Each Zone meal must have proteins, carbohydrates, and good fats in the correct proportion.
There are two types of fats that fall into the category of “good” fats. These are monounsaturated fats and long-chain omega-3 fats. You get monounsaturated fats from olive oil, selected nuts, and avocados. Long-chain omega-3 fats come from fish and fish oils (like the cod liver oil your grandmother told you to take). These are exceptionally powerful allies in your quest for a longer life ...But for the moment just think of them as good fats.

However, there are some fats you want to restrict in your diet; these are saturated fats, Tran’s fats, and arachidonic acid. I consider these to be really “bad” fats. You find saturated fats in fatty cuts of red meat and high-fat dairy products. Another type of fat to avoid is Tran’s fats. These artificial fats were created by the food industry and are found in virtually all processed foods. Any time you see the words “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil”, you know that food contains trans fats. These alien fats make processed food more stable (why do you think your Twinkie is still good after a year in your pocket?) Furthermore, Harvard Medical School has shown that the more Trans fats you eat the more at risk you are for heart disease. Finally there is arachidonic acid, which is found primarily in fatty red meats, egg yolks, and organ meats. This particular polyunsaturated fat may be the most dangerous fat known when consumed in excess. In fact, you can inject virtually every type of fat (even saturated fat and cholesterol) into rabbits, and nothing happens. However, if you inject arachidonic acid into the same rabbits, they are dead within three minutes. The human body needs some arachidonic acid, but too much can be toxic. Ironically, the higher your insulin levels, the more your body is stimulated to make increased levels of arachidonic acid.

Make a Fat Switch

Get rid of vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, butter, whole-milk dairy products, and any other foods that contain high amounts of saturated and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. Replace the vegetable oils and shortenings with olive oil and nut butters (almond is the best) that are rich in monounsaturated fat. Replace the whole-milk dairy products with low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat milk, and part skim ricotta cheese. Replace bologna and bacon with low-fat sources of protein like chicken, turkey, and fish. Also, stock up on soybean-based food products like meatless ground beef, soy hamburgers, and soy sausages. The key is to use low-fat protein sources so you can add back the small amounts of monounsaturated fat.

• Favorable and Unfavorable Carbohydrates
Favorable (have a lower effect on insulin)
• Most vegetables (except corn and carrots)
• Most fruits (except bananas and raisins)
• Selected grains (slow-cooking oatmeal, barley)

Unfavorable (have a greater effect on insulin)
• Grains and starches (pasta, bread, bagels, cereals, potatoes, etc.)
• Selected fruits (bananas, raisins, etc.)
Selected vegetables (corn and carrots)
• Skinless chicken
• Turkey
• Fish
• Very lean cuts of meat
• Egg whites
• Low-fat dairy products
• Tofu
Soy meat substitutes
“Good” and “Bad” Fats in the Zone Diet
Good Fats (monounsaturated fats and long-chain omega-3 fats)
• Olive oil
• Almonds
• Avocados
• Fish oils

Bad fats (saturated fats, trans fats, and arachidonic acid)
• Fatty red meat
• Egg yolks
• Organ meats
• Processed foods (rich in trans fats)
• Favorable and Unfavorable Carbohydrates
Favorable (have a lower effect on insulin)
• Most vegetables (except corn and carrots)
• Most fruits (except bananas and raisins)
• Selected grains (slow-cooking oatmeal, barley)

Unfavorable (have a greater effect on insulin)
• Grains and starches (pasta, bread, bagels, cereals, potatoes, etc.)
• Selected fruits (bananas, raisins, etc.)
Selected vegetables (corn and carrots)

Knee pain? Backache? Twisted ankle?
When aches, pain, strains or swelling take place due to an injury or chronic condition, what is the best course of action: ice or heat? Many people automatically assume heat therapy will ease their discomfort. Think again!

By Louise Roach
Ice and heat have opposite effects when it comes to dealing with inflammation and pain. Both therapies are useful when applied at the correct stage of an injury. Ice therapy constricts blood vessels and decreases blood flow to an injured area, therefore reducing the heat and swelling associated with inflammation. It also numbs pain. In contrast heat therapy increases local blood circulation, relaxes tight muscles and promotes healing.
When is it appropriate to use each?

The Acute Injury Stage:
Immediately after an injury occurs, inflammation and swelling takes place due to damaged soft tissues and broken blood vessels which leak blood into the affected area. This is considered the acute stage of an injury and lasts about 48 to 72 hours. Pain, stiffness, bruising and tissue tenderness are symptoms of the acute stage. Ice should always be used immediately following an injury because it constricts blood vessels, which will lessen swelling, as well as numb pain and control bleeding. Apply ice no more than 20 minutes at a time. Always protect skin from tissue damage by using a cover over the ice pack. Allow the skin to return to normal temperature before reapplying ice therapy. Heat should not be used during the acute stage. It will increase blood leakage, which increases swelling and possibly pain. Most health professionals agree that icing an acute injury will aid healing and promote a faster recover. But if you apply heat instead of ice, it may actually slow the healing process during the first 72 hours after an injury takes place.

The Chronic Injury Stage:
This is normally the point at which inflammation decreases, approximately 72 hours after the injury. Pain and stiffness may still be present. At this point, both ice therapy and heat therapy can be used to help with the healing process. Use ice therapy to control pain and to help with inflammation that might occur after working an injured area, such as a sore knee after running. Use heat therapy to relieve muscle tightness or joint stiffness. Heat is also helpful before a workout to increase blood flow to the injury and warm up the affected area. When applying heat, use moist warmth. Never use a heating device that is too hot nor sleep on a heating pad, which may result in burns. Apply heat only for 10 to 20-minute intervals, using the same general guidelines as ice.
An Easy Guide for Ice and Heat:  When to Use Ice:
During Acute Stage (48 to 72 hours immediately after an injury)
• To decrease swelling and inflammation
• To numb pain
• To decrease muscle spasms
• To treat an acute, minor burn (no blistering present)
During Chronic Stage (after inflammation subsides, usually 4 or 5 days after injury)
• To manage pain and possible swelling
• After an activity or workout involving an overuse injury to decrease pain and swelling
• To treat joint swelling due to inflammatory arthritis
When to Use Heat:
During Chronic Stage (after inflammation subsides, usually 4 or 5 days after injury)
• To warm up stiff joints and aid in joint mobility
• To decrease chronic muscle spasms
• To aid in stretching tight muscles
Before an activity or workout involving an overuse injury to warm up the affected area

In discussing the technical aspects of the classical lifts, attention is often solely focused on the actual pulling or pushing motion (initial pull-knee bend-final pull, or the thrusting action). A quite important component is often overlooked: the non-support phase of the squat-under portion of the snatch, the clean, and the jerk. Even a perfectly performed pulling or pushing motion will not, in and of itself, guarantee a successful lift. Optimal execution of the non-support phase of the squat under can make all the difference in achieving a smooth successful attempt. The purpose of this article is to provide some insight into why this phase is so critical.

A speedier lifter is able to convey more of his strength to a moving bar. All other conditions being equal, the speedier lifter not only develops greater force but is able to apply that force to a moving bar with a more protracted effect.

In addition to possessing speed in individual movement, a lifter must possess good speed in individual parts of his body. For instance, in the initial phase of the pull the knee joints are extended, and as the knees are brought under the bar they are flexed; in the final pull they are again extended, followed by a final flexion in the drop under phase. And all of this takes place in less than one second!

The greater the athlete’s ability to switch rapidly from one movement to another, the greater his ability to transmit power in each individual movement.

Force is generated as a result of the interaction of the athlete with the barbell, especially during the transition from the final acceleration to the drop under the barbell in the snatch and the clean and during the transition from the thrust to the drop under the barbell in the jerk.

A moving body possesses kinetic energy (KE) which is proportional to the mass of the object and the square of its velocity. The constant of proportionality is .5 (one half). So, KE=[(mass)(velocity squared) / 2] [formula (1)].

Kinetic energy is capable of performing work. When movement comes to a stop (i.e. when velocity=0), the kinetic energy has been 100% expended on the work performed. This concept can be quantitatively expressed as follows:

KE = [(mass)(velocity squared) / 2] = FS [formula (2)]

where F= average value of force developed by moving body and S= the path through which the reserve of KE was expended.

At the end of the final acceleration (or thrust in the jerk) the athlete is moving upward with great speed. Instantly, he must then reverse direction. During this transition, which is produced primarily as a result of the dynamic work of the arms, the kinetic energy in the lifters body is transferred to the barbell through the arms and continues to produce energy in the direction of the barbell.

From formula (2) it can be seen that the force arising during the dying out of the body’s velocity depends on the length of the path through which the dying out of the body’s velocity takes place (i.e. the two variables are negatively correlated). The shorter the path (i.e. the faster the transition from the final pull to the drop under), the greater the force available.

Studies have shown that elite middleweight lifters can develop more than 200kg of force in the snatch during the switch-over from the final pull to the squat under.

The importance of this phase can be summarized as follows: anytime the force generated exceeds the weight of the bar it creates acceleration. If the force is equal to the weight of the bar, then the bar only maintains the speed acquired at the end of the final pull. Finally, if the force is less than the weight of the bar it still has a positive effect on the upward movement of the bar as it decreases the “braking” action of the force of gravity, even though the bars speed is decreasing.

Attention to these important facts will go a long way to making you a better lifter.

James O’Malley

1. An emery cloth, sandpaper, Carborundum, pumice stone or similar device should be used on the calluses several times during the day. The calluses must be sanded down to keep them small. This method is better than using a razor blade to trim them, which may result in little cuts that can become infected.

2. The hands should be soaked in warm water at the end of each training session. This should be followed by an application of petrolatum, Vaseline, coca butter, laolin, vitamin 3 ointment or any other moistener which should be applied several times a say including once at bedtime. The calluses must be kept small and pliable. Sanding, soaking and using a moisturizer can accomplish this. If they do rip, an antibiotic cream should be used. Remember every day, “S&S” sand them down and soften them. If a callus rips during a competition, sometimes the lifter must drop out. However, if the lifter has a high pain threshold, he/she can complete the lifts by taking the following steps:

1. Stop the bleeding with pressure, wash with a mild soap (if time permits), dry and remove the loose skin by carefully trimming with a small, preferably, sterile scissors.
2. Apply an antiseptic, i.e. betadine, and allow drying.
3. Apply a pain killer, i.e. lidocaine gel or preparation H (should be washed off after competition)
4. Apply tuf-skin or tineture of benzoin; allow drying, and chalking the area.
The athlete should now be able to compete. (if in a hurry , skip steps 2&3, and chalk hand well).  After competition wash the area with phisohex, betadine, or a similar substance. Dry the area and apply antibiotic cream and a sterile bandage. Once again, remember that this condition can be avoided by proper daily preventative maintenance.

Another cause of injury to the hands is attributable to the poor hand strength. Lifters must devote time to developing hand strength, for it is important to begin this process at an early age. The roller apparatus, grippers, pinch gripping plates, reverse curls, wrist curls, and squeezing rubber balls and newspaper drill are some of the exercises, which are beneficial for the hands and fingers. The newspaper drill consists of curling or crushing a large page of newspaper into a small ball, continuing until several can be rolled up into a ball.

Another technique is to carry large dumb-bells or “kettle-bells” for distances which can help develop grip strength, especially if the lifter uses straps for deadlight, snatch and or clean workouts.

Introduction
(4, 6, 12). The major muscles that are activated are the ankle, knee and hip extensors, the spinal erectors and the abdominals. As a result the squat is one of the most popular exercises for development of lower body strength and power. It constitutes one of the three competitive lifts in the sport of Powerlifting and the front squat variation is also a component of the ‘Clean’ lift in weightlifting.

The ‘Sticking Point’ Phenomena
When load is near maximal, squat technique may be adjusted to permit a successful completion of the lift. This results in an asymmetric lift when descending and ascending components are compared (6). The point of minimal bar velocity during the ascent is often described as the ‘sticking point’.
The sticking point is thought to result from the force-length properties of muscles and the torque produced by the load (6). The quadriceps’ ability to produce tension decreases as they extend and hence so does their net extensor moment. At the sticking point, they are no longer able to produce sufficient force to continue extending the knees (6). Hip flexion at this point occurs to shorten the load’s moment arm at the knee joints and enables the quadriceps to extend them (17) (and also lengthen the hamstrings). The vasti muscles of the quadriceps group all show similar peak EMG activity during ascent and decent (12). The rectus femoris is the only bi-articular muscle in the quadriceps group, it creates a hip flexor moment. and shows ~30% greater activation during the descent yet still significantly less than the vasti (12). The vasti each have specific length tension relationships, and it may be a weakness in the lateralis that contributes to the sticking point since the medialis is most active at the latter stages of knee extension (15)

The moment arm at the hip increases as it flexes at the sticking point but lengthening of the gluteal and hamstring muscles is advantageous for producing force since it improves their length tension relationships and