Dispatch #37
Should women take creatine? Does bodyweight training build muscle? Is having too many books a legitimate problem? This week I discuss all of this—and more.
Brain & Body
Creatine is one of the few supplements I recommend to everyone. After decades of research, the benefits of this compound have been well-established; increases in strength, quicker recovery, greater endurance, and enhanced cognitive functions are just a few of the effects scientists have noted. Small amounts of creatine can be found in various food sources, but supplements are typically needed in order to reap the full benefits.
Many/most of the studies on creatine have been conducted on men, but there is some literature focusing on how it affects women. The above piece reviews the available information and offers a compelling case in favour of creatine regardless of gender.
Creating effective programs is one of a personal trainer’s main duties. The importance of following a program can’t be overstated; without one, you’re essentially leaving results up to chance. If you’re going to invest your time, money and energy into fitness, it only makes sense to take all the steps necessary to ensure a positive outcome.
That said, writing your own programs ain’t exactly rocket science. Yes, there are certain scientific principles one must adhere to, but it doesn’t take much brainpower to comprehend these concepts. This here article outlines the four key tenets common to all quality programs.
Good news for exercise minimalists! A recent study has shown that bodyweight training can be just as effective at building muscle as training with free weights. This should come as no surprise to anyone who actually understands exercise science. As the previous article on program design explains, progressive overload is the “meat and potatoes” of effective training. It doesn’t matter what tool you use, what matters is that you continue to stimulate the targeted muscle groups with challenging exercises.
As with all studies, this one comes with some important caveats, the main one being that all participants were untrained newbies. People with zero resistance training experience will gain muscle from just about any protocol. Even so, the evidence complied in this report provides further proof that all forms of resistance can deliver results.
Heart & Soul
Bird-watching is one of life’s more relaxing activities. I grew-up watching my parents tend to the birds in our backyard. Sometimes I’d help them refill the empty feeders and freshen the stagnant bath water, but mostly I just watched. It’s amazing what you can learn just through observation; here I am 35+ years later with a head full of birdsongs that I can accurately pinpoint to various species. I guess if this whole personal training thing doesn’t pan-out, there’s always ornithology.
Having so many books that they compete for space with all of the other items in your house feels very much like a first-world problem. And what are we to make of these (first-world?) solutions suggested by the author? The obvious answer to this question (“donate them”) is obfuscated beneath an obnoxious heading (“Edit your collection”) that makes it seems as if culling unnecessary junk from your life is an activity filled with virtue. I actually hate this article quite a bit, but I’m sharing it anyways because, well, I like books and I do believe in the value of shaping the spaces we live in so they reflect aspects of our truest selves.
Chalk one up for Canada! Or I guess I should say “chalk three up for Canada”, because that’s how many cities The Great White North has on this list of best places to live in the world. I’ve never been to Calgary, but still I’m surprised it made this list over Montreal. Yes, the French stuff can be a little intimidating at first, but pretty much everyone in the city speaks English too. When it comes to food, culture, history and nightlife, Montreal is miles ahead of even Toronto. Perhaps a trip to Alberta is in order.
Social Spotlight
If you, like myself (and the musician Mark Oliver Everett), enjoy birds, I highly recommend downloading the Merlin Bird ID app. Developed by the brainiacs at Cornell University, this exceptional tool allows you to identify and catalog every type of bird native to your particular region of the world. I discovered this app a few weeks ago when I found an injured juvenile red-tailed hawk in the cemetery behind our home. Fledglings can be tough to identify because their feathers and unique markings take time to fully develop. They can look quite a bit different from their adult counterparts.
Anyway, the Humane Society came and rescued the poor hawk, and from there it was transferred to a local wildlife rehab centre. Hopefully the little thing survived…Mother Nature can be a cruel mistress, that’s for sure.
That’s all for this week. I’d like to thank you, as always, for offering me a bit of your valuable attention. If you found any of these links to be helpful, consider sharing this dispatch with your family, friends and/or social networks. I’m sure they would appreciate it. I know I will.