Training focus and nutrition lies

September 23rd 2019

By Matt Hill
Categories: Athlete Resources

Training focus and nutrition lies

The first video interview with Frank Zane

This is with one of bodybuilding’s legends, Frank Zane. Coming from the “golden era” of the sport, having training and competed alongside the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu (RIP) and Lou Ferrigno (the hulk).

A different sport, yes, but the same approach and discipline is needed to get towards the top of any sport! Listen to how he trains, how he is aware of what is going on in every reps – placing 100% focus and concentration on each rep. Also note their discussion about there being no perfect way of moving (technique) and that there is no fancy or scientific way of training – success comes with consistency, commitment and adaptation to individual needs. This goes for eating too. Listen to your body and feed it – but your goals are NOT to lose weight and become lean! Just don’t under eat and get fixated on your appearance – taking pictures and trying to “cut up” – this WILL lead to drops in your performance. As it does them, they only cut up ready for competition; when cutting up, they lose strength and energy!

Same principle for fighting sports, cut up as close to a fight as possible, so minimal strength and energy is sacrificed!

This leads onto the second video

Most of us know what is good for us when it comes to eating – you might all follow different eating approaches, but essentially, we know what foods are good and what are bad. This video should make you think a little more deeply into the nutrition marketing and selling world – it´s all about money, NOT the wellbeing of the population!

Unfortunately, it is the same when it comes to sports nutrition – the big brands are owned by the same big corporate companies as “normal” food, and the science is bias, to make sales! The consequence is that small artisan sports nutrition companies may be separate from the big corporate giants, but they base their products on their bias research…

To further peak your interest in the world of food and manipulation, check out this article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Tim Noakes (who we have previously referred you to a video of) and Dale Speedy highlighting the bias research create by Gatorade (a subsidiary of PepsiCo) and its impact on the sports nutrition world.