Joe's Story

Joe’s Story

I’ve always had a passion for fitness. Growing up playing youth sports and into High School, I’ve always known the value of nutrition in relation to athletic performance. Once I started college I began bodybuilding - a crazy intense sport that involved extreme training and dieting. It was during this time I focused on all aspects of nutrition and supplementation. While bodybuilding, I was simultaneously working towards my degree in health and wellness. First a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology followed by a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from Cal State University, East Bay. While in school I learned all about how nutrition plays a vital role in both physical and mental performance and how we can manipulate our nutrition to enhance these areas. I was able to take this knowledge and apply it to my Personal Training career, helping thousands of clients realize their potential through fitness.

My approach to nutrition had always been moderation. I believed you must keep your macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) well-balanced for optimal results. And this worked, kind of. I noticed a low fat, moderate carbohydrate and high protein diet was very hard for my clients (and for myself) to maintain long-term. Not only was the food choices restrictive, but eating “healthy” became boring, bland and repetitive. When we become bored with our diets, the likelihood of being able to maintain the diet drops substantially and dieting all of a sudden becomes a chore and not a lifestyle. The typical Western Diet, which consists of high carbohydrates, low fat, wasn’t working for myself or my clients long-term. So I began to look for a solution. The opportunity came in the most unusual way.

While performing heavy powerlifting exercises in the gym, I sustained a L4/L5 (lower spine) herniation associated with a separation of the sacroiliac joint. X-rays showed significant deformity of my lower spine and a stress fracture in my pelvis! The sciatic pain associated with this injury was overwhelming to say the least. Everything was painful: laying down, sitting, standing, walking, bending etc was met with excruciating pain that radiated from my right hip all the way down to my toes. The pain was so constant and extreme that I thought things could never improve. This injury affected every single aspect of my life. I couldn’t drive, exercise, work or even play with my kids. This led to depression and ultimately weight gain. I found myself weighing 256 pounds with 26% body fat. I spent thousands of dollars on multiple doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists and medical devices with little relief. I decided my number one priority was to heal and get back into shape so I could literally get my life back.

I designed a physical therapy program for myself to help strengthen and stretch the muscles of my hips and lower back. The progress was slow at first, but I was soon starting to feel some relief. I knew that a major factor in my recovery was weight loss. I was well aware that carrying around extra body fat, particularly in my gut, was straining the muscles of back and hips as well as putting unnecessary pressure on all of my other joints. In order to truly heal my injury and take my life back I knew I had to lose body fat. But the idea of going back to the low fat, moderate carbohydrate and high protein diet was very unappealing and I knew I would have a hard time staying motivated enough to stick to it. I didn’t want a temporary fix, I wanted a change for life.

That’s when I found the ketogenic diet. I had heard of the ketogenic diet before, I’ve even researched it over the years. But I thought the high fat, low carb diet trend (mostly led by Atkins, Paleo, Caveman etc)  was a fad that would come and go like all the rest. But upon further investigation I started to see there was something very different about this way of eating. It isn’t just a diet: it’s a lifestyle. Not only that, but it’s a lifestyle that many people find easy to stick to. I wanted to give it a try because, at this point, I had nothing to lose.

I started by tracking my food intake with a diet tracking app on my phone to get an idea of my calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat intake. Next, I slowly started cutting carbohydrates. I didn’t quit carbohydrates cold turkey, I slowly reduced the amount over time, while keeping my fat intake moderate and my protein intake high. Once my carbohydrates were down low (to about 25% of my daily calorie intake) I decided to take things to the next level and attempt to get into ketosis. This not only required me to drop my carbohydrates down much lower than they already were, but I had to decrease my protein intake and drastically increase my fat intake at the same time. This initially went against what I had been taught in school, and what I had learned as a Personal Trainer and bodybuilder for all those years, but I decided I needed to trust the science behind it and see how things worked out.

I was able to bring my carbohydrates down to less than 10% of my daily calories, my protein to about 25% of my daily calories and my fat to upwards of 65% of my daily calories. Words cannot express how amazed I was with the results. Almost immediately I started dropping body fat. I felt stronger and stronger every day. I slept better, had more physical energy throughout the day and even my mental clarity improved. As I continued to recover from my injury I started getting back into weightlifting, being cautious not to re-injure my back and hips.

Over the next 6-months not only did I experience a full recovery from my injury, but I was able to drop over 50 pounds of body fat and build 15 pounds of lean muscle mass at the same time! This didn’t happen on its own - it took effort. I meal prepped my food each night, meticulously tracked my macros daily, never missed logging and weighing my food, and pushed myself as much as I could in the gym. The results speak for themselves. At the time of this writing I am 205 lbs with 10% body fat and feeling as strong as I’ve ever been. The best part about living the ketogenic lifestyle, however, isn’t just the results. I genuinely really enjoy the food I get to eat daily. Full fat dairy, eggs and meats with plenty of green leafy vegetables along with nuts and seeds. I enjoy my desserts the most, eating keto ice cream and cheesecake made with real cream and dark chocolate.

I quickly found that fat offers a wide variety of flavor profiles that I could never get tired of. One of my favorite parts about this lifestyle is when I see a food that is typically off limits for me (such as pizza or pasta), I can always find a way to replicate that flavor and feel by using ingredients alternative to starches and sugars. With low fat, high carb eating, this just isn’t a possibility.

As I lost body fat and gained muscle, people began to notice. Soon I had people approach me every day asking how I did it or what my secret was and I always had the same answer: high fat, no carbs! The results were undeniable and people started asking more questions about the ketogenic approach to fitness. Before I knew it, I had nearly all of my clients as well as other Personal Trainers on the keto diet as well. The keto revolution in my life had begun. Now I am taking what I have learned, both through my own experience and my training of others, and sharing it with you. Together we can change how our society looks at nutrition and help and encourage others to get into the best shape of their lives with the ketogenic lifestyle!

Three Toxic Substances Found in Everyday Foods

May 14, 2014 by Charles Poliquin

Toxic substances abound nowadays, and the food industry is a master at hiding stuff you wouldn’t eat in the stuff you actually eat. Here are 3 surprising sources of toxicity you might not know about.

1. Arsenic

Aptly known as “The Poison of Kings” and later known as the less dramatic rat poison, this metalloid has been used to kill people and rodents alike for millennia. You might be surprised to find out that it is regularly added to the feed of chicken and turkeys, as it makes their blood vessels pinker, thus more appetizing.

Arsenic is a known carcinogen and interferes with DNA methylation and NRA transcription, causing epigenetic changes (1) Not something you want in a population of people who consumes chicken breasts by the ton!

2. Coal Tar

Ever wondered where the food coloring “red 40” and “yellow 5” came from? Now you know: coal tar. They are used to add colors to anything from candies to cheese to pickles, but they are potent neuro-toxins that attack the nervous cells and the brain, causing degeneration. They are also linked ADD and ADHD in children and cutting out sources of these chemicals is one of the first dietary intervention I advise during my BioPrint seminars (2, 3).

Tartrazine, the yellow 5 extracted from tar, is more commonly present in industrial, packaged food. And is literally everywhere. This list from Wikipedia will have you checking for a gastroscopy to see if your stomach looks like a napalm burned field.

It can be found in:

Desserts and sweets: ice cream, ice pops and popsicles, confectionery and hard candy (such as gummy bears, Peeps marshmallow treats, etc.), cotton candy, instant puddings and gelatin (such as Jell-O), cake mixes, pastries (such as Pillsbury pastries), custard powder, marzipan, biscuits and cookies.

Beverages: soft drinks (such as Mountain Dew), energy and sports drinks, powdered drink mixes (such as Kool-Aid), fruit cordials, and flavored/mixed alcoholic beverages.

Snacks: flavored corn chips (such as Doritos, nachos, etc.), chewing gum, popcorn (both microwave and cinema-popped), and potato chips.

Condiments and spreads: jam, jelly (including mint jelly), marmalade, mustard, horseradish, pickles (and other products containing pickles such as tartar sauce and dill pickle dip), and processed sauces.

Other processed foods: cereal (such as corn flakes, muesli, etc.), instant or “cube” soups), rices (like paella, risotto, etc.), noodles (such as some varieties of Kraft Dinner) and pureed fruit.

3. Bromine

This halogen metalloid is a close relative to iodine, chlorine and fluorine. While all the halogens except iodine are toxic, they share a closeness that makes them more dangerous, as they can replace one another on the thyroid receptor sites, causing hypothyroid issues. This is bad news since bromine is the whitening agent used in table salt and is used in most commercial baked goods as a bulking agent that also speeds cooking.

So if you want to stay healthy, eat things a caveman would have had access to. Hence, bagel are out of the equation since last time I checked, there was not bagel tree on the planet. You can never go wrong with what mother Nature provides.

Stay healthy,

Sensei

References
1) Baccarelli, A.; Bollati, V. (2009). “Epigenetics and environmental chemicals”.Current Opinion in Pediatrics 21 (2): 243–251

2) Rowe KS, Rowe KJ (Nov 1994). “Synthetic food coloring and behavior: a dose response effect in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study”.J Pediatr 125 (5 Pt 1): 691–698

3) Donna McCann et al. (2007). “Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial”. The Lancet 370 (9598): 1560–1567

Source: http://www.strengthsensei.com/three-common-sources-of-food-that-may-surprise-you/

How To Train Around A Lower Back Injury

by Poliquin Editorial Staff
11/21/2012 12:53:52 PM

No one is immune to back pain. For the typical American, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are primary causes of back pain. As for athletes – whether pro, high school or recreational – they are confronted with additional spine-unfriendly problems, such as collisions. When back pain occurs, the last thing anyone wants to do, athlete or otherwise, is train. However, this is a mistake.??

Exercise is a powerful method for helping to prevent and also resolve back pain. For competitive athletes, not playing their sport would be a disaster. After just two weeks of exercise cessation, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, a “swift and significant” detraining effect occurs. This effect is particularly pronounced in elite athletes. Case in point: In 2005 Maria Sharapova was ranked as the #1 tennis player in the world, but a shoulder injury hampered her game so badly that it wasn’t until this year and after extensive physical therapy that she was able to regain her previous tournament winning form and a #1 world ranking.??

The lesson here is that it’s much easier to maintain your strength and conditioning than to regain them. In fact, studies have shown that both strength and aerobic conditioning can be maintained for several months even if the amount of work has been reduced by two thirds, as long as intensity is maintained. So although you’ll be reluctant to keep up your workouts if your back hurts, it’s in your best interest to try to do so.??

If you are suffering from lower back pain, your best friends in the weightroom are exercise machines. As for free weights, the total-body training effect that such equipment provides so well may not be the best approach to training when your back needs TLC. Save the Olympic lifting platforms, Olympic bars with bumpers, thick bars, thick-handled dumbbells and strongman equipment for when you are 100 percent. For now, go with machines that stabilize your trunk, thereby preventing excessive flexion, extension, bending and twisting that can aggravate back pain.

??Another bit of advice: Stick with machines that have been properly designed. One way manufacturers cut costs is to make exercise machines with fewer parts without regard to human biomechanics. A fixed backrest costs less than an adjustable backrest, and fixed handles cost less than handles that rotate, but these compromises inevitably affect the function of the machine. Among the best exercise equipment is that manufactured by Atlantis because they carefully think out the design as it relates to human biomechanics and they do not compromise function to save a few dollars.?? It only takes a few seconds to master the basic lifting techniques of machine exercises, but you need to follow some guidelines to ensure maximum safety and get the most from your workout. Here are some that apply to four popular lower body resistance training machines:?? Leg Press. The advantage of leg presses is less stress on the lower back because the trunk is stabilized. In fact, people with lower back injuries or medical conditions that make squatting painful, such as scoliosis, often can perform the leg press without discomfort. Just be careful not to lower the weight so far that your lower back becomes rounded at the bottom. Also, only use machines that require you to start with your legs straight, because then you can determine exactly how far you can bend your knees safely. Conversely, if you start the exercise with knees bent, you have a tendency to jerk the weight and create adverse pressure on your lower back.??

Hack Squat. One EMG study that compared regular squats to hack squats showed that both exercises produce similar effects on the vastus lateralis (outer quad muscle) but the hack squat more strongly works the glutes and biceps femoris (the hamstring muscle involved in knee flexion). As for the lower back (erector spinae), the hack squat produces less involvement than the squat produces but more than the leg press. Also, you should avoid hack squat machines with short backrests, as they will not adequately support the lower back (in the ’70s, the backrests of some hack squat machines were so short that the pelvis would easily roll under and hyperextend the spine).??

Hip Thrust. The hip thrust is similar to the angled back squat, but the trainee faces the machine. It is a popular exercise among football strength coaches, as they believe it is similar to the positions that occur in tackling. The same safety precautions apply with the hip thrust as with other exercises performed on hip sled machines. However, because the back is not supported in the hip thrust, it is much easier for the back to flex, which can easily lead to injury.??

Leg Curls. Leg curl machines of the past had a flat bench and often caused hyperextension of the lower back. Eventually those machines were replaced with a V-shaped bench that minimizes the pressure on the back. Other back-friendly options are to use a standing, seated or kneeling variation of leg curl machines. At the Poliquin Strength Institute we have eight different leg curl machines with both cable and plate-loaded options.??

Finally, those with back pain may need to consider several issues with abdominal crunch and torso twist machines. The major problem with most crunch machines is that when the legs are anchored, you increase the activation of the muscles that flex the hip and therefore you can hyperextend the spine. To minimize the involvement of the hip flexors, always perform these exercises slowly and avoid gripping with the heels, calves and thighs. As for the torso twist machines, this type of exercise places extreme shearing forces on the disks and does little to work the obliques, as these muscle fibers are primarily aligned longitudinally to the spine.??

More than 65 million Americans are currently suffering from lower back pain at an annual cost of over $50 billion. It’s a statistic you don’t want to be a part of, so take care of your back with smart training. If you do get slammed by back pain, get appropriate medical attention and don’t be afraid to get back into the weightroom and stay strong.

Source: http://www.lifestylebypoliquin.com/Lifestyle/BodyMind/383/How_To_Train_Around_An_Injury_Lower_Back.aspx

True Strength Partners With Trainerize!

We recently partnered with an amazing company called Trainerize. Trainerize provides personal training software that allows trainers to put together customized and detailed training programs for clients. Now you can connect and train with Master Trainer, Joe King, online or in person! This is a great way to get customized one-on-one attention and training programs from Joe at a fraction of the regular cost. Visit his trainerize website by going to https//www.joeking.trainerize.com/. Sign up for one of the plans that Joe offers (4-week, 8-week, or 12-week) and get started today!

Marinate Your Meat In Beer...For Health!!

By Rachel Tepper

March 26, 2014

Cooking with beer is an excellent idea, not only for the bottle you’re apt to crack open while a steak sizzles away. A beer marinade tenderizes meat and adds another layer of flavor—that you already knew—but a new study finds a beer marinade might also help combat nasty substances and help keep you healthy.

The findings, which appear in the current issue of the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,” suggest that marinating meat in beer helps reduce the eventual formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (“PAHs,” for short) on your dinner.

Why you care: PAHs are “a group of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil and gasoline.” They’re associated with cancers in laboratory animals and found in cigarette smoke. But PAHs can also form on meat when it’s cooked at very high temperatures, such as on a backyard grill. Yikes.

Marinating meat in beer can help guard against this formation of PAHs. Researchers tested three pork samples that they had marinated for four hours in different beers—a Pilsner, a non-alcoholic Pilsner, and a black beer—and subsequently cooked over a hot charcoal grill. They found that black beer most successfully inhibited the development of PAHs, but all three demonstrated a positive effect against the substance.

"Thus, the intake of beer-marinated meat can be a suitable mitigation strategy," the researchers said in a press release.

Wins all around! Worth, say, cracking a celebratory beer over.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/food/the-number-1-reason-to-marinate-your-meat-in-beer-80806472024.html

True Strength is now connected with Reebok!

We have partnered with Reebok One, a website made up of health and fitness professionals, sponsored by Reebok, dedicated to helping YOU! Check out Joe King's Reebok One page for discounts on some of our favorite athletic gear!

Maximum Fitness

Learn the Six Secret Weapons You Need to Get Fit, Happy and Healthy!

By Shannon Clark
March 7, 2014

Do you often look at people who have great bodies—bodies that you'd kill to have—and wonder what their secret is? Do you wonder how some people can achieve great fitness success while others struggle? It's more than just genetics and intense training. It may boil down to small, consistent habits.

True, cover models usually have great training routines, stick to their diet plan no matter what, and are highly motivated. But their success comes from more than that. Incredibly fit people tend to have weapons most of us aren't aware of. These secret weapons aren't built in laboratories, and they don't come from complex science. They're tiny habits and strategies that anyone has the capacity to utilize.

Want to learn the secret weapons of the insanely fit and add them to your own fitness arsenal? Read on!

Secret Weapon 1: The Ability To Delay Gratification

Our world is one of instant gratification. People tend to want things right away, and this phenomenon extends to fitness. If people don't see results after a week in the gym, they often fall off the wagon. Eating a bag of chips is instantly gratifying, whereas the results you'd get from months of hard work and clean eating are far more difficult to forecast.

Super-fit individuals can delay their gratification. They recognize the fact that the choices they make today—forgoing that slice of pizza or hitting the gym instead of the nearest bar—will reap future rewards that are far more meaningful than quick pleasures.

As a result, super-fit people don't necessarily feel deprived when they diet. They're able to look past short-term sacrifice and focus on long-term gains. If you can control your mind and view healthy choices in a positive light, you'll be able to eat clean and train mean with purpose and passion.

If you can focus on the long-term benefits of smart choices, you'll be able to easily commit to fit decisions.

Secret Weapon 2: Internal Focus

Super-fit people don't compare themselves to others, because the minute they do, they put their focus on something they can't control. Instead of constantly worrying about what everyone else is doing, elite athletes put their focus on something they can control: their own effort and performance. This internal focus leads to a more positive, goal-oriented mindset, which usually leads to greater achievements.



If you constantly dwell on the fact that you aren't as good as someone else, your mindset becomes instantly negative. If you're stuck in a negative frame of mind, it's almost impossible to give your best effort to your training or diet.

The only comparison you should be making is to where you were yesterday. If you're further ahead today, you are moving in the right direction.

Secret Weapon 3: Positivity Through Adversity

Tricia Ashley, a MuscleTech athlete, says that her success comes from her ability to stay positive when things get rough: "Without a positive attitude throughout adversity, I could not have reached the success that I have!"

Life is always going to present you with hard times, but how you deal with those hard times will determine your success. Many people give up or lose their tenacity when the going gets tough. If you view your adversity through a positive lens, you're far more likely to grow and come out ahead.



Instead of dwelling on the negative, think about all the progress you've made so far, the good things that have happened in your life, and look forward to what you will achieve in the future.

A rosy outlook—or at least one that will push you to drive harder—will work in your favor. Should you reach a roadblock again, you'll know precisely how to move around it.

Secret Weapon 4: Prioritize Recovery

Many people believe the fitness elite have highly advanced training secrets and spend a lot of time researching new training techniques.

More often than not, the real secret isn't some advanced lifting regimen, it is prioritizing rest.

"Fatigue blunts physical adaptations. Adaptation takes energy as well, and if all your energy is used up for performance, your recovery will suffer and no energy will be left for improving the cells, tissue, and systems of the body," explains Marc Megna, former NFL football player and performance coach.



Going hard in the gym is an absolute must, but if you aren't giving your body time to rebuild and recover, you'll just grow weaker over time.

You have to train hard, eat whole foods, and prioritize sleep to grow.

Secret Weapon 5: Knowing Your Body

Tricia Ashley suffers from Hashimoto's disease, which has caused hypothyroidism. Instead of quitting, Tricia took the time to learn about her body. She feels that having patience and learning what's best for her body has been crucial to her success. Through experimentation, she's learned that her body responds best to a diet that's entirely gluten free.

Pay attention to how your body feels after you eat various foods. Like Tricia, you may be able to pinpoint what makes you feel best and what can best help you see results. You can also approach this strategy by eliminating foods from your current diet one by one.

This is called an "elimination diet" and may help you pinpoint specific foods that drag down your wellbeing.

Secret Weapon 6: Quest For Knowledge

You have a world of information at your fingertips. Use it.

Marc Megna explains that one of the biggest contributing factors to his success is a never-ending thirst for knowledge.

Marc is never satisfied with the information he already has, and he knows that there's always something new to learn. "I think it's this information-seeking trait that has helped me continue to get better and better," says Marc.

You have a world of information at your fingertips. Use it. Learn about your goal, what it takes to achieve it, the best programs to help you get there, and how to beat problems you may have along the way.

Follow in the footsteps of people who have accomplished your goal and ask them for best practices.

Your mind is your greatest asset.

Putting It All Together

How many of these traits do you use? Can you apply some of these to your life today? Success isn't always about having the best workout or diet. Usually, success comes from your attitude, your approach, and your commitment to building your best self.

Let us know which other traits work as part of your own healthy lifestyle!

Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/maximum-fitness-6-secret-weapons-of-the-super-fit.html?mcid=facetraining01031014