My Latest Workout – Part 2
This is the second part of my latest workout, and I will alternate it with Part 1. Each workout will be completed 6 times, which should take about 3 to 4 weeks to get through. After this phase, which is focused on fat loss, I plan to go on more of a muscle building phase.
The first giant set is done for 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps with no rest except for 60 seconds after each giant set.
A1) Front Squats
A2) Chin-Ups
A3) Step-Ups
A4) Dumbbell Push Press
The next giant set is only done twice with 20 reps and the same rest period as above.
A1) Squats (regular)
A2) Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns
A3) Step-Ups
A4) Dumbbell Shoulder Press
The workout is then finished with the following ab exercise.
C1) Swiss Ball Crunches, 2 sets of 10
This workout is also very difficult. I find Part 1 to be more challenging, and I think it’s because of the Bulgarian split squats. My nickname for those is “pain”. They really get my legs burning. However, this workout is only slightly less difficult than the first part.
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My Latest Workout - Part 1
Late last week I started another workout phase. These workouts use giant sets, and they are really intense. The goal is fat loss, so the rest periods are very short. There are two workouts that I will alternate for 3 to 4 workouts per week.
Part 1 consists of the following:
The first giant set is done for 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps with no rest except for 60 seconds after each giant set.
A1) Deadlifts
A2) Explosive Push-Ups
A3) Bulgarian Split Squats
A4) Dumbbell Rows
The next giant set is only done twice with 20 reps and the same rest period as above.
A1) Deadlift Off Box
A2) Dumbbell Bench Press
A3) Walking Lunge With Side Bend
A4) Cable Seated Row
The workout is then finished with the following ab exercise.
C1) Hanging Leg Raises, 2 sets of 10-12
This workout is insanely difficult. I often don’t make it to the full 20 reps on the last two giant sets. I still do interval cardio after lifting weights; however, with this workout, I do not have the capacity to workout as hard as I have been after other weight workouts.
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Alcohol Affects Risk of Cancer In Postmenopausal Women
Research has shown that excessive alcohol drinking could increase the risk of breast cancer.
The study was lead by the University of Chicago. The first author, Jasmine Q. Lew, was a recipient of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute National Institutes of Health Research Scholarship at the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.
To perform this study, researchers examined data from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which started in 1995. They examined 184,418 postmenopausal women from the study who answered questions about their daily alcohol consumption. During an average of 7 years of follow-up, they discovered that 70% of women in the study drank alcohol, with the average amount being just under a drink each day.
The researchers found that a certain type of cancer (ER+/PR+) had a stronger association with alcohol than others. They found that women who consumed less than one drink daily, one to two drinks, and three or more drinks, showed an increase in relative risk for developing ER+/PR+ breast cancer was 7%, 32%, and 51%, respectively.
Jasmine Lew commented that, “our study at this point provides evidence for the notion that alcohol affects estrogen metabolism, which increases risk of hormone sensitive breast cancer. Still, more study is needed to clarify the effect of alcohol on other tumor types.”
The researchers state that they did not have enough data to support a definitive conclusion as to whether alcohol influences development of other breast cancer tumor types, but they did have enough to study alcohol’s influence on ER+/PR+ breast cancer.
There has been mixed messages about alcohol. Some say that one drink per day is beneficial to health; whereas, studies like this give examples of how it may be harmful. I think that it’s best to stay away from regular consumption of alcohol. On special occasions, or even just while hanging out with friends, I think it’s ok to drink in moderation.
Reference: American Association for Cancer Research
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Exercise May Protect The Aging Brain
Researchers in the Netherlands have found that aerobic exercise may increase older adults’ brainpower.
The researchers gathered data from previous clinical trials. They found that when healthy adults older than 55 improved their fitness through aerobic exercise, they also improved in memory, attention, or other mental abilities.
Dr. Maaike Angevaren and colleagues at the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht examined 11 clinical trials from the U.S., France, and Sweden that involved 670 adults over 55 years old. Some of the studies test the effects of aerobic exercise against no exercise, and some compared flexibility, strength, or social activities.
The researchers found in 8 of the studies that participants who performed aerobic exercise showed an average improvement in their fitness levels, which correlated with improvements in certain measures of mental activity.
The researchers do note that the evidence did not show that aerobic exercise was more beneficial than other forms of exercise. Other forms of exercise may give the same benefits. Although, Dr. Angevaren did say, “improvements in cognition as a result of improvements in cardiovascular fitness are being explained by improvements in cerebral blood flow, leading to increased brain metabolism which, in turn, stimulates the production of neurotransmitters and formation of new synapses.”
Dr. Angevaren also thought that an increase in cardiovascular fitness could also protect the brain by lowering the risks of heart disease and stroke.
It is interesting that exercise is not only good for your heart but also benefits the brain. I think that just about any form of exercise would be beneficial, but it does seem like cardiovascular exercise could increase blood flow to the brain. I know that I feel much more alert after a good workout.
Reference: MedLine Plus
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