Someone brought this name up as an expert in the field and someone of whom they research and consider what he says good advice.
Just as I wrote the mirror thread, I cam across this interview. Hmmmmm! I got this from
TMUSCLE: You've battled cancer. Twice. Not many people can say that. What lessons did that teach you? I don't mean the "enjoy the little things/ work less, love more" kind of thing; I mean lessons that you learned about the body?
Alwyn Cosgrove: Okay. There are a few things. The caloric balance model of calories in, calories out? Bullshit.
I was in a negative caloric state (and vomiting) for months, lost muscle mass but gained weight (fat). I know the growth of the disease and the drugs involved in treating it change everything — but I had a malignant disease, wasn't eating or training towards the end and probably gained 20lbs. Even after the treatment, without chemo, it took a long time to cut the weight — so it's not just about calories.
Massive levels of cortisol have profound negative partitioning effects; calories go away from muscle and towards fat. I get that — but to create "mass" where there is no additional raw material — no fuel or building blocks present, violates the entire caloric balance model.
For the same reason that giving someone Testosterone will increase muscle mass and cause fat loss without training or changing diet, women in our gym will experience body comp changes when they're going through menopause — even if training and caloric intake remains unchanged.
We see studies all the time about how adding a grapefruit to the diet increases fat loss despite being eucaloric. The low-carb studies have shown people losing fat when eating more calories as compared to high-carb diets. We've seen studies that show a loss in fat when you add in fish oil to the diet despite no change in calories. The caloric balance model just isn't complete.
As far as after cancer — I've been an elite athlete and a cancer patient. That's about as extreme as you can get. You get away with shitty training when you're young — your body can handle a lot. After being sick, I realized how smart you need to be with your training recovery.
If you planned on doing 2 sets of 5 reps and you did 2 sets of 6 — that's 20% more volume than planned. What changes in subsequent recovery strategies or workouts are you going to make as a result of that when you can't get away with that stuff anymore?
And, I learned that Lance Armstrong is amazing; cancer is way tougher than anyone can imagine. To come back from that and just look normal is fucking amazing — never mind winning seven tours and being the best in the world...
Just as I wrote the mirror thread, I cam across this interview. Hmmmmm! I got this from
TMUSCLE: You've battled cancer. Twice. Not many people can say that. What lessons did that teach you? I don't mean the "enjoy the little things/ work less, love more" kind of thing; I mean lessons that you learned about the body?
Alwyn Cosgrove: Okay. There are a few things. The caloric balance model of calories in, calories out? Bullshit.
I was in a negative caloric state (and vomiting) for months, lost muscle mass but gained weight (fat). I know the growth of the disease and the drugs involved in treating it change everything — but I had a malignant disease, wasn't eating or training towards the end and probably gained 20lbs. Even after the treatment, without chemo, it took a long time to cut the weight — so it's not just about calories.
Massive levels of cortisol have profound negative partitioning effects; calories go away from muscle and towards fat. I get that — but to create "mass" where there is no additional raw material — no fuel or building blocks present, violates the entire caloric balance model.
For the same reason that giving someone Testosterone will increase muscle mass and cause fat loss without training or changing diet, women in our gym will experience body comp changes when they're going through menopause — even if training and caloric intake remains unchanged.
We see studies all the time about how adding a grapefruit to the diet increases fat loss despite being eucaloric. The low-carb studies have shown people losing fat when eating more calories as compared to high-carb diets. We've seen studies that show a loss in fat when you add in fish oil to the diet despite no change in calories. The caloric balance model just isn't complete.
As far as after cancer — I've been an elite athlete and a cancer patient. That's about as extreme as you can get. You get away with shitty training when you're young — your body can handle a lot. After being sick, I realized how smart you need to be with your training recovery.
If you planned on doing 2 sets of 5 reps and you did 2 sets of 6 — that's 20% more volume than planned. What changes in subsequent recovery strategies or workouts are you going to make as a result of that when you can't get away with that stuff anymore?
And, I learned that Lance Armstrong is amazing; cancer is way tougher than anyone can imagine. To come back from that and just look normal is fucking amazing — never mind winning seven tours and being the best in the world...
