Fitness Facts

Dan Palacios of Kinetic Training in Davie, Florida takes Team Gaspari members Alex, Aliona, Melissa and Alex through a training regiment designed for military personnel and policemen to improve their tactical skills. This outdoor workout works all muscles in the body for complete physical conditioning!

Rich Gaspari takes Jose and Alex through an old school chest and back superset workout, just like the sets he used to do to prepare for the Olympia and the Arnold Classic.

Sports nutrition is basically pretty much like it sounds - nutrition for athletes. The essence of the concept being that a sports dietician, or the athlete himself, constructs a specific athlete meal plan that will spell out precisely what the athlete's diet should consist of, based on the specific nutritional needs the pursuit of his sport presents. There can't be enough stress put on the fact that, first and foremost, it's the athlete's meal plan that sets the stage for how well his performance will be affected.  There can't be enough stress put on the fact that, first and foremost, it's the athlete's meal plan that sets the stage for how well his performance will be affected. Depending on the sport, an athlete's nutritional needs will differ. For example, a strength athlete will need a higher protein appropriation in his meal plan; an endurance athlete will  need more quality fats; while athletes who require explosive bouts of energy – such as sprinters – will need more complex carbohydrates. And, of course, for many athletic pursuits, it's not so cut and dry and a variety of factors have to be considered when you calculate what an athlete's diet should consist of. Optimum sports nutrition insures that the body has the nutritional building blocks on board it needs to both fuel performance and aid recovery. Generally, sports dietitians agree that the overall goal of sports nutrition is to satisfy two important areas where an athlete's nutritional needs differ from non athletes. These are distinct because one cause the other: performance and the recovery from it. Optimum sports nutrition ensures that the body has the nutritional  building blocks on board  it needs to both fuel performance and aid recovery.  Complex carbohydrates from natural sources such as whole grains, potatoes, yams, fruit, etc. are converted by digestion into glucose. The  conversion of these particular carb sources is slow and sustained, which results in stable blood glucose levels. This not only supports the immediate performance requirements, but also replenishes glycogen stores in muscle, the liver, and the brain.  Dietary protein from fresh eggs, poultry, fish and lean meats deliver vital amino acids that aid in performance and recovery of muscle. While the body can manufacture most of the amino acids it needs, there are several which the body must have have but does not produce, or produce in sufficient amounts and must find them in the diet. Ironically, it's these very essential amino acids that are the most depleted through athletic training and competition. Clearly then, an athlete's meal plan must contain adequate complete protein choices, preferably from animal sources, to maintain the increased amino acid requirements of athletes. Vegan athletes bring a whole other element of complexity to the equation when it comes to deriving sufficient complete proteins, without suffering from a mountain of excess calories carbohydrate combining brings. But, that's an entirely separate topic for another day. For the purpose of this discussion, natural, complete, protein sources  - from animals – is what will be considered in an athlete's meal plan to deliver all the amino acids the body needs for optimum athletic performance and recovery.  Finally, dietary fats, from unsaturated “good” sources are vital for energy production and metabolism maintenance, not to mention the fact that, just like we have essential amino acids, there are essential fats the body must have, but does not produce, that must be derived from dietary sources. Long considered the enemy of a healthy diet, because they were just termed “fat” and lumped in with all the bad saturated fats that are the scourge of the American diet, good fats from unsaturated sources, such as cold pressed oils, nuts, seeds, and the essential omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) from fish, are vital for energy production, tissue repair, nervous system and brain function, joint maintenance, reducing  inflammation, and supporting immune function. All of which represent an elevated level of importance in an athlete's meal plan. Vegan athletes are also going to be confronted here with another reality of sports nutrition when it comes to getting enough ALA from plant sources - that must be converted into adequate quantities of  DHA and EPA (the only omega-3 the body uses) to support athlete nutrition. But, again, that's another level of complexity when it comes to determining what an athlete's diet should consist of and is a topic for another discussion.  There is no argument against specialized, balanced, nutrition for athletes, and is an essential element of effective, sensible sports nutrition. Ultimately, caloric requirements to effect maximum performance, while maintaining acceptable body composition will be regulated  with the athlete's meal plan. This usually requires some trial and error and attention paid to cause and effect. But, there is no argument against specialized, balanced, nutrition for athletes, and is an essential element of effective, sensible sports nutrition.

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I really don't like to make predictions about contest outcomes, particularly for contests as big and as important as the Arnold. In order to make such a prediction, I can only do it fairly if I can imagine everyone being at their best. You can't really do it any other way. I am, however, expected to give my Arnold predictions, in spite of what I might feel about making predictions about guys I haven't seen – and it wouldn't matter if I have seen them anyway, because the only time when it's gonna matter how they look is still weeks away, and in bodybuilding contest prep, that's an eternity. I would expect that anyone competing in such a prestigious show would work like we did back in the day to come in at a crisp 100%, leaving no stone unturned. But, that just doesn't seem to happen anymore. I'm just being realistic. At least be grateful this isn't stock car racing where if you're not 1st you're last. In any case, at 100% dialed in - at their best - my top five for the 2020 Arnold Classic are: 5th Place I’m going round off my top five with Sergio Oliva Jr. If he does his homework he can really be dangerous and not only break into the top five, but also stir it up!  I see hints of his father in his physique and am especially interested to watch young Sergio reach his full “Oliva” potential.  4th Place I'm going to have to put Dexter Jackson in 4th. I fully respect the fact that he is a Mr. Olympia and a past Arnold Classic champion several times over, and the most winning bodybuilder in history. I also think it's astonishing that, at 50 years old, he can be so competitive in this field that he could easily walk away with another one.  It all depends on how the other guys show up. Dexter, at his best, at his age, could easily make it six Arnold wins and break his own all-time record of 29 pro titles, making it an even 30. He's that good and he proved it. 3rd Place I’m going to say Patrick Moore could take 3rd.  He's new and has a good look, and he just placed 10th in the Olympia on his first try. This guy has incredible shape with a tiny waist who can do a vacuum! His arms and legs are huge and he's got a great V-taper. He's like a Classic guy that's too big for his height class. I believe this guy is the future and, in time, be Mr. Olympia.  2nd Place I have Big Ramy. If he shows up in the kind of shape he did at the New York Pro he could give Bonac a lot of trouble, and possibly beat him. But, that’s a big IF.  He seems to have a hard time peaking. I don't know if he's being poorly advised, or he just mentally has a difficult time of it, but, he hasn't been reliable. A lot of people, me included, think he could be an Arnold Classic champ AND a Mr. Olympia, but he's got to prove himself and this will be the show to do it. 1st Place I have William Bonac taking the show. Out of all the guys competing he is the most complete, with the best shape, size, density and definition. Bonac, at his best is the guy to beat.   Feeling Lucky? Tell Us Who You Think Will Win... Submit Your Predictions for a Chance to WIN a $100 Gaspari Nutrition Gift CardUp to 5 winners will be chosen from among those who get the top 5 correct!!!

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