BroScience Demystified
Chest Bump, Bro!
Well, it seems it’s that time to go back to basics and understand the purpose of working out and how to keep ourselves safe while doing so.
There are NUMEROUS marketing gimmicks out there that will promise you the moon, stars, and the sun…however, provide little to no outcomes AND put your health in jeopardy.
Many of the online forums give uneducated individuals uneducated answers that can and will lead to harmful outcomes.
My job is to cut through the BS and provide cut and dry answers that we KNOW works.
Myth #1: I can eat whatever I want, like when I was 20, and can work out hard to maintain my body.
Answer: That is by far the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Nutrition is 98.9% the battle and that is our biggest fallacy. We push so hard to work out, but no one ever talks about eating the right foods to get to our desired outcome.
You can eat bon bon’s all day and go lift hard, but you aren’t doing yourself any good. You need at least half your body weight in protein, ideally your full body weight, to stimulate protein synthesis and increase lean muscle mass.
There is no go-around. Our body needs protein and cannot create mythical macro and micronutrients out of thin air. Give your body a fighting chance to succeed instead of constantly sabotaging it by eating highly processed, crap food.
Myth #2: The manufacturer’s supplements are safe and effective and will help me get the results I want in the gym.
Let me be painfully clear on this. ALL supplement companies DO NOT have YOUR best interest in mind. They have a business and want to sell their product. Have we all forgotten that? Furthermore, the FDA does NOT regulate what they put in their products. Remember Jack3d from a few years back? Well, they did some shady things, got in trouble, changed one teeny tiny molecule, and marketed it as a new and improved formula.
Does that sound like a great business model? Does it sound like they have your health in mind? Afraid not. You MUST do your research and understand what you are putting in your body. In fact, DON’T take any supplements at all!!
You do not need to drink 5–6 protein drinks a day to get “swole.” You need to EAT your protein over drinking. There are too many inflammatory agents pumped into those protein drinks/bars that will leave you in more harm than good.
Myth #3: Go big or go home.
Eh. Yes and no. Although the simple theory of progressive overload is VITALLY important, we should not be lifting weights that compromise our form and put us in harm’s way. Progressive overload means going one rep more than prior, or going slightly heavier on the weight than you did last time. It does not mean we go crazy with the weights.
The goal is to stay in the gym, not get hurt and keep us out of the gym and eating more bon bon’s. There is nothing wrong with swallowing your ego and using lighter weight. Let me preface this by saying you MUST make it difficult for you. You simply cannot just go through the motions and expect everything to be hunky-dory.
You need to sweat. You need to develop a mind to muscle connection. You need to understand this is hard work. Nothing worth having is ever going to be easy. Ask questions from those who are better than you. Look at videos on Youtube to see how the form should be. There is absolutely no excuse for the vast amount of resources available at our fingertips.
Myth #4: I eat healthily. I am not seeing any results! What do I do?
First of all, I guarantee you are NOT eating healthy if you are not seeing results. The term “healthy” is so broad and open to MUCH interpretation that it is the most asinine statement everyone likes to throw out as their catch-all.
Second, eat more animal products. Chicken, fish, meat, bison, turkey, etc. We need those vital macro and micronutrients to build lean muscle mass and burn fat. Focus on eating your body weight in protein. By default, you will be kept fuller longer. Eat your protein first on your plate and save your carbs for last. Remember, eating real food is ALWAYS superior to eating pre-packaged foods.
Investing in your health now is leaps and bounds better than investing in your health later when you are paying hand over fist for your prescription medications. Food is always and will always be the best medicine.
Myth #5: I am not seeing results- my hormones MUST be off!
Another blanket terminology where we like to shift blame for our misdoings. Sex hormones and thyroid imbalance is not always the answer. The answer begins with what we put in our mouths. Even if you take a ton of steroids and take pills to shortcut your thyroid- it will all be for moot if you don’t eat healthy foods.
We can’t keep placing blame that our thyroid gland is malfunctioning. We must believe it is functioning properly until proven otherwise. If, and only if, you are eating the correct foods at the appropriate time and still aren’t experiencing benefits, then you should go see your medical provider for an evaluation.
Do not jump on the black market bandwagon to take who knows what from some dude in the gym bathroom. You are asking for trouble and it will find you in a bad way. There are many educated providers out there that know a lot about hormone management and optimization. I suggest you once again do your research and find one that specializes in sports medicine or hormone replacement therapy.
Let me reiterate that statement. If you start taking hormones and your diet sucks, you will still not see the results you want. However, if you start eating correctly and you are clinically depressed in your sex hormones, optimization may be warranted and you will thrive as a result.
Do not do something now because you want a quick fix and will result in long term effects. Many people don’t think about the downstream effects their actions have on their body and this is a necessity. Fertility, metabolism, depression, anxiety, heart problems. All issues that could arise if we are frivolous with what we put in our body for “medicinal” purposes.
Demystification Process
Science is always evolving and changing. We, as a collective whole, have been fed significant lies about what we should and shouldn’t eat for the past 60 years. Lies because the unbiased studies that were performed were heavily biased and unscientific. Too much correlational studies and not enough cold, hard, facts.
The FDA has persistently pushed eating a diet full of whole grains, high fruits, and veggies with minimal protein and fats sparingly. Thanks to that pile of crap, we have created a global pandemic of fat people.
We are addicted to ease of access and look for food that is prepared on a whim and cheap. You get what you pay for in life. If you buy crappy quality foods, you will feel crappy. We absolutely are what we eat.
Stop focusing on going to the gym and running for 20 minutes in hopes you will burn off the prior days’ feast of fast food and junk.
Instead, look at what you eat. Anyone can go to the gym and figure out how to move a heavy thing from one place to another. The hard part is figuring out what to eat. Remember, if it has a nutritional label, avoid eating it. It is packed with preservatives, sugars, and chemicals that have virtually stripped any nutritional benefits.
Always do your homework and learn from your mistakes. Be honest with yourself. Understand there are people who want to help you better yourself. You just have to look in the right places and not be afraid to ask.
Be strong. Be brave.
