[ Q ] I first would like to say that I have been a reader of PLUSA for over 15 years and it has always been the top magazine for Powerlifters bar none. I think it is great that you have come on board with the magazine and opened up a whole new area of interest to powerlifters with your Power Nutrition column.
I have learned more from your column in the past couple years than I have anywhere else in regards to proper meal planning and proper nutrition for the powerlifter. My question is a little different then some of the other ones that you may get. I am hoping that you will take the time out of your busy schedule and answer it in your monthly column.
This is because I feel it will not only help me out, but tons of other lifters in the same boat. The first thing that I want you to know is that I am 37 years old and I have been powerlifting for close to 20 years. I have set many national records in my time in several different weight classes. I am also a chemically enhanced lifter and have been using anabolic steroids over the past 15 years on and off.
I have used numerous different steroids ranging from different types of Testosterone to Trembolone to Anadrol and Dianabol. You have mentioned over and over how important it is for the chemically enhanced lifter to cleanse the body of impurities and keep the organs working in a healthy manner to make sure that the side effects of steroid use are minimized.
I have had different side effects here and there but the thing that got my attention the last time that I went to my doctor was that my liver enzymes were very elevated. They were close to triple what they should be. This really alarmed me and made me realize that if I don't take care of my liver health this can turn into a major health problem for me.
Now I know that a lot of lifters that are using pharmaceuticals do come to you for advice and consultations to keep their health in check so I was wondering if you could please help me out. I need to get my liver enzymes back in order so please help me out. I will do whatever you say and will listen to your ideas no matter how exotic they may sound. I have to get my liver enzymes down to a decent level so please help me with my serious problem.
[ A ]
- Well thank you for your kind words. It's nice to know that I have a following out there that look forward to my column every month to find out the latest in sports nutrition geared for the powerlifter. In response to your question, I would like to start off saying that nutrition and proper natural supplementation is very important for the chemically enhanced lifter.
Nutrition for the natural lifter is also very important, but for the lifter using pharmaceuticals it is actually even more important. Especially when we are looking to keep the lifter healthy year after year. Many lifters consult with me to help them maintain their health and inform them on how to protect their organs from the different pharmaceuticals that they are using in their training program.
Now, because you use pharmaceuticals I don't want you to think that I am going to jump down your throat like some type of goody two shoes. This isn't my place to do such a thing. In my business I work with a lot of drug free world champions, but even more chemically enhanced world and national champions. Just to let you know this does not just include powerlifters but athletes of other sports.
I have realized in my profession that pharmaceutical enhancement is part of the sports game. No matter if it's illegal or not, athletes of all sports who are looking to take their performance above and beyond will use performance enhancing drugs to help accomplish this. My job is not to judge anyone, but my job is to make sure that I take your performance to the next level and keep you healthy at the same time.
Now with your info that you sent me your liver enzymes are all out of whack so to speak. This is something that has to be taken care of because if you ignore this it can have some dire consequences down the road. I could go into all the scientific and medical terms here but I feel it would be best to save this for a future article where I can go in depth and explain things in full.
First off, when assessing what to do with you, I have to understand what type of pharmaceuticals that you are using. Now you mentioned to me you used different types of injectables like Testosterone, Trembolone, as well as orals like Anadrol and Dianabol. What you have to understand about different steroids is that they are used and absorbed and processed by the body in different manners.
Injectable steroids pass through the liver once where as orals pass through the liver twice. This is part of the reason for the increased strain on the liver. They also affect different organs more than others do.
The harshest steroids that can be used are the oral ones like your Anadrol, Dianabol, Halotestin, Methyl Test, Cheque Drops as well as your injectables like Winstrol and Trembolone. These are some of the most toxic to the liver when compared to other steroids like Anavar or Sustanon.
Next we need to look into what we can do to help get those enzyme levels down and to cleanse the liver of all the toxins that you have built up due to your steroid use over the past decade. Now I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve for not only increasing your performance but also to keep your health in check. This is one reason why so many pro strength athletes whether they are drug free or chemically assisted consult with me.
Now I am not going to give out all my tricks and methods here in this article as I save that for my private clientele, but I will give you a brief layout and some good ideas that will help bring your liver back up to speed. There is one supplement that I recommend for all my "Enhanced" lifters to use.
The name of this product is called LIV 52. This special formula is a must for those on a steroid cycle. To tell you the truth, going,on a cycle without using this supplement is just not a smart move. Since most powerlifters are using heavy androgens during their cycle to jack their strength up, protecting the liver is of utmost importance.
These androgens are also some of the hardest on the liver so not taking this supplement is like driving a race car at 200 mph without wearing a seatbelt. As you can see with the above example, this is not a move in the right direction. This special formula is a combination of many different types of herbs that are geared towards regenerating the health and function of your liver.
It is actually a herbal formula that is based upon Auyrevedic Medicine. Just in case you didn't know Auyrevedic Medicine is based upon many natural theories from India. Now before you go off on an ignorant tangent thinking that this must be some mumbo jumbo from the Far East, give it a try. Before you dog it, open your mind just a little because you will be praising its effects when your liver scores are much improved.
I have my athletes use this product before, during and after a drug cycle to keep their liver enzymes from going through the roof. I have had some of my "assisted" lifters that have had problems with elevated liver enzymes in the past use this supplement. When they had their blood tests done at the end of their cycle they were not elevated.
This is a sign that this formula can definitely benefit and protect the liver in more ways than one. LIV 52 was introduced to the market in 1955 so it has had its time on the scene. What is even more amazing about this product is that it has had over 300 different studies done on it. It works through protecting the hepatic parenchyma.
What also differentiates it from other formulas is that it acts as a dextoxifier. Not only this, but also this formula has antioxidant properties to boot.
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What Does This Mean? In plain English, it will help destroy and neutralize a wide variety of toxins not only from the environment but also from the "Pharmaceutical Arsenal" that you are taking as well. |
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LIV 52 is known the world over by many "Elite Athletes" that have extensive pharmaceutical programs to keep them at the top of their game.
Now you are probably wondering what is in this formula and how would you go about incorporating it in your program. Well, just to let you know about some of the ingredients in the formula here it goes.
- Tamarisk (Tamarix Gallica) - This herb is effective as a digestive aid and is known for its hepatic stimulating effects.
- Negro Coffee (Cassia Occidentalis) - This is a digestive tonic and also lends support to liver function.
- Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) - This herb has stimulating effects on the liver.
- Wild Chicory ( Cichorium Intybus) - This herb will increase bile secretion. It will also act directly on liver glycogen stores. It is a very powerful Hepatic stimulant and can even aid in digestion.
- Capers (Capparis Spinosa) - This herb is known for its liver protecting abilities. It can also improve the efficiency and function of the liver due to its stimulating effect.
- Black Nightshade (Solanum Nigrum) - This one is very important for the enhanced lifter. It has been shown to improve liver and kidney health in different cases of liver toxicity that is caused by the ingestion of different drugs.
- Arjuna (Terminalia Arjuna) - This is another very important herb as it has been show to help regulate hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis and has a tonic like effect on not only the liver but the heart as well.
So as you can see LIV 52 is quite an extensive formula. What I recommend for my "enhanced" lifters is that you start taking the supplement at least 4 weeks before you start your pharmaceutical program.The below plan would be advised for a male over 220 pounds that is using a pre contest pharmaceutical cycle.
It would be used for those using injectables and orals in their program with the cycle lasting anywhere from 8-24 weeks. The cycle would also be medium to high in dose as many use before a national or world championship competition.
During the 4 week period leading up to your cycle I would recommend taking 6 tablets per day broken up into 3 tablets 2 times per day. This should be taken half an hour before meals on an empty stomach. Now when you start your cycle I would then increase it to 12-18 tablets per day depending on what types of steroids you are using and in what doses.
Your weight, gender, past drug history and medical background are other variables as well. This would be broken down over 4 daily doses half an hour before your meals. If at the beginning of your cycle you were using orals then I would recommend keeping the highest dose of LIV 52 during the initial 4-6 weeks since this is when the most liver damage will occur.
This is the time that will most affect your liver enzyme count so we have to keep the "Enzyme Monster" at bay during these critical times. So if you are using heavy orals for the first 4-6 weeks keep the dose at 12-18 tablets per day. After the orals are discontinued then the dose can be bought down to 9-12 tablets for the remainder of the cycle.
At the conclusion of your cycle, LIV 52 should be maintained in your auxiliary program for the next 8-12 weeks at a dose of 9 tablets per day. This is not the only way to incorporate this formula into your plan, but will be a basic layout for those using a medium to heavy cycle.
If you want to know more about this product take a look at this web site at www.yourliverhealth.com It will give you some information to help you better understand how it can help protect your liver. As I have said before, I will keep you on the cutting edge of many different facets in sports nutrition to keep you ahead of the game!
If you haven't heard of this amazing supplement then it is time for you to reap its protective benefits. Remember you only have one liver to live with. If you just take your enhancement program as child's play your liver will not be so forgiving to you in your latter years.
Your liver is one of the most important organs of your body so don't just think that it won't happen to you and ignore the warning signs. Every assisted athlete should be thinking about his long-term health. Your powerlifting career will not last forever and when your time for stardom comes to a close you have to make sure that your life isn't coming to a close as well.
Cleansing is another area that must be done post cycle. With my elite athletes I perform many different cleanses on their body throughout the year. This is to make sure that any toxins that they have built up from their "Enhancement Program" will not cause the damage that they could if they stayed in the body and in your bloodstream. One such cleanse is a liver and gallbladder dextoxifier.
Success Story
I will tell you a story about just one of my clients who decided to give it a try. This one client was a skeptic from the beginning. Even with the nutrition plan he was hard to convince that it would help his performance. But trying to tell him not to be stubborn and to use his head about keeping his organs on the up and up from proper natural supplementation and cleansing was another story.
He felt it would do nothing for him. He thought I was some type of new age yoga geek that was going to help him reach nirvana as I burnt incense and chanted hymns in a foreign language to keep the bad spirits away. Well, after talking to him over and over I finally convinced him that I wasn't a witch doctor and that I knew what I was talking about.
After he gave into the idea of his first cleanse, I set out the protocols that he would have to follow over the next few days. He looked at my instructions with a confused, almost stupid look on his face. I told him just to have a little faith and to see what happens. Now during one of these cleanses things can get a little messy. The way that the stones and toxins leave the body is not so nice either.
They will exit the body through the area where the sun doesn't shine. I think you get my drift without totally making you feel like heaving up that 16 egg white omelet you just had for breakfast. You see the purpose of this cleanse is to purge toxins from the liver and gallbladder and detoxify it like there was no tomorrow.
After following the said protocols that I laid out in detail, my client then began to feel its effects. After his first release he gave me a phone call like some little kid that just won a free pass to Disney Land. I never heard someone so excited and yet confused at the same time. Well what transpired from his first release from his cleanse was that over 75 stones passed through his system.
Now if you have ever seen what one of these stones looks like you will be quite turned off to say the least. They vary in size from the size of a dime to that of a large marble. They are also hard in texture and have a foul odor. At the first site of them he couldn't believe his eyes.
He couldn't imagine that these nice little toxic rocks were lodged up inside his organs just waiting to cause a nice major health ailment down the road. Well folks the story isn't over yet. Over the course of the weekend my client had several more releases. In the end he had over 250 stones dislodge from his liver and gallbladder in less than 48 hours.
He was in a total state of awe by the time it was all over and done. Well just think about for a minute, you would be in shock too if you saw what these little puppies looked like. He also felt better and healthier due to the cleanse. He noticed that his energy level was much improved since he performed the cleanse.
His endurance in the gym was up and getting out of bed in the morning was no longer a chore. He felt like a new man and from the amount of toxins that left his body its no wonder he started feeling better. Well to make a long story short I had now a believer on my hands. Not only did this make him take a look at protecting his organs with a proper nutrition plan but it also opened his eyes on how you should educate yourself and protect your organs form your "Enhancement Program".
He just couldn't believe what came out of his body. He now knew that I wasn't some yoga master burning incense to keep the bad spirits away, but someone that was looking out for the health and well being of hardcore powerlifters.
- Like I said before this is not all the tricks that I have up my sleeve to improve the liver function of an athlete, but it will give you a taste of what I offer my clients. There are many different formulas and different cleanses that can be used for numerous organs of the body so the liver is not the only exclusive organ. Don't forget the importance of your kidneys, colon and blood.
You only have one set of organs to last you a lifetime so make sure that you give them some tender loving care. Otherwise they will come back to bite you on the ass when you least expect it. You may think, "Hey I never had problems in the past so this article isn't for me." Well guess again. If you are using any type of pharmaceuticals to get "jacked up" whether you are on as we speak, or you used to be geared up back in the day, then this is definitely something you should consider.
Your health and well being is something that has to be the first and foremost in your mindset otherwise you will be setting yourself up for disaster. I guarantee it! The purpose of this article was not to promote drug use or criticize those who are chemically enhanced, but its purpose was to open the eyes of the powerlifting community.
Like I have said before in other columns, your health is the number one thing of importance because without it you can't be a powerlifting superstar. I know many others out there would not have answered a question of this nature. Since I truly care for lifters I felt obligated to spread some knowledge that can most definitely help prevent some serious health ailments down the road.
I hope that I have educated you and opened your eyes to the importance of keeping your body running like a fine tuned machine. Remember, you are only as strong as your weakest link so make sure your liver isn't that weak link! So until next month keep eating clean, lift heavy and most importantly stay healthy.
For those interested in private consultations or program design I can be contacted by email at: