors to 3 2 2,400 300 180 53
the production of testosterone, supplemental doses should 4 1 2,700 338 203 60
increase total testosterone. Yet, current research has shown that 5 0 3,000 375 225 67
andro and DHEA may have no significant testosterone-elevating 5 1 3,300 413 248 73
effects, and reportedly increase estrogen and decrease HDL (good
5 2 3,600 450 270 80
cholesterol) levels.2
Bucci issues a stark warning against the use of androstenediol. 6 0 3,600 450 270 80
“The diol products can cause a drop in natural testosterone levels 6 2 4,200 525 315 93
upon cessation and sometimes a huge increase in estrogen with
no increase in testosterone,” he says.
➔
Chris Aceto graduated summa cum laude from Springfield College in
Massachusetts, earning a bachelor’s degree in health sciences. Aceto and
his wife Laura Creavalle run three-day fitness weekend getaways in Maine
and Florida. For more information on his instructional books titled
Championship Bodybuilding and Everything You Need to Know About Fat
Loss, call 207-934-7812.
REFERENCES
1. Nissen, S., et al. Effect of leucine metabolite beta-hyroxy-beta-methylbutyrate on
muscle metabolism during resistance-exercise training. Journal of Applied
Physiology 81(5): 2,095–2,104, 1996.
2. King, D.S., et al. Effect of oral androstenedione on serum testosterone and
adaptations to resistance training in young men. Journal of the American Medical
Association 281(21): 2,020–2,028, 1999.
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TRANSITION STRENGTH
Week 1 Week 2
Sets per Exercise: 2–5 Sets per Exercise: 2–6
Reps: 5–12 Reps: 3-12
Take this set to Intensity: 65% –70% 1RM on Intensity: 80%–85% 1RM on core exercises;
muscle failure core exercises; 60%–65% 1RM 75%–80% 1RM on assistive
on assistive exercises Rest Between Sets: 3– 4 minutes on core exercises;
Rest Between Sets: 1–2 minutes on assistive.
3–4 minutes on core exercises; Training Guide: Again, concentrate on executing
CORE EXERCISES 1–2 minutes on assistive. strict form with each rep, and use a full range of motion,
Training Guide: Concentrate increasing the weight with each set. The last set of all
• Assistive exercises on strict form and technique with exercises should be taken to about one rep short of
each rep. Stop 5– 8 reps short failure; all others to about 2– 4 short of failure.
of failure with each set.
How to fill in: Write your weight used and reps completed. 95/ 10 is 95 pounds for 10 reps.
HANG CLEAN 95 / 10 95 / 10 95 / 10 95 / 10 95 / 10 115 / 8 120 / 6 125 / 4 125 / 3 125 / 3
DAY 1 Week 1 Week 2
Cardio Warm-Up: 7–10 minutes at 65% MHR (every week)
Stretch: shoulder external rotators, chest, biceps, triceps, low back
HANG CLEAN / / / / / / / / / /
• Bench Press w/ 2-sec. pause / / / / / / / / /
• Dumbbell Bench Press / / / / / / / / Hang
• Weighted Dip / / / / / / Clean
– start
• Dumbbell Curl / / / / / / / /
Running Warm-up: 200 – 300 yards of easy running with different running patterns
Stretch: quads, glutes, hamstrings, groin, calves
Sprint / Walk
10-yard
20-yard
30-yard
40-yard
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STRENGTH
TRANSITION STRENGTH
CORE EXERCISES
• Assistive exercises See page 154 for weekly instructions on sets, reps, intensity, rest and training guide
SQUAT / / / / / / / / / /
• Stiff-legged Deadlift / / / / / / /
• Front Pull-Down / / / / / / / / / /
• Standing Calf Raise / / / / / / Neck Flexion
( lateral part
• Four-way Neck / / / / of four-way)
Running Warm-up: 200 – 300 yards of easy running with different running patterns
Hollow Sprints: 4 minutes 4 minutes
Sit-up / Push-up / / / / / /
Ab Circuit
Knee-up / / / / / /
Crunch / / / / / /
Standing Alternate
Cross-Body Crunch / / / / / / Dumbbell Press
Toe-Touch Crunch / / / / / /
156
Seated Knee-up w/Twist / / / / / /
Back Extension / / / / / /
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STRENGTH
Week 3 Week 4
Running Warm-up: 200 – 300 yards of easy running with different running patterns
Stretch: quads, glutes, hamstrings, groin, calves, low back, chest
/ / / / / / / /
Ab Circuit
/ / / / / /
/ / / / / /
/ / / / / /
/ / / / / /
/ / / / / /
/ / / / / /
Week 3 Week 4
Day 5 Rule: This is a medium-heavy day. In other words, back your %1RM down
about 5% –10% per exercise on all core and assistive lifts.
Cardio Warm-Up: 7–10 minutes at 65% MHR
Stretch: shoulder external rotators , chest , low back , biceps , quads, hamstrings
/ / / / / / / /
/ / / / / / / /
/ / / / / / / /
/ / / / / / / /
/ / / / / / / /
/ / / / / / / /
Running Warm-Up: 200 – 300 yards of easy running with different running patterns
Gassers
Catch the
ULTRA
lifestyle!
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