Table of Contents
Foreword Marty Gallagher xi
Introduction: A Revolutionary Way of Looking at Maximum Muscle and Minimum Fat xiii
The Biological Switches That Trigger Muscle Gain and Fat Loss 1
Turning On the Anabolic Switch 3
Anabolism and Catabolism 3
Negative-Feedback Control 4
How to Materialize Maximum Growth Potential 5
How to Turn Growth Potential into Muscle Gain 6
Undereating 7
Exercise on an Empty Stomach 8
What to Eat During the Undereating Phase 8
Overeating 9
The Great Pump-A Day After Competition 10
Muscle Gain and Fat Loss at the Cellular Level 13
Cyclic AMP 13
The Biological Benefits of Stress and Hunger 14
Can You Gain Muscle Without Gaining Fat? 15
Partitioning: Converting Fat to Muscle 17
cGMP: Enhancing Thyroid Actions 17
cGMP and Potency 18
Chronic Elevation of cGMP 19
The Combustion Engine Principle 19
Muscle Gain 21
Steroid Hormones: The Most Powerful Growth-Materializing Agents 27
Steroid Hormone Synthesis 28
Undereating and Exercise Stimulate Steroid Hormone Synthesis 28
Peptide-Stimulating Hormones and Their Specific Steroid Hormone Targets 29
High Mitochondrial Capacity Required for Proper Steroidal Impact 29
How Dietary Fat and Cholesterol Affect Steroid Hormones 29
High Energy Turnover Enhances Androgen Production 30
How to Take Advantage of Steroid Hormone Actions 31
Regulating Steroid Hormone Levels 31
DHT for Maximum Anabolic Impact 32
How Testosterone and DHT Are Produced 33
Aromatizing-The Modern Man's Nightmare 34
Steroid Promoters vs. Steroid Suppressors 35
The "Cocktail Hormone" Impact 35
Take Advantage of the Cortisol Wave 36
Reach Maximum Anabolic Potential During Exercise 37
Supersets and Forced Sets 38
Aldosterone for Survival and Muscle Toning 39
Steroid Receptors' Super Actions 41
Steroid Hormones: Practical Notes 43
Dietary Fats for Repair and Growth 45
Good Fats, Bad Fats 45
Food for Sex and Muscles 46
Anti- and Pro-Inflammatory Prostaglandins 48
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Painkillers Suppress Growth 48
Growth-Inhibiting EFAs 49
EFA Balance: The Most Critical Contributing Factor for Maximum Performance 50
EFA Ratios for Reducing Inflammation, Sensitizing Insulin, and Gaining Muscle 51
"Bad" Fat Can Help Build Muscle 53
Practical Conclusions 55
Growth Hormone 57
Growth Hormone Basics 58
GH and Dopamine for Sustaining Potency and Muscularity 59
Stimulation and Inhibition of Growth Hormone 60
GH Secretagogues 60
Feeding Cycles and Growth Hormone 61
Neuropeptide Y and Galanin 62
Hunger and Growth 63
Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 65
IGF1 and Muscular Development 66
IGF1 and Muscular Differentiation 66
IGF1 and Heat-Shock Proteins 67
Natural Methods to Enhance IGF1 Actions 68
The Anabolic Cycle: Timing Is Everything 69
Short and Long Anabolic Impacts 70
Manipulating the Anabolic Cycle 71
Exercise and Rest 72
How to Take Advantage of the Anabolic Cycle 73
Eat to Gain 75
Conclusions: The Anabolic Cycle 75
Super Muscle: How to Develop Muscle with Superior Biological Capabilities 77
Size and Power 78
Fast-Twitch and Slow-Twitch Muscles 79
Developing Super Muscles 81
Muscle Wiring 81
Super Muscle Fiber 83
Muscle Shifting: Improving Body Proportion 86
Muscle Gain versus Muscle Waste 86
Let Your Body Redesign Itself 88
Preservation of Active Muscles 88
Muscle Nourishment 90
Post-Exercise Recovery Meals 91
Summary 95
Some Practical Dietary Tips for Muscle Gain 97
Fat Loss 101
The Biological Principles of Fat Loss 105
Carbohydrate and Calorie Restrictions 106
Eliminating the Reasons for Fat to Exist 107
Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat 107
Delayed Fat Loss 108
Fat Functions 109
Insulin Resistance 109
Toxicity 110
Increased Fat Utilization 111
Increased Energy Turnover 111
Increased Detoxification 113
Regulation of Body Fat via Set Points 114
Frequent and Over-Consumption of Carbs 115
Fat Loss and Exposure to Cold Temperatures 115
Stress and Stubborn Fat 117
Lipolysis: The Chemistry of Fat-Burning 119
Low-Carb Ketogenic Diets 119
Fat-Burning Hormones 121
Practical Tips for Eliminating the Reasons for Fat to Accumulate 121
Muscle Gain and Fat Loss Conclusions 123
Insulin's Essential Role in Muscle Gain and Fat Loss 125
Insulin and IGF1 125
Insulin and the Thyroid Hormones 127
Insulin and the Pentose Phosphate Pathway 128
The Single Overriding Biological Principles of Muscle Gain and Fat Loss 131
Maximize Muscle Functions While Minimizing Fat Functions 133
Final Note 135
Notes 137
References 139
Index 149
About the Author 157
Read an Excerpt
From the Introduction: A Revolutionary Way of Looking at Maximum Muscle and Minimum FatThe Renaissance culture that flourished in fifteenth- and sixteenth century Italy idealized the classic muscular body, promoted in part by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. These two great artists attempted to define the ideal human body proportions through drawing and sculpture. The last sixty years, however, have brought dramatic changes in the way men and women treat their bodies. We are now living in a seemingly new renaissance of “body adoration,” and more people than ever are dieting and exercising, striving to build bodies that are hard and lean.
The goal of achieving a lean and muscular body began long before the time of da Vinci and Michelangelo. The admiration of muscularity and physical power was depicted in ancient Assyrian, Philistine, Minoic, Greek, and Roman art. Physical power was perceived as a primal male virtue required for protecting one’s family and defeating or dominating other males.
According to anthropologist Desmond Morris, women are attracted to hard and muscular men with the potential to become strong mates and protectors of their children. But nowadays, women’s desire to look hard and lean is almost as great as men’s. Without delving more deeply into the anthropological definition of “lean ’n’ mean,” the question is: Why do you want to build muscle and lose fat? The most obvious answers are that a hard and lean body:
• Is attractive
• Is healthy
• Earns admiration
Many people, and perhaps most, want to gain muscle and lose fat primarilybecause they believe that a muscular and lean body looks great. Although that is certainly true, there is a great deal of confusion as to how muscular and lean the body should be. For many men and women, looks come first, whereas health and performance come second. Nothing is wrong with a passionate desire to look big and lean. But big muscles do not guarantee maximum power, and a lean look isn’t always a sign of health, especially in women. In spite of dieting and exercising more than ever, people today are getting fatter and sicker than ever. The vast majority of modern fitness enthusiasts are failing to improve their conditioning in spite of following steady exercise routines.
The purpose of this book is to cut through the confusion of claims, speculations, and pseudo-science often associated with modern diets and fitness programs, and to present the hard-core truths about muscle gain and fat loss. Based on science and epidemiological evidence, the book offers a revolutionary way of improving human conditioning and performance. Science is about predictions based on predictable fact. Life is about surprises based on the unpredictable reality. This book is about both.
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