Fitness Under Oath

  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • My Book

People Aren’t Rats. And Athletes Aren’t People.

6:22 am By Matt 5 Comments

I've gotten quite a few emails from people wanting to know my take on a rat study showing that intermittent fasting may lead to increased belly fat.

Thankfully, two very smart people have already taken the time to go through the study and point out some of the reasons why this type of research isn't applicable to humans. 

So I'll point you to to these two articles if this topic interests you.

Does Fasting Make You Fat?

So Does Intermittent Fasting Now Make You Fat?

But I also want to add my own take on things from a top-level perspective:  People aren't rats.  And athletes aren't people.  I think the first part of that statement is pretty self-explanatory.  But athletes aren't people?  Huh?   'splain please!

The simple fact is this:  If you engage in regular resistance training and metabolic conditioning activities, you are a very different "test subject" than the average couch potato.  As such, general diet advice that works fine for "regular people" will not apply for the athlete.  For example:  The government's take on how you should eat might be a fine recommendation for a normal person.   But an athlete would eat dramatically different.  

Let me give you another example:  If you fed a rat a steady diet of carbohydrates and sugar products, you would expect the rat to get fat. 

If you fed a regular human a steady diet of carbohydates and sugar products, you would expect the human to get fat. 

But ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes regularly eats an entire whole pizza WHILE he's running, along with copious amounts of sugar.

And Dean Karnazes is anything but fat.

People aren't rats. And athletes aren't people.

Filed Under: Fat Loss, Metabolism

How do prisoners get muscular?

6:46 am By Matt 1 Comment

This article reveals how convicts build muscle.

If you've ever wondered how prisoners get lean and muscular without proper equipment, without quality food and without access to common supplements, this article is for you.

Warning:  This article contains interviews from current and former convicts and prison staff members.  Reader discretion is advised.

Former Prison Guard Turned Champion Bodybuilder Reveals
15 Minute "Prison Cell Workout"

This is really cool.  I recently interviewed a former prison guard turned champion bodybuilder.  He told me about a 15 minute -- all bodyweight workout -- that some prisoners used to get in "bodybuilder" shape without any equipment, without any special food or any special supplements.

The entire workout takes just 15 minutes a day and it can be done inside your home, your office, or your prison cell. 

It's FREE for you today.

FREE!

Secret #1:  Lot's of reps with short range of motion

A current inmate at the San Quentin state prison in California was recently interviewed about how convicts manage to gain muscle in prison.

He revealed...

"Every yard I've been on has workout bars where men can do a variety of exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and leg-lifts. To add weight to their routines, I've seen guys use each other's body weight to add resistance to their workouts.


An interview with current inmate #T31014
reveals how prisoners build muscle.

Push-ups are done with someone leaning against your back and squats can be done with somebody sitting on your shoulders. I've also seen guys fill pillowcases with sand to use as dumb­ bells. In the cell, trash bags are filled with water and placed inside a bucket with a handle for shoulder shrugs and lateral raises. My favorite method is stacking forty to fifty National Geographic magazines and tying them up in a laundry bag for bicep curls and tricep extensions.

This question actually gave me the courage to ask one of the more muscular guys on the yard, 'Curly Joe', how he still managed to stay so buff. Here's the inside scoop. Curly told me the secret is lots of reps with shorter a smaller range of motion. He explained, "You got to pump those muscles up like a balloon until they feel like their going to explode." I told him it sounded somewhat painful. He just laughed and went to do another set.   Source:  Quora, Last Mile Program.  Interview with inmate # T31014.

Secret #2:  600 Push-Ups a Day?

This man is 60 years old and does over 600 push ups per day.

Another inmate reveals...

"I was afraid of all the prison stories being true, I didn't want to go to prison looking weak (as a bulky 150lbs) and as an easy target to prey on. So I started with the goal of 600 push-ups a day. Once I began noticing results(and others noticing the results as well), my self-esteem was boosted and I began to incorporate dips, pull-ups, lunges,and squats."

Source:  Last Mile Program, Quora.  Interview with inmate #K96627

Anyone who thinks 600 pushups a day sounds too simple should see the photo on the left of the 60-year old man who does 600-700 push-ups per day.

Secret #3:  Get Your Protein Without Tipping Off The Guards

Prison food is notoriously cheap and devoid of nutrients.   And you need nutrients (especially protein) to build muscle.  So crafty convicts find ways to get the nutrients they need.

Extra cans of "Jack Mack" (tuna fish for those of us on the outside) can be stolen/smuggled out of the kitchen.  And considering each can contains a whopping 72.5 grams of protein, adding one can on top of your daily prison diet will help get you jacked quickly.

72.5 grams of protein per can!


Protein shakes are given to AID's patients, who then sell them to the bodybuilders.

In some prisons, convicts with A.I.D.s and other muscle-wasting diseases are given Ensure protein shakes to make sure they are getting enough calories and protein. 

Naturally, those protein shakes are sold to the bodybuilders in exchange for cash or cigarettes. 
Source:  An Ex-cons guide to prison weightlifting.  Article, Deadspin.

These cheap shakes aren't the best source of protein, but if you're stuck in prison they are better than nothing.​

Former Prison Guard Turned Champion Bodybuilder Reveals
15 Minute "Prison Cell Workout"

This is really cool.  I recently interviewed a former prison guard turned champion bodybuilder.  He told me about a 15 minute -- all bodyweight workout -- that some prisoners used to get in "bodybuilder" shape without any equipment, without any special food or any special supplements.

The entire workout takes just 15 minutes a day and it can be done inside your home, your office, or your prison cell. 

It's FREE for you today.

FREE!

  Matt MarshallFounder 

Thanks for reading this article.  My name is Matt Marshall.  I'm a Certified Personal Trainer and founder of Fitness Under Oath.  I help regular people get ridiculously fit.  Be sure to grab your FREE copy of The Prison Workout Plan above.  It's my gift to you.

Filed Under: Bodybuilding, Fat Loss, Muscle, Myth

How To Eat Damn Near 100 Pieces Of Halloween Candy This Weekend And Actually Lose Fat

11:05 am By Matt 1 Comment

candy100

Eat it all… and still lose fat?

This is going to blow your mind.

But you could actually eat 30 fun-sized pieces of Halloween candy on Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night… and wake up with less fat on Monday morning.

That’s 90 — damn near 100 — pieces of Halloween candy over the weekend.

And no, you don’t have to run a marathon or do burpees until you puke.

You can just sit on the couch and stuff your face.

And no, this isn’t a Halloween gag.  It’s science.

See for yourself…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fat Loss, Motivation

Life Isn’t Fair: The Massive Advantage Of Being Lean

10:57 am By Matt 3 Comments

This kid gets it...

This kid gets it…

I once heard that Bill Gates is so rich, he makes $1.38 million bucks every hour.

This means it would be nearly impossible for Gates to spend all his money.  Even if he went on a ridiculous day-long spending spree, he would eventually have to stop spending and go to sleep.  And while he was sleeping he’d earn another $8 million dollars and change. (1)

The rich get richer, as they say.

As it turns out, a new study shows that lean people have a similar “unfair advantage.”  Just as the uber rich can spend carelessly without worrying about going broke, it turns out the uber lean can pig out for 3 days without putting on a single ounce of fat.

In this article, you’ll see why lean people can have their cake and eat it too.  And I’ll show you exactly how lean you need to be to join the ranks of the lucky people who can pig out all weekend and wake up leaner than ever on Monday morning.  Ready?  Let’s dive in…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fat Loss

Why You Should STOP Exercising

9:23 am By Matt 6 Comments

Want to lose weight?  Stop exercising.

Want to lose weight? Stop exercising.

If you want to lose weight, shed fat and get fit, here’s a controversial recommendation:

STOP exercising.

“Wait… what?”

Don’t get me wrong. Exercise is definitely good for you. And exercise also burns calories. But that’s exactly the problem: If you’ve been exercising for the purpose of burning calories… then maybe you should just stop.

In this article, I’ll explain why exercise to burn calories is a waste of your time. And what you should do instead.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fat Loss, Myth

The Five Stages Of Intermittent Fasting

11:53 am By Matt 82 Comments

Intermittent fasting works for men and women. Here’s how to make it work for you too…

You’ve heard all about intermittent fasting.

You know the benefits.

You’ve read the success stories.

But you’re not quite sure how to get started. Or, you’ve started but now your progress has stalled.

In this article I’ll reveal the five stages of intermittent fasting and detail how you too can use this popular dieting strategy to get the lean and ripped physique you want.


[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bodybuilding, Fat Loss

The 44 Hour Diet

11:58 am By Matt 90 Comments

Results of The 44 Hour Diet

Results of The 44 Hour Diet

The plan is simple:

On Sunday evening after dinner I stop eating and I close my computer (if I’m using it).

On Monday, I go about my day. Except I don’t eat… and I don’t use the internet for anything other than work-related purposes.

On Monday evening… I still don’t eat. By this point I’ve had plenty of water, coffee and tea… but no food. Oh, and I still haven’t checked the internet.

I go to bed on an empty stomach.

Tuesday morning, I go about my day. I’m allowed to check the internet now. But no food until dinner time. More water, more tea, more coffee.

The day goes by quickly. And Tuesday’s evening meal – no matter what it is — tastes delicious. I eat until I’m full. And then I’ll typically eat again before going to bed on Tuesday evening.

This is the end of my “diet” for the week. I’ll eat normally for the rest of the week. I’ll use the computer however I want for the rest of the week.

Yet because of my strategy during the first 44 hours of the week, my weeks are always ridiculously productive. I stay lean – right around 7-8% body fat – despite the fact that I don’t count calories, carbs, protein or any “macros.” Oh, and I don’t do any cardio either.

In this article, I’ll explain why this controversial strategy works so well and I’ll give you all the details on how I developed this system and how you can put it into practice.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fat Loss

How To Build Muscle And Cut Fat With Ordinary (and dirt-cheap) Baking Soda

11:53 am By Matt 10 Comments

Why haven't you been told about this 87 cent muscle building miracle?

It's weird, but true.

Just a few teaspoons of ordinary, dirt-cheap baking soda can increase muscle gains by 27%!

You can buy an entire box of baking soda for about 87 cents.  And it just might be more effective than those $100 a bottle supplement scams crowding the shelves at your local vitamin shop.  So you can imagine the supplement company CEO's will be none too pleased with this article. 

But here is the PROOF: 

1

Study #1:  25 grams of baking soda consumed 60 minutes prior to a bodybuilding-style workout results in a 22 rep increase. 

In this study, researchers gathered a group of male athletes with prior weight training experience. 

Half of the group received a placebo.  The other half consumed 25 grams of baking soda. 

Then they were put through a grueling quad workout:  4 sets of 12 barbell squats, 4 sets of 12 on the leg press and 4 sets of 12 on the leg extension.

RESULTS:  The guys that consumed the baking soda knocked out an average of 22 more reps!  As you probably already know, more reps equals more muscle.   

Bigger muscles with baking soda?


Source:  Carr BM, Webster MJ, Boyd JC, Hudson GM, Scheett TP. Sodium bicarbonate supplementation improves hypertrophy-type resistance exercise performance. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2012 Sep 4.

2

Study #2:  25 grams of baking soda boosts 1 rep max by 27% in 60 minutes

In this study, researchers took a group of male athletes with prior weight training experience.  Again, half the group got the placebo.

The other half consumed 25 grams of baking soda 60 minutes before their workout.

RESULTS:  The group that consumed the baking soda improved their one rep max by a whopping 27% on the barbell squat, and a modest 6% on the bench press. 

Baking soda could increase your max bench by 10 to 18lbs in 60 minutes.

Source:  Duncan MJ, Weldon A, Price MJ. The effect of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on back squat and bench press exercise to failure. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Oct 11.

But what if you're not a bodybuilder trying to get bigger, or a strength athlete trying to get stronger?  No worries.  Baking soda can boost performance for endurance athletes too.  (This is especially relevant for crossfitters or anyone who trains with bodyweight exercises.)  Check it out...

3

Study #3:  Baking soda improves time to failure by 34% in high intensity interval cardio workouts.

Baking soda boosts performance for endurance
athletes and crossfitters too. 


Scientists recruited a group of trained, college-aged men.  Again,  half got a placebo.  Half got baking soda. 

The students did 3 high intensity workouts per week for 6 weeks.

RESULTS:  The baking soda improved their performance times by 28% after 3 weeks and a whopping 34% after 6 weeks.

As an added bonus, the baking soda group saw a "significant increase in lean muscle mass."

Source:  Jourkesh, Ahmaidi, Keikha, Sadri, Ojagi: Effects of six weeks of sodium bicarbonate supplementation and high-intensity interval training on endurance performance and body composition. Annals of Biological Research, 2011, 2 (2) : 403-41

Ready to try baking soda for yourself and see if this ordinary and inexpensive supplement can take your physique and performance to the next level?  Then here's the big question...

Baking Soda:  When to take it and exactly
how much to take

After reviewing over 30 clinical studies on the performance and physique improving effects of baking soda, I decided to try it for myself.

The results were almost too good to be believed.

I documented everything from my experiment.  Including...

  • Exactly when to take baking soda for best results
  • How much baking soda to use
  • Important "taste tips" and a crucial warning you must read before consuming baking soda

I put everything into an quick, easy-to-read report and it's yours FREE as a thank you for visiting my website.

100% Free. Delivered via email.

No Spam.  Just Baking Soda.  😉

Full privacy policy here.

UPDATE:  Check out what just landed in my inbox...
(click photo to enlarge)

FREE REPORT:  The Baking Soda Protocol 
When to take baking soda and exactly
how much to take

After reviewing over 30 clinical studies on the performance and physique improving effects of baking soda, I decided to try it for myself.

The results were almost too good to be believed.

I documented everything from my experiment.  Including...

  • Exactly when to take baking soda for best results
  • How much baking soda to use
  • Important "taste tips" and a crucial warning you must read before consuming baking soda

I put everything into an quick, easy-to-read report and it's yours FREE as a thank you for visiting my website.

100% Free. Delivered via email.

No Spam.  Just Baking Soda.  😉

Full privacy policy here.

  Matt MarshallFounder 

Thanks for reading this article.  My name is Matt Marshall.  I'm a Certified Personal Trainer and founder of Fitness Under Oath.  I help regular people get ridiculously fit.  Be sure to grab your FREE copy of The Baking Soda Protocol above.

Filed Under: Bodybuilding, Fat Loss, Muscle

8 Lessons Learned On The Way To 8% Body Fat

10:36 am By Matt 23 Comments

Messy basement.

My abs at 8.5% body fat. Also, my basement is messy.

A while back I got a DEXA scan done to find out exactly how much fat I was carrying.

The results put me at 8.5% body fat – leaner than 99% of the general population, and probably leaner than 95% of fitness people. Don’t get me wrong.  I’m certainly NOT the leanest guy in the world.  But I’ve learned a thing or two about getting down to single-digit body fat. So without further ado, here are 8 things I learned on my way to 8% body fat. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fat Loss

How To NOT Lose Muscle When Cutting

10:17 am By Matt 6 Comments

Terrifying.

Terrifying.

Death.

Public speaking.

Losing muscle mass. And maybe clowns.

Those are the biggest fears for most people.

For fitness-minded men who want to get lean, the fear of losing muscle mass is the single biggest “freak out” point on that list. For women, you can substitute “losing muscle mass” with “slowing down your metabolism” and you have the same level of fear. I’ve discussed metabolism in the past. In this article let’s tackle every man’s worst nightmare: Clowns. Err, sorry. I mean losing muscle mass.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fat Loss, Muscle

Next Page »

bookad1

Recent Posts

  • People Aren’t Rats. And Athletes Aren’t People.
  • A Bill Starr Deadlift Routine
  • High Reps For Biceps, Low Reps For Triceps
  • How To Micro-load With Dumbbells
  • Hey Bro, What Kinda Protein You Use?

Copyright © 2023 FitnessUnderOath.com