How to Go from Good to Great at age 60; Interview with Lorraine

Today we are honored to listen to Lorraine Gearhart who placed tenth in the Eighth Venus Index Transformation Contest.

 

Lorraine likes the Venus Systems for the health benefits.

Lorraine likes the Venus Systems for the health benefits.

 

It may not seem like a lot, but at almost 60 years old ,  juggling a business and elderly parents Lorraine managed to build muscle as well as lose fat in 12 weeks.

It may not seem like a lot, but at almost 60 years old and juggling a business and elderly parents Lorraine managed to build muscle as well as lose fat in 12 weeks.

 

Never have I EVER experienced the sheer amount of positive comments and reinforcement I've seen in  the last month! People spontaneously talk to me about fitness, try to guess my age – delightful!

Never have I EVER experienced the sheer amount of positive comments and reinforcement I’ve seen in the last month!
People spontaneously talk to me about fitness, try to guess my age – delightful!

 

Read what Lorraine wrote about her experience with the Venus Factor:

How great can it be to become a Venus? More importantly, how can you get there without having to do  the impossible?

In my case, the Venus transformation promises seemed literally too good to be true. I’ve got siblings  who are crippled with osteoporosis, overweight, who’ve literally thrown in the towel on ever getting  themselves in any kind of shape ever again. I want to inspire them, I could see the incentives before  me.

I’ve got a loving husband who celebrates any achievement I make, and I sure didn’t want to arrive at  age 60 with a hunched back and no bone density. Of course, it’s rarely that easy. Getting nutrition  and training down to a science, well sure, but you need to balance that against being self-employed  and having a hundred obligations outside of simply improving and shaping a physique.

A real balancing act, complete with having parents into and out of the hospital ICU, a million other  obligations, and a need to stay motivated and focused at all times. That said, we’re celebrating a  real success, since in a mere 12 weeks I’ve managed to shed excess fat, shape up to more ideal  proportions, and add a good bit of lean mass.

Can I strut down the runway with girls half my age? Maybe. It’s only been 12 weeks after all. More  importantly, have I gained in health, have I achieved proper proportion, do people notice it and  complement me on it every day. OH, YEAH, BABY!!!

Never have I EVER experienced the sheer amount of positive comments and reinforcement I’ve seen in  the last month! People spontaneously talk to me about fitness, try to guess my age – delightful! Not  to mention, my Adonis really likes the changes I’ve made!

 

We're celebrating a  real success, since in a mere 12 weeks I've managed to shed excess fat, shape up to more ideal  proportions, and add a good bit of lean mass.

We’re celebrating a real success, since in a mere 12 weeks I’ve managed to shed excess fat, shape up to more ideal proportions, and add a good bit of lean mass.

 

Listen to Lorraine’s interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

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Powerlifting with Bruce McIntyre

Here’s the next episode of the UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 3.

 

Today’s Topic:  Powerlifting with Bruce Mcintyre

Today John speaks with Bruce Mcintyre.  Bruce is Vice President of the World Powerlifting Congress of which the Canadian Powerlifting Federation is an affiliate of.

Bruce McIntyre:  I started powerlifting competitively in 1999 when I turned 42. Started weight training when I was 12 for sports.
Hometown: Waterloo, Ontario Canada
Reason I can lift: My wife and kids.
Reason why I lift: Powerlifting is fun.

 

Some of what you will learn in this podcast:

  • What about drug testing?
  • What are the various types of powerlifting competitions?
  • What are the differences in rule books?
  • What are the differences in judging?
  • What are the various divisions?
  • What is the definition of “The strongest person” in the competitions?
  • How does a person’s body type and “leverage” fit into powerlifting?
  • How does a person’s genetics fit in to powerlifting abilty?
  • What are the various philosophies of Powerlifting training?
  • What is the difference when lifting with gear vs. raw?
  • What is the peak age for strength in powerlifting?
  • What do the powerlifting workouts look like?
  • How does the training fit in with fast twitch and slow twitch muscle training?
  • How does max lifting training fit in?
  • How does neural adaptation and muscle adaptation fit into powerlifting training?
  • How do you switch from weight training for shape to weight training for strength?
  • How does a persons size fit in with strength?
  • Can anyone train to have exceptional strength and where does genetic ability fit in?
  • What is the biggest misconception with powerlifting?

 

 

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Muscle Is Forever

Here’s the next episode of the UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 2.

Today’s topic:  Muscle is Forever

 

Muscle is forever!

Muscle is forever!

The term “building muscle” is the most common term we hear when referring to an increase in muscle size. This however is not the most accurate way of imagining how a muscle actually increases it’s size. A better way to think of it is inflating and deflating a balloon, and increasing the ‘rubber’ of the balloon.

From there it gets a little more complex with the incorporation of muscle specific stem cells called “satellite cells”.

In todays podcast we review the claims of an interesting self experiment done by Nate Green who gained 20lbs of lean mass in only 28 days. We determine that it’s more correct to say that he actually ‘re-inflated’ the same 20lbs of muscle mass he used to have…and that it’s perfectly normal to expect to do this for anyone who has previously been 20lbs larger.

Fact is that once you’ve built the muscle you can always get it back even after years of taking time off. And it comes back FAST!

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A Clear Picture Of Changing Body Composition; Interview With Naomi Clarke

Today we are honored to listen to Naomi Clarke who placed Ninth in the 7th Venus Index Transformation Contest.

Check out her beautiful transformation from the 12 Week Contest:

Naomi liked that the program goals were focused on shape rather than weight

Naomi liked that the program goals were focused on shape rather than weight or building muscles like a guy.

Read what Naomi wrote about her experience with Venus Index:

VT7 – Contest Participant Naomi Clarke Age 33 Height 5’4 Start of contest: Shoulders 42 in Waist 27 in Hips 37 in Weight 134.4 lbs End of Contest: Shoulders 40 in Waist 26 in Hips 36 in Weight 135 lbs VI Goal: Shoulders 39.56 Waist 24.45 Hips 34.72 Weight 124 lbs

I found the Venus Index program through friendship with CaliforniaGirl on My Fitness Pal. Seeing her extreme transformation I knew that there must be merit to the program. Through my teens and twenties I maintained a healthy body weight and body type. I liked my body but I always knew in the back of my head that I was not in my personal best shape, when I turned thirty I realized that it was very important to me to be in my best personal shape.

I found my fitness pal and began counting calories. The first thing I noticed was that I was under eating calories. Once I started meeting my micro nutrients and eating at a slight deficit for my goals I began lifting weights and working out a couple days a week. For the VT7 12 week contest I set my daily calorie goal at 1,100 calories, if I had an event where I needed to eat up I would just eat lower the next day to even it out. I was very strict with my calories during the week but less so on the weekends.

The funny thing is that I tended to under eat during the weekend as I would do a fast on Sunday. I am proud of myself that I maintained my calories consistently for most of the 12 weeks I had a few days where I ate higher but I also ate as clean of foods as I could and chose proteins as my cheat meals if I ate above my calories.

My workout goal for the contest was three Venus Index workout and two cardio workouts a week. I am happy to say that I did not miss one Venus Index workout the entire program; I did miss a few cardio workouts. Week six and seven were very difficult weeks for me, I felt very exhausted and a bit like a zombie, but after that my energy levels were high and I had no problem with lifting my weights. Overall I feel that the twelve weeks went by in a flash.

I blogged every week of the program and the ladies in the forum are all very supportive and help a lot with staying focused and on track. I really recommend joining a contest and getting a photographer to take your after shots; it was such a good experience and really helps to have a goal deadline.

I am at my personal Venus measurements for my shoulders but I am still an inch off on my waist and hips. My new goal is to eat at half the calorie deficit and do another round of Level 1 until I reach my personal Venus Index Measurement goal.

Naomi's metrics before and after the 12 week contest.

Naomi’s metrics before and after the 12 week contest.

 

Naomi at the beginning of the 12 week contest.

Naomi at the beginning of the 12 week contest.

Naomi after the 12 week contest.

Naomi after the 12 week contest.

 

Listen to Naomi’s interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

Naomi’s Recovery Experiment; Her Version Of “Bulking”

DXA scans are used primarily to evaluate bone mineral density. DXA scans can also be used to measure total body composition and fat content with a high degree of accuracy comparable to hydrostatic weighing with a few important caveats.

Naomi used a DEXA or DXA scan to measure her results. DXA scans are used primarily to evaluate bone mineral density.

Last time I shared that I had some health setbacks; I started 2012 in the best shape of my life and ended it in much worse shape.  In December I had a DEXA scan which showed my lean body mass (LBM) as 114 pounds and 20% body fat.

I had a second DEXA done to check progress after four months of doing the Venus Index Workout.  My goals were to have increased LBM and to maintain body fat.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, previously DEXA) is a means of measuring bone mineral density (BMD).  DXA scans can also be used to measure total body composition and fat content with a high degree of accuracy comparable to hydrostatic weighing with a few important caveats.

What is Bulking?

In body building circles, people throw around the term “bulking“.  It’s generally accepted to be part of a bulk and cut process whereby one eats in excess, lifts heavy at the gym, makes huge LBM gains, and then strips away excess body fat to reveal larger muscles.  Men in particular pile on a lot of fat all in the name of bulking.

The truth of what is possible with bulking varies depending upon a variety of factors including gender, training age, genetic potential.

In my case, I am a 48 year old woman with a long history of training who simply needed to regain lost strength.  So right there, it is somewhat misleading to even be talking about bulking, and yet many people would claim my results indicated a successful bulk.

The truth about gaining muscle is that once muscle tissue has been built, it is a much faster process to get back to previous levels of strength.  I still pushed myself very hard.  For example, I could barely do a body weight squat in early December and now I am back to being able to squat 135 pounds and on track to increased loads over time.

How I “Bulked”

You have likely figured out by now that I did not “bulk” in the traditional sense of the term in body building circles.

Instead, I used the tools as laid out to carefully eat enough to allow my strength increases to continue to unfold and I constantly monitored my waist and belly button measurements.  Every time the waist or the belly button increased, I increased my caloric deficit via the principles in Eat Stop Eat until I saw my baseline numbers.  I tend to loosen up a bit more on weekends.  While undergoing this experiment, I carried slightly more body fat than I am comfortable with, but not much.

The Scale Scared Me!

I admit it! The entire four months I trusted John Barban and Brad Pilon on this little experiment, I watched with horror as the scale bounced around.  Admittedly, it never strayed more than about 10-12 pounds higher than my contest photos, so not at all a traditional bulking cycle, but it was a little scary to see bigger numbers when I am trusting that I am living the Venus lifestyle.

My Successful Bulk Results

This is not the ripped levels you see in my contest photos but rather a very livable, maintainable, every day level that still keeps me on my toes.

Naomi after her experiment at 20% body fat.  On the left fasted, on the right fully fed and hydrated.

Naomi after her experiment at 20% body fat. On the left fasted, on the right fully fed and hydrated.

My LBM last December was shockingly low.  In fact, it came in well below the levels predicted for my height. I am 5’11” and with a LBM of just under 114 pounds, I was possibly a genetic outlier on the low end of the scale.  Venus Index predicts my LBM could go as high as 126 pounds.

Fear not, I thought. I had just lost all my strength so presumably bulking would bring my LBM right back up to within a predicted Venus Index Ideal range.

Sure enough, my DEXA scan showed my LBM at 118 pounds, 7 oz which was a gain of just over 4 pounds.  That averages out to about 1 pound per month.

Not bad, right?  Remember that I was actually getting back what I’d lost after illness; this is not a realistic rate of gain for a trained woman my age.

So What’s Next?

While I am not expecting realistically to gain much more LBM in my lifetime, I do expect to see a little more growth before I get older and as more decline sets in.  Going forward I expect to see some more improvement.  I would also like to get leaner.  Perhaps not as lean as I was in the 4th Venus Transformation Contest, but possibly similar to the 1st Venus Transformation Contest.

Changing body composition

I was surprised to see my android (above the belt) vs gynoid (below the belt) fat ratio slightly improved.  Considering how much time I’d spent sedentary before the last DEXA scan, I was carrying 20.1% android fat as compared to 19.7% this time around while gynoid fat went from 29.5% to 29.4%.  While these numbers seem quite similar, it is worth noting that since the total percentage remained the same at 20.2%, clearly there was a change in body composition.

This is solid proof that a well-designed weight lifting program like Venus Index positively affects both physique and health.

Other reasons to have a DEXA

As John realized in his DEXA scan, it is possible to have muscle imbalances.  I was surprised to note that on both of my DEXA scans the entire left side of my body is stronger.  I will be tailoring my workouts to address this issue according to the guidelines John talked about.  For example I will do fewer reps or sets on the left to allow the lagging right side to catch up.

My bone density actually went up in the last 4 months!  I can only guess that weight lifting caused this happy result.

Ladies, pick up those weights if you want to maintain or increase your bone density!  Bone density is the most common reason most women my age have a DEXA scan done.   It can also be used to monitor body composition and is a useful tool when choosing goals and designing your workout.

If you’ve had a DEXA, what did you learn and how did it affect your training program and goals?

Weight Gain And Muscle Gain Escalators Part 2 – Sick vs Corrective Mentality

Here’s the next episode of the UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 2.

Today’s topic:  Weight gain and muscle gain escalators part 2 – Sick vs Corrective Mentality

There is a different degree of effort required to ascend the escalators vs staying at the top of the escalators.

Last time we talked about the muscle gain and fat gain escalators.  This is a new analogy and a better way of picturing what the process of muscle gain and fat loss is really like.

Today we will take the analogy further and talk about the process of getting to and staying at peak condition.

Specifically it’s the difference between viewing your body and the process from a ‘sick’ mentality vs a ‘corrective’ mentality.

There is a different degree of effort required to ascend the escalators vs staying at the top of the escalators.

Today we’ll talk about changing your mentality and what can and should be done to get to the top and stay there.

John

 

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Married to Adonis

Adonis, in Greek mythology, is the god of beauty and desire.   Venus is the Roman goddess of love, beauty, fertility, prosperity and victory.  A match made in heaven.  Mostly that is.

I think many women will admit that when they see a man in Adonis shape they get a physical and visceral reaction.  A frisson of energy and interest.  I have heard it is the same for men when they see a woman at her Venus metrics.


Adonis

 

There is a lovely symmetry when you can say that your soulmate is intellectually equal, emotional connected and physically matched.  However, there are a number of gender differences that can make this journey of togetherness a little challenging.

The truth about calories hurts

As an average height woman in Venus shape at just a shade under 5’4”, I am married to a 6’2” Adonis at his golden ratio.  At maintenance I get to eat about 1,400 calories per day……Adonis gets about 2,400 calories per day.

This really is a big challenge for me.  Portion sizes are made for big men.  Even a snack like a chocolate bar, a fru fru ‘grande’ sized coffee or a muffin can be 30% to 50% of my daily calorific intake.  Not for my Adonis.

We have all been trained over a lifetime to eat these portions.  For many women it is not just a matter of having a muffin less frequently.  It is a matter of both frequency and half sized portions.

I will give you a case in point.  My Adonis holds his maintenance at about 9-11% body fat (by DEXA).  When he decides to drop a little flab he stops his ice cream and chocolate intake and just start shedding pounds.

I hold my maintenance at about 15-17% body fat (by DEXA).  When I want to shed a little, I have to cut meals, portions, weigh everything and have no treats.  Then maybe the scale will move a little.

In general women just have to watch calories and portions more and cut a higher percentage of their daily calories to lose weight.

The truth is you cannot eat like a man and be Venus.

Muscle magic

Why is it that men just seem to look at a dumbbell in the gym and visibly start growing muscle.

I weigh about 60% of what my Adonis weighs.  Pound for pound I out-lift him on almost every move.  Yet my results pale into comparison with what he can achieve.  It is gender genetics and hormones but I find it really frustrating.

In addition a man in Adonis shape will have a body fat that is probably 8-10% less than a woman in Venus shape.  It is genetic, women just have a higher essential fat percentage.  In a man essential body fat is recognized as 2-5%, for women it is 10-13%.

This is important because on a like for like basis men will just be more ripped.  You will be able to see the muscles, striations, and more vascularity.

As a Venus you need to lift like a man but never expect the same results.

Ironman Mag Nov 2012

That crazy testosterone

That magic hormone that not only gives amazing muscle growth but also is responsible for that male courage and machismo to go and do crazy things.  Or to just be bigger and stronger.

I go to the gym with my Adonis but we also do all our adventures and sports together.  For us this includes skiing, mountain biking, hiking and sailing.  We typically do difficult and expert levels of these sports.

I know when I am standing on top of an extreme double black ski run that often times I am scared.  I worry about my physical strength and endurance.  I overcome this, but my Adonis just jumps in and off he goes.  When I look around it is quite rare to see another woman.  It is mainly men skiing together on this stuff.  Or some man trying to talk down his terrified wife.

Am I the only woman that feels like she is the weakest link in these physical pursuits?

Where are “U”?

Brad Howard’s “Attention U” explains how when we are at the top of our physical game we get attention and reactions from others.

It is true.  But I do think there is a gender bias.  When you are in Venus shape and maintaining more or less in fitness model shape, you will likely find you are an exception.  When you go to the gym you will likely be the only one with the mix of feminine shape, leanness and muscle.

For a man it is different.  At most big gyms across the world you will see 5 or 10 men in Adonis shape.  It is uncommon but not exceptional.

There is also a difference in the type of reactions an Adonis gets versus what a Venus gets.

I have spent the past 12 months working with my Adonis.  He is tall, in amazing shape and obviously strong and fit.  He just gets respect and instant leadership credibility.  People listen and believe him.

I too get a reaction but is more a recognizable spark of attraction.  I get my respect and leadership credibility, but I have to work it the old fashioned way.

Even at the gym, my Adonis gets asked about his program and results.  I on the other hand am much more likely to be told I look great.  No questions about how I got there.

An Adonis gets respect, a Venus gets attention.

What Is Maintenance?

Here’s the next episode of the UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 2.

Today’s topic:  Maintenance

What is maintenance?

What is maintenance?

What is maintenance?

The real answer is that you’re never actually just sitting in one spot at the exact same weight, and body fat %. You’re always fluctuating a little bit throughout the day, and throughout the year.

Maintenance is more of a transient state that you can dip in and out of when you you’re not necessarily trying to gain more muscle or burn more fat.

You can ‘hold’ and maintain a certain level of body fat and muscle for a given length of time and then get ready to push it hard again.

The step-wise progression

In all the body transformations I’ve ever seen it’s always a step-wise pattern. This means you will improve for a given amount of time. Then you’ll need to take a break. Once you feel ready you can push forward again. The amount you move forward is dependent on your goals and how hard you expect to push things.

Thinking about maintenance is also about managing expectations and where you expect to go based on the energy you’re putting forward.

Moments of maintenance happen for many reasons including lifestyle factors, seasonal changes, periodic moments of being sick, generalized stress.

For example over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season you may simply set a goal to just make it from November to January without gaining fat mass.

In this case you’re actually working to just maintain, and you’d probably have to consider it a win just to make through the holidays without gaining fat.

Maintenance is a mode you go into throughout the year, and it’s normal to go through phases of muscle growth vs muscle maintenance and fat loss vs maintenance.

In this podcast we discuss what maintenance is, how to define what it is and how often you should expect to be in maintenance mode.

-John 

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The Creation of a Masterpiece: The Venus

Re-framing Fitness

One thing that eluded me throughout my fitness history was a concept that could have saved me from the beginning. You see most people go to the gym to work off their “eating failures.”  If I could have re-framed what the gym was about, it could have saved me years in getting to the body of my dreams.

venus_goddess_black_236832_l

You choose your statue’s look

Carve and Sculpt at the Gym

The gym is to build muscle and sculpt your body. Period.

I compare it to the carving of a statue. Without weight lifting, you are a blank piece of marble, just another stone in the quarry, nothing unusual.  The beautiful statues that are preserved in museums and studied by scholars the world over all have a sculptor who took time to carefully carve each muscle, getting each angle just right.

The artists used the Golden Ratio which is exactly what John Barban designed into the Venus Index Ideal for goal setting metrics.

This is what weight lifting can do for you- build each muscle until your physique is just right. You can even take down a prominent muscle group if you need to. The end result is a beautiful, well-sculpted body that is pleasing to the human eye.

Showcase your Work with Calories

Your calorie intake is akin to a sheet that covers the statue. It does not matter how much sculpting and time you have put into your statue, you cannot see the details beneath a sheet.  So until you get your intake in check and start bringing down your body fat percentages, that physique is going to be hidden underneath the covering.  As your body fat percentages come down, details will slowly start to show through the covering- collar bones, then bicep muscles, some veins, abs, etc.

Calories are King

Let me re-emphasize that you cannot out train a bad diet. A friend of mine once jokingly said that it takes her 30 hard minutes on a treadmill to burn 300 calories and about 30 seconds to inhale 300 calories of chips.

Do not mix the two:

  • the gym is for sculpting
  • the food is for showcasing the work.

Brad Pilon calls this “Fat Loss Divide and Conquer”

We do not work out to burn calories here at Venus Index, we workout to build our best bodies.   Once I sorted this out I found my success.

Liss found her Golden Ratio Venus Ideal by using the Venus Index goal setting metrics

Liss found her Golden Ratio Venus Ideal by using the Venus Index goal setting metrics

At some point close to the Venus Index Ideal, women usually find a happy medium where they have their best shape.  The “best shape” can be highly individual and is a level that fits your lifestyle; it is different for each person.

This is when your best attributes are showcased, and your calorie intake does not feel restricted.

That is what living at Venus Index should feel like- an everyday Venus.

-Liss

 

Phi-Life Series: Muscle Building & The Anabolic Continuum

Today we bring you another podcast from our phi-life series.

Phi-Life is a series of podcasts where John Barban and Brad Pilon discuss their ideas and concepts on the topics of muscle building, fat loss and health. In a nutshell they are just thinking out loud and recording it for your benefit.

Today’s topic: Muscle Building & The Anabolic Continuum

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Where are you in the Anabolic Continuum?

 

Muscle Building is one of the most elusive goals of  bodybuilders and gym-goers alike.  Furthermore, it has puzzled scientist’s in research studies who have been unable to effectively control and/or determine the results of a muscle-building research study.

When it comes to muscle building, it’s important to identify where an individual is in the Anabolic Continuum.

The Anabolic Continuum takes into account the several factors that determines your potential for muscle building. A few factors for example are: height, weight, age, and years of training experience.

Your ability to build muscle follows a very logical progression. Specifically, with your response to weight training.

Today John Barban and Brad Pilon will discuss further intricacies of the Anabolic Continuum, as well as provide some tips and suggestions to ensure you remain on track for your training and muscle building goals.

 

You will also learn and discover:

What are confounding variables and how they can impact a research study

The difference between responders and non-responders in research studies

How to predict your lean muscle mass

How to determine where you are on the anabolic continuum

Are you in the right place in your weight training life

Is there a specific way that you should be training

What are the knowns and unknowns when evaluating an individual for a research study

Listen to the podcast here:

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