Workout of the Day

Find 1 rep max deadlift 1-1-1-1-1

AMRAP 15 minutes:
Ring Dips- 3 reps
70% 1RM Deadlift- 6 reps
135/95lbs. Squat Jump- 9 reps


This is a goodie: is milk good or bad for us? The debate goes back on forth. The media says milk is without a doubt awesome for us. Milk mustaches, celebrities, everyone is drinking milk! So its definitely good for us right? Well, not necessarily. Lets take a deeper look into the pros and cons of milk and how they relate to the athlete.
Cons: lactose sugar is known to spike insulin levels, high amounts of saturated fat, causes digestion problems, and that's all I can think of at the moment.
Pros: good source of protein, calcium, and vitamin D. Milk is obviously nutritiously dense, which reaps many benefits. Lets talk about the bad stuff. Lactose sugar and spiking insulin levels is no bueno. Period. Now saturated fat is an interesting issue. Sure there's skim milk, 1%, etc. but, why is saturated fat the culprit? It clogs our arteries, duh. Take a different look on saturated fat. Why does it clog our arteries and cause disease in the first place? I've got an interesting take on this one. Please correct me if I am wrong. A lot of this myth has to do with the elasticity of our veins and arteries. Most Americans simply lack the proper amount of nutrients to support the bodies basic functions. Example, vitamin C helps with the production of collagen, collagen makes your veins and arteries more elastic, thus increasing blood flow. Get where I am getting? If not, here is an easy explanation: If your intake of nutrients was suffice (like the vitamin C example) then you would not have a problem with saturated fat clogging your arteries because the elasticity will help it flow right through. What does this have to do with the athlete compared to the average person? To the average person, who is Paleo of course, milk and diary is not needed nor recommended because of lactose sugar. Paleo dieters want nothing to do with insulin spikes. Paleo eaters get plenty of calcium from veggies and do not require as much calcium as the typical American because of the less acidic diet Paleo eaters consume. Athletes, however, can benefit greatly from diary. Sure we want that insulin resistance, but we can sacrifice it for the athletic benefits milk has. If you are an athlete or looking to put on some size, whole milk is very high in calories. Even better, if you are a Paleo eating athlete I wouldn't worry about the saturated fat because your vitamin and mineral intake should be suffice. On top of that, milk increases the much desired hormones for muscle building. Figure this, drink 4 cups of milk post-workout. You will be getting in 600 calories and 32g of protein! Try the gallon of whole milk per day diet if your looking to mass up. All and all I believe the benefits of milk outweigh the cons. Note: I am still an amateur in this field. What are your thoughts??

Stay classy,

Coach A.