From Tom Venuto's: Burn the fat, feed the muscle.
The "secret" to almost instantly increasing your strength by 10-15% and endurance
by 20%-30%
What would you say if I told there was a substance that could almost instantly
increase your muscle contractile strength by 10-15% and increase your capacity for
prolonged aerobic exercise by 20 to 30%? What's more, the substance is totally legal and
has absolutely no side effects. Not only that, it can also help you burn fat more
efficiently and increase your muscular development. You'd probably think I was talking
about some kind of illegal steroid or performance-enhancing drug wouldn't you? (Either
that or you'd think I was just full of hot air!) Well, its true! Such a substance really exists,
and it's not a drug.
A little known secret for accelerating fat loss, increasing your performance and
improving your physique
I'd like to let you in on a little known secret for increasing your performance and
improving your physique that is so painfully obvious it's almost embarrassing. Actually
it's not really even a "secret." It would be more correct to say it’s a "known but ignored
fact." When I tell you what this secret is, you'll kick yourself for not realizing it sooner.
This "secret" I'm talking about is drinking the correct amount of H2O every single day.
Yep - plain old water! If you’re even slightly dehydrated (and most people are walking
around in a constant state of semi-dehydration), your results and performance will
improve instantly.
I can hear you grumbling and cursing me already - "Venuto, that's no secret -
everyone knows you're supposed to drink plenty of water!" That may be true. Everyone
knows it, but what people know they should do and what they actually do are often two
completely different things. Everyone has heard the maxim, "Drink at least 8 - 10 glasses
of water a day. That’s a good starting point, but most of the time they don't do it. Now
that you have a clear-cut goal and you’ve made the commitment to become the best you
can be, it’s time to add another new daily habit to your list the habit of drinking plenty
of pure H20 every day.
The often subtle but devastating effects of dehydration
Most people don't drink nearly enough water, and the effects are subtle but
devastating to your training and fat burning efforts. Let me explain. Did you ever wake
up in the morning and feel so groggy it almost felt like a hangover? Maybe you didn't
even want to get out of bed. Guess what? You were probably dehydrated. In fact, a
"hangover" - headache, tiredness, and fatigue is partially caused by the dehydration from
the diuretic effects of alcohol.
Here's another example: Do you normally get excellent workouts, but then some
days, your butt is dragging and you just can't finish your workout - you “bonk out” at the
end, or even worse, you can't really even get started? Guess what? You were probably
dehydrated. You see, the effects of dehydration are very subtle. They "creep" up on you.
By the time you feel any effects of dehydration, it's too late - you're already dehydrated.
Usually you don't even associate these effects with lack of water. You might think you’re
just over-worked, you didn't get enough sleep or you're coming down with a cold. That’s
why people so easily overlook this aspect of nutrition.
Every physiological process in your body depends on water
Because there’s so much attention placed today on complex issues such as protein
and carbohydrate intake, essential fatty acids, macronutrient ratios and high-performance
supplements, it's no wonder that something as simple as water could be so easily taken for
granted. The importance of drinking plenty of water and keeping adequately hydrated
cannot be emphasized enough.
Water is the most abundant nutrient in your body. Approximately 60-70% of your
body is comprised of water. Your blood is made up of about 90% water. Your muscles
are about 70% water. Even your bones are 20% water. Without adequate water, nothing
in your body could function properly. Every physiological process in your body takes
place in water or depends on water. Water is necessary to regulate your body’s
temperature, to transport nutrients, and to build tissues. Water is required for joint
lubrication, digestion, circulation, respiration, absorption, and excretion. Without water,
you would die in a matter of days. Sports nutritionist Dr. Michael Colgan says that water
is quite simply, the most important nutrient in the body.
Dehydration decreases endurance, strength and physical performance
As you become dehydrated, your body's core temperature increases. This
adversely affects your cardiovascular function and reduces your capacity for physical
work. Even a small decrease in your body's hydration level can decrease your
performance. Studies have shown that even mild dehydration of 3% of body weight can
decrease contractile strength by 10%. When 4% - 5% or more of total weight is lost in
water, muscular and aerobic endurance can decrease by 20% to 30%. If more than 10-
12% of the body’s weight as water is lost, you could die.
Higher protein diets have a diuretic effect and require extra attention to drinking
water
Because this program tends to be moderate to high in protein, drinking plenty of
water is especially important. The processing of protein foods generates metabolic waste
products that must be flushed out and removed by the kidneys. Without adequate water,
the kidneys can’t remove these wastes properly. It is a myth that high protein diets cause
kidney damage. A high protein diet is not harmful to healthy kidneys -- as long as plenty
of water is consumed every day.
Water is essential to the fat burning process
Not only do you need plenty of water for good health, you also need water to lose
fat. Here’s why: One of the important functions of your kidneys is to eliminate toxic
waste products from your body through the urine. When you’re dehydrated, the body’s
instinctive reaction is to hold on to whatever water it does have in order to survive.
When this water retention occurs, the waste products in the body aren’t flushed out, and
build up in your system. At this point, the liver will try to help out with the overload.
The problem is, when the liver helps out during fluid retention, it can’t do its own jobs as
efficiently, one of which is burning stored body fat for energy. The result is that your
body may not be able to burn body fat as efficiently as normal
Drinking lots of water does not make you retain water
Many people avoid drinking a lot of water because they think it will make them
retain fluid and become bloated. Actually, the opposite is true. When you’re dehydrated,
your body senses the lack of adequate water and holds on to all the water that’s currently
in the body. When you consume adequate amounts of water, your body senses that you’re
no longer dehydrated, and therefore your kidneys flush the water out of your system like
they normally do, resulting in less water retention.
How much should you drink?
The most common general guideline for water intake is to drink eight to ten
8-oz glasses of water per day (64-80 oz per day). This may or may not be
adequate, depending on a variety of factors. The 8 to 10 glasses guideline is okay
as a ballpark, but taking into account activity levels and caloric expenditure will
give you an even more accurate and individualized estimate of your water needs.
Water needs may vary depending on a number of factors. Large individuals need
more water than smaller people, and highly active individuals need more than those who
are inactive. Climate can also affect your hydration needs. If you live or work out in a
hot and humid environment your water requirements will be higher.
The "secret" to almost instantly increasing your strength by 10-15% and endurance
by 20%-30%
What would you say if I told there was a substance that could almost instantly
increase your muscle contractile strength by 10-15% and increase your capacity for
prolonged aerobic exercise by 20 to 30%? What's more, the substance is totally legal and
has absolutely no side effects. Not only that, it can also help you burn fat more
efficiently and increase your muscular development. You'd probably think I was talking
about some kind of illegal steroid or performance-enhancing drug wouldn't you? (Either
that or you'd think I was just full of hot air!) Well, its true! Such a substance really exists,
and it's not a drug.
A little known secret for accelerating fat loss, increasing your performance and
improving your physique
I'd like to let you in on a little known secret for increasing your performance and
improving your physique that is so painfully obvious it's almost embarrassing. Actually
it's not really even a "secret." It would be more correct to say it’s a "known but ignored
fact." When I tell you what this secret is, you'll kick yourself for not realizing it sooner.
This "secret" I'm talking about is drinking the correct amount of H2O every single day.
Yep - plain old water! If you’re even slightly dehydrated (and most people are walking
around in a constant state of semi-dehydration), your results and performance will
improve instantly.
I can hear you grumbling and cursing me already - "Venuto, that's no secret -
everyone knows you're supposed to drink plenty of water!" That may be true. Everyone
knows it, but what people know they should do and what they actually do are often two
completely different things. Everyone has heard the maxim, "Drink at least 8 - 10 glasses
of water a day. That’s a good starting point, but most of the time they don't do it. Now
that you have a clear-cut goal and you’ve made the commitment to become the best you
can be, it’s time to add another new daily habit to your list the habit of drinking plenty
of pure H20 every day.
The often subtle but devastating effects of dehydration
Most people don't drink nearly enough water, and the effects are subtle but
devastating to your training and fat burning efforts. Let me explain. Did you ever wake
up in the morning and feel so groggy it almost felt like a hangover? Maybe you didn't
even want to get out of bed. Guess what? You were probably dehydrated. In fact, a
"hangover" - headache, tiredness, and fatigue is partially caused by the dehydration from
the diuretic effects of alcohol.
Here's another example: Do you normally get excellent workouts, but then some
days, your butt is dragging and you just can't finish your workout - you “bonk out” at the
end, or even worse, you can't really even get started? Guess what? You were probably
dehydrated. You see, the effects of dehydration are very subtle. They "creep" up on you.
By the time you feel any effects of dehydration, it's too late - you're already dehydrated.
Usually you don't even associate these effects with lack of water. You might think you’re
just over-worked, you didn't get enough sleep or you're coming down with a cold. That’s
why people so easily overlook this aspect of nutrition.
Every physiological process in your body depends on water
Because there’s so much attention placed today on complex issues such as protein
and carbohydrate intake, essential fatty acids, macronutrient ratios and high-performance
supplements, it's no wonder that something as simple as water could be so easily taken for
granted. The importance of drinking plenty of water and keeping adequately hydrated
cannot be emphasized enough.
Water is the most abundant nutrient in your body. Approximately 60-70% of your
body is comprised of water. Your blood is made up of about 90% water. Your muscles
are about 70% water. Even your bones are 20% water. Without adequate water, nothing
in your body could function properly. Every physiological process in your body takes
place in water or depends on water. Water is necessary to regulate your body’s
temperature, to transport nutrients, and to build tissues. Water is required for joint
lubrication, digestion, circulation, respiration, absorption, and excretion. Without water,
you would die in a matter of days. Sports nutritionist Dr. Michael Colgan says that water
is quite simply, the most important nutrient in the body.
Dehydration decreases endurance, strength and physical performance
As you become dehydrated, your body's core temperature increases. This
adversely affects your cardiovascular function and reduces your capacity for physical
work. Even a small decrease in your body's hydration level can decrease your
performance. Studies have shown that even mild dehydration of 3% of body weight can
decrease contractile strength by 10%. When 4% - 5% or more of total weight is lost in
water, muscular and aerobic endurance can decrease by 20% to 30%. If more than 10-
12% of the body’s weight as water is lost, you could die.
Higher protein diets have a diuretic effect and require extra attention to drinking
water
Because this program tends to be moderate to high in protein, drinking plenty of
water is especially important. The processing of protein foods generates metabolic waste
products that must be flushed out and removed by the kidneys. Without adequate water,
the kidneys can’t remove these wastes properly. It is a myth that high protein diets cause
kidney damage. A high protein diet is not harmful to healthy kidneys -- as long as plenty
of water is consumed every day.
Water is essential to the fat burning process
Not only do you need plenty of water for good health, you also need water to lose
fat. Here’s why: One of the important functions of your kidneys is to eliminate toxic
waste products from your body through the urine. When you’re dehydrated, the body’s
instinctive reaction is to hold on to whatever water it does have in order to survive.
When this water retention occurs, the waste products in the body aren’t flushed out, and
build up in your system. At this point, the liver will try to help out with the overload.
The problem is, when the liver helps out during fluid retention, it can’t do its own jobs as
efficiently, one of which is burning stored body fat for energy. The result is that your
body may not be able to burn body fat as efficiently as normal
Drinking lots of water does not make you retain water
Many people avoid drinking a lot of water because they think it will make them
retain fluid and become bloated. Actually, the opposite is true. When you’re dehydrated,
your body senses the lack of adequate water and holds on to all the water that’s currently
in the body. When you consume adequate amounts of water, your body senses that you’re
no longer dehydrated, and therefore your kidneys flush the water out of your system like
they normally do, resulting in less water retention.
How much should you drink?
The most common general guideline for water intake is to drink eight to ten
8-oz glasses of water per day (64-80 oz per day). This may or may not be
adequate, depending on a variety of factors. The 8 to 10 glasses guideline is okay
as a ballpark, but taking into account activity levels and caloric expenditure will
give you an even more accurate and individualized estimate of your water needs.
Water needs may vary depending on a number of factors. Large individuals need
more water than smaller people, and highly active individuals need more than those who
are inactive. Climate can also affect your hydration needs. If you live or work out in a
hot and humid environment your water requirements will be higher.
