High Intensity Training Book Recommendation

[MoralParadise]

I'd also recommend working out less for the health of your adrenal glands. Heavy weightlifting more than twice per week is seriously taxing your adrenals, which are most delicate. In my case, my cortisol levels (stress hormone) went extremely high while working out and subsequently lead to severe adrenal fatigue afterwards. Your kidneys on top of that will suffer from eating ridiculous amounts of protein, especially in the form of protein shakes. Your body can only absorb a small amount of protein at a time, and the rest of that liquid filtered through the kidneys. The same can be said for creatine, which I highly advise against taking. His training philosophy is most in line with the body. The training philosophy of the average bodybuilder is most in line with that of someone who is on steroids and will develop health problems. I have taken creatine and while it is fun to fill your muscles up with water like water balloons, the side effects are not fun. The side effects last but the gains do not. Exercise is great, but you really must keep everything in perspective/in perfect accord with your goals.

Edited November 25, 2009 by MoralParadise

[Alfa]

Adrenal fatigue is a term coined by alternative medicine charlatans, which they use to con old ladies to buy their supplements. It's based on complete fraudulent BS. Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's Disease are on the other hand very real, and very serious. Symptoms are hypoglycemia, low blood pressure, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, vomiting, diarreha, dehydration, weight loss...and more. Alot of people would be in serious trouble if they could get that from exercise.

Regarding protein:

Considerable debate has taken place over the safety and validity of increased protein intakes for both weight control and muscle synthesis. The advice to consume diets high in protein by some health professionals, media and popular diet books is given despite a lack of scientific data on the safety of increasing protein consumption. The key issues are the rate at which the gastrointestinal tract can absorb amino acids from dietary proteins (1.3 to 10 g/h) and the liver's capacity to deaminate proteins and produce urea for excretion of excess nitrogen. The accepted level of protein requirement of 0.8g x kg(-1) x d(-1) is based on structural requirements and ignores the use of protein for energy metabolism. High protein diets on the other hand advocate excessive levels of protein intake on the order of 200 to 400 g/d, which can equate to levels of approximately 5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1), which may exceed the liver's capacity to convert excess nitrogen to urea. Dangers of excessive protein, defined as when protein constitutes > 35% of total energy intake, include hyperaminoacidemia, hyperammonemia, hyperinsulinemia nausea, diarrhea, and even death (the "rabbit starvation syndrome"). The three different measures of defining protein intake, which should be viewed together are: absolute intake (g/d), intake related to body weight (g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and intake as a fraction of total energy (percent energy). A suggested maximum protein intake based on bodily needs, weight control evidence, and avoiding protein toxicity would be approximately of 25% of energy requirements at approximately 2 to 2.5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1), corresponding to 176 g protein per day for an 80 kg individual on a 12,000kJ/d diet. This is well below the theoretical maximum safe intake range for an 80 kg person (285 to 365 g/d).

Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006 Apr;16(2):129-52

Regarding steroid use in the avarage bodybuilder, it's something that's seriously exaggerated in HIT philosophy. Most guys don't train that much, and they're not taking steroids. That kind of thinking comes from a time where really high volume training was popular, probably because of made up routines in muscle mags. Generally people don't train like that today. It's more common with low to moderate volume(and failure is rarely used, which makes it alot easier to tolerate higher volume). And you certainly don't need steroids to handle (alot) more volume than a HIT routine.