FT Questions....

[Scott Stevenson]

Hey Scott,
Sorry for not being able to clarify my previous question correctly, but I read through about 89 pages on this forum and was able to find the answer somewhere in there haha. Im a big fan of yours and listen to all of your podcasts and articles that I'm able to find. Im 18 and have made more progress in my previous 3 years of lifting "very hard and intensely" (very high volume and overreaching as I wasn't able to progress much on lifts and all symptoms of overreaching started to show). People will realize this programs a game changer once they get out of the mentality of needing to be in the gym 6-7 days a week, and I'd be happy to post pics of you want. But a question I have for you;that you may or may not be able to answer is, as somebody who has an extreme passion for learning about everything from training,nutrition,hormonal adaptations,etc to things like the pharmacokinetics of anabolic steroids; what kind of career would you recommend that I pursue? I work at a supplement shop and people are shocked with the wealth of information that I have, especially at my age (not to sound like a douche, as I'm learning new things everyday) and proceed to ask me what I want to do in the future. And every time I get asked that I really don't know what to say, because I have all this information gathered from hours and hours of reading and I don't know what to do with it. Sorry for the long post scott, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

No worries, man.

Glad you figured out the answer to your question. (I think if go back and re-read it, you'll see that you were basically asking something akin to, "What will happen if I don't have a caloric surplus but I do have a caloric surplus?... " )

Well, from what you've written there, two things jump out at me.

Sorry if this is pretentious, but I'm going by what I see.

1.) You seem to be personable and like people, so working in a service industry might be down your alley, i.e., in the health and fitness arena. This could be as a personal training, coach, gym owner, etc. I'd say health education, but it sounds like you're more of a "meathead" (like me) vs. someone interested in health and wellness of your average person.

2.) I get the sense from the above and the way in which you've phrased your questions (first impressions here) that academia might not be for you, i.e., the pursuit of knowledge for it's own sake might not be entirely satisfying. Folks well suited for that tend to be sticklers for grammar and clarity of expression, whereas I'm not getting that from your inquiries. I AM getting a sense you have a lot of passion for learning, though, so gaining at least an undergraduate degree Exercise Science at a program where one or two of the professors have an interest in strength and conditioning, muscle growth, resistance training adaptations, etc. would be something I'd look into. You might be able to work in a lab and see if you'd have interest in getting a practitioner-based Master's degree.

You'd not necessarily need this level of education, but doing so gives you a path, helps establish connections and looks good for marketing purposes, not to mention *ideally* helps with your level of understanding of human physiology and thus the quality of education you could provide for clients (of whatever ilk).

Another way to get insight into this is to imagine - without limits - how an ideal work day would look to you. Then, find someone (or several people) doing that and contact that person, to see what paths they took to get to where they are.

-S

[kingkahjj]

No worries, man.

Glad you figured out the answer to your question. (I think if go back and re-read it, you'll see that you were basically asking something akin to, "What will happen if I don't have a caloric surplus but I do have a caloric surplus?... " )

Well, from what you've written there, two things jump out at me.

Sorry if this is pretentious, but I'm going by what I see.

1.) You seem to be personable and like people, so working in a service industry might be down your alley, i.e., in the health and fitness arena. This could be as a personal training, coach, gym owner, etc. I'd say health education, but it sounds like you're more of a "meathead" (like me) vs. someone interested in health and wellness of your average person.

2.) I get the sense from the above and the way in which you've phrased your questions (first impressions here) that academia might not be for you, i.e., the pursuit of knowledge for it's own sake might not be entirely satisfying. Folks well suited for that tend to be sticklers for grammar and clarity of expression, whereas I'm not getting that from your inquiries. I AM getting a sense you have a lot of passion for learning, though, so gaining at least an undergraduate degree Exercise Science at a program where one or two of the professors have an interest in strength and conditioning, muscle growth, resistance training adaptations, etc. would be something I'd look into. You might be able to work in a lab and see if you'd have interest in getting a practitioner-based Master's degree.

You'd not necessarily need this level of education, but doing so gives you a path, helps establish connections and looks good for marketing purposes, not to mention *ideally* helps with your level of understanding of human physiology and thus the quality of education you could provide for clients (of whatever ilk).

Another way to get insight into this is to imagine - without limits - how an ideal work day would look to you. Then, find someone (or several people) doing that and contact that person, to see what paths they took to get to where they are.

-S

thanks for the response Scott, it's greatly appreciated.

[kingkahjj]

Also regarding supplementation, what do you think about adoptogens? Are there any you use on a daily basis? And reasons why/why not one should use them. I use phosphatidylserine and occasionally others for adrenal support.

[Scott Stevenson]

Also regarding supplementation, what do you think about adoptogens? Are there any you use on a daily basis? And reasons why/why not one should use them. I use phosphatidylserine and occasionally others for adrenal support.

In asking about "adaptogens" you're asking about a host of different supplements. Its sort of like asking about nutritional "ergogenic aids."

I'm taking Granite Supplements' Adamantium Aminos, which contains PeakO2, a blend of 6 adaptogenic mushroom species.

Your question about adaptogens to generic, but yes, there are reasons for not taking one, e.g., you have an allergies or an intolerance to the substance. In Chinese Medicine, taking ginseng is contraindicated in those who do not have overt Qi deficiency, as it can cause insomnia. (I have seen this clinically.)

Many adaptogens are formal medicinals in various forms of traditional medicine (e.g. ayurvedic or Chinese) and are prescribed under circumstances (signs and symptoms) that match the actions / indications of the herb / substance. So, they'd not be used when someone does not have the particular condition. (Ginseng is an example above.)

It's a Westernized approach in many cases to consider something an adaptogen, i.e., a global "tonic" that can be used universally without finer consideration of medical context, although this is not always true. (Jiao Gu Lan tea is a general tonic in Chinese medicine, for instance.)

(BTW, if you have questions not related to FT specifically, it would be best to just those in a different thread in the appropriate forum. This will make it easier for folks to find stuff.)

-S

[Sermolupi]

Scott, what do you think about paused/rack bench presses as a loading exercise for chest? I seem to feel them in the pec much better than conventional bench, and I find it easier to keep my scapulae retracted with them. I can also set the safeties at the right height so they don't irritate my shoulder problem by going too deep. That said, I'm mindful of the 'continuous reps' injunction, so would they be better off in an MR or even a pump set? Thanks as always.

[Scott Stevenson]

Scott, what do you think about paused/rack bench presses as a loading exercise for chest? I seem to feel them in the pec much better than conventional bench, and I find it easier to keep my scapulae retracted with them. I can also set the safeties at the right height so they don't irritate my shoulder problem by going too deep. That said, I'm mindful of the 'continuous reps' injunction, so would they be better off in an MR or even a pump set? Thanks as always.

You answered your question right there, IMO.

-S

[Sermolupi]

You answered your question right there, IMO.

-S

Thanks, Scott. I thought I had myself, but being aware they're by definition not continuous, I was checking they weren't therefore a no-go. Cheers!

[Scott Stevenson]

Thanks, Scott. I thought I had myself, but being aware they're by definition not continuous, I was checking they weren't therefore a no-go. Cheers!

Sure!

Of course, learning how to better activate the pecs, as well as fix that shoulder issue could help out in the long run.

-S

[Sermolupi]

Sure!

Of course, learning how to better activate the pecs, as well as fix that shoulder issue could help out in the long run.

-S

It's something I've been working on all year to be honest. With machines and dumbbells, at a moderate weight (up to c. 12-15rm), I feel my pecs much more, but when I go much heavier, especially with a flat or decline barbell, my delts are really determined to gatecrash the party. Doing isolations first has helped, as has careful selection of exercises, but I'm just not a natural pec presser - it's an ongoing work in progress!

Oddly, my 'feel' in my legs has never been fantastic, yet they seem to grow anyway. All part of the fun!

[Scott Stevenson]

It's something I've been working on all year to be honest. With machines and dumbbells, at a moderate weight (up to c. 12-15rm), I feel my pecs much more, but when I go much heavier, especially with a flat or decline barbell, my delts are really determined to gatecrash the party. Doing isolations first has helped, as has careful selection of exercises, but I'm just not a natural pec presser - it's an ongoing work in progress!

Oddly, my 'feel' in my legs has never been fantastic, yet they seem to grow anyway. All part of the fun!

Yes, indeed. (The grass is so often greener... )

-S