Before we start…Let’s get one thing straight. All three of these diet variants can be used to get success for fat loss purposes and has more than enough proof to give them validity.
This article will focus on which of these works best to produce long-term results in a bodybuilding environment.
There is enough science to support all three approaches. There is no obvious looser.
So that said, let’s focus on the negatives of each approach to help us come to a conclusion.
First up – KETO
For those that do not know what KETO (Banting) is, it is an approach that replaces most carbs with fat. Protein and Fat is high and carbs is low in calories in the diet structure.
Negatives:
The adaption process can be uncomfortable for some. It is called Keto flu and involves headaches, fatigue, nausea, etc.
Dramatically increasing your fat intake while drastically cutting carb intake may cause gastrointestinal issues, ranging from constipation to diarrhea.
It can take a while for the gall bladder, pancreas and liver to adapt to digesting the high amounts of fat.
May cause cholesterol for those who are genetically predisposed. Many had to stop Keto as a result.
Although not as unsocial as IF, it still present a problem for most to interact and eat in a social environment. However, it seems many restaurants are catching up to the craze and quite frequently one will see Keto options on the menu.
There is a concern about harm to the sensitivity of insulin for long term use. Carbs raise insulin levels. When carb intake is severely restricted insulin responses tend to become desensitized.
Second Up – IF (Intermittent Fasting)
It is exactly what it says. A diet structure defined by regular fasting periods (16:8 or 5:2) and which gives you freedom during the non-fasting periods to eat pretty much what you want. Technically there are no diet restrictions with IF.
Negatives:
Some big studies found that Intermittent Fasters have a HUGE dropout. The biggest among any diet group. Nearly 40% of everyone who started IF drop out in the first month. This increases even more for month 2 and 3.
Hugely unsocial diet structure. Probably the most social unfriendly of all diet structures.
Due to the drop of insulin during fasting periods it might interfere with focus and concentration and impact your job/studies.
IF users tend to fill up the non-fasting periods with not so healthy food which lack nutrients. It is thus generally not considered the healthiest diet even if you take all the positives into account.
Third up – The 40/30/30 caloric restricted diet split.
The 40/30/30 refers to the caloric content of the protein/carbs/fat. Although this is considered the healthiest of the 3 approaches, it is by no means devoid of negatives.
Negatives:
Only work when one put in effort the previous night to prepare all meals for the next day in ready to use containers.
If above not done the risk for diverting from diet is very big.
Considered an expensive diet as one has to ensure all required foods are available.
The caloric restriction can lead to hunger pains (although splitting meals into regular smaller 5-6 meals a day can easily bypass that problem and keep insulin levels stable).
This diet requires the most prep time per day to keep correctly in place compared to the other two.
Let’s score these 3 diet approaches
(Determining how they stack up against each other.)
Values out of 10. Higher value better.
QUESTIONS
KETO
IF
40/30/30
How easy is diet to follow?
6
7
5
Freedom to eat what you want?
6
10
7
Social stumbling block?
-5
-8
-3
Effectiveness?
7
8
6
Long term solution?
4
3
8
Cost
-4
-2
-5
Health risks
-5
-3
0
How easy do people drop out?
-4
-8
-5
TOTAL
5
7
13
It is clear that for most people the caloric controlled 40/30/30 split diet will be the best solution, especially for a long-term solution. But not for all, MANY people have reached great success with both Keto and IF. However, it is not everyone’s cup of tea and also not working for everyone. But not all is so simple. There has been people who combined Keto with IF and got great success and they claim discomfort (like Keto flu) was very short term.
Also, although IF is considered a unhealthy diet (due to the fact that technically one can eat what he/she wants in the open window), if one follow either the Keto or Caloric Controlled 40/30/30 diets as the eating pattern with applying IF rules, then the whole picture changes drastically and one can have a potent weapon in your fat busting arsenal.
The big negative for the 40/30/30 split caloric controlled diet is the effort one needs to put in to make it a success. If you are not prepared to make food for next day the previous night and put into ready to use containers for next day, the risk for diverting from diet becomes very big.
The good news with the 40/30/30 split caloric controlled diet is that there are short-term tricks where one can force the fat down from that difficult-to-lose-areas (grey fat). This trick is called Carb Cycling an works especially well with this type of diet. Here is an article I have written which explains Carb Cycling in detail: https://gertlouw.com/2015/06/09/carb-cycling-explained/
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The other big negative of the 40/30/30 split is its actual effectiveness, which is considered low for most people. But the truth is, it is because people manage the diet wrong. One cannot follow a diet off-the-shelve and think it will work for everyone, even when designed by a dietician. The diet MUST be aligned for your body’s unique metabolic tempo. And that can only be done by monitoring (fat calipers + weighing scale + measuring tape) the body every 14 days to see if muscle and/or fat was lost or gained. Then the daily caloric value of the diet must be adjusted upward or downward with a maximum 10% value until you have reach the “sweet spot” where you lose fat and NOT muscle. Sure, this sounds (and is) like a lot of work. But this is eventually where the men are separated from the boys. This approach combined with the 40/30/30 caloric controlled diet and using carb cycling when needed is what many competing athletes are following to get to their goal physiques. All of this forms part of my transformation system for the older guy (The ADVANCED SYSTEM II). More here: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
Now, everyone – happy dieting and make your dreams come true.
I had some requests from guest article writers who want to contribute to my site. My rules are very strict in that I require unique articles and science based information that falls within my site parameters.
Here is one of the first of such contributions by Jason Lewis. Please leave a comment and let him know what you thought about his article.
Wish you all happy training! Gert Louw
Want to Maximize Your Golden Years?
Here’s How to Take Back Control of Your Health
It’s understandable why seniors would feel out of control when it comes to their health. Aging happens and there’s nothing you can do about it, so that must mean that every negative thing that comes with aging must not be preventable either — right? Wrong. Small actions can add up to big positive changes in your physical and mental health. Here’s how to take back control and ensure your golden years are the best years of your life.
Push Yourself to Try New Things
Before you begin to tackle the rest of your body, you should figure out how to insulate your brain from the cognitive decline associated with aging. One of the best ways to do this is to give it something new to learn. This keeps existing neural pathways firing and can even help create new ones! Finding a new hobbycan work, as can reading or playing a musical instrument. Playing games and working puzzles are also known to help boost brain functionin seniors.
Stop Eating Like You Don’t Care
It’s a fact of life for some that our food decisions become a lax as we age. That’s unfortunate, as seniors should be putting extra focus into daily nutrition, not less. The most obvious reason is to maintain a healthy weight, which has been proven to improvequantity and quality of life.
But it goes beyond weight. Seniors need particular vitamins and nutrients to counteract the negative effects of aging. For example, you need calcium for bone health. You need to reduce inflammation for arthritis and joint pain. You require more iron and fiber than younger people. Start with a balanced diet and add in extra nutrients when needed (talk to your doctor). Here’s what a week of balanced eatinglooks like for reference.
Diet and exercise go hand-in-hand, so while you’re taking control of what you eat, add in daily exercise. Thirty minutes a day can help you reap the benefits of physical activity.
Take Charge of Your Health (and Preventive) Care
Waiting around to get sick and then reacting to it is a mistake many seniors often make. You should take charge of your healthcare, and a lot of that means forming a good relationship with your doctor and keeping up with your screenings, tests, and checkups. As a senior, you probably have Medicare, so it’s paramount that you look into getting the most you can out of your coverage. That may mean supplementing your health insurance to cover dental, vision, and extra preventative care. A Medicare Advantage plan or other supplemental coverage may be required, so be sure to see what options are availablein your state.
Kick the Two Most-Damaging Bad Habits
There are plenty of bad habits out there, but there are two that stand above the rest in terms of shortening lifespan and making what years you have terrible. Taking control of your health means having the courage to stop smoking and excessively drinking. There are many reasons why it’s hard to stopthese habits (genetic factors, addiction, stress, social pressure), but the benefits of clean living are so great that it must become a top priority. It’s not just cancer, liver problems, and heart disease. Smoking, according to Harvard Health, can negatively affectmemory function as well. Do it for your body and mind.
You’ve lived long enough to know that the world is what you make of it. Make your life better by taking charge of your physical and mental health.
Here is the link to the ADVANCED SYSTEM II body and life transformation system which was specifically designed for the older guy: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
Last week I had someone who contacted me on social media and ask me “What can I do to be successful?”. He felt he was getting nowhere in life and his work.
We went through a long discussion where I explained to him the 3 concepts or steps that had to be in place for any guy to be successful in life. It is not easy steps. NOTHING worthwhile in life is easy! But it is doable, very doable. And believe me it works.
So, I thought I need to share this. Maybe there is just that one person out there that need to hear this. There was a point in my life that if someone shared this with me, it would have made a very, very big difference in my life at a much younger age. But the way our gears function is that most of us men have to hit rock bottom before we are prepared to sit down and actually listen to this kind of talk. We are difficult to bend and set in our ways. So maybe you are at that bottom point in your life right now…then buddy listen up and if this makes sense to you reach for it with everything you have!
I am not going to preach to you that money does not matter…the fact is, it does. One need a certain amount of money to live comfortably. But, when your only goal is about money then you might reach success (or whatever you define as success) but happiness will be far removed from your daily life. That unfortunately is ALWAYS the case when money takes center stage. So, money is in the picture, but not close to be the main aim of the 3 steps. Money is a natural outflow after the 3 steps, I’ll explain later…
For now, let’s start with the 3 steps.
Each of these 3 steps are inter-dependent. You cannot choose just one or two and think the end result will be success. You MUST put all three in place.
Step 1 – Body optimization – easiest
Step 2 – Heart & soul optimization – more difficult
Step 3 – Mind control optimization – most difficult.
When I say “most difficult”, it is far from impossible. All it means is that it will take a lot of effort to put in place.
STEP 1 – BODY OPTIMIZATION
A person will struggle to reach success when the body is not functioning optimally. An optimally functioning body means a healthy, fit appearance and a brain that is alert. This is more important than you think. When you walk into a job interview or your boss has to decide who to promote…well, in the real world these factors becomes important.
This also means you will gain more self-confidence as you are increasingly happier with your body. I went through such a Body optimization process and any person that has gone through it will tell you it changed their life on many levels for the better. People want to be around you, people want to talk to you, people respect you more and all these equals too more opportunities coming your way.
This is easy, I got everything for you on this site. All it takes is sweat and some pain and time!
Here is a link to a completely FREE basic BODY OPTIMIZATION / TRANSFORMATION process that includes detailed training, dieting and supplement programs and instructions: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-program/
This is a never-ending process that will become part of your life. You cannot live life to the fullest by sitting on the couch. A critical ingredient to be successful in life is to get up and start looking after your body.
STEP 2 – HEART & SOUL OPTIMIZATION
Now we starting to get deep. Up to this point (after step 1), you liked what you see in the mirror. The body looks great (the outside of the body). However, looking at yourself, most of us realize we don’t like the inside so much, the heart/soul and character. We don’t like the person we see and the person we have become, easily offended, carrying hate in our hearts, lacking integrity, weak minded and constantly choosing “wrong” in life. Our dreams were so much bigger and better for ourselves than this reality. We thought we were going to change the world, but sadly the world changed us.
The thing that is missing in our character is INTEGRITY. An unshaken integrity that makes anyone that comes in contact with us look up to us with respect. An integrity that includes a strong but kind heart that cares for our fellow human being. An integrity based on an unshakable moral cornerstone that guides our decisions in life.
This whole process of HEART & SOUL OPTIMIZATION starts with MAKING RIGHT WITH GOD. I’ve said this in many of my videos and I will continue to say it. For me it is irrelevant whether you are and atheist or whether you believe in “the force”, the bottom line is, unless you make right with God on all levels of your life, you will not become the full person you were meant to be. You need to know what is right and what is wrong, you need an unshakable moral conduct guiding your life in every decision you make.
Only then can you start growing your character again. Through a close relationship with God we start shaping our character. My moral compass and mentor and to whom I aspire is Jesus Christ. You need to go on your own journey. Without this journey you will never reach your full potential.
This is no overnight process and like Step 1, this is a lifelong process that never stops. Changing one’s character IS possible but not on your own. I went through this process and I can now proudly say I like the guy looking back at me in the mirror, the inside and outside (but believe me, the process is far from complete!).
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Off course this is not easy! If it was, it would have been available in pill form at the Chemist! No, this takes bigtime effort, lots of knee time and sometimes pain-full changes you have to apply in your life. This is what separates the men from the boys…men with an unshakable integrity.
This is the type of person a boss wants to appoint in a key or important position in his firm or business. Someone he can trust and someone with integrity. When you have become this person, everyone around you will see it. You don’t have to do anything…it will be obvious.
STEP 3 – MIND CONTROL OPTIMIZATION
Ok, now we are talking! You are already far on the journey to become successful, but a key ingredient lacks. The training of the mind to cultivate positive thought patterns. Both point 1 and 2 is pretty much meaningless if you do not complete this step.
I’ve made video specifically about this point to explain the process to you.
This is where you start cultivating positive and uplifting thoughts. When you have completed and mastered this mind training then big things start to happen. Remember this few times you came across those positive good vibe people? You just wanted to spend time with them and surround you with them. They just uplift you! Well this will be you when you get his under control. And this is where things in the work environment start happening. The glass is not half empty anymore but now it is half full and THIS is what bosses LOVE. They will see your attitude and positivity and they will want (!) to appoint you in a key position…and that boys and girls is when everything falls into place (money included).
But be aware. This is not easy. This takes much training. NO GOOD THING IN LIFE EVER CAME EASY! How much do you want this? …then MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Wish you all happy training and making those dreams come true.
Think it’s time for me to do another DUDE TALK article/video where I just talk about the guy stuff that’s on my mind.
I am supposed to be busy with my Cutting Phase. But I must admit I am not very fond of the cutting phase. I love the failure hardcore training of the building phase and well, I like the more calories and relaxed attitude towards eating. And especially because I do not take part in competitions it allows me more freedom. But alas I need some new photos for my site and YouTube channel which forces me to cut down the body fat. So, balls to the wall it is. Luckily it is summer over here and very warm, so it makes cutting slightly easier. I reckon being in the Northern Hemisphere (especially northern US or Canada) in winter time trying to cut will be a very, very difficult undertaking! Snow is rather foreign to us here in Africa.
On to a more controversial subject. South Africa might be as far removed from the USA as one can get, but even here President Trump is covered extensively in all his brightly colored politics. Now, I for one hate politics and certainly have not been following the Trump saga in detail but what I absolutely love about Trump is the fact that he does what he believe is right, whether it is politically correct or not, basically he got the balls to act on what he believe is true and correct. Whether what he believes is true and correct might be another story, I do not know. I am not in your situation, neither educated about American politics to be able to voice an opinion of merit. Although I must admit I LOVE some of his conservative remarks/actions. Let me take one of the current hot topics here, the WALL! Now remember I am a complete outsider and know very little about all the pro’s and cons and fighting going on. I just know it is a big issue. But as an outsider and pretty much objective party (I have nothing to win or lose by either supporting or not supporting it), it is a very simplistic matter (except maybe for the costs involved!). If the WALL is there, the immigrants that have all the legal papers would still be able to come into the USA as always. The only thing the WALL wants to do is to keep the wrong people out, those that illegally want to enter the USA. Now guys and girls we are in a situation in South Africa were our borders are pretty much open and any “goody” or “baddy” can just come and go…and you know what…it is chaos. Crime is out of control and way too many people for the few jobs we have (South Africa is to Africa what the USA is to the world). It is a mess! Learn from us and protect your country with everything you have, before it is too late! You got an amazing country but it can very easily turn into something like South Africa! Anyway, Americans, we have waaaaaay to many political problems here in South Africa to even think about the USA!
Our country is busy with a very high profile governmental investigation into corruption. Now, every educated western person knew this was going to happen when the ANC took over and start appointing all their “freedom fighters” with zero education and skills into key positions all around government (President Zuma for example had but the school educational level of a 9 y/o child and he had to lead the strongest economy in Africa!). No criteria were necessary, only the fact that you were part of the struggle fight. So 20+ years down the line and thousands of billions upon billions of dollars have been stolen through corruption in every single governmental institution and department. It is not like the ANC actually wanted to take action right now. They simply did not have a choice, because South Africa is on a tipping point. There simply is not enough money anymore to cover or pay back all that was, and is being stolen. Thus why the ANC started with these corruption commissions (and yes, here we have to thank Trump for starting applying pressure on the South African government). But right now, all these commissions are all just words and big show without ANY action being taken. Plus, the NAZI’s have resurfaced here in South Africa in the form of Julius Malema and the EFF (and BLF), preaching hate and even genocide towards white people and they have a lot of followers. All very scary indeed. Now you understand why we do not have time to even think about Trump!
Enough about politics!
As all my friends and followers know I am on a quest to be the best version of myself, inside and outside. Part of this “change” is how I communicate with people in real life, face to face vs how I communicate over internet in the “faceless-no-responsibility” environment. My STRONG believe is that the character and integrity of a man is revealed by how close his way of communication is between these two environments. A man of high character will communicate in exactly the same way, whether it is face to face with someone or over internet in a nameless, faceless forum. He will use the same level of respect for his fellow human being and his language use, will be controlled. His actions will be the same no matter the environment. Now this is particularly important to me and also one of the things that saddens me most. The language currently used and the level of respect shown to people over internet communication is a sign of how far we have lost our way. Even worse, this is spilling over to the real world. Youngsters do not even stand up anymore on a metro for a 90 y/o lady who have to stand and can barely hold on.
We have lost our way…
We don’t care, and we simply have zero respect for each other. Can’t we see how we are slipping? How is it that our eyes can be so closed to how we are regressing? I want to be a better person, why not other people? Sadly, I honestly do not understand this. It is like a darkness is preventing us from seeing what is happening. But, I for one, will keep on treating my fellow human being, whether face to face or over the internet, with respect. The same respect that I want him or her to show me. Even if no one else is doing it. I will be considerate and respectful to everyone and especially to my elderly.
Thus, why I also have a very strict policy of respect on my channel. You don’t show it, I block you.
I have the urge to be kind, considerate, love my fellow human being, to be respectful of others, to have tolerance and to be a man of integrity and character to everyone who crosses my path. The world might be dark and ugly but that little patch where I am will be different. However small, I want to make the world a better place. We don’t HAVE TO BE so ugly and nasty and disrespectful. We have full control. The world is what it is because of us and our actions.
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Call me naïve. I do not care. Maybe I am…but I WILL continue to shine a little light of hope and respect everywhere I go.
I stumbled across this post on social media the other day and it sums up very good as to how far we have regressed:
Welcome to the world today…..
Where sex is free and love is expensive. Where losing a phone is more painful than losing your virginity. Where modernization means nudity, profanity, and if you don’t drink/smoke dope you’re out of fashion/style. Where boys stay boys and never want to become men, and girls become men to rule over them. Where if you don’t fool your partner it’s because you’re not clever enough. Where the bathrooms have become photography studios. Where pizza delivery is faster than the emergency response. Where people fear the thieves and the terrorists more than God. Where Worshipping God is difficult. Where temples turn into dating pools. Where lies become realities. Where the ladies fear pregnancy more than h.i.v., and babies are murdered so the ladies can escape. Where people become toxic when they speak the truth or you’re resisting to turn from what is actually toxic. Where perspectives and clothes decide the value of a person. Where money is more important than family and God. Where children are ready to leave their families for their love of the moment, rebellion and spite. Where the marriage covenant is no longer sacred or taken seriously. Where it’s easier to play house than to build a home. Where jumping from partner to partner for sex or attention is easier than waiting for the right partner for life.
Where love is a game.
Where evil no longer exists.
Whoever plays with the mind always gets happiness and who plays with the heart always hurts.
Modernity, love and liquid education…
The new generation of humanity.
II Timothy 3: 1-4
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
Now, some of you wondering why I get so deep often while the core of what I am doing is fitness. Well it is, but what I am all about is transformation. Being the best version of you on all levels. And fitness is but just one of them. The BIG Battle is internally, changing yourself to be a man of integrity. To like the person looking back at you in that mirror…the inside and the outside.
But now I get too deep again!
If you want to sign-up for my comprehensive transformation system for the older guy (customised for your body and goals) – have a look here:
Sounds like a movie title! And I am sure we are going to see a movie about this one-day. It is one of the biggest money turning industries and one of the shadiest mafia style operations out there. I would go so far as to say it is one of the biggest scams ever pulled on consumers.
One thing that is undeniable and proven by science is that the best of the best supplements out there makes less than a 3% contribution to your success in bodybuilding. It has a laughable small contribution for a LOT of money spend. (The key components are – Diet 80% and training +15%)
Thus, why supplement companies have to make such ridiculous fake claims and try and dress them up as facts to lure consumers into the trap of partying with their money. And they know consumers can’t really proof anything because it will take too much money and there are too many variables.
There is not a single supplement out there that comes even close to the claims of its marketing material. Even from the “trusted” and big companies. There simply is no integrity in the supplement industry.
It is all blatant exaggeration coupled with fake “proof” photos which are either stolen or where people are paid to lie. Not a single photo used in the marketing of ANY supplement is ever real. Listen to this…not a single photo is real! They are ALL fake.
All these fitness guys with their Instagram posts and YouTube videos showing off the supplements in a subtle or not so subtle way…they all get paid to do this!
I personally have, to date, more than a 100 supplement companies (I will list some of more prominent ones at the end of this article) that stole my before and after photo and used it as “proof” with fake stories of how great their supplement is supposed to be working. And there are 100’s of cases similar to mine. If you have a striking before and after photo roaming around on internet, I guarantee you, rather sooner than later that it will start appearing in online supplement advertisements, off course without you even knowing about it.
Or if it is one of the big well-known companies, they will contact you and pay you money for the rights to use your photo with all kinds of fake claims of how you “transformed” with their product.
You will eventually have many fake names and fake stories on the internet of how you were supposed to have reached success with this supplement.
Attorneys are unwilling to take on these cases because they know that, especially the internet “companies” are more slippery than jellyfish with one front-end company after the other easily disappearing of the radar and popping up under a different name in a different country.
Consider this: One of the most widely advertised type supplements are products claiming to increase a man’s testosterone levels (and now I am talking about them all, does not matter which one). Now, if they were so effective even in the smallest way, why would a Doctor/Urologist not prescribe them when treating low testosterone levels in men? Simply because these supplements do not work! None of the information presented in the marketing of such products are legitimate. All are either false or half-truths. None of the science experiments they quote are legitimate and objectively verified. All is simply well-dressed up lies and half-truths.
This is the exact same case with ALL other supplement marketing campaigns. And the uneducated population is standing queues to buy these supplements believing the lies they are fed.
What is even scarier is that a significant slice of these internet supplement companies are actual scams, just to get their hook into your credit card and then the monthly deductions starts! How do they operate? Let’s look at an example…
The following (Delta Prime marketing) is how they typically advertise, abusing platforms like ESPN, well-known magazines (aka MUSLCE & FITNESS) and well known celebreties and photos from many guys who work hard and long to get their muscled bodies…all of whom are completely unaware they are being abused and all who have never used the supplement advertised (you will spot me also in there!). No one has given permission.
The above is an example of not just a fake product but an actual scam. They just want access to your credit card. After that you will have the “pleasure” of rather large recurring monthly deductions from your credit card which you will not be able to stop unless you cancel your card.
Another scary aspect of some supplements, is dangerously raised liver values and strain on kidneys. If you have raised liver values this is about the first thing your health care provider will ask you “Are you using bodybuilding supplements?”. So please take care what you put into your body. Many of these supplements have unverified contents.
Even the few supplements which have legitimate science behind them, makes but a very small difference. That difference is less than 3% at best. The supplements with solid science behind them are: Creatine, Whey Protein, BCAA and L-Glutamine. Sure, there might be new ones emerging in future that is backed by real legitimate science studies but be very careful what to trust and believe. The science quoted in marketing campaigns are nearly always disinformation or half-truths and not legitimate science at all. You need to verify the science from medical journals and independent science studies.
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These are the reasons why I am so outspoken regarding bodybuilding supplements. Believe me I could have made a lot of money pushing brands and supplements by now! I had even companies trying to bribe me with money to keep me quiet about their products. We are made to believe supplements are the magic solution, but the truth is, it is lies and deceit carefully designed to simply get our money. Make your choices very careful.
Your focus in your bodybuilding goal must be your diet and your training. This is where more than 90% of your bodybuilding success lies. Supplements is what it says, “supplemental” and makes a very small difference, or none at all for most.
Considering the above and applying some wisdom, your budget allocation for transforming your body should be as follows:
80% budget should be allocated towards ensuring you have the necessary diet food (and containers, food scales, etc.) available to ensure your diet is effective in place.
15% of your budget should be allocated to gym fee’s and gym training clothes/attire.
Less than 5% of your budget should be allocated towards supplements because it cannot make a bigger difference than 5% (probably not more than 3%) in your success.
But off course having the correct system in place is critical otherwise you will continue wasting money and bumping your head without reaching any significant success. I have the complete system that I follow, available for clients. I customise it for their goals, body type, shape and current condition. It is a very extensive system which ensures EVERYTHING is correctly in place thus preventing all the common mistakes newbies in bodybuilding make. If you are interested, you can signup here: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
As mentioned earlier in the article, here is just some of the more prominent scam and fake supplements out there that use fake photos and fake stories to try and proof their supplements. My photos (any other people’s) have been used and abused multiple times by all of them and the list is ever growing:
Simply one of the most challenging problems for the over 40 and especially over 50 guy is, how to train legs effectively when knee problems/pain is derailing leg training constantly.
Off course you must work with your doctor and specialist and if surgery is the only way out then, well that must be done. But unfortunately, there are always risks and chances are that even after surgery the knee would still be far from perfect. This is what is happening to nearly all the guys who has gone this route. The surgery might have helped but it did not provide a solution to the problem.
Same here, I had my knee surgery a while back and ever since then I still struggle, sometimes badly, with my one knee.
But how is it that I got such decent leg development then? Ok I am not massive and NEVER will be, but my legs got good size and great shape and are actually increasing in size, albeit slowly. Actually, I am very proud of my wheels!
In this document/video I am going to let you in on my secret approach on how to grow and shape the legs while struggling with weak or painful knees.
My approach is unconventional for the most part but it makes sense from a science point of view and I am proof that it makes a positive difference.
My leg training approach.
First you need to take the necessary precautions to ensure the knee joint is stabilized enough. There are various ways to do it. I’ve tried them all and they are definitely NOT all equal.
The options are:
STRAPS wrapped around the knee to support the joint. These are long straps that one can actually wrap very tightly to keep everything in place, but it is quite a bit of effort since you must wrap them before each set and unwrap them after each set because they easily cut off the blood-flow due to the tight wrapping. Try and keeping it on will result in a lot of leg pain because of problematic blood-flow.
Flexible KNEE GUARD. This I have tried and can honestly say that if you got any significant knee issues…this is far from sufficient. It simply does not provide the correct support to stabilize the knee.
KNEE SUPPORT BRACE with metal hinges on both sides. This might not look sexy and it might even be a bit uncomfortable, but this is the only knee support that keep the knee stabilized and aligned while training legs. The metal hinges on both sides is the key.
I still got a new one in original packaging so here is a photo:
However, it is something that don’t last long. I find every 2 months I have to buy a new one. There are definitely superior products out there but off course also at “superior” prices. I spoke to a girl the other day that had a great (sexy) looking and strong brace on. She orders it from the USA and every part can be replaced. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of the brand…sorry! She mentioned it is about $500 US. But I reckon it should last you for a looong time plus the fact that it looks sexy, well that counts a lot!
Either way the one I got currently is cheap, $30 US and does the job well.
When the knee is fully stabilized then you will find that you will be able to do significantly better leg training than without the stabilization. The knee joint of older people has too much “looseness” and thus applying any significant pressure on it can very easily harm it or result in serious pain.
So, the first step is to, every-time you train, to put on a KNEE SUPPORT BRACE WITH DUAL HINGES, even though you do not train legs that day. This keeps the knee stabilized and aligned and prevents damage. Remember when you do standing bicep curls, for example, you plant yourself with your feet and lift fairly heavy weights and without realising it, the slightest wrong move with the legs can be disasterous for a problem knee.
Forget about looking sexy. Leave that to the youngsters. Just keep the brace on while training, after that take it off. Although I must admit, I found that when we recently visited Thailand I had to do so much walking (!) that I had to wear the brace otherwise I would have had severe knee issues.
But this brace is just part of the solution. The problem is that because of your problem knees and pain you have unknowingly weakened the tendons and muscles supporting the knee because you could not train legs effectively. So even with the brace on, there is NO WAY that you can now all of a sudden do heavy squats, etc…!
Here is my rehab training I followed (with the knee brace with hinges) to allow the supporting knee muscles and tendons to strengthen. It is a slow process because one must follow the golden path of doing enough to strengthen the muscles and tendons but not too much to place undue strain on the knee. Off course it might not be exactly the same for everyone. Rather steer clear from moving at faster pace (with increasing weights), but rather be wiser to move even slower if you experience any kind of knee discomfort or pain. You are not allowed to do a dedicated upper leg training day until such time that this program has reached week 21. Calve training can resume as normal. But be aware even calve training when done too heavy and without a hinged knee brace can place undue strain on the knees. So even here you need to take care and always train with a hinged knee brace and slowly work up the weights. Every rep must be slow and controlled.
This program is just about squats which builds up the supporting knee muscles and tendons effectively. Feet shoulder width apart and knees pushed outward. Never move lower than a 90-degree angle between the upper and lower leg (this prevent strain on lower back). Squats have the ability to strengthening the supporting knee muscles and tendons but also have the ability to destroy a knee when done too heavy or wrong!
Having problem knees mean you will never again be able to do serious heavy squats. This routine is as far as you can go. The key of this routine lies in the frequent squat training. It only works because legs muscles are of a different muscle fibre type than upper body muscles which mean they actually do respond good to frequent training.
The upper legs training regime for problem knees:
Week 1-4: Before training, 5 days a week 2 sets of squats (20 reps each set) without any weights – just bodyweight.
Week 5-8: 5 days a week 2 sets of squats (20 reps each set) with a 5kg training bag on your shoulders.
Week 9-12: 5 days a week 2 sets of squats (20 reps each set) with a 10kg training bag on your shoulders.
Week 13-14: 5 days a week 2 sets of squats (20 reps each set) with a 15kg training bag on your shoulders.
Week 15-16: 5 days a week 2 sets of squats (20 reps each set) with a 20kg training bag on your shoulders.
Week 16-18: 5 days a week 2 sets of squats (20 reps each set) with a 30kg training bag on your shoulders.
Week 19-20: 5 days a week 2 sets of squats (20 reps each set) with a 40kg training bag on your shoulders.
From week 21 onwards: 5 days a week 3 sets of squats (20 reps each set) with a 40kg training bag on your shoulders. Do always before training as part of warmup routine.
You will be surprised how this regular warm up squats can add to upper leg growth. A case in point is the track cyclists. They have massive upper legs and they train for hours every day 7 days of the week!
If squats, even in the above fashion, is completely out due to knee pain, then a very good alternative is cycling. If you have a good knee doctor then cycling is usually the first post op knee training he will suggest. Use a stationary gym bike and then according to above program gradually (!) increase training intensity over a 21 week period to strengthen the knee supporting muscles with cycling. Don’t forget to wear the knee brace.
Here is a sample clip of such squat training with weight bag and hinged knee brace:
DON’T do any other squats even on leg training days. You will never be able to do serious squats if you have problem knees. But believe me these 5 day a week moderate squats with a 40kg bag on your shoulders is going to result in good growth of the upper leg muscle, over time (!) – don’t be over eager.
But from week 21 you now have clearance to start with other non-squat leg training so now you can actually have a dedicated leg day: Legs press, machine leg curls, hack squats-be careful, preferably not lunges. Take it slow when you start from week 21 with a dedicated leg training day, very slow and build up the weights. Initially increase weights only every 4 weeks. Later-on one you can add small changes every 2 weeks. DO NOT PUSH LIMITS! Accept that you will never have massive legs but this way you can have decent well shaped legs.
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The above will help greatly to strengthen all supporting muscles required by the knee. You will find that you will start to have significantly less knee pain as you progress with above training. But do not for one moment be fooled. You got problem knees and you need to take very good care of them if you want to grow your legs. ONE wrong move and you are back to square one! Although I must admit my knee is significantly better because of this training process.
So, there you have it. This is what I do. My legs has responded well and my knees are drastically better. I’ve been to knee surgeons, sports doctors, physio therapists and biokineticists trying to find solutions, and this one has by far produced the best results.
And off course if you are interested in my training system for the older guy – you can signup here: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
First everyone, I wish you a blessed 2019 with GREAT health and many, many muscles!
I will put on a few pics I took during my Pearly Beach vacation so you can see what I was up too.
Ok, back to the topic of the video/article – I deal with a lot of guys that tells me they look up to me for always having it all together. In their eyes, I am on top of my game and in control of my fitness, diet, marriage, parenthood, work and well, just everything.
But the truth is, there is not a single human being on this earth that has ‘everything and all together”!
No matter how “together” someone is looking, I guarantee you that that person has several intense personal issues, hopes, dreams and fears. No one is ever in “control”.
Life is always an unpredictable adventure no one has ever prepared for. We run a race we have never trained for. We do not know the curves in the road or where the potholes are.
I am the same as all of you in running this race.
Believe me I had some severe potholes and if you’ve seen me at my weakest, you would not think I got it all together.
But what is true, is that I do have a certain calm and focus over me that gives the perception that I got it all together in running this race.
We are starting a new year so let me give you some of my personal wisdom.
The following is my “rules of life” that guides me in this race of life:
I always get back up after falling and continue where I left off, no matter how big the fall. I do not go and sit in a corner feeling sorry for myself. I get up, look life squarely in the eyes and get my act together to get on the path to reach my goals again. Most of u know 2017 I very nearly died (for the 2ndtime), but I got up and I am back in the game working very hard to reach my goals.
Focused mindset. If you got a goal, you need to elevate this goal very high on your ladder of priorities. As I said in the past, for me it is just church, work and family before gym. NOTHING else! You need to prioritize to such an extent that gym is on the same level of dedication as work. You do NOT skip gym that day if you do not have a sick certificate. It is not about how you feel or whether you “think” you do not have energy…that is all irrelevant. You get in your car, you go to gym and you work out. Full stop!
This same focused mindset applies to your diet. The night before you prepare all your meals for the next day and put it into ready to use containers in the fridge. Get the whole family on the system. In fact, it is very good quality time preparing food together for next day as a family…with your kids. If you do not make the effort the previous night for the next day, I guarantee you your diet WILL fail!
My faith is critical to my calmness. Most of you know I am a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and every day I seek His guidance with my life. He is my moral center on everything I do. He determines my walk and direction I take in life. I don’t follow the world or the latest craze, and I DON’T care for political correctness, I do what I believe is the right thing to do.
My personal motto is, MAKE IT HAPPEN. So, no matter what your goal…just MAKE IT HAPPEN. Were created in God’s image and that means we are immense powerful creatures. Realize that, LIVE IT and make use of this amazing power you have. You CAN change your life and you CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN! Nothing is forcing you to continue sitting on that couch and reaching for another beer. Only you are forcing yourself and most of the time, it is simple laziness and just a habit. Use the power you have inside you to rise above bad habits and a bad lifestyle.
My rule: I refuse to be average. I refuse to live everyday over and over the same way. I will continue to better myself on every level. I will become a better person, inside and out. That is non-negotiable and critical when you want to move forward in life and not staying stuck in the trenches.
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Living life by these rules and a natural outflow is a great looking body, but also a person of integrity to who others look up to.
So, guys and girls, I do NOT have it “all together”. But I do have above focused approach, cutting out excuses and laziness and with my faith I have a strong moral center. I do what I believe is right without trying to please the world.
These are my rules for life, I hope it can help some of you out there. I have been priviledged in walking a very difficult path in life which has made me what I am today with my knowledge, life skillset and focused approach.
If any of you are interested – I’ve designed a very comprehensive transformation system for the older guy called the ADVANCED SYSTEM II. It contains all my knowledge, skills and my workout and diet approach, customized for your body and goals. So, if you are interested, then you can sign-up through the following link: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
The following is an interesting pic – my 9 most viewed photos on my instagram for the year of 2018 (my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gertfitness/ )
To you all my friends and followers – Be the best version of you that you can EVER be!
The fact of life is such that the testosterone levels of a guy over 40 are declining rapidly every year.
The worse is that average male testosterone levels are declining with every generation. Your blood testosterone levels are lower than your dads and his lower than his dad and so on…
No wonder men are so feminine today. No more Viking warrior type guys. Just this body-conscious guys, buying designer clothes and using more facial creams than the average girl. Wish, but I must be careful with the comparisons here, I might not like on which side I fall myself!
Whether we want it or not we are consuming many chemicals in our processed food everyday and this coupled with already ever so slightly chemically tainted water and land nearly everywhere, results in the natural testosterone levels of males declining artificially year after year. Definitely not the way God has made us! We are made men, strong, muscular and with LOTS of testosterone flowing through our veins. THAT is what is making us men and keeping us healthy.
Why do you think that most blacks from Africa are these virile muscled strong warrior guys? There is a very good reason for it…Africa is significantly less dependant on chemically enhanced food products and the water and land is yet mostly untouched by chemicals. Many argue it is genetic. I say sorry I disagree, if we lived in the same untouched environment consuming untouched food of the land then we would have been the same…we are changing ourselves! So wondering why I am living in Africa?
We are NOT meant to have this artificially lowered testosterone levels that’s currently running though the 21stcentury male’s veins. We are meant to be warriors, muscled strongmen and protectors.
So if you are over 40 and your blood testosterone level fall in the middle to bottom part of what is considered “normal” then I tell you it are not close to what you supposed to be. One or two generations ago this would have been way below normal.
Studies show that men’s testosterone levels have been declining for decades. The most prominent, a 2007 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, revealed a “substantial” drop in U.S. men’s testosterone levels since the 1980s, with average levels declining by about 1% per year.Oct 2, 2017
Now, this is scary guys! This mean I am not what I was meant to be! Me, don’t like!
Anyway this is just further ammunition that should spur us on to make sure our blood testosterone levels are very close to the max of healthy. Because that would have been the average just 2 generations ago!
The current min/max for male testosterone levels are: 270 to 1070 ng/dL with an average level of 679 ng/dL (although this actually differs slightly from region to region)
So, our target should be 800-1070ng/dL. Still considered within normal range but now with all the benefits that we were supposed to get from healthy testosterone levels:
Higher energy levels and less fatigue,
Easier to build muscle,
Easier to lose fat,
Impotence & ED would be unknown words to us,
Less heart problems and
MUCH less depressive states!
Strong bones, preventing osteoporosis (just some of the many benefits)
We would be real men as we were supposed to be!
SO, I don’t know about you, but I am not taking this lying down. I would do everything in my power to get my levels to the 800-1070 ng/dL range!
But be warn. Too much of a good thing is NOT always good! You do not want to exceed the max levels. Then there are unwanted risks you will be taking which is similar to the risks with some anabolic steroids.
So, for this article we assume that we stay within normal ranges.
So let’s get scientific here. How do we get that testosterone levels to the max?
Through a three-tier attack: Tier 1: Lifestyle, Tier 2 – supplements and lastly Tier 3 – TRT.
You might not want to do all or even need all. Do not move on to the next attack level if you have not tried all in the previous Tier. When starting with your journey to increase your levels, get your testosterone level checked then implement some of the below suggestions systematically, wait three months and get tested again and if not yet good enough implement more steps and after 3 months test again and so on.
It takes a minimum of 3 months for the body to adapt the new stimulus and correct hormonal levels.
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First Tier attack – lifestyle changes.
The following lifestyle changes has been proven by scientific studies to increase total testosterone levels in men of all age groups:
Exercise and lift weights. Weights especially plays a big role to increase testosterone levels.
Taking caffeine and creatine monohydrate as supplements for training help boost testosterone levels.
Caloric controlled diet. Too little calories or too much calories can disrupt your testosterone levels. A combination of 40/30/30 protein/fat/carbs in calories are best suited.
You might also want to experiment with Intermittant Fasting which is claimed to have positive effects on Testosterone levels – however most find it an unsustainable long-term diet approach.
Minimize stress and Cortisol levels.
Extra Vit D & sun to activate Vit D. Half the US population has a vit D deficiency. Optimal vit D levels can increase testosterone levels by 25%!
Plenty of restful high-quality sleep. For example just cutting sleeping from 8 to 5 hours a day result in a 15% reduction in testosterone levels.
Healthy sex life boost testosterone levels.
High exposure to estrogen-like chemicals will decrease testosterone levels dramatically. We are talking about fuel vapor, BPA, parabens and other chemicals found in plastic (remember my Africa vs the rest of the world example?)
Laughter and happiness boost testosterone levels.
Second Tier attack – supplements
Already mentioned in above is Vit D, Creatine monohydrate and coffee.
But before we discuss the supplements, let’s look at the science again here. The supplements out there that claim to raise overall testosterone levels has been shown to be close to worthless or has such a small effect that it is really not worth the money. There is no supplement out there that can effectively raise overall testosterone levels naturally. But (!) it is not actually about the overall testosterone levels. What it is about, is the FREE (not bonded to any proteins or SHBG) testosterone levels. Your total testosterone is made up of:
Testosterone BONDED with SHBG – roughly 64-65% of our testosterone
Testosterone bonded to the protein albumin – roughly 34-35% of our testosterone
Testosterone that is not bonded and are FREE – roughly 2%
There might not be supplements that effectively raise overall testosterone levels but there are plenty of scientifically proven supplements out there that can rather effectively raise the FREE test levels, thus making the testosterone in your system MUCH more potent. Most of your testosterone in your system binds with SHBG (the sex hormone) or the protein Albumin and then become pretty much worthless to you! All that matters are the FREE testosterone (that 2%) that is available in your blood. They way most of these supplements work is to encourage SHBG or Albumin to bond with something else before it bonds with testosterone thus leaving more, FREE (unbonded) testosterone available in your system…and that’s all you want! The science studies showed a FREE test increase of 25% and more with these supplements.
The following easy-to-come-bysupplements has been proven scientifically to rather quite effectively increase FREE test levels:
Boron at (10mg per day)
Vitamin D (as directed on container)
Magnesium Celate (as directed on container)
Zinc (as directed on container)
DHEA (as directed on container)
DIM (as directed on container)
The following difficult-to-come-bysupplements has some interesting science studies on mice/rats that showed to be very effective in increasing FREE test in subjects:
Avena Sativa (active ingredient Avenacosides must be higher than 5%). Tthis is actually OATS! But you need the concentrated active ingredient for it to be effective.
Urtica Dioica / Stinging Nettles – must be from the root of the plant.
Carao (from the Cassia Grandis Plant)
Muira Puama
Third Tier attack – TRT
If your doctor prescribe you TRT and your testosterone does not exceed the max level then you are NOT on steroids. He is treating a serious medical condition to get you healthy again. However, if you use TRT treatment while already having healthy (high) testosterone levels then well, then you are just another juicer.
Typical TRT dosage is 100mg every 7 days or 200mg every 14 days. More than 130mg per 7 days and you are juicing.
The medical experts dealing with this is either a sports doctor or Urologist. They also have more understanding and knowledge in the field of TRT treatment. Your normal house doctor usually has very little knowledge about the subject and will most probably be reluctant to prescribe treatment.
So, what are the risks you are taking by having a testosterone level slightly above the max level?
You will be slightly more prone to blood clotting. This however is not a problem when you are an active person taking part in regular training/sports/activity. But if you are very sedentary person, then there might be a risk.
Shrinking “ball” size. The testis are the testosterone factories and when they are not being used, then they stop producing. Thus, when not used it will shut down and becoming smaller and smaller. But all is not lost. If you start TRT treatment you MUST simultaneously start with HCG treatment every 2ndday at 500iu. This will keep stimulating the testis to avoid shutting down and you should be able to keep the size. They might even get slightly bigger, bonus!
These are about the only real world side effects from TRT treatment you will ever experience. Remember guys testosterone is as natural to your body than water! There are many scary fake news and uninformed people out there claiming all kinds of things about TRT treatment, but simply put, they are uneducated. TRT has been very well tested and researched. You cannot get any of the normal steroid side effects from TRT because your testosterone levels are NORMAL when on TRT!
Sadly, there is a trend lately of these uninformed people to vehemently oppose TRT treatment. Well, each to his own. If they want to suffer from bad heart health, low energy, severe depressive states, struggling to lose fat, struggling to build muscle, erection problems and ED then let them be, it is their choice. Me on the other hand will continue my fight with all the tools at my disposal to increase my quality life as I get older.
So, I do not know about you, but I intend to be that man I was MEANT to be.
And if that means I have to manipulate a couple of things to be that man, then so be it!
Let’s rise fellow Vikings and flex our muscles to strike fear into the hearts of the lads with their facial creams and designer clothes!
Many of you know about my transformation between ages 40 to 52.
It was Initially a slow process because I had serious health issues after an attack at 40 after which it look like I might be facing serious liver and kidney issues for the rest of my life. But as I preach in all my videos, I truly believe that starting such a journey have the ability to completely reverse or change around many serious health problems or at the very least help you coping better with it. Every year my health was better and every year the body looked better. Transformation is never an overnight process even if you are perfectly healthy and especially the first time around one need to give it some time. But after many years of crazy hard work and determination at age 50-52 I truly reach a level I was quite proud off, especially shape wise. I had great aesthetic form and few over 50 guys could match my shape and aesthetics.
But alas this was not to hold…as if it was not bad enough that I had a ongoing fight for liver health since age 40, as it turned out, I drank dirty water somewhere during Jan2017 while on holiday and contracted a very serious infection which particularly attack the liver. One that brought me very, very close to the brink of death. For the whole 2017, apart from being hospitalized for a lengthy period, my doctor had me on zero physical activity for a 12-month period. Now if I say zero, I mean I was not even allowed to walk more than a few steps, but I was so weak I could hardly walk anyways. I ended up in hospital more than once during 2017 because my body could just not handle any strain and any kind of exertion resulted in my liver crashing. So yes, I saw all my hard work melted away before my eyes. I tried to eat clean for a while but alas, seeing all your hard gains disappearing was taking its toll on my frame of mind. So, with no training (like in NO training) and eating wrong, things quickly went south in a bad way!
Note on above pic: was meant as a funny pic where I pushed out my tummy – however, it still gives you a good idea of just how bad things really got.
I ended up in a worse body shape condition than when I started at age 40. I truly wondered by myself if I will ever be able to regain my fit body. I got all the knowledge in the world…but is it actually possible for me? I was now nearly 54 and the starting point was BAD plus the setbacks in my health did NOT help.
So, at the start of 2018, the doctor at long last cleared me for training. This after a total of 12 months of zero activity. Obviously I had to start slow and right at the bottom, basically following my STARTING FROM SCRATH SYSTEM. For the whole year I had fairly major tendon issues simply because of the complete inactivity of 2017. But month after month I’ve been tightening the grip on my training, strengthening my tendons, joints and muscles and well surprisingly the body responded much better than I feared. After 3 months on my STARTING FROM SCRATCH SYSTEM I was ready to get serious and change over to the ADVANCED SYSTEM II. (This is the life transformation system I designed for the older guy over the past 14 years through all my trials and tribulations.) The ADVANCED SYSTEM II helped me a lot because it gives me a step by step attack on every level to help the body respond optimally for muscle growth and fat loss, especially important now being 54.
Right now just past 54 and a total of 10 months busy with my new journey (once again), I can positively say that even past 50 it is much easier than you think to recover your bodyshape and muscles. Obviously the fact that I’ve been there before makes it much easier for me on various levels but the bottom line is this prove it IS possible. And NO anabolic steroids for me…I cannot use the stuff with my problematic liver since age 40 and now even more so! So this is done with God’s grace, hard work, following the right approach and system and determination but I must admit my peptide and supplement stack is sharp!
I had my latest liver tests 1 week ago and it looked very, very good! So, now I am moving to the next level. I’ve recovered nearly all lost size and I am happy with my shape. For next 3-4 months the focus will be on bringing down the body fat levels to bring out more shape and detail. I can see my 6-pack but I want to grate cheese on it!
Now the important question: “Was it as easy as my previous after-40 transformation?” Lol…nope…sadly, not close. The big upside is it actually took much less time which is crazy considering that I am much older now (I attribute that to the fact that I got my act fully together this time around with the ADVANCED SYSTEM II which does make a big difference in the shorter timespan), but the BIG (!) downside is that there is much more pains and aches and I believe this will just get worse as I age…but life is pain and we can NEVER escape that. So, accepting the pain, living with it and training wisely I believe an effective training regime is still possible even past 80! So, keep following this channel/site for the next 40 years and let’s see if my prediction comes to life! Hopefully I will be a famous 80 y/o aesthetic bodybuilder! That is now to say if the old liver allows me…lol. But I am steaming ahead with my focus and trust in my rock, Jesus Christ!
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Well guys, so whatever your excuse, it is not valid.
Just MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Twice of you have too and over 50 if you have too!
My previous article/video was about how to deal with depression when over 40. With this article/video, the angle changes. Here I provide a “escape roadmap” for those guys that hit rock bottom in their life, whatever the reason might be, on how to get to the point where life taste sweet in your mouth again.
When you are over 40 chances are you have tasted enough of life to know that all is not sweet. But for some of us the taste can be very, very bitter indeed. Some of us are picking up the pieces after a long battle with cancer, or finding out we are hiv+, a severe heart attack, some other serious health problem, death of our life partner or child, financial ruin and more, the list is endless…
There is no other way sometimes to say it…LIFE SUCK!
Ask me I’ve been there, twice fighting for my life and had to pick up the pieces and start running again. That bitter, bitter taste that life can leave in your mouth can also be as sweet as honey, but it is going to require a deep look into yourself and reaching into places you have never touched. It is going to take every single ounce of your being to make this happen. But there is no alternative. This is the t-junction in your life where you have to choose the left or the right road. The left road is going to be easy…staying in your dark place feeling sorry for yourself and hating life becoming everything you don’t want. The right road is leading to a grand fight with the prize of reaching levels of character and body development, you have never thought possible and once again see life for the amazing gift it is in all its beauty and splendor, with a new lust for life like when you were young. And yes, I mentioned “body development”, because I do not believe in taking on this grand fight journey without including transforming your body as well…but more on that later on.
So, here I am going to provide you my rules on how to fight that grand fight to get you to this level where you have an unquenchable lust for life again and you have reached levels of character and body transformation you have only dreamed off.
Off course these rules will mean altering many aspects of your current life and habits. Some of these rules are plain common-sense rules and others will be a surprise. It will mean you will have to move out of your comfort zone with many things. But seriously, you are currently rock bottom and you are at a crossroad in your life where the decisions you make over the next few weeks and months is going to determine whether you will rise or whether you will fall, permanently. I have seen this happen so many times, so this is my hand I reach out to you. I have done this, more than once. It works, and it CAN be done…this is my recipe.
The rules for the GRAND FIGHT:
No drugs! Here I am talking about anything you might use to escape or alleviate the emotional pain. As long as you use these escape routes, healing cannot begin. This is your first serious choice you have to make. Any form of recreational drugs is a no-no and MUST stop. There is just no way you will rise up from rock bottom and continue using recreational drugs. Alcohol must be limited to once a week and not more than 500ml wine. Smoking must stop. The negative impact of smoking is way too long to even discuss in this document. But simply put, there is no place for smoking when you fight the GRAND FIGHT! Even the overuse of caffeine must stop. More than 4 strong cups a day and the resultant valleys and peaks will be too great for a balanced new beginning and the valleys will drag you down time and time again.
Restore your integrity. (No affairs! No sex or sleeping around outside a committed loving relationship) You need to love yourself and you cannot do that if you do not have self-respect. Some of you guys are going to laugh when first read this point. NO SLEEPING AROUND / NO CASUAL SEX! You need to start respecting your own body and that of others. The only place for sex is in a long term loving and supporting relationship. You can only restore your integrity when you respect yourself and others and you CANNOT do that if you engage in sexual acts outside of a long-term loving relationship. Believe me if you do not change your casual sexual habits you will struggle severely to rise up from rock bottom. To rise up you must have a strong center, know your roots and respect yourself for being a man of integrity.
Make sure your hormonal levels are healthy. When over 40, be sure to get your blood testosterone levels checked. Severe depressive states and lack of energy are common symptoms for guys with low testosterone levels. To restore yourself and rise up is going to be very difficult and close to impossible if you have low testosterone levels. If TRT treatment is your future so be it!
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You cannot expect to rise up if your diet is poor and you feeding your body wrong. Some very basic healthy eating rules:
ALWAYS eat a healthy breakfast – something like oats & berries or Fruit salad with yoghurt but it needs to be healthy and not small.
Split your meals into 4 smaller meals per day.
3L filtered water per day. Glass water every hour.
Two fruits per day and good portion veggies every day, preferably uncooked,
Small portions of rice/pasta/bread/carbs per meal (try to stick to low-GI carbs)
Fat-free or very low-fat protein sources like fillet, fish or chicken breast.
Each meal must be moderate size, no large excessive meals and never 2nd helpings.
Once a week desert…only ONCE!
Strong multi vitamin after morning meal – something like ANIMAL PAK or OPTIMEN.
Part of transforming your life is to transform your body. For a free basic body transformation system, check here: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-program/You need to train intensively 4-5 times a week for at least 40 minutes at a time. You need to SWEAT – that will release all the feel-good chemicals in your brain that will make you feel uplifted and on top of the world. This is a critical aspect to rise up again. The exercise does not matter so much. Do what you like. But remember if you start lifting weights it will add immensely to your self-image as you start looking better and more muscled. This is something I can personally testify too. As you see your body change and grow it gives you renewed focus and dedication which can make all the difference.
Critical part of the whole process is to ensure your mind is healthy and positive. With your healthy diet, less drinking and no substance abuse your mind will already have a better chemical balance. But if you want to help the mind to be a bit more healthy and positive consider specific natural supplements to help with a positive mindset. The most potent is: St John’s Wort. However, it can interfere with some prescription medication so be careful just double check with your doctor please. Another consideration with less interactions, but not as potent, is 5-HTP.
Now probably the most important of them all. I cannot conclude the 7 points without a reference to the importance of you needing to make right with God. It was and is a critical ingredient for me that helped me to rise from the ashes and become what I am today. You will never be whole if you never make right with God. My mentor is Jesus Christ in my life. There has never been a better or more positive mentor that has walked this earth. Through my faith and my relationship with Christ I get my center and direction in life. I know many will laugh at this point but if you want to listen to how I managed to be who I am today and why, then this is a key reason and cannot be excluded.
You may ask now, “but how do I get the will to put these rules into place?”. Let me put it to you like this. You are rock-bottom right now. From here onward if you do nothing and just continue feeling sorry for yourself, your life is pretty much over and all your dreams crushed. THESE 7 rules are the alternative. This will and can elevate you beyond your wildest dreams. So, there is NO choice. If the reality of where you are right now and what future awaits you while staying where you are right now, if that does not fire you up to MAKE THIS HAPPEN and to WIN this fight, then sadly my friend you might have already lost.
So get up, look life squarely in the eyes and say: “I WILL CHANGE I WILL BE THE BEST FATHER I WILL BE THE BEST HUSBAND I WILL BE A MAN OF INTEGRITY
I WILL GET THE BODY I WANT
I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN!”
So guys, with these 7 rules you can fight the grand fight and you can win. I have proven that twice already in my life. I pray this helps some of you out there. If any of you want to contact me directly: gertlouwljc@hotmail.com
And off course if you want to signup to my life coaching body transformation system customized just for you, then just click this link to signup: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
A rather significant portion of men over 40 is on some form of anti-depressant medication…so let’s discuss in this article what you can do as an over 40 male to avoid this trap which is destroying many lives out there.
Pressure from family, work and life is ever rising in the race to make more and more money. Time is at a premium and the first thing sacrificed is nearly always looking after our bodies. Then add unhealthy eating and the use of alcohol/smoking to the mix and this becomes the perfect recipe for impending disaster waiting to go off like a time-bomb. The first signals we get about impending doom is when depression strikes. This is screaming at you that something is seriously wrong. But what do we do? We grab at pills just to medicate the symptom ignoring the fact that this was a signal screaming at full pitch at us. But our hectic 21 century lives have made us deaf to this voice of our body…we just throw down more and more pills to numb us more and more until the time-bomb eventually explodes and destroys everything in its path creating pain and suffering for all we loved and cared about. Sounds melodramatic? Maybe, but the sad part is that this is very true!
I’ve come very close to this point in my life. I’ve learned how to avoid it and thought I would share with you my approach on how to handle depression when you are an older guy.
They key to good mental health for the over 40 guy, starts with a fit body. This is the biggest single contributor to good mental health. We were not created to be sedentary beings and inactivity brings about a lack of all the hormones we require for a healthy mind. These feel-good and uplifting hormones are only released through physical activity and some only through intense physical activity. This can make us feel on top of this world! Without these hormones depression is a given. But the problem is that, when we are in that dark place of depression, the hardest thing is to gather the motivation to get ourselves to the gym. So, what do I do? This is something I have addressed in various of my videos. For me getting to gym and working out is elevated to the same priority as getting to work in the morning. If I do not have a sick certificate I get to work and I GET TO GYM. You do not have an option to not go to work if you’re depressed or not feeling like it! The exact (!) same apply to my gym. It is not a matter off whether I feel like it or whether I am down or not in the mood or not motivated! I just get in the car, drive to gym, put on my workout clothes and my headphones, select my Spotify playlist “GERTFITNESS WORKOUT #1” and start doing my first set. And then the next set and the next. And man, many times I have found that, that was one of my best workouts. And I ALWAYS walk out there positive and feeling great because I have done what I need to do to get my brain filled with the much needed hormones to lift my mood and give me a positive frame of mind. Off course I could have stayed at home feeling sorry for myself because of my depressive state but now I feel positive and uplifted. Nothing comes close to lifting your frame of mind to a positive state like a good intense workout. The key to it all is to elevate your training’s priority setting to the same as that of your job’s priority. It is NOT an option to bail out unless you have a sick certificate.
Note here: Inspiring tunes can make an incredible difference to help you endure an intense workout when you struggling with a depressive frame of mind. Do not underestimate the power of music. I have created my Spotify playlist specifically for this purpose. (You can find it on Spotify by just searching “GertFITNESS WORKOUT #1”. I have made it a collaborative playlist so if there is a rocking tune you think should belong in this playlist please feel free to add it!)
Now just to remind you, I have reason more than most to be depressed. Nearly died at 40 and given a bad prognosis for my future health. Then at 46 I nearly lost my business. And at 53 an even closer call with death with near complete liver failure as result of drinking dirty water, keeping me for long in hospital and out of gym for a full 12 months seeing all my hard work on my body of the past 13 years going to waste and pretty much had to start over at age 54. This is much reason to be depressed…believe me. But having a system in place where the priority I allocate to gym is non-negotiable and not depending on mood or frame of mind or whether I feel like it, means I get to gym for a great workout and every-time the resultant feel-good hormonal release prevents me from slipping into a depressive state. If it was not for this non-negotiable gym rule I would have been in a serious depressive state.
You don’t “need” motivation. You simply need to put in place this non-negotiable workout rule and elevate working out to the same priority level as rocking up for your job. EXACTLY THE SAME. You only miss your workout if you miss your job that day!
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Then off course there are other smaller things I put in place to keep the darkness of depression from engulfing me.
Let me give you a quick rundown:
The first thing any guy suffering from depression should do is to get his blood testosterone levels checked by a Urologist. You must ensure that your levels are healthy. If not you MUST go on TRT therapy. Low test levels in males WILL result in severe depressive states and many other health risks. TRT therapy plays a definite role in a positive mindset in a man.
Alcohol is glue for depression! Thinking you need an unwinding glass of wine after a hectic day is only a good idea if you are faaaaar from a depressive state. Otherwise it will have the opposite effect and pull you much quicker into depression. Plus, that glass of alcohol will most certainly mean you will miss your workout session as well. Plus, the alcohol is not doing you any good with your body fat levels meaning more negative thought patterns because you are missing your goal with loosing body fat. Thus if red lights are flickering because of a lingering depression, steer CLEAR from alcohol. Any overuse of any stimulant (including caffeine), should be avoided because that will result in a “valley” mood (after the peak) which will elevate a depressive state.
You cannot expect your brain chemicals to be healthy when feeding your body junk! Your 2nd line of action after getting yourself regularly to gym is sorting out your diet. Lots of fresh veggies, fresh fruit, moderate carbs and fat free protein with some good oils (virgin olive, coconut, peanut butter, etc…) and no carbonated drinks! A good sample diet to start is here: https://gertlouw.com/2017/09/08/free-cutting-building-diets-for-a-ripped-muscled-physique/
Serious emotional issues are your worst enemy in your fight against depression. I know life is not easy. Divorce, death of a loved one, serious sickness, retrenchment, financial trouble, all is very real and all can destroys lives. But all of this can also bring out the best in you. It can let you rise up and become a hero and role model that many people can look up to and not just transform your life but even those around you. Or it can mean you become just another statistic of a person absorbed by severe depression. It is all in how you decide to handle what you are facing. This is your time now, to rise up and become that person you have dreamed off, to be the best version of you ever, to be the hero and role model everyone is looking at for inspiration. No, it is not easy. Nothing worth in life is EVER easy…but it is always a 1000 times over worth it.
Off course I use some basic supplements for a healthy and positive mind. They are:
Vitamin B12 injection once a month for optimal nerve system functioning (read this link on a vitamin B12 study regarding its use as an anti-depressant): American Journal of Psychiatry)
5-HTP – natural option for upping serotonin levels.
Vitamin D –a deficiency in vitamin D will feel very much like depression.
Last but not least…and I know many will shrug this off. But, I find my greatest comfort in my faith following Jesus Christ. If there ever was someone that walked this earth that was the epitome for living the great adventure of life positively, being kind and caring and depression free, then it was the example Jesus Christ showed us. So, you might think this is opium for the masses stuff…but boy what opium it is! This alone has the ability to transform many aspects of your life and keep you depression free with a lust for life. Ask me…I know!
So guys, whatever you are facing, there are always choices we can make on how we going to deal with this. In each of us there is greatness, that is the way God created us. This is your time to look into yourself and unlock that greatness. Depression is just an alarm bell…listen to the alarm clock and change what needs to be changed.
The number one reason why guys over 40 fail in their goals for shaping the body is simply because of excessive joint and tendons problems or pain. It becomes so bad that well, we either severely tone down our training or we stop all together. And there goes our dreams…
So, I’ve been faced with this dilemma as well…but man, I am NOT taking this lying down. I am a fighter that had to face death square in the eyes twice already. But I refuse to give up or go lie down and feel sorry for myself. I got up, faced life squarely in the eyes and then use my brain and wisdom to do research till my fingers were numb from typing. Through the wonder of internet I can trace the latest results-producing scientific research. Many of which is still in the final stages of approval with the FDA, which means it cannot yet be prescribed to you by your doctor. But the wonder is that most of these “grey” cutting edge products are easily available out there and not classified in the category of steroids which means it is fully legal at this stage.
But why would anyone want to put something into their body that is not yet FDA approved? Let me put it to you like this. Taking risks brings rewards. When no risks are taken then no rewards are to be had. You have to decide on the data at your disposal…are you prepared to take the risk to reach your goal or not and is it an acceptable risk? For me it is an easy answer with acceptable risks because I am NOT stopping my training. Although there are many products I believe ARE too dangerous, the one’s in this discussion are life changing for the over 40 guy and will allow him to reach his training goals and keeping his body, joints and tendons in optimal health. So for me…it is a go! If you have any concerns…best to always talk to your doctor.
Ok, now that that is behind us let’s move on to the wonder approach.
Attack Tier ONE
Ever heard of dry needling? It is a fairly new development that has only truly gained ground in the last 5 years or so. Sure it can be very painful, but it produce incredible fast results that can transform you tendons, tennis or golfers elbow problems plus allow you to lift drastically heavier due to muscles functioning better.
Let me explain…As we keep training harder and more intense, the muscles naturally start getting spasms and knots. These knots when left untreated over periods can develop in a “stringy” type knot which is so tight, that the fibres literally push out the blood of the muscle. This means you cannot use that part of the muscle for contraction anymore. The more and more you get these type of knots (and believe me we all get it as time progress) the effected muscle become more and more painful and less operational. Because the muscle is not functioning correctly it will now exert too much tension on the tendon or joint and as a result you will start to develop tendonitis or joint problems and tennis/golfers elbow. Left untreated these stringy knots will completely derail your training and eventually render the muscle out of action. Old school solution was applying extreme pressure on such muscles via specific massage methods, but these proved to be rather unsuccessful. Luckily science have evolved and a MUCH more effective solution has surfaced. It is called dry needling. A process of literally sticking in needles of 3-5cm length into the muscle affected multiple times to stimulate bloodflow again by irritating or “damaging” the muscle slightly. It is all about the bloodflow, when that is restored the muscle relax and heal itself naturally and quickly. This means that a partially operational muscle can be restored to full operation rather quickly. And a fully operational muscle means NO PAIN and no pressure on tendons and joints. Magic hey! …and the best is it WORKS. I’ve been for multiple sessions and can personally vouch for this. Dry needling is done by a Physiotherapist, but I recommend get one who works regulary with athletes.
For the active athlete a visit to the Physiotherapist should be minimum every 3 months even if you feel healthy.
However this goes hand in hand with specific stretches which must be performed on problematic target muscles EVERY DAY! Ask your Physio about these stretches.
Attack Tier TWO
Now that we have covered the physical side of things we move on to other magic things we can do to prevent or limit any muscle, tendon or joint problems.
That “magic” pill is a peptide. More precise it is BPC 157 (Pentadecapeptide (PL 14736))
BPC-157 stands for Body Protection Compound, which reflects its healing process benefits that are getting so much attention. The “157” is a nod to the fact that the compound is a peptide chain built of 15 amino acids.
While amino acids are natural, the particular sequence of BPC 157 is not, which is why you’ll often hear it referred to as a synthetic supplement. Don’t let this scare you off though as the benefits of this compound are potentially incredible. Why “potentially”? Well test results on rats were incredibly impressive to say the least, but to date no human studies have been completed. So we are still waiting for the final verdict. But simply on the basis of the overwhelming positive rats testing results this is a compound worth considering, at least until we are told differently. Feedback from users (me included) is that this compound hold GREAT promise.
Although it is available as an oral it is highly recommended that one go the injection route (similar to insulin type injections) which result in far greater absorption.
Among many other things BPC 157 will repair torn muscle, tendons and joints and also act as anti-inflammatory.
But although BPC 157 is the nuclear bomb, the basis still needs to be covered. This means you must take
Omega 3 and 6,
Glucosamine Sulphate
MSM
Now obviously you want to know more about this BPC 157, so here goes:
BPC 157 was first discovered in the gastric juices inside the human stomach that promote the breakdown of food, liquids, and supplements. In particular, one protein was isolated from these stomach acids in its unique 15-amino acid chain. Available as both an oral and an injection-based supplement (similar to insulin injections), BPC 157 via injection is far more popular and effective.
No prescription is required and it is completely legal. Not a single side effect was reported in any of the studies. It is easy available online from various suppliers. You will not find it through your doctor or local pharmacy. If you from South Africa just email me and I can give you the local supplier online details (gertlouwljc@hotmail.com)
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Recommended BCP 157 dosages:
100-pound person: 75 micrograms (μg)
150 lb. person: 110 μg
200 lb. person: 145 μg
250 lb. person: 180 μg
300 lb. person: 215 μg
There are reports of users supplementing with up to 700 μg per day, split between two or three doses.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PBC 157
1.Repairs The Brain
BPC-157 can help induce healing of the brain and nerves after atraumatic brain injury.
BPC-157 repairs the brain after a hemorrhagic stroke and can reduce swelling.
BPC-157 can protect the brain against hypoglycemic seizures (induced by insulin overdose).
2.Protects Against Drug-Induced Damage
BPC-157 can protect the gut, the brain, and liver against damage induced from from NSAIDs.
BPC-157 can prevent aspirin-prolonged bleeding and thrombocytopenia as well as may prevent and rescue adjuvant arthritis.
It can protect the gut from ulceration from chemotherapy drugs.
Cuprizone-induced demyelination is an accepted way to study multiple sclerosis in animal models.
BPC-157 can counteract the demylenation of cuprizone.
3.Restores The Serotogenic Transport System
BPC-157 works on the serotogenic system.
BPC-157 significantly reduces the rate of serotonin synthesis in the:
Dorsal thalamus
Hippocampus
Hypothalamus
Lateral geniculate body
BPC-157 increases serotonin synthesis in the nigrostriatal regions:
Accumbens nucleus
Lateral caudate
Substantia nigra
Superior olive
BPC-157 may improve depression and anxiety by its action on serotonin, similar to that of antidepressant drugs (such as imipramine or nialamide).
For example, in chronically stress rats BPC-157 could improve their mobility.
It can also protect the brain against serotonin toxicity as seen in serotonin syndrome via inhibition of 5-HT2A receptor binding.
4.Protects Dopaminergic System
BPC-157 also works on the dopaminergic system (increasing release of dopamine in nigrostriatal regions).
It can protect dopamine neurons from toxin-induced damage in models of Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
It may also protect against dopamine depletion (from stimulant use).
For example, BPC157 can reduce repetitive OCD symptoms from amphetamine usage.
It can also prevent haloperidol-induced supersensitivity from amphetamine usage.
5.Enhances The GABAergic System
BPC-157 acts in favor of natural homeostasis of the GABA receptors as well as enhancing the GABAergic transmission.
It can help with anxiety by enhancing GABA neurotransmission.
It can also help with withdrawals and tolerance from GABA-based drugs, such as diazepam, making them more effective.
It also antagonizes alcohols effects, including acute and chronic intoxication.
6.Reverses Opioid Tolerance
BPC-157 inhibits action on the opioid system.
For example, it can counteract the effects of naloxone and thiopental-induced anaesthesia.
BPC 157 may also act as an effective paracetamol antidote even against advanced damaging processes induced by extreme overdoses.
7.Protects The Heart
BPC-157 can protect the vascular system.
It protects cells against toxin induced damage.
It can protect blood vessels from oxidative stress.
It normalizes both high and low blood pressure.
It also promotes formation of new blood via angiogenesis and vasculogenesis.
BPC 157 is can also counteract a prolonged QT interval (time between Q and T) from antipsychotic use.
It can prevent death from high potassium levels (hyperkalemia), and magnesium overdose (hypermagnesemia).
BPC 157 successfully prevents and counteracts bupivacaine cardiotoxicity.
It can also help with arrhythmias from electrolyte imbalances.
8.Accelerates Body Repair
BPC-157 can accelerate healing of wounds.
It improves the rate of healing of:
Burns
Eye (corneal injuries)
Fistulas (colon, vagina)
Intestinal anastomosis
Ligaments
Liver (from chronic alcohol intake or tylenol/acetaminophen)
MuscleR
Nerve Damage
Scar Tissue
Spinal Cord Injury
Tendons
Ulcers (Diabetic Ulcers, esophageal)
One way it does this is by its ability to increase activity of the growth hormone receptor.
It can also increase collagen synthesis.
BPC-157 has also shown to improve walking post-injury.
9.Helps With Allergies And Viruses
BPC-157 may help allergies by preventing anaphylactoid (unrelated to IgE responses) reactions.
BPC-157 has viral activity on:
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Dengue types 1-4
Feline leukemia virus
Hepatitis A
Herpes
Influenza A and ARBO
LCM virus
Tick borne encephalitis
West Nile fever
10.May Help Irritable Bowel Disease
Similar to cholestryamine, BPC-157 may help with esophageal reflux.
One way it does this is by rescuing sphincter dysfunction.
In rats, higher doses can help with swelling in the gut.
By repairing ulcers, BPC-157 can help with ulcerative colitis.
11.Helps With Ocular Dysfunction
By modulating nitric oxide and cholinergic mechanisms, BPC 157 can counteract atropine-induced mydriasis and L-arginine-induced miosis of the pupil.
12.May Help Oral Cavity
BPC-157’s anti-inflammatory effects may be a useful alternative for periodontitis.
13.May Help With Urinary Incontinence
BPC-157 may help reduce stress-induced urinary incontinence.
Darn! Now, is this all possible? It just sounds waaaay to good to be true? Only time will tell, but above is facts that came from rats studies. Pure science. Whether all or just some of above hold true for humans, no one knows at this stage, but I for one, is a believer simply by the results I am already getting after just a short period of using BPC 157.
But as I’ve put it many times…there are NO magic pill out there. Sure this might help greatly and might be close to a magic pill, we as older individuals need to apply wisdom to our training methods to always lesson joint and tendon problems.
With all this info now at your disposal, age becomes just another number. You can feel young, energetic and muscles, joints and tendons are now being able to fullfill their intended function without holding you back with pain and injury. Wow man, what a bonus!
I was trying to steer clear from this type of subject, but being myself over 50 and having many guys asking me, some pleading for help on this subject I decided to, well, help! No guy should ever suffer performing in bed. A healthy sex life = healthy person.
I am talking about older guys who have a mild to serious problem of ED (erectile dysfunction or sexual dysfunction). Sheesh, there are many reasons why this problem shows it’s ugly head, some physical, but most usually pshycological.
No matter how you look at it, it is the glue to a relationship making it stronger and happier. And a happy sex life brings serious mood enhancement. Few people that have a great sex lives are ever in need of depression medication. Same that goes for intense exercise goes for good sex, it releases feel-good hormones that bring positivity and happiness. I want to have a happy sex life when I am still 90 so here I went out on a limb to give you the top 3 ultimate solutions for being a superhero in bed and I even went so far as to test each of them myself so I can give you honest and truthful feedback. Hold on to your horses there is some real good news!
As with all an any usage of medications, you MUST work with your health provider ensure everything is safe and approved. Do not take anything he/she has not approved for you.
Ok, let’s move on…
In 3rdplace
The trusty Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra) and Tadalafil (Cialis). Of the two Cialis is by far the better solution which give you a 2-day period of mild to strong erections on demand. However both these only help with the actual erection and play no role in libido or mood enhancement, which can be a big problem since this is most of the time the reason the older guys struggles to get a decent erection in the first place.
My personal experience – Definitely Cialis of the two. But as I said, none of these help much if you struggle with mood or libido. So if these are serious issues, well then you still going to have a problem.
In 2ndplace
The blue pill replacement stack:
L-Arginine(4g upon waking up on empty stomach and 4g just before training on empty stomach) From the brand I use this is 6 pills morning and 6 pills before training. (Just a word of warning – sensitive people might experience stomach and gastro intestinal discomfort and pain when taking large quantities of L-Arginine)
L-Tyrosine(1.5g upon waking up on empty stomach and 1.5g just before training on empty stomach) From the brand I use this is 6 pills morning and 6 pills before training.
L-Ornithine(500mg upon waking up on empty stomach and 500mg just before training on empty stomach) From the brand I use this is 2 pills morning and 2 pills before training.
Citrulline Malate(1g upon waking up on empty stomach and 1g while training) From the brand I am using this is 1 standardized scoop in morning and 1 scoop I drink during training.
What does it do:
improved cardiovascular endurance
can boost muscle mass
reduce fat levels
improve general health
stimulate release of growth hormone
lower blood pressure
increase sexual drive/libido, especially in older men
enhanced mood levels (treating depression)
increased metabolism
increase mental clarity
appetite suppression
improve sexual stamina
help control migraines and inflammation
So as you can see it does not only help with ED but actually plays a moderate role in enhancing the mood and increasing libido.
My personal experience – definitely a step up from the Viagra/Cialis route. A lot of pills you have to pop but all natural stuff and good for you. It even lowered my blood pressure. And yes, it DOES enhance libido and mood. You definitely want more sex and it also gives some increased sensations. For max results this stack should be taken in conjunction with Cialis.
In 1stplace
Now this is where it is getting really exciting.
Here we are talking PT-141 peptide. It is currently in final trials with the FDA and expected to be released soon as prescription medication for ED or sexual dysfunction for BOTH men and women. Yes, you heard right…for women as well.
Preliminary test results are very, very positive. It transforms mood, libido and strong erections on another level. Let me put it like this. Out of a 100 score of effectiveness, Viagra/Cialis scores 20%. The BLUE PILL REPLACEMENT STACK scores 30%. PT-141 scores 90%! It is the nuclear bomb for treating ED or sexual problems.
What positives things does it do?
Seriously rock-hard erections bordering on painful.
Erection occurs at the slightest stimulation…like even a thought or smell.
Stamina like you have never experienced (I am talking like better than you were 18)
Dramatic positive mood and libido increases.
A beautiful feeling of wanting your wife and loving her non-stop.
Intense, really intense orgasms.
Effectiveness roughly 36 hours.
You are ready for round II in minutes after ejaculation.
But what about the bad of it?
You have to inject, similar to an insulin injection into the stomach skin.
Erections are extremely persistant and do not easily die down.
Do not use the stuff if your wife is not able to have sex…it will drive you insane!
Testing so far has shown no serious side effects apart from skin flushing for up to a hour or two after injection and some sensitive people reported nasueau.
It is not yet approved as a prescription medicine! But because the chemical component is known and it is easily manufactured, PT-141 is currently widely available on black markets and easy to order safely online. Safely, well, because it is not something like a anabolic steroid which can land you in jail! It is a peptide and just about harmless so worst is you sit with prescription medicine which was not prescribed to you…if you need to know where to order it in South Africa, just email me: gertlouwljc@hotmail.com. For overseas, sorry there you will have to search yourself, but I am convinced you will easily trace a mail order for your local country.
My personal experience – this works! Man, my wife is happy with me… This can transform relationships and so much more. But beware – that hardon can be problematic. First it does not subside one bit during the whole night. Now me…I love a hardon. Full stop. So, I don’t mind it a bit. It is a good feeling waking up during night and feel this raging hardon. But it can get so hard that it actually aches. The ache woke me a couple of times during the night, so some guys will find it messing around their sleep pattern. Then off course there is the peeing problem. I mean, peeing upwards presents some challenges. So, in middle of night I have to stand peeing into the basin (!) with my hand in a curve over the erection to control the water flow, so keep that in mind. Then off course spontaneous erections during the day. Now this do not phase me (actually like it) but one must be careful to wear pants covers erections properly. The biggest problem is training at gym. Ok, I don’t shower at gym so that cut out that potential problem but even when I am training, the gym shorts does not hide it well enough. And it is not a good feeling to know a guy (or worse) a woman might just see your erection. That presents a bit of a problem for me that I feel very uncomfortable with!
Also keep in mind the time from injecting to full effect differs drastically from person to person. Some had an effect within 2 hours after injection. Most reported 6 hours. For me, it took a solid 8 hours before full effect. So timing is definitely a problem. If you want early morning sex then inject before bedtime. For evening sex, inject early morning.
So how does PT-141 work? Well unlike Viagra/Cialis it works on the chemicals in the brain. Stimulating those places which lights up with sex and feelings of being wanted. It does not actually work on bloodflow at all. So one can see it is a powerful tool if it can stimulate such intense and persistant erections simply by operating on the brain. But now a word of caution. Because it works on the brain people who have severe depressive states should not use it or at best under doctor supervision. It has been reported to worsen the situation when there is already a chemical imbalance in the brain. However, with healthy people where there is no brain chemical imbalance there is no negative effect.
This is cutting edge stuff, so only future will tell if it is really safe. For now results looks very, very promising.
No with these weapons in your arsenal…you should revitalize your love life and making your woman smile everyday!
I will soon report on two more peptides
One that aids in muscle/joint/tendon repair and healing. This is another very important tool for us older individuals who struggle with tendon and joint problems.
The 2nd one aids in suppressing myostatin in the body which result in drastic more muscle being build and drastic fat-loss.
So watch this space…
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So, what do I do to LIMIT the “damage” to the fit looking body during a holiday break for cross-continent adventures?
First, the breaks I preach here should never be done more than twice a year…perfect time would be when you take a break between the phases (building/cutting).
And never longer than 14 days at a time (absolute max, preferably only 7 days if you want to limit “damage”).
This is definitely not applicable to competing athletes. For them such breaks would be way to long and inflicting waaaay to much damage.
So, I am talking here to guys that do a fitness lifestyle simply for the benefit of looking great and being healthy…aka “me”.
So, for guys like us, a break is exactly what it says…a break. This means no weightlifting or intense training. Remember…that body is not young anymore and you have been punishing the tendons and joints during the previous months. For us older folks this is time to recover, strengthen and get a new lust for life.
But this does NOT mean lying with your feet in the water the whole day. This means you must keep up activity – lots of walking, diving, snorkeling, volleyball, tennis, golf and the likes. Keep activity levels high during break periods. This is critical to help keeping tendons supple and help speed up joint repair.
Not what about the eating/drinking habits during such a break?
Well, for that break period I am going to tell you to put the lid on the diet book…but don’t lock it away!
The few rules you must apply:
No more than 2 glasses wine or two beers per day!
No soft drinks containing sugar.
Try and cut out carbs as best as you can (bread, rice, pasta).
Eating no more than 3 times a day.
NEVER EVER stuff yourself at a meal.
BUT (!) if you want to treat yourself to something (talking here about a dessert or something similar)…do it! Once every day is max!.
This is meant to be a break that helps the body heal and to give you vigor and lust for life again. Thus a few rules must be broken. You don’t have (!) too, but believe me having a balance in the whole fitness/living life approach would bring many dividends and allow you to keep climbing the transformation ladder for life rather than being too focussed and falling down and having te restart from scratch over and over. Doing something balanced means you will stand a much better change of reaching eventual success and beyond. For all your hard work the previous months/years…this is the price. So, you are meant to enjoy it!
Now off course there will be damage to the body. You will NOT come back looking better than when you left…although this might actually happen if you had a very strict cutting phase and this break happened directly after you ended with the cutting and do not go away for more than 7 days…then you might actually look better than before you went! But believe me that does NOT happen often. So, accept that there will be damage. But so, what! You know the recipe to success. You have done it and when back you will pick up rope and start climbing to the next level of success again – this time with more vigor and lust for life than ever. Never work so hard that you forget to LIVE!
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So, this was my break…yip just a tad too long according to the rule but mind you I paid the penalty! But what a break and what new lust for life I have. Every moment worth it and now fully back at gym and training harder than ever!
Here a rundown of my break…Phuket, Phi Phi islands and Dubai.
So, what I was looking forward to the most
Thai curries
Exotic scenery
Dubai architecture
Exotic cars abundance Dubai
My dream watch
Let’s see if the trip made the grade.
First you need to realize being from South Africa mean that you will be limited by the weak Rand. Thus, unless you are very, very rich some of the experiences would just not be possible to do. So, I know there might be MUCH more, but this is what we chose.
Of course, I am also limited due to family obligations. Adventurous wife and 12 y/o son.
The flight was good albeit long! We flew Emirates. Love the headrests, entertainment systems and the food were good. Tried to upgrade our tickets to business class just for one flight but the upgrade price was that of a good 2ndhand motor vehicle. Just simply crazy. So, we made due with good old economy class. 15 hours flight total from Cape Town to Thailand with connecting flight at Dubai.
It is winter in Cape Town and we know we going to suffer with the warm weather at our destinations.
Arriving in Phuket…people, people and people. A total culture shock. South Africa is open spaces. In Phuket…crazy! Immediately off to our hotel to get book in. Centara Karon, 4 star hotel. Neat and clean and functional but not impressive. Food and service good though. Just be prepared, few people in Thailand understand English even in the touristy regions…you are going to struggle!
First night we immediately venture into the streets. Directly from the hotel all the small side streets are buzzing with bars, restaurants, massage parlors and clothing and craft type stores. They have secret rooms in some shops where they sell all the biggest brand name clothing illegally (I think, why would they be hidden?) and for very cheap. But even in many of the normal clothing stores you can find great clothing for very cheap. I made use of every opportunity to get as many Thai curries as possible. It really, really is good. Obviously some better than other…I had about 2 that blew me away!
Just don’t think you going to get a glass of wine anywhere…it is only for the very rich. Wine is crazy expensive in Thailand. But their local beer is abound and not to bad either – CHANG. Pity I am not a beer drinker. Had a few though, especially in the middle of the days when it was crazy hot! Just be careful of the scams. We lost a 1000 baht in one scam. Do not use just any money machine to pull cash from your credit card – choose safe ones in up class shops. Some of them has been altered to just deduct the money from your account but not to give out any money. The money lid has actually been welded shut. So, using one of them you will lose all the money you pull. Alas, lesson quickly learned!
Wife and son did the Thai massage…very popular. They like it although wife said they hurt her. I refused to let a Thai girl touch me. I am waaay to private. Me and wife did the fish foot massage where you put your feet into a fish tank and small fish nibble your feet clean. Wonder how many dirty feet was in that tank!
We did 2 excursions in Phuket. One was too FANTASIA and the other John Gray sea adventures.
First Fantasia – hmmm, well-advertised and I believe the local and Eastern people enjoy it. We did not. Too many people and well, not up the standard we are used to with shows. It consists of a fairly large theme park (games, shopping, elephant rides), buffet dinner and huge theater show with seats on top of each other! These people leave no space for nothing! Darn I lost my “Jesus Culture” sweatshirt there! Anyway…it was an experience and that was what we came for…I will just not recommend the show for westerners.
Then the John Gray sea adventures. Now guys and girls this was simply outstanding and REALLY worth the money. You go on a fairly big and stable boat for about a 2-hour ride in the direction of the magnitude of small islands around the south of Phuket. Then you climb into inflatable canoes (max 2 people). But you just relax and take photos, you have a 3rdperson doing the paddling and everything. You enter a few different small islands via the canoe through caves. Some of the caves are so tight that I had to lie down in the boat and even then, my nose still scratches the roof off the cave. They had to deflate my wife’s canoe a little because her boobs were too big to pass into the cave…she made it after they deflated a bit. These caves lead to incredible still water bodies in the middle of the small islands…totally secluded, beautiful and very interesting.
Some of the caves are filled with bats and some has a specific plankton organism in the dark waters that lights up as the canoe move through them or if you stir the water…yes, it is as incredible as it sounds. You are welcome to swim in the ocean around the boat. A good seafood meal is served on boat…would have loved it if it was served on land at one of the small islands. But this trip, although not cheap, comes highly recommended. This is a must to when in Phuket.
Our last day in Thailand we visited one of the big markets. Wow guys and girls…this another MUST do. Apart from many amazing cheap stuff (especially clothing) that you can buy, the food section of the market is simply crazy! Was a bit too scared to eat just anything there…think we ended up eating just coconut pancakes, which was VERY good. I was very sick in 2017 and nearly died when drinking dirty water…much more careful now.
Ok so off to Phi-Phi islands.
Took one of their standard charter tourist boats. While on boat we heard the previous day one of these boats turned over in rough seas and more than 20 tourists died because they could not get out of the boat. Then I realized what they mean…the inside of the boat is a deathtrap…no windows that open just seats upon seats…we immediately upgraded to First Class where there is at least one window that open. I sat next to it – lol! The ride was not pleasant. The sea was rough! But we had some great views along the way with some good photo opportunities.
Off course we were in Thailand in the middle of monsoon season…so we had some bad weather moments and a lot of rain! At Phi-Phi islands we stayed at the ZEVEOLA resort. This time a 5-star resort. Hmmm…the 5-star was evident in all the prices. Anything you want to do or eat or drink, dude that is going to cost you money. The resort was nice though. Old school traditional Thai cottages in between a tropical forest on a beautiful warm water island. Cannot ask for much more. But dude…the mosquitos! They chowed me and son…like crazy. Son had to even get antibiotics. The mosquitoes are foreign to us and each bite resulted in a bad infection. There is one that bites during day and a different one biting during night. Even on the mainland in Phuket this started to be a problem. Any we came prepared…DEET and everything we could use to deter mosquitos. It is just as if nothing worked! The mosquito part of Thailand and Phi-Phi islands I did NOT enjoy. Anyway, at the resort we did some snorkeling…not the best but we saw some nice fish. Little bit of swimming also. The food was good but expensive compared to Phuket. Had some good breakfasts though!
Again, wine is crazy, crazy expensive. One wine they had on their list is about $3 US in South Africa and at Zaevola resort it cost more than $100 US. Just for the rich. Luckily me and wife brought 4 bottles wine in our suitcases, so we saved some money with that. Even the corkage for you own wine was about $20 US. One of the nicest experiences at Zaevela was sitting at the bar drinking a beer with your feet in the sand and the waves next to you.
The off we went to Dubai. The boat ride from Phi-Phi islands was BAD. Rough (!) seas had a few people throwing up! I took a pill to prevent seasick but even with that it was challenging. Again, making sure I was sitting at the First-Class section next to the window. You can upgrade in the boat to first class. It cost and extra 300 Baht per person…acceptable amount for your safety and a bit more luxury.
Again, flying Emirates from Phuket to Dubai.
It was HOT in Thailand but man o man…it was crazy HOT in Dubai!
Nobody there is on the street…. everyone is either in an aircon Toyota or building. Yes Toyota! I was so disappointed. I was expecting Bugatti’s, Ferrari’s, Lambo’s and Bentley’s and brother everywhere and I mean everywhere it was just Toyota, Toyota and more Toyota’s I think I saw one Porsche and that was it. Man, even in Cape Town we have waaaaay more exotic cars. So, this was a BIG downer for me. I spoke to some locals and they said we should have visited a certain street in Dubai where all the vehicles were. But I was in main city center quite a few times and for me that is where you should see them. Anyway, Cape Town with the car scene beats Dubai hands down!
But I must admit, I was in awe of the architecture. Even our 4-star hotel, Grand Excelsior was an impressive building. But driving down main road city center was simply incredible. Hard to believe this is planet earth – lol! We did 3 excursions in Dubai. Visit Dubai Mall, went up the Burj Khalifa and went on the dune bashing experience. All 3 worth it with the dune bashing one the most adventure filled. Dubai Mall will take you 3 days to walk through. Immense place with many awe filled aspects. In the middle a HUGE aquarium with exotic sea creatures. And I am talking huge here. Not a cheap place though. Food is off the scale expensive, well for a South African. About 5 times the prices we pay in South Africa. We had to live on eggs and soup when eating out! We simply did not have that kind of spending money for food. Again, wine is even more expensive in Dubai than in Thailand. I really enjoyed the awe of the Dubai Mall although spending was severely limited. Electronics (and probably jewelry) is slightly cheaper than in South Africa but that’s about it. Admittingly my son got a S9+ cellphone for half the price he would have paid for in South Africa…so not too shabby. I bought myself my dream watch. The Casio MT-G. Just love the look and ruggedness…so me – lol!
The fruit in both Thailand and Dubai was pretty tasteless. We were happy to see South Africa fruit being put on display in both countries because I absolutely agree, our fruit taste amazing in comparison.
Outside the Dubai Mall next to the burj Khalifa is a huge man-made lake which is used for a water show on the half hour to the theme song of the movie Skyfall. Now man-o-man this was the absolute highlight of Dubai…I think this water show was incredible. Done very artistically and the music fits perfectly over massive high-end audio system. The climax is done with water cannons that spouts easily 15 stories’ high into the air. When they activate it slams you in the chest with pure power. This is a must-see.
The Burj Khalifa just another huge building…but really, really tall. Think now the 2ndtallest in the world? Anyway, you pay to go up to the 125thfloor and look through glass windows. Worthwhile.
The dune bashing trip was a bit more adventure.
First you MUST drink seasick pill. Many, many people threw up due to the aggressive dune driving. We got stuck 3 times…our driver was less experienced. And it is not fun when you have to get out of the aircon car into 42 degrees Celsius on desert sand you cannot touch so hot it is!
In the middle of the desert we were given some sandboarding opportunity. Some tried sand surfing, but I was not in the mood to fall face down into 42 degrees Celsius sand! So, I choose the sandboarding option. Fun getting down the dune…not so much fun getting up!
Back into the car and off to a Bedouin camp. Not a real one you can see it is created purely for tourists. But still a nice experience. There we went camel riding (damn miss my Subaru – this thing is uncomfortable!), wife had some Henna done. She asked for a cross on her wrist…they had no idea what she was talking about until one of them snap and said, “O u mean Christian cross?” – lol!
We were dressed up in traditional clothing…think I make a good Sheik! I chose wife to be my first wife in my harem! Darn but these clothing is hot. But then again, I do not think they were a 2ndset of clothing underneath.
We were served some average food at the camp and treated to some belly dancing and strangely enough a guy dancing as well?
When that excursion was over we were relieved…it was the hottest day we experienced in our lives and think we sweat quite a couple of liters of water!
Nice but never again…but was it worth it…yes.
Well then, our trip ended…and back to good old Cape Town. You know after we landed and drove back to Table view and saw the amazing view, sunset and open spaces I realized that we are so blessed. This is one amazing place to live in. Un equaled beauty coupled with the African open spaces and friendly people…living in paradise. Only problem being the violance by the wrong elements in society that is a disturbing trend in South Africa and the reason many have left…
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So guys and girls, take that break and live life and well, then climb a step higher to the next level of your transformation.
The search for optimal blood testosterone levels becomes a major issue for guys over 40 who are on a quest for a WOW physique. Without optimal blood testosterone levels this quest is simply impossible. Low blood testosterone levels will mean fat gain, muscle loss, low libido, impotency, low sperm count, low energy, depressive states (sometimes severe) and potential heart problems just to name a few of the typical symptoms guys with low testosterone levels have to deal with.
Having optimal testosterone levels will simply provide a much better quality life for any over 40 guy. It is a no brainer. And it will put a muscled body in your reach if you are prepared to do the hard work. With optimal testosterone levels the body now has the ability to grow muscle and lose fat. Still not like when you were 20, but it will at the very least make it possible with hard work, well, sometimes very hard work.
The internet has a magnitude of products claiming to increase male testosterone levels.
But in then end only a small group makes the grade. ONLY the supplements that followed the rules of independent science studies that have proved the product to work against controlled groups form part of this group. All the other product claims are hogwash with empty marketing claims that is NOT supported by science.
So first, let’s look at the one’s that completely failed the science test:
Tribulus Terrestris (science studies show it has zero effect on raising blood testosterone levels but it does have an effect in increasing libido).
Fenugreek extract (science studies shown it resulted in zero increase in blood testosterone or other hormone levels. However as with Tribulus it has shown to increase libido rather effectively).
Aspartic Acid (or aspartate – Although DAA supplementation has been found to sometimesresult in a small increase in testosterone levels in healthy males, this increase seems to only last for about one week before it drops back down to baseline levels. Moreover, research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that a dose of 6 grams of DAA per day resulted in a decrease in the levels of free and total testosterone in healthy resistance-trained males.)
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The ONLY ones making the grade and is proven by science studies to moderately increase blood testosterone levels in males are:
Magnesium and Zinc (also called ZMA which combines Magnesium and Zinc supplementation – a supplement for men which is usually taken before bedtime).The main proof was provided by a study published in the journal of Biological Trace Element Researchwhich found that 4 weeks of supplementation with 10 mg magnesium per kg of body weight increased both free and total testosterone in sedentary subjects as well as in athletes. Zinc deficiencies, which are relatively common in athletes and those who sweat a lot, can result in a decrease in testosterone levels, so supplementation with zinc can raise testosterone to normal levels. Two studies published in the journal of Neuro Endocrinology Letters (one in exercising subjects and one in elite wrestlers) found that zinc supplementation for 4 weeks prevented the decrease in testosterone levels which declined in the placebo group.
Yeah, good old creatine. This is a shock for many. How is it possible? Let me explain: The rise in the body’s creatine stores that happens with creatine supplementation and the subsequent increase in energy for short-term activities are mainly responsible for the significant performance increases that take place. What most people are unaware of is that creatine also seems to result in a small but, relatively, reliable increase in testosterone levels, which may also be partially responsible for the strength and muscle gains experienced with supplementation. For example, in a study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, resistance trained football players saw a statistically significant increase of 22% in testosterone levels after 10 weeks of supplementation with creatine. The increases in strength and lean body mass were also significantly higher in the creatine vs the placebo group.
Vitamin D. Although here I must note that testosterone was only raised with Vit D supplementation when subjects actually had a vit D deficiancy. That being said, 90% of us have a vit D deficancy in varying degrees. Supplementation with Vitamin D will, consequently, correct a vitamin D deficiency and, possibly, result in an increase in testosterone levels. This was confirmed in a relatively recent study published in the journal of Hormone and Metabolic Research, where it was found that men taking a little over 3000 international units (IU) of vitamin D for one year saw a statistically significant increase in both free and total testosterone.
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Now is this all we can do to increase testosterone levels? No, but this is all you can do on the supplement side. Any other supplement claiming to increase testosterone levels and is not on this list…pass! It is hollow claims unless proven by science.
But there are other non-supplement actions that have also been proven by science to have a rather large positive impact on optimal blood testosterone levels in males. They are:
Regular heavy compound training. I am talking here about intense squats and bench pressing (deadlifts also form part of this bunch). These compounds moves have been proven by science studies to elevate blood testosterone and HGH hormone levels.
Healthy eating patterns – have been proven to have a large impact on blood testosterone levels. Good oils/fats in diet critical for healthy hormonal levels.
Little or no alcohol – alcohol consumption has a direct link to low testosterone levels.
Enough sleep – too little sleep will negatively affect blood testosterone levels.
Levels of stress – regular intense stress situations has been proven to lower blood testosterone levels.
Excessive masturbation has been proven by science to lead to low blood testosterone levels.
So there you have all you can do to get a maximum blood testosterone rating!
Off course there are the “not-so-natural” ways as well to increase blood testosterone levels, which range from DHEA to TRT to plain ANABOLIC STEROIDS…but that is a path one must tread lightly or at best avoid completely!
I cannot stress enough the care you must apply reading marketing claims of supplements. If it is not proven by science, no matter how fancy the words and how many (stolen!) photos and lies are provided as “proof”, well, then it is simply hogwash.
Happy training with optimal test levels!
Gert Louw
You are on your road to a WOW body transformation. Everything is controlled, how much you sleep, your training (too the minute) your supps, your diet with previous night prep, you eat, sleep and drink transformation and you are busy making great progress!
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You can see yourself at the goalpost and focus is 100%. Nothing but nothing stands in your way or deter you from keeping your eye on the goalpost.
Well, that is awesome…because this mean you WILL get there.
But, now the big “but”, This ultimate focus has the ability to burn your candle out, completely. Ever heard “too much of a good thing is never good”?
Well this is more true and applicable than you think. The problem is that a body transformation is not a quick process. It usually takes years. To keep this kind of over-drive focus for such a long time is going to take its toll. One morning you will just wake up and be exhausted to the bone, mentally and physically. Then it will dawn on you everything you are busy missing out on…basically missing out on life.
Off course it is great to have focus like that, but a key ingredient to such intense focus is BALANCE, otherwise you WILL burn out. And after that burn-out occur it will be very, very difficult to ever muster that focus again.
So how do you prevent this focus from burning out? How do you keep that “balance” I am talking about? Well, by making sure “life” does not slip you by.
I follow a three tier approach…
ONE
That mean friends, social time, eating out, enjoying a beer and going on holiday and just let loose a bit now and then.
You must make time to still hang out with friends. But always bring your own low carb/carb free corn bag and sugar free drinks with you and still party with them. You need to learn to live in a normal world and be able to withstand regular temptations. Just ALWAYS make sure you are prepared and have your food ready…never go on a empty stomach! Always eat something small to take hunger pains away otherwise you will be too weak when temptations hit. But this point is extremely important. You MUST not cut out your social time with your friends.
Off course they will laugh at you and make jokes…it ALWAYS happens. But soon that will start turning into envy and RESPECT.
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TWO
Once a week go and eat out at your favorite steakhouse (sorry Pizza won’t do!). If you want to have your glass of wine or a beer (just one), then have one but then no carbs allowed if you have that glass of wine at that meal. Just fillet steak and a nice garden salad and maybe a little of your favorite meat sauce (pepper, mushroom, etc)…but be careful they can contain massive calories/fat. Have a nice coffee afterwards (very little milk and sweetener). But feel like you have treated yourself. To do this is sooo important to let you feel “normal” and that you are not taking things away from yourself.
THREE
And when it is time for holiday (now I am talking not more than twice year and not a month at a time but max 2 weeks then down tools and let loose. But the golden rule is NEVER EVER stuff yourself. So avoid buffets. Order just a dish and finish it and enjoy it. NEVER more than 2 glasses wine/2 beers per day while on holiday. When possible eat healthy but if you feel like a meal where you want to treat yourself, then do it. If you want to train sure do it but that 2 weeks off from training is not going to kill you. It actually give your body perfect time to heal and recover from the strain it has been going through and will do GREAT things for you mentally.
Now of course you are going to pick up some weight and loose a bit of definition. But that negative will eventually add massively to a positive, because staying balanced will enable you to stay on track in the long-term with your body transformation and will naturally develop into a new fit and healthy lifestyle because now you can enjoy life and still obtain your goal.
I have seen MANY guys folding in their transformation hopes simply by being too focused in their approach and by letting life slip them by. They just reach a point where they feel…well this is not worth it.
There is just one way of doing this and that is to build the above balance factors into your body transformation journey.
Well, I am off to Thailand for 3 weeks on a well-deserved family holiday break. The first week I will be sticking as close as possible to my diet and training and the rest of the 2 weeks I am going to enjoy myself and let go and have some fun within the constraints of above rules…because I know when I get back I got the recipe and know how to do it.
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What is the best training frequency for growth? This is a question I get asked a lot. So let’s look at this.
I am in this discussion only going to look at the male 40 and over and what training frequency works best for him.
A further assumption is that we talk here about males, who’s primary goal is about adding shape and muscle to their body. Thus we are NOT talking about the marathon runner doing just cardio! We are talking about a guy over 40 who hits the gym to do resistance training.
Last assumption is that we are not alking about a guy who has never trained in his life. Because for such a guy the first 3 months is a complete different approach to the guy who is already fully into his training regime.
So now that we have defined the target audience let’s move forward.
PROBLEMATIC training frequencies:
Anything less than 3 days a week training will put you into severe risk for injury territory. The amount of days is just too little to adequately keep the muscles, tendons and joints flexible and strong enough for intense training. You chances for hurting yourself badly is very, very high. 1 or 2 days training a week does NOT prepare the body sufficient for intense training full stop. If that is the only amount of days that you can train, well then I say no intense resistance training but only bodyweight exercises…and even that can result in a damaged tendon.
Optimal MAINTENANCE training frequency:
Many guys go through a difficult work related period where time is limited and then they just want to be able to maintain size and definition. That can be done with good success of training 3 days a week but not (!) 3 days in a row and the 4 days off. The 3 days must be spaced with one open day inbetween each training day. The stimulation this apply to the body is good enough for maintaining but not for growth. It is also outside the danger territory as discussed above.
Optimal training frequency for MUSCLE GROWTH:
Now we are talking business. Remember you are over 40, so thinking you can train 6 or 7 times a day as some of these youngsters do (who are most of the time in steroids anyways!) is definitely NOT going to work. Training anything more than 5 days will have dire consequences for your muscle building efforts. It will leave waaay to little time for the older body to recover and built muscle effectively and can litterrally result in smaller muscles. I’ve seen it happen over and over.
An over 40 guy cannot train more than 5 days a week if he is not using steroids – full stop.
So the max amount of training for a 40 to 55 y/o is 5 days a week.
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For guys over 55 yrs I suggest not more than 4 days a week, simply because with the amount of testosterone and HGH in the body (which is a step lower than that of a 40-55 y/o) he need more recovery time and more time for the muscles to grow before it is punished again in the gym.
The important part is to remember, muscles do NOT grow in gym. You simply send a signal to them that they must grow because they are not coping with the workload. The growth happen while you rest and sleep and NOT training. But that only happens when the body is fed correctly.
So there you have it…I am 53 right now and for me the optimal training frequency is 5 days a week. My actual routine is mostly just 4 days but now and then I would throw in the 5th day. There is just no way my body will be able to cope with 6 or 7 days!
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The following quote from one of the my clients about his experience with intermittent fasting summarize my whole point about the Intermittent Fasting craze that is currently sweeping the muscle-building fraternity: “My belief, and my naturapath’s belief is that intermittent fasting downgraded my metabolism and thus now going back to normal eating, my body thinks I’m getting too many calories for it’s new low need.”
The bottom line is, it cannot be denied that some competing athletes had great success to get shredded by using Intermittent Fasting as a tool in their arsenal.
What 99% of the people seem to forget is that the people who apply intermittent Fasting are experts in their field who know exactly what they are doing. When someone who is a casual bodybuilder applies IF, the results are most of the time less than desirable. However, there are always the exceptions, I’ll admit that.
But few casual bodybuilders (meaning non-competitive athletes) go to the extreme levels of measuring, monitoring and analyzing everything. These competing guys do regular fat caliper, weighing scale, tape measurements and body water content checks to see (sometimes on a daily basis) the effect their past 24 hours diet approach had on their body. Those are the people who usually get success, because they are to the extreme in touch with every aspect of their body and manage everything in the finest detail.
But the casual lifter just want to look better and do what he does for enjoyment. The dedication is not NEARLY on the level that is required for one to apply something like Intermittent Fasting successfully.
I am not saying IF does not work, not at all, I am saying don’t expect to use a tool an expert use and apply it in a casual fashion and think it will work as effectively as it work for them.
For the non-competitive athlete using IF, it usually spells disaster = less muscles + more body fat, simply because when not applying correctly IF will very easily result the body to enter a “famine mode” whereby it thinks it is in a famine environment. And this means the body will do everything to ensure it can survive as long, thus lowering the metabolism drastically. It will also prefer to use energy from muscles (Glutamine, Glycogen) which usually result in smaller muscles while the body will protect it’s bodyfat storage at all costs to ensure it has what it takes to outlive the famine period it thinks it ‘s detected. With end result loosing muscles and very little bodyfat. This is the last thing you want to happen!
Let’s look at some of the negatives of intermittent Fasting
interference with the SOCIAL aspect of eating
Getting hungry, low energy and unproductive
Fasting = binge
Digestion Issues
Unclear impact on heart
Is is NOT for everyone
Potential long-term health consequences (especially women)
Potential weight gain
Lowered metabolism
Off course there are some really interesting benefits to IF (like cognitive and body rejuvenation aspects) but with the risks especially when you do not have the dedication and time to perform the necessary body monitoring, my advice to you is to rather stick to a tried and tested lifestyle approach and nutrition to reach your success with a standard 14 day body monitoring approach to keep the diet calories aligned to your unique metabolism and leave the tricks of the trade like intermittent Fasting to those that are willing to put in the necessary time and effort to make it work, like the competing athletes as a short-term trick to get shredded..
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As you can recall in my previous video I made a specific point that the truth to reaching success is not held by a single method or person but that many road leads to success because of our diversity with regards to genetics, lifestyle and beliefs systems. But what I am preaching is specific to the guy over 40 who have a job, family and many obligations to fulfill. He is not a competing athlete and never will be. He wants the safest quickest and healthiest road to success. For such people, intermittent Fasting is a risky tool better left alone. And this is where my ADVANCED SYSTEM II comes in to provide you with that total, safe and healthy approach to reach success: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
How do you choose a fitness mentor through all these opposing ideologies you see in the fitness world? There are probably as many unique approaches and recipes as there are transformations! It is actually crazy…that is the only word that fits.
You have decided it is time to make a change, a big change and you want to choose the right system and coach but that proves to be MUCH more difficult than you anticipated. When venturing on internet and searching for the right approach or system, you are faced with many conflicting solutions. Sometimes directly opposing each other. Now, who do you trust and how do you sift through all this info to find the right approach and person to trust to lead you onto your journey?
THREE things are major critical to help you making your choice.
NUMBER ONE – Accept that there is no magic pill!
This is the number one important thing you have to accept. NONE of these advertising claims hold any truth, NONE! This is not an overstatement. ALL of the supplement advertising claims, even from the prominent companies, are filled with lies and half-truths. Most (nearly 90%) are complete and utter lies. I know what I am talking about. My before and after photo has now been abused illegally by more than 150 companies marketing their products and showing me as “proof” that their product works. And this is the going rate…if you see a before and after photo in any advertising add, it is ALWAYS either stolen or the person was paid a nice sum of money to lie and say he/she used their product to achieve the results. There is no truth to any such marketing photos…sadly. The bottom line is supplements makes no more than a few percentage points difference (I say 2.5%) in your effort of changing your body with a transformation. Easily 80% is made up by following a diet focused to produce results and the rest is made up by your exercise efforts in the gym. There is no magic pill…accept that. Sure, steroids and HGH can hasten the process but even then, it will take great effort and focus on both the diet and training front. Nothing comes overnight, and nothing comes easy and anyone claiming such is lying blatantly. A Significant transformation takes time and a LOT of effort…full stop. Steer completely clear from anyone telling your different because there are many that will…they are not after your happiness but only your money in their pocket.
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NUMBER TWO – Accept that many roads lead to Rome.
Many of these approaches are junk and totally misleading. But, there are many that is the truth and works and many of them preach complete opposing systems/approaches. Is this possible?
Let me explain.
The world of fitness is far from being a scientific fact sheet. Each of our bodies are so vastly different. Our genetic traits make us unique and apart. Each of us have unique metabolisms defined by multiple lifestyle aspects. The bottom line is many of these opposing systems and approaches have produced true results. These people are not lying (well some actually is but to try and make my point here I am referring to those that actually have a moral center!). They have reached success by following the path they are preaching. Let me take my wife for example. Right now, she is getting major success (lost 16kg in just over 3 months) with the 28 DAY DIET. A diet I would traditionally oppose vehemently. Simply because it is too little food and thus would lower the metabolic rate to unacceptable levels. But it is working for her and I can see that she can continue on it indefinitely albeit with some changes when she reached her goal weight to make it more lenient. Bottom line is, not everything works for everyone. Our personalities, genetics, lifestyle, habits, working environment, beliefs and many other factors play a more important role than we realize.
So, this is a very important point you need to realize. Many different roads in the body transformation arena can lead to the goalpost. Science is far from proving a singular all true road. We as individuals are far too unique for that.
NUMBER THREE – does your mentor have a moral center?
Ok, this might sound a little condescending, but the bottom line is, can you trust your mentor/coach to have your best interest in mind or is he/she just after the quick buck?
This is probably the most important of the 3 points. Because everything falls flat if this person working out your transformation system is a moral-less person caring just about turning around the quick buck. He/she needs to be a person of integrity that invokes trust. This you need to establish, or chances are you going to burn your fingers. You cannot trust in a person to lead you, but in real life you would never even consider this person making the grade for your friend list because of his/her lack of integrity/moral-less behavior.
You seriously need to look up to this person NOT just because of his/her body but especially because of all the other things.
So, let these three points guide you to make the right choice when you ready for that transformation journey!
Should you believe I am that mentor that can lead you on your transformation journey, you are more than welcome to consider signing up to my ADVANCED SYSTEM II, developed for the older individual and a truly comprehensive system covering all and every aspect. Customized for your goals and body on many levels: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
Hi guys and girls from a very cold Cape Town. We just missed day zero here in Cape Town and nearly ran out of water so we are so glad the rainy season is upon us. We pray for a good one!
Many times we feel demotivated because our efforts seems like a drop of water in the ocean. We feel we will never get there and the progress we make is so small that it makes no difference. This is when many, many people give up on their hopes and dreams.
Let me put it to you like this. Your efforts may just “feel” like a drop of water in the ocean, but the truth is the ocean are made up of many, many drops. All your hard work, sweat and pushing through with the diet is like many drops together and counting this up over a period of a year, two or three makes for a LOT of drops that start to form an ocean.
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Success is NEVER a short term thing, it is a long-term lifestyle that brings dividends to those pushing through. It is not a mater of feeling like training or dieting, you HAVE to train and diet. It is like working, you HAVE to work you don’t have a choice. The same goes for training and dieting, you HAVE to just do it. You miss work only when you have a sick note, same applies to training and diet.
Off course there will be stumbling blocks, sometimes major one’s. Last year (2017) I could not train for the whole year due to severe health issues. But when that stumbling block is out of the path, then we pick up the pieces and get back to gym and eating correctly. Stumbling blocks are a given and part of life. We cannot truly avoid them and we have to make them part of the game. The key is just to always resume after each severe stumbling block. And few stumbling blocks is bigger than the one I faced in 2017 (banned by doctor for 12 months from gym due to severe bad health from drinking dirty water – nearly, nearly died!). But we must get up and continue. So I am back at gym and slowly building up the body again with the winning recipe. Off course it will take some time…after 40 any setback takes up to 2-3 times as long to get back to the level one had before the setback. And the older one get, the longer this recovery time takes. BUT, the fact is, we CAN get back to that level and might even surpass it and that is the goalpost and reality for those that keep getting up and push through.
For those of you interested in my ADVANCED COACHING SYSTEM II specifically developed for the over 40 individual, have a look here: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
So to all of you that do not feel like training or sticking to that diet because it looks like your efforts are worthless, let’s pick up the pieces and just MAKE IT HAPPEN because all those efforts together start forming an ocean for those that keeps pushing through! You WILL reach success with this mindset.
Serious emotional issues are your worst enemy in your fight against depression. I know life is not easy. Divorce, death of a loved one, serious sickness, retrenchment, financial trouble, all is very real and all can destroys lives. But all of this can also bring out the best in you. It can let you rise up and become a hero and role model that many people can look up to and not just transform your life but even those around you. Or it can mean you become just another statistic of a person absorbed by severe depression. It is all in how you decide to handle what you are facing. This is your time now, to rise up and become that person you have dreamed off, to be the best version of you ever, to be the hero and role model everyone is looking at for inspiration. No, it is not easy. Nothing worth in life is EVER easy…but it is always a 1000 times over worth it.
