Look Ripped

Building A Celebrity Body

Ever wonder how trainers to the stars build such perfect bodies in what appears to be such a short period of time? Well for a start having clients like Brittany Spears and Halle Berry certainly make the job a lot easier and one would imagine, more enjoyable. Brittany Spears, like Halle Berry has been blessed with great genetics, regardless that Spears let herself go to trailer trash, she has a great foundation to rebuild her previously taught athletic body.

Pushing forty and in great shape

Halle Berry may be pushing forty but she shows that you can look good regardless of age. Berry has the added problem of dealing with diabetes, so when she trains, she needs to be aware of her fluctuating blood sugar levels. Her eating regime reflects her need to watch her blood sugar, as she eats small nutritious meals regularly spaced through out the day.

What Spears and Berry have in common

Other than good genetics both Spears and Berry have similar training regimes, squats, lunges and running are purported to keep both these girls in tip top shape. Looking at Brittany's legs and new found shape the new regime is obviously working.  And who can forget the memorable slow mo of Berry walking from the water in her orange bikini with that look of satisfaction on her face, knowing she is one Bond girl that will knock your socks off, then tear out your heart.

Training like a star

We can't all have personal trainers, but you can use the same exercise routines and eating habits as the stars (not the eating habits of Kirsty Allie) and get in great shape. Lunges can be performed outdoors or in a gym, squats are best performed in the gym but can be adapted to outdoor training. Whether on the treadmill or hitting the pavement, running will shed the kilos and can be done anywhere, lunges and squats will define, build and shape, the hamstrings, gluteus, quads and calves.   

Star shape and form

Just remember a star has five points, cardio, resistance, abdominals, nutrition and good genetics. Regardless if you don't have all five, capitalize on your attributes and play down the weaknesses.

If you don't know what to eat or how to train ask the rooster at lookripped!

Soya beans may bad for the environment, And your mojo.

Soya products are sprouting out of the woodwork, soy bread, soy milk, tofu burgers, to name a few of the plethora of products stocked on the shelves of super markets and health food stores. It seems the old adage "If some is good, more is better" may be the catch cry from the suppliers of soy products. But are we doing ourselves more harm than good?

Can't see the forest for the trees

In the latest addition of New Scientist, researchers have found that laying waste to rainforests for soy crops is more detrimental for climate change than clearing to graze cows. Soy crops have been found to reduce rainfall four times more than pasturelands. Soy crops absorb less solar radiation, reducing surface heat, hence decreasing precipitation.

Soy and your Mojo

Soy products have been implicated with the increased production of estrogen in humans. Environmental estrogen are known endocrine disruptors and believed to be a factor for the increased prevalence of genital defects in newborn babies. The number of males born with genital deformities has increased by more than 50% over the last two decades. Hypospadias is a condition were the opening for the penis forms underneath rather than the tip, although hypospadias is a minor problem that can be rectified with surgery; the concern is the increased prevalence of the condition.

Phytoestrogen's

Phytoestrogen's are naturally occurring hormones found in plants and produce hormone like activity in the body. Genistein (used in soy babies formula) and Daidzein are phytoestrogens also found in soy.

The Endocrine system

The endocrine system co-coordinating numerous bodily functions by secreting hormones from the ovaries testes, pituitary gland and pancreas etc, into the blood stream were they travel and act as messengers for other bodily activities.

What's an endocrine disruptor do?

Whether naturally occurring or man made, estrogens have been found to interfere with the production and activities of naturally produced hormones of the endocrine system. A study found that males exposed to naturally occurring estrogen, estradiol and environmental estrogen Bisphenol A (Bpa), may be at an increased risk of developing precursor prostate cancer. So not only have soy products been implicated in climate change, but also changes to the reproductive and endocrine system of man.

Tribulus. Muscle Builder or Hoax?

Any one looking to build muscle, become lean, shed fat or generally just improve their overall health would have at some time reached for a supplement.  Whether in the form of a vitamin or herb it would seem there is a salesman on every corner ready to spruik the efficacy of one or the other. So what is the truth behind Tribulus, does it live up to the purported claims of increasing energy levels, improving endurance, stamina and circulation?    

Weeding out the weed

Puncture vine, Caltrop, yellow vine and Goat head are just a few of the many names given to Tribulus, a flowering plant (weed) from the family Zygophyllaceae. It can be found growing in Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and Northern Australia and thrives in poor soils and harsh dry environments.  Tribulus is derived from the Latin word meaning "Caltrop" (spiky weapon) a name that relates to the thorn head shaped very much like a goat or bulls head.

Where it derived its efficacy

Tribulus has long been used as a tonic aphrodisiac in Ayurveda practice, (ancient system of health care used by the Indians).  It was elevated to muscle building status when strong man Jeffrey Petermann a 70's strong man asserted that it improved his strength and size. Once in the hands of amateur bodybuilders Tribulus became folk law. Some studies have found tribulus to slightly elevate testosterone, through the elevation of luteinizing hormone (LH) a precursor for testosterone and it's also claimed to increase gonadtropin releasing hormone (GnRH), which increases LH and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).  However, the purported increase has only been within the normal ranges, which is insufficient for building muscle.

Young guinea pigs

21 healthy young 20- 36 year olds, weight averaging between 60 to 125kg were randomly separated into three groups. Of the three groups two were experimental and one a placebo.  The subjects were given Tribulus 3 times a day over 4 weeks.  Testosterone, androsteredione and LH levels in serum were measured at intervals of 24, 72, 240, 408 and 576 hours from the start. The end result being that there was no significant difference between the groups, all were found to have levels within normal range.

The study conclusion

The study on Tribulus Terrestris steroid found no direct or indirect androgen increasing properties. (2005 Oct3; 101(1-3): 319-23.) pub med.

The sales pitch

Tribulus^plus for those wanting to maximize their daily potential, a proprietary blend of numerous herbal, vitamins and minerals intended to enhance of male and female power, endurance, stamina, and circulation.

What does ASDA think?

The Australian Sport anti doping Authority (ASDA) say of Tribulus "The status of Tribestan (Tribulus) in sport is currently undetermined"

Well there is plenty of supplements, herbs and vitamins out there purported to raise your sails, build muscle, improve health and well being and yes it would appear Tribbulus is just another one.

Obesity In The Headlines Again

When are the powers to be going to work out, the only way to address the burgeoning waist lines of Australians are to get them exercising. We have all heard the diet and exercise mantra, but should exercise precede diet for importance in weight loss? The focus seems to be on what we eat and not what we do. Can a poor diet take a back seat to exercise?

Throwing the lard into the furnace

Regardless of your body type and the diet you may have, if you exercise, chances are that what you eat will be consumed in the furnace called our metabolism. It may seem to fly in the face of what you read and hear, but what you eat doesn't really matter, the bodies an amazing organism it will utilize what ever you shovel into it.

As long as the energy expenditure is greater than the energy intake you are losing weight. The assertion that poor eating habits cause disease is not entirely the whole picture, the majority of studies and trials are done on norms, average people that represent the whole. It would be of interest to see a study on healthy, exercising individuals that eat what they like, when they like. Would they suffer from diabetes, obesity, and heart disease? I doubt it.   

Most fatties eat crap and do nothing

Now I'm not advocating that eating crap food is the way to go, but I am saying that the important factor is exercise or activity. Any successful diet plan will have as part of its weight loss regime an exercise component. The diets that rely only on restricting calories are the ones that will fail and see you not only replace lost kilos but also find more.

Just do it

It doesn't matter what the activity is just as long as it is at an intensity that gets your breathing rate up, increases your pulse and leaves you feeling fatigued. Forty minutes of exercise every day is guaranteed to shift any pile of lard. Do the hard yards and as a bonus you can eat the crap knowing it will be consumed by your workouts.

For optimum output and vitality it's advised to eat a well-balanced, varied diet, and save the taboo food as an occasional bonus without the guilt trip!

Courtney Love Gets Sucked Into Shape

It would seem a magazine doesn't get published without one or two celebrities being critiqued about rapid weight loss or plastic surgery. Courtney Love has been accused of swapping her drug addiction for a surgery one. Looking at the photos surgery has improved the body of the once smacked out starlet. Liposuction has been implicated in her rapid weight loss and her new found shape the product of plastic surgery.

A procedure that definitely sucks

Liposuction is anecdotally one of the most popular procedures for 2005 with 323,600 having it done in the US. The most common areas being enhanced were the knees, abs and buttocks. A high percentage of surveyed patients said they were happy with their results and would back up again if they thought they needed to.

The procedure

Liposuction is purported to improve body contours, by the insertion of a stainless steel cannula (tube) into a small incision that sucks the fat from between the skin and muscle tissue. By sucking out the fat, small tunnels are created under the skin that later collapse, hence the improved contours. During the procedure called the "Wet method" to avoid blood loss, fluids are infused into the areas of fat removal. In some cases 5000ml of fat and fluid can be removed (infiltrated fluids also make up the removed material)

Risks of surgery

There is a risk of infection (that risk increases for obese patients)

DVT (deep vein thrombosis)

Fat emboli (fat enters the circulation)

Hyperthermia caused if the infiltration fluids aren't adequately warmed

Post operative care is important due to metabolic changes that can occur

Fluid management is imperative as fluid overload is a common problem and is usually treated with diuretics.

So she looks great, is it worth the risk?

Results of liposuction can in most cases be achieved with a sensible approach to diet and exercise but today's fast paced world lends itself to easy options like medical interventions rather than the laborious application of diet and exercise. In this particular instance Courtney certainly looks to be a positive example of medical intervention that would seem to have put her confidently back into the meat market and splashed across the pages of tabloid magazines.

All medical procedures have an inherent risk and should be regarded with caution.

300. You May Have Seen The Movie, Now Get The Abs!

The new movie 300 starts this week and the previews show the Spartans to be in formidable shape, what grabbed my attention was the six-pack, that was really an eight pack, on King Leonardas (Gerard Butler) as he went into battle. One can only surmise whether these abs are the real deal or just Hollywood smoke and mirrors.

The cast pumped iron

So how do 300 Spartans get in shape to do battle with 250,000 Persians? Apparently Australian actor David Wenham pumped and trained his arse off to get into the best condition of his life and looking at the cast around him he had little choice, either get in shape or be snapped like a twig.

300 could be a good number

The best way and the least time consuming are to do your ab routine in between your weight sets. That is don't take a rest in between sets, try doing thirty to fifty sit-ups instead. If you consider how many times you take a rest between sets, slotting in fifty or so sit-ups soon cranks up the numbers.

Bound for glory

Just like the Spartans you need to train hard and never say die, just keep pumping and crunching those abs in between sets. When you finish your weight routine there's no need to hang around to do your abs there already done. So whether you're butting heads with 250,000 Persians in Thermopylae or strutting the sand at Bondi, a six-pack or an eight pack may draw as many admirers as arrows.