Odds & Ends: Admin Note, A Question, and Food Porn

I have some pressing business maters to attend to, so I'm probably not getting to Part 3 of the vitamin supplements series today. Maybe tonight, but no promises. Plus, I'm glad I waited to do some additional digging. Right now, I' trying to decide what I think about the vitamin A in cod liver oil. There's ongoing turmoil right now and lots of smart people I trust are on both sides of the issue.

As to the admin note my blog host, TypePad, tells me the issue with how the blog displays in IE6 should be resolved. Please let me know if you still have the issue (but make sure to do a hard page reload, first).

Now for a question.

"I am trying to set a goal for muscle gain...I have no idea what to expect...my body comp is the same as the last set of pics I sent you...any idea what I can expect from 2, 30 minute workouts a week?"

Presuming those workouts are going to be weights and other forms of high-intensity training, and you set up the conditions properly, you could probably expect to add on 5% or more lean mass. As to the setup, remember what they say: "muscle is built in the kitchen and not the gym." You've got to get sufficient protein. For muscle building, I believe the standard is about 1.25 grams per pound of lean body mass. Since you're already pretty lean, I'd just go with 1 gram per pound of weight.

Next is to put the growth hormone elements in your favor. Food is the raw material, but GH is the construction contractor. The three primary elements that stimulate GH release are fasting (to preserve lean tissue in times of scarcity), high intensity exercise, and sleep.

So, try to always work out in some degree of fasted state, even if 6-8 hours, and then go at least an hour afterwards before eating. Also, don't waste time on small muscles like your arms. They'll get plenty of work in compound movements. It's loading the big muscles that promote GH release. Legs, Back, Chest, Shoulder deck. Especially the legs. Want big pecs? Work your big leg muscles hard.

(Note: If anyone like Keith Norris or Chis Highcock have anything to contradict or add, blast away. They know far more about this stuff than I.)

Next, some food pics. Low & slow, again. This time, with New York Steaks. 250 degrees in the oven, with a temperature probe, out of the oven at 130 degrees internal to rest until the temperature peaks (136 in this case), then rub down the top with a stick of butter and place under the high broiler for about 2 minutes, or until sizzling. Turn over, rub down with butter and do the other side.

If you can reduce some beef stock or make demi-glace without the roux, bonus. Here's my result.

This first is just out of the oven. Not very appealing. Just wait!

As you can see below, the butter & broiler are essential.

The sauce is a straight demi-glace, nothing added except a dollop of leaf lard, a pat of butter, and the drippings from the pan after the broiler.

The Final Result.

Once again, low & slow comes through to deliver pink (or red, as you prefer) from coast to coast and everything in between, uniformly. This is actually medium, not medium rare as I prefer. Next time I'll pull it at 125.

Oh, one more note. The strip of fat was delicious, not chewy, bitter, or gristly like it sometimes gets on the grill. My first thought in describing it (my wife noted it as well) was "sweet." Seriously: sweet. I ate 2/3 of the strip and the doggies happily went for the rest, then licked our plates clean.