I just had a terrific day at the ICN WA State Titles watching 3 of my awesome posing clients strut their stuff onstage.
They did themselves and their posing coach proud and presented perfectly in their respective divisions.

I have always said, that when it is close in a bodybuilding contest, “A better poser can beat a better physique”, particularly when one’s stage presence is so alluring that you just can’t take your eyes off them!!

So it was nice to get this testimonial from one of my clients, Vince Silulu…

“Craig Winter was my Posing Coach! He was local and experienced! He helped my posing so much when I first came to him and I couldn’t have thanked him enough. I had so many compliments about my posing but to be honest it was all Craig! He helped with posing, style and just gave me that extra bit of confidence I didn’t have before” 

I am always available for one on one posing coaching as well as with small groups.

My posing ebook is still available to purchase, but I am now selling hard copies as well.

Flick me an email at craigwinter@rocketmail.com to register your interest in acquiring “CW’s Posing Manual”.

👍💪👊😉😀🏆

All my Brothers (and Sisters), in Iron would agree, lifting weights and building muscle is a wonderful pastime for so many reasons.

Some of the many benefits include…

Increased bone density

Higher metabolic rate

Higher testosterone

Improved brain function

Anti-stress via production of good mood chemicals (endorphins)

Lower body fat levels

Increased Growth Hormone levels post workout

Increased muscular strength, which can in turn assist in other sporting endeavours

Improved joint stability

So naturally, one would assume that the sport of Bodybuilding is inherently healthy, which of course it is. Even cardiovascular health will benefit from lifting weights.

But, as I have found, and many others that have a high Body Mass Index (BMI) due to above average levels of muscle mass, sometimes this can result in higher than normal blood pressure readings.

You see the heart doesn’t distinguish between muscle mass and fat mass when it comes to your overall body weight. If you are heavier than the average Joe Blo, then the heart will need to work that bit harder. This in turn may raise your blood pressure.

I also have a family history of mild hypertension, so that combined with an above average BMI, resulted in blood pressure that needed to be addressed.

During the last few years I have experimented with many natural remedies to lower blood pressure after suffering the side effects from the blood pressure medication that my GP prescribed for me.

The good news is, that I now have very good blood pressure, with some readings actually lower than normal!

Here’s what I did…

I supplement my diet with garlic extract, hawthorn leaf extract, grape-seed extract, fish oil, CoQ10, Vitamin K2 & Vitamin D.

Also, before my first meal and last meal of the day I drink a mixture of 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and the juice of half a lemon (this concoction also improves digestion as well as reducing inflammation in the body).

Cardiovascular fitness is important for cardiovascular health, so I have found that performing my “Peak 8” HIIT cardio with 8 thirty seconds over a period of 20 minutes, 3 times per week, works really well (see CW’s Training Tip #7 via my website ‘bodychiselbycraig.com’, for more details regarding Peak 8 cardio).

https://bodychiselbycraig.com/2016/11/24/cws-training-tip-7/

And of course, losing excess body fat, to lower unwanted body weight, will also greatly help in lowering your blood pressure.

The other thing I have been doing 3 times per week is ‘Intermittent Fasting’ by not eating from 8:30pm on a given evening till 12:30pm the next day. This also reduces cortisol which in turn helps lower blood pressure.

Ok, so you may think that this looks a bit complex, but believe me the side effects of blood pressure medication are far more annoying than the aforementioned regimen.

If you look at the pamphlet inside a box of blood pressure tablets, or google same, you will see reported side effects like joint pain, drowsiness, brain fog, muscle weakness, erectile disfunction, lower testosterone, depression, increased body fat, and the list goes on, add infinitum!!!

All of these suggestions I have mentioned have been used successfully by many people for many years, with much of it documented by practitioners on the World Wide Web for all to see.

I would, however, caution you to NOT go ‘cold turkey’ on your current med’s without first discussing this with your doctor.

Three years ago I carefully weaned myself off blood pressure meds whilst introducing some of the supplements I mentioned earlier.

So my friends, keep up the great work with the Iron Game, just don’t ignore your heart health, particularly your blood pressure.

Whilst holidaying in Bali recently my good friend Graham and I decided to bang out a delt and tricep workout that would be simultaneously kind to my injured right shoulder joint.

We decided to choose exercises that involved no pressing movements yet would still target the chosen muscle groups.

Here’s the workout…

1. Cable front delt raises with the rope handle (see YouTube video attached).

2. CW’s Larry Scott style side dumbbell lat raises.

3. Dumbbell rear delt raises on the triangular padded seat.

4. Cable rope pushdowns.

5. Icarian seated machine tricep extensions.

We did 3 sets of each exercise with a focus on deliberate 3 second negatives and peak contractions at the top of the movement.

Reps ranged from 20 to 10-12 per set.

We both got a tremendous pump and were definitely feeling DOMS in the days to follow.

Worth a try if you feel like giving your shoulders and elbows a break from all the stresses of heavy pressing.

👍💪👊😉😀

PS: Hammerhead Gym in Seminyak, Bali is a great place to train if you feel like slotting in a workout whilst on holiday.

Very much looking forward to trialling this new stack to raise my testosterone naturally, whilst simultaneously lower oestrogen and cortisol levels.

I have had some success during the last couple of years with various products like Tongkat Ali, Avena Sativa, Chrysin, DIM and Saw Palmetto in trying to balance this very important, yet complex hormonal pathway.

I get my hormone panel checked every 3-6 months via a blood test to see where I am at.
At 52 years young, I see no reason why I should let low T negatively impact my life. There is nothing more satisfying than putting ‘Father Time’ on the back burner!!
These 3 products from ATP address this tricky balancing act with all the proven hormone optimising cofactors in the correct ratios.
I will trial it for 3 months, get my bloods checked and then report back!!
👍💪👊😉😀
http://atpscience.com/products-2/

In previous blog posts I have discussed ways to naturally raise your testosterone via appropriate supplementation and nutritional strategies.
Today, I would like to run through a few ways to increase our male hormone through simple lifestyle modifications.
1. ‘Adrenal fatigue’ from prolonged elevated cortisol is a problem for us all in today’s stressful, demanding & fast-paced society. Unfortunately, this can lower testosterone in males.
I, personally, found that cutting back to just one coffee per day (at 11am, when cortisol tends to be naturally at it’s lowest) worked well. Caffeine elevates cortisol, which is why you feel ON for a little while, but too much, too often will fatigue your adrenals.
And this goes for pre-workout products too!!!
2. Meditation, for as little as 10 minutes per day, is a great way to de-stress and lower cortisol.
I try to find a quiet place with a comfortable chair, put on some meditation music from YouTube and then focus on breathing in for a count of 4 and then breathing out slowly for a count of 8-10 seconds. I will quite often fall into a light slumber, but when I come out of it I ALWAYS feel great, as well as having a clear head space!!
And, doing this before a gym session is a definite winner!!

3. Lifting weights is a proven way to boost testosterone levels. BUT, remember the old adage, “Stimulate, not annihilate!!”.

Training for too long in the gym (greater than 1 hour) too often (without rest days) will guarantee elevated cortisol and hence lower testosterone.

4. Cardiovascular exercise is a great way to lose body fat. But, again, too much, too often, will elevate cortisol. In a previous blog post I discussed the benefits of High Intensity Interval Cardio (HIIT), where I like to perform 8 thirty second ‘sprints’ over a twenty minute period (‘Peak 8’). This can be done on a lifecycle, stationary bike, cross trainer, treadmill, stair master or even outside at the local park or oval. Three of these HIIT sessions per week on non-consecutive days will not only help raise testosterone levels but will chisel off some of that unwanted excess baggage too!!!                 

Just because you are approaching middle age, this doesn’t mean you have to turn into an andropausal, grumpy old man prematurely!!
By holistically making some changes in your life, you’ll be surprised at the improvements you can make to your hormone levels and, more importantly, the way you look, think & feel!!!

Here we have the latest version of my daily Supa-shake.

Chockablock full of awesome ingredients which are not only perfect for Bodybuilding but also ideal for general health & well-being. 

It tastes terrific too!!!
PS: Don’t forget to check out my YouTube Channel “Craig Winter” for more health & fitness tips as well as loads of training vids!

👍💪👊😉😀

My fine fiancee’ Louise, loves her cooking gadgets and her recent purchase of a Spiralizer enabled us to have what ostensibly looks and tastes like spaghetti  but minus the calories and insulin spike from the refined carbohydrates. Many vegetables such as zucchini can be literally turned into turned into faux pasta in a matter of moments.

 Louise very cleverly made a faux spaghetti pesto and garlic dish, faux spaghetti bolognese and an awesome faux spaghetti marinara. She used zucchinis in the Spiralizer to create these tasty meals.

*You can purchase inexpensive Spiralizers very easily via good old ebay…

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Spirooli-3-in1-Vegetable-Fruit-Spiral-Slicer-Raw-Food-Spiralizer-/222120814152?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

 I have always liked using eggs via omelettes to mimic pastry bases on pizzas as well the flour based crepes. So my strawberry faux crepe made from eggs instead of flour is again a taste sensation but minus all those unwanted carbs.

 The faux pizzas are also great with the egg derived omelette base and whatever toppings you desire like tomato, cheese, olives, mushrooms, spring onions, anchovies, capsicums, etc.

As I always like to say, clean eating be it pre-contest dieting or just watching your carb intake to try and shed some unwanted body fat, doesn’t need to be bland nor boring!!

Rooster Crowing at Dawn — Image by © G. Baden/zefa/Corbis

I have always been one of those people that really needs their sleep.

As a young child, my mother used to call me ‘Crabby Craig’ if I was looking a bit tired and starting to get grumpy!

As an adult, I have found it imperative to get a good night’s sleep, particularly after the daily stresses of work and intense training at the gym.

As we all know, if you can get into that deep REM sleep and maintain it for several hours, then your chances of producing that wonderful growth hormone from the pituitary gland are enhanced markedly.

This in turn allows the body to recover from all manner of demands that we place on it, so not surprisingly it is sometimes coined the ‘Fountain of Youth’.

Now, to get into the aforementioned REM sleep, we need to produce melatonin from our hypothalamus via the pineal gland. For this to occur it is important that we try and hit the hay before midnight, avoid using mobile phones to close to bedtime and obviously minimise the consumption of stimulants like caffeine after approximately 4pm.

One key ingredient to sound sleep that is often overlooked is the importance of making sure your bedroom is nice and dark.

For years I have found that my body seems to naturally respond to the sun rising, so as the light filters through my blinds at around 4-5pm (in Summer), I find that I not only start to wake up but, annoyingly, find it very hard to drift back off to sleep for that extra hour or two.

Recently, when travelling to the USA for a holiday, I was given an eye mask and a few other bits and pieces from a Virgin International flight.

For some reason I decided to hang on to this eye mask and ended up trialling it as a bit of a fun experiment when I got back to Oz!

Well, to my surprise, I found that the complete blackout you get when covering your eyes really did get me back off to sleep VERY quickly!!

That extra couple of hours of deep sleep really makes a difference in terms of how rested you feel when you finally get up to tackle the day’s events that lie ahead of you!

OK ok ok, this may sound a bit silly, but mark my words, it works a treat and is definitely worth a shot!!

PS: To avoid giant crease marks on your face, I purchased an eye mask made from silk via E-Bay for a measly $13 with free delivery!!

http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/otherendo/pineal.html

Konjac Slim Pasta ideas

Yes that’s right folks, I actually like watching Rich’s stuff!! He may be a bit over the top from time to time but for some reason I am drawn to his channel…kind of like the proverbial ‘moth to a flame’!!!

So, when we were in LA and Vegas last September, I remember thinking that we must try and sample one of these low carb, bun free burgers.

Unfortunately, we never got a chance to get to In & Out, so I decided to make one my self!

It really is as simple as replacing the bun with the lettuce, but I thought I would have some fun anyway by putting it on film for my YouTube Channel “Craig Winter”!

And, it really did taste fantastic!!!