How Much Fish Oil Should You Take? Written by Calvin Sun Just about everyone is convinced that fish oil is the one supplement that you must add to your nutritional regime. Numerous studies have shown supplementing with fish oil has a variety of health benefits including reducing inflammation, improving blood lipid profiles, improving cognitive function, preventing cardiovascular disease, increasing immune function, and reduced risk of cancers. But how much fish oil should you take in order to reap the benefits? Robb Wolf, along with many other nutrition gurus, recommends 0.5 grams of omega-3 in the form of eicosapentaenoic acid and
Read more →Should You Be Taking Branched-Chain Amino Acids? Written by Calvin Sun I have had a good number of questions lately from both athletes and coaches in our community on branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation. For several years now, BCAAs have been a hot topic amongst athletes, strength coaches, and fitness professionals. In that time, BCAA supplementation has become a mainstream practice for amateur and professional athletes alike. There are a variety of claims associated with BCAAs including increased lean muscle mass, improved recovery time, and increased strength. What exactly are BCAAs? There are 22 standard amino acids and these amino
Read more →The Fuzz Written by Calvin Sun Most movement issues we see are due to what most people describe as muscle “stiffness” and/or “tightness.” In reality, your muscles are really numerous sliding surfaces built upon more sliding surfaces. Often problems arise when these surfaces no longer slide very well. Take a look at the photo above, see the cobweb-like structures on both sides? That is fuzz that has accumulated in between tissue surfaces. “Fuzz” is almost like an adhesive in that it causes your sliding surfaces to stick together as if they were glued down. This can result in poor positioning,
Read more →Training on an Empty Stomach Written by Calvin Sun I am often asked if it is alright to train on an empty stomach. I think this is a common issue for anyone who needs to get to the gym early in the morning. Eating a breakfast of solid foods such as eggs, veggies, and maybe some fruit before a 6am workout can be difficult, if not impossible, for many people. You’ll have to be up early to prepare breakfast, eat, allow adequate time for digestion and get to the gym for your training session. Even if you prepare food ahead
Read more →Training for Fat Loss Written by Calvin Sun I’ve spent the better part of a decade earning a living by training clients and working with athletes. In that time, the biggest misconceptions that I have seen over and over have been related to training for fat loss. I hate to generalize, but most women (and some men) believe that they should avoid all weight training and only perform “cardio” and abdominal exercises to get their ideal physique. I see this manifest in our group classes in the form of going through the motions during the strength portion and then only
Read more →How To Get A Better Rack Written by Calvin Sun The rack position is the source of much pain and frustration for many athletes. The inability to get into a good rack position affects your ability to effectively press, push-press, or jerk a barbell overhead. You’ll also be far less effective in your front squats and, of course, your cleans. This is usually caused by some tight muscles throughout your upper body such as the latissimus dorsi, teres major, posterior deltoid, and triceps. The wrist flexors are also a common culprit. I highly recommend reading Kelly Starrett’s articles on stretching the lats and triceps.
Read more →Written by Calvin Sun I have spent over half a decade working in the fitness industry and, for better or worse, things have changed a great deal over the last few years. Among these changes, strength coaches and physical therapists have found themselves on convergent paths. Many PTs are required to have a certification in strength and conditioning and more coaches are finding themselves at seminars learning about myofasical release and techniques for increasing range of motion. In the past, coaches and trainers would simply instruct their clients on how to “stretch”, focusing on increasing flexibility by lengthening muscles that
Read more →Liquid Death Written by Calvin Sun With the increasing popularity of the Paleo Diet, many people are turning to agave nectar as a sweetener in many of their favorite recipes. It’s understandable to see why people would think of using agave nectar as it doesn’t add any other flavors like many sweeteners and it tastes sweeter than sugar. Unfortunately, it’s not Paleo and it’s definitely not good for you. So imagine my surprise when I was walking through the aisles of my local Costco only to be confronted by a gigantic pallet of agave nectar. The labeling advertised it as
Read more →
