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What I learned at the Charles Poliquin Seminar
by Nathan Donahue
November 14 2005

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What I learned at the Charles Poliquin Fat Loss Seminar

http://charlespoliquin.com

These are the notes that I took from the Charles Poliquin Seminar
that I attended on November 13, 2005. He certainly has some
different takes on fitness than people are used to.

Snippets

If over 10% body fat for a man, or over 15-20% for a woman, you are
fat.

The stronger your immune system, the easier it is to gain muscle and
lose fat.

The more insulin you produce, the faster you age.

The best predictor of lifespan is muscle mass and strength

Supplements

Omega 3 Fatty Acids from pharmaceutical grade fish oils are the most
valuable supplement you can take. The subject should take 15g/day
for two weeks if deficient, then reduce the dosage to 5g/day
indefinitely after that.  Fish oils will help burn fat and prevent fat gain.
They improve serotonin levels (mood), make it easier to move
nutrients in and out of cell walls, reduce joint inflammation, decrease
the amount of sugar your body will absorb, improves blood pressure
and decrease insulin output when taken with a meal.

You should take it throughout the day and rotate your source of EFA’s
every 10 days.  Krill Oil is the best source as it also eliminates PMS
and you don’t need high doses of this type of oil.

Fat people should not consume carbs post-workout.  The best Post
workout drink for a 200lb overweight man is: Whey Isolate 60g +
Glutamine 20-80g + Glycine 20g. This will replenish glycogen while
preventing fat gain.

Licorice Root Cream can be rubbed on the abdominal as it will aid in
burning fat from the stomach. The trade name is called Glycgel.

Adaptogens such as Red Korean Ginseng can help you recuperate
from stress and tough workouts. Rhodiola Rosea is a very powerful
adaptogen; take it when you need energy. It is a Cortisol Modulator,
meaning that if your cortisol is too low it will help you raise it and if too
high, it will help you lower it. Take only 1 tab per day, as it is very
potent. Stevia is a natural sweetener and a great adrenal recovery
aid. Cold Fx is also a surprisingly good product. It is good for
adrenaline glands, fat loss, decreasing insulin output, and
regenerates the pancreas.

To help men raise testosterone Charles recommends the following.  
Zinc is low in all active men and plays an important role in test
production. Zinc arginic is best, no more than 30mg/day. Holy Basil
also helps raise testosterone.

As for estrogen, DIM is a strong anti-estrogen that specifically targets
the bad estrogens caused by phyto-estrogens in our environment.

R-ALA is anabolic and promotes fat burning, only the R for is good,
the S form of ALA is counter productive. It is an anti-oxidant that also
promotes glucose transport into muscle cells. As well it Increases the
metabolic rate and decreases insulin output.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a healthy stimulant; it also improves memory and
is anti-aging for the brain. It too increases insulin sensitivity.

Charles recommends that one uses a good multi-vitamin when
attempting to lose fat as fat loss releases toxins that are stored in your
fat and your body will need all the vitamins and minerals it can get to
fight these toxins.

Estrogen “16” is a bad form of estrogen in our bodies that we want to
eliminate, supplements that combat estrogen “16” are Broccoli extract,
DIM and Green Tea

Taurine is an amino acid that increases insulin sensitivity, increases
cell communication, and increase carb metabolism.

Magnesium Chelates are the key to preventing diabetes; everyone
who is active is deficient in it, and it is this deficiency that creates
diabetes. Magnesium also increases insulin sensitivity. One should
Rotate the types of Mag, just make sure they all end in “ate”. Take it
after 4:00pm, as it will improve your sleep.

All stimulants raise cortisol, which is bad so use them sensibly.  As for
the fat burning supplement ephedrine, you do not need much
ephedrine (8mg) to stimulate fat burning.

If asparagus makes your urine smell you are deficient in Vitamin B9
and B12. Taking these B vitamins will help prevent Alzheimer’s

Training

High intensity interval training burns more calories overall than long
slow cardio. The bulk of these calories are burned post exercise.
Intervals should consist of 40 sec – 2 min on, and 1 minute off. These
sessions should last a max of 42 minutes total including warm-up. The
bad news is that the workouts must be very intense, as the subject
must get to nausea in order to produce enough lactic acid. Luckily 2
sessions per week is all that is needed to lose fat at a noticeable rate.
The catch is that velocity without resistance is useless, so going really
fast is not the answer. Working really hard against resistance is the
solution.

Continuous aerobic work (long jogs) raises cortisol, which in turn
makes you fatter in the long run. So don’t bother doing it unless it is
sport specific training.

For strength training, vary the program every 25 days; everything
works, but only for a short time. Vary the exercises often so you
overload the muscles at different points. You must surprise the
muscles with something new in order to force it to adapt. Other
possible changes include rest time, muscle grouping, tempo, etc.

Diet

Approximately 75% of people are carb intolerant and should not be
eating grains; the grains are getting people fat. The first step is to get
the Omega 3’s in balance by taking hi-quality fish oils. You must eat
protein with every meal even breakfast. A meat and nut breakfast will
make you leaner even if you do not change the rest of your diet. It is
best if you rotate the meat each breakfast. Eat 6-7 meals per day with
protein plus smart fats in every meal.

A long-term low carbohydrate diet is the solution for fat people even
after they have lost the fat. To begin the diet, eat only meat, fish,
eggs, cheese and vegetables (50g of carbs per day or less). Follow
this diet for 14 days then have a cheat day, eat whatever you want for
the entire day. Return to the ultra low carb diet and have a cheat meal
(one sitting) every 4th or 5th day.

Once you are starting to lean out you can add berries to the diet.
They are strong antioxidants and low glycemic.

As you get leaner still you can introduce the Orange family of fruits.

As you get leaner again you can add Plums, nectarines, peaches and
apples.

Then grapes and bananas

Then the root vegetables such as yams, and sweet potatoes

Then rice, the darker the better

The last food to add is grains, and it should never be added for those
that are carb intolerant. (If eating carbs made you fat)

A no or low gluten diet is a good thing, it interferes with reaction time.

Stick with this diet 80% of the time and you will do fine and not
stressed out by it. Eat more vegetables.

Do not eat Peanut Butter, even the natural kind; it contains a mould
that has phyto-estrogens in it.

Fructose syrup is the most fattening food we know of and it ages you;
avoid it at all costs.

Have your cheat meal late in the day instead of early when you are
likely to keep eating bad the rest of the day. The best cheat meals
have some nutritional value

Fatty foods have a reputation for causing bad health but it is Carbs
that raise cholesterol and bad blood lipids  
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