Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

Though many men worry about producing too little testosterone, many deal with elevated estrogen. In either case, the physical and mental health effects can be the same. Natural compounds like chrysin may be part of a solution, as chrysin may act as an aromatase inhibitor, reducing the conversion of testosterone to estrogen.

Research shows it offers numerous other health benefits as well.

What is chrysin?

Chrysin is a naturally occurring polyphenol. You can extract it from:

honey

propolis

bitter melon

wild Himalayan pear

passionflower

silver linden

some types of geranium

To date, research has focused on chrysin ingestion alone. Whether it would provide any topical benefit remains to be seen.

Chrysin Health Benefits

Though most people learn of chrysin as an aromatase inhibitor, it affects many other aspects of health as well.

Aromatase inhibition

Excess estrogen in men or women contributes to physique, performance, and health problems.

Like low testosterone levels, in men, excess estrogen contributes to gynecomastia (a.k.a. moobs) and other female physical characteristics. It may also increase body fat storage in the arms and hips and compromise muscle growth.

Excess estrogen contributes to breast cancer, endometriosis, and difficulty improving body composition, strength, and physical performance in women.

Chrysin may reduce the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and diindolylmethane (DIM) are two other popular natural products that may reduce aromatization. While they seem to be effective in some people, they don’t seem to do much for me. That prompted me to investigate chrysin.

Periodically, I develop mild gynecomastia on the left side of my chest. It seems to coincide with increased sun exposure, which increases vitamin D and may drive up testosterone production, which may increase testosterone aromatization to estrogen.

In some men, as total testosterone levels rise, some of that extra testosterone gets converted to estrogen and can lead to undesirable effects. For me, my left nipple gets sore and firm. In the winter, it seems to go away.

Animal studies and in vitro research shows chrysin does act as an aromatase inhibitor. However, there’s very little in vivo research at this point.

That said, it is very safe, so I ordered some to experiment on my own.

Unfortunately, some supplement companies include it in “testosterone-boosting supplements.” That’s pretty misleading. Chrysin does not increase testosterone but may keep estrogen levels in check or even lower them. In some men, lower estrogen leads to the same physical and mental health benefits as raising testosterone.

Read also: Irritable Male Syndrome, Andropause, and Reclaiming Your Manhood.

Healthy inflammation levels

Like other natural compounds, such as curcumin, quercetin, and omega-3 fatty acids, chrysin supports healthy inflammation levels. 

Chrysin alleviates inflammation through inhibition of COX-2, prostaglandin-E2, histamine, NF-γB pathway, tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) alpha, iNOS, and cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, and interleukin-12) and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated factor γ (PPARγ).

Joohee Jung, Emerging Utilization of Chrysin Using Nanoscale Modification

Inflammation contributes to heart disease, cancer, allergies, cognitive dysfunction, and many other conditions.

Of course, a big part of staying healthy is eating well, following a good exercise program, and getting sufficient sleep. Chrysin may support better inflammation levels, but you still need to control your diet and lifestyle.

Cardiovascular health

Chrysin may support heart health by slowing the progression of atherosclerosis.

Inflammation contributes to plaque formation, and since chrysin supports healthier inflammation levels, it may slow plaque formation. In addition, like nattokinase,

Chrysin is most well-known for inhibiting testosterone aromatization. However, it offers numerous other important health benefits as well.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) contains one of the most-researched, most-compelling compounds in all of nutrition and natural medicine: curcumin.

Traditional medicine practitioners have prescribed various forms of turmeric for more than 5000 years. More than 10,000 research papers and articles from just the past seven years focus on the physiological effects and health benefits of curcumin.

And yet, only a small percentage of the population knows about it. Of those who do, many attempt to get the health benefits through inferior sources and delivery methods.

What are turmeric and curcumin?

Turmeric is a plant that belongs to the ginger family. It originates in India, though it’s now grown throughout much of the world. If you’ve eaten Indian food or some Asian foods, you’ve probably eaten turmeric. The curry spice adds a distinct flavor and color.

Turmeric contains many compounds but demethoxycrucumin (DMC), bisdemethoxycurcumin (BMC), and curcumin (CUR) are the three most-well known curcuminoids found in turmeric. Curcuminoids make up 2%–9% of turmeric, and of the curcuminoids, curcumin makes up 77%.

Curcumin seems to offer the greatest range of health benefits, so many supplement makers isolate curcumin. Some use a concentrated form of turmeric. 

Scientists isolated curcumin for the first time in 1815. The first research study on curcumin related to human health benefits was published in 1937.

Manufacturers usually extract curcumin with ethanol. However, they can also extract curcumin with:

chlorine

ultrasound

microwave

supercritical carbon dioxide

Scientists have also discovered how to chemically synthesize curcumin, which could be useful if demands exceed natural supplies.

As you’ll see, curcumin acts on a variety of systems and pathways throughout the body. It modulates numerous biological targets, including: 

apoptotic proteins

cell cycle proteins

cytokines

enzymes

growth factors

inflammatory mediators

protein kinases

transcription factors

Health Benefits

Indian medicine practitioners use curcumin for anorexia, coughs, diabetic wounds, to support liver health, to relieve rheumatoid arthritis, and to support inflamed sinuses.

Hindu medicine practitioners use curcumin for muscle and tendon injuries. Chinese medicine practitioners use it to relieve abdominal pain.

Ayurvedic medicine texts recommend curcumin for obesity. It’s also used for arthritis, trauma, ulcers, jaundice, and psoriasis. 

Research shows curcumin has “anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, antibacterial, antifungal, nematocidal, anti-parasitic, anti-mutagenic, antidiabetic, antifibringoenic, radioprotective, wound-healing, lipid-lowering, antispasmodic, antioxidant, immunomodulating, anti-carcinogenic” effects.

Doctors may recommend it for people with:

Cancer

Diabetes

Cystic fibrosis

Malaria

Hypertension

Alzheimer's disease

Multiple sclerosis

Parkinson's disease

Insect repellant

Allergies

Arthritis

Inflammation & Pain

Inflammation is at the core of numerous health problems, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), cardiovascular disease, arthritis or dementia. Because curcumin supports a normal inflammatory response, it may help with those dealing with any such condition.

Signs of IBS include increased stool frequency, bloating and abdominal pain. These changes are likely cause by inflamed intestinal mucosa.

In one study, a dose of just 144 mg of turmeric extract resulted in a 60 percent decrease in IBS symptoms in 105 adults.

Many inflammatory conditions cause pain. Studies suggest that curcumin may be a safe and effective way to help those with acute or chronic pain.

A small study with individuals experiencing pain showed that a dose of 2 grams of curcumin phytosome led to significant relief. The results were even superior to acetaminophen.

In another study with patients with osteoarthritis,

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) contains one of the most-researched, most-compelling compounds in all of nutrition and natural medicine: curcumin.

Traditional medicine practitioners have prescribed various forms of turmeric for more than 5000 years. More than 10,000 research papers and articles from just the past seven years focus on the physiological effects and health benefits of curcumin.

And yet, only a small percentage of the population knows about it. Of those who do, many attempt to get the health benefits through inferior sources and delivery methods.

What are turmeric and curcumin?

Turmeric is a plant that belongs to the ginger family. It originates in India, though it’s now grown throughout much of the world. If you’ve eaten Indian food or some Asian foods, you’ve probably eaten turmeric. The curry spice adds a distinct flavor and color.

Turmeric contains many compounds but demethoxycrucumin (DMC), bisdemethoxycurcumin (BMC), and curcumin (CUR) are the three most-well known curcuminoids found in turmeric. Curcuminoids make up 2%–9% of turmeric, and of the curcuminoids, curcumin makes up 77%.

Curcumin seems to offer the greatest range of health benefits, so many supplement makers isolate curcumin. Some use a concentrated form of turmeric. 

Scientists isolated curcumin for the first time in 1815. The first research study on curcumin related to human health benefits was published in 1937.

Manufacturers usually extract curcumin with ethanol. However, they can also extract curcumin with:

chlorineultrasoundmicrowavesupercritical carbon dioxide

Scientists have also discovered how to chemically synthesize curcumin, which could be useful if demands exceed natural supplies.

As you’ll see, curcumin acts on a variety of systems and pathways throughout the body. It modulates numerous biological targets, including: 

apoptotic proteinscell cycle proteinscytokinesenzymesgrowth factorsinflammatory mediatorsprotein kinasestranscription factors

Health Benefits

Indian medicine practitioners use curcumin for anorexia, coughs, diabetic wounds, to support liver health, to relieve rheumatoid arthritis, and to support inflamed sinuses.

Hindu medicine practitioners use curcumin for muscle and tendon injuries. Chinese medicine practitioners use it to relieve abdominal pain.

Ayurvedic medicine texts recommend curcumin for obesity. It’s also used for arthritis, trauma, ulcers, jaundice, and psoriasis. 

Research shows curcumin has “anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, antibacterial, antifungal, nematocidal, anti-parasitic, anti-mutagenic, antidiabetic, antifibringoenic, radioprotective, wound-healing, lipid-lowering, antispasmodic, antioxidant, immunomodulating, anti-carcinogenic” effects.

Doctors may recommend it for people with:

CancerDiabetesCystic fibrosisMalariaHypertensionAlzheimer's diseaseMultiple sclerosisParkinson's diseaseInsect repellantAllergiesArthritis

Inflammation & Pain

Inflammation is at the core of numerous health problems, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), cardiovascular disease, arthritis or dementia. Because curcumin supports a normal inflammatory response, it may help with those dealing with any such condition.

Signs of IBS include increased stool frequency, bloating and abdominal pain. These changes are likely cause by inflamed intestinal mucosa.

In one study, a dose of just 144 mg of turmeric extract resulted in a 60 percent decrease in IBS symptoms in 105 adults.

Many inflammatory conditions cause pain. Studies suggest that curcumin may be a safe and effective way to help those with acute or chronic pain.

A small study with individuals experiencing pain showed that a dose of 2 grams of curcumin phytosome led to significant relief. The results were even superior to acetaminophen.

In another study with patients with osteoarthritis, pain significantly decreased and walking performance improved with a dose of 1 gram of curcumin phytosome per day.

If you combined American Horror Story and The Truman Show, you could make a movie that looks a lot like 2021.

Real doctors get condemned, while political doctors get praised. Felons go free while conservative-minded people get criticized and treated like criminals. The government determines morality while churches bow to the woke mob.

Based on what people say in private, most Americans aren't on board with the agendas and ideologies of the far left. However, few stand up or speak out against what's going on.

Some people want to avoid the discomfort of getting involved or even speaking their minds. Others wait for someone else to take action. And still others are so addicted to their pacifiers of Netflix, pro sports, video games, or some other form of entertainment that they don't even know what's going on.

Many feel scared to speak up, knowing it could lead to job termination, public shaming, or missed invitations to cool club events.

For the sake of our children and grandchildren, concerned adults can't afford to sit in the bleachers anymore.

Something isn't right.

Isn't it odd that even after a record number of adverse events and deaths, politicians and celebrities still push the public to get vaccinated? What's behind (or in) that COVID-19 vaccine? What is the incentive for politicians? It isn't to rebuild their economies because good Governors like Kristi Noem and Ron DeSantis showed us that the businesses didn't need to be destroyed in the first place.

Aren't you appalled by networks like Nickelodeon and Disney pushing the LGBTQ+ agenda on children? There was a time when certain topics were off-limits when speaking to kids. It was up to the parent to decide how and when to discuss those topics. How many parents remain unaware of what their kids are learning in schools and from cartoons on television?

Isn't it odd that crime, including murders, is occurring at record numbers in many large cities? Yet, the media talks little about it, and local governments seem disinterested in completely stopping it.

Why are the armed forces so focused on creating racial division instead of focusing on protecting our republic from its adversaries?

How is it that good is bad and bad is good, morality is considered amoral while immorality is considered normal, and even celebrated?

What will the next national crisis involve, and how will it be used to further these and other related agendas?

Many of these questions don't have specific answers. They don't need answers, though. If most people oppose these and other related issues, they simply need adult citizens to make decisions that slow or prevent the spread of such ideologies.

After all, in the United States, it's the citizens who own the government, not the government that owns its citizens.

I've included this quote from President Lincoln in blog posts a couple of times already. He said it long before becoming the President. It seems almost prophetic today.

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address, 1838

Where are we headed?

I started my freshman year at The College of St. Scholastica in 1995. During an orientation session, a married couple spoke to us about safe sex. Being that it is a Catholic college (I'm not Catholic, but the school is), they also talked about natural birth control. The couple's wife spoke about how women can keep track of their cycle, and during their periods and days they're most fertile, find other ways of having sex that doesn't involve intercourse.

I was a bit surprised by the discussion, being that we were at a Catholic school and were a bunch of freshmen. It was as though they were condoning premarital sex from the ...

If you combined American Horror Story and The Truman Show, you could make a movie that looks a lot like 2021.

Real doctors get condemned, while political doctors get praised. Felons go free while conservative-minded people get criticized and treated like criminals. The government determines morality while churches bow to the woke mob.

Based on what people say in private, most Americans aren't on board with the agendas and ideologies of the far left. However, few stand up or speak out against what's going on.

Some people want to avoid the discomfort of getting involved or even speaking their minds. Others wait for someone else to take action. And still others are so addicted to their pacifiers of Netflix, pro sports, video games, or some other form of entertainment that they don't even know what's going on.

Many feel scared to speak up, knowing it could lead to job termination, public shaming, or missed invitations to cool club events.

For the sake of our children and grandchildren, concerned adults can't afford to sit in the bleachers anymore.

Something isn't right.

Isn't it odd that even after a record number of adverse events and deaths, politicians and celebrities still push the public to get vaccinated? What's behind (or in) that COVID-19 vaccine? What is the incentive for politicians? It isn't to rebuild their economies because good Governors like Kristi Noem and Ron DeSantis showed us that the businesses didn't need to be destroyed in the first place.

Aren't you appalled by networks like Nickelodeon and Disney pushing the LGBTQ+ agenda on children? There was a time when certain topics were off-limits when speaking to kids. It was up to the parent to decide how and when to discuss those topics. How many parents remain unaware of what their kids are learning in schools and from cartoons on television?

Isn't it odd that crime, including murders, is occurring at record numbers in many large cities? Yet, the media talks little about it, and local governments seem disinterested in completely stopping it.

Why are the armed forces so focused on creating racial division instead of focusing on protecting our republic from its adversaries?

How is it that good is bad and bad is good, morality is considered amoral while immorality is considered normal, and even celebrated?

What will the next national crisis involve, and how will it be used to further these and other related agendas?

Many of these questions don't have specific answers. They don't need answers, though. If most people oppose these and other related issues, they simply need adult citizens to make decisions that slow or prevent the spread of such ideologies.

After all, in the United States, it's the citizens who own the government, not the government that owns its citizens.

I've included this quote from President Lincoln in blog posts a couple of times already. He said it long before becoming the President. It seems almost prophetic today.

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address, 1838

Where are we headed?

I started my freshman year at The College of St. Scholastica in 1995. During an orientation session, a married couple spoke to us about safe sex. Being that it is a Catholic college (I'm not Catholic, but the school is), they also talked about natural birth control. The couple's wife spoke about how women can keep track of their cycle, and during their periods and days they're most fertile, find other ways of having sex that doesn't involve intercourse.

I was a bit surprised by the discussion, being that we were at a Catholic school and were a bunch of freshmen. It was as though they were condoning premarital sex from the be...

Most people know about some of the health benefits of vitamin D, but few people realize its role in testosterone levels.

Even though I’d read numerous research articles and written multiple blog posts about vitamin D, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I connected vitamin D levels and testosterone levels.

I was reviewing my lab work from the previous several years. I get a complete lab panel done about every six months and noticed a consistent trend between my vitamin D levels and testosterone.

My testosterone was consistently higher in the fall than in the spring, as was my vitamin D. That led me to search for research explicitly looking at the impact vitamin D has on testosterone. This is what I found.

Vitamin D isn’t a “Vitamin.”

Though it’s characterized as a “vitamin,” vitamin D is a hormone precursor.

Humans convert vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, to the biologically active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. You get vitamin D3 from sun exposure, a small amount from some foods, or through supplementation.

Another available form called D2, or ergocalciferol, comes from plants. While some animals convert D2 to D3 easily, humans do not. So it’s an ineffective source for humans.

Vitamin D regulates the expression of more than 900 genes, so it affects most systems and functions in the body.

In this blog post, I’m focusing on vitamin D and testosterone, but I’ve touched on other health benefits of vitamin D in Vitamin D: Deficiency Symptoms And Benefits Of Supplementation.

The Vitamin D–Testosterone Connection

Being a hormone precursor, it’s no surprise that vitamin D plays a role in sex hormone balance.

A cross-sectional study of 2299 men showed a similar seasonal change in vitamin D and testosterone like I experienced. It showed a low point for both in March and a peak in August, as you would expect for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.

In another study involving 2854 men, those with low vitamin D were more likely to have hypogonadism (low testosterone).

One more cross-sectional survey of 3369 men from Europe found that those with low vitamin D also tended to have low testosterone.

In a study from Amsterdam, the testosterone-vitamin D correlation was strongest for men with vitamin D below 25 nmol/L compared to the men above 75 nmol/L.

The vitamin D Council generally recommends maintaining levels between 50-80 nmol/L.

In a 12-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 54 overweight men with low vitamin D, the group who took just 3332 IU per day of vitamin D experienced a significantly higher vitamin D level, total testosterone, bioactive, and free testosterone. The placebo group experienced no change in these measures.

To be fair, not all studies show that D3 improves testosterone.

A few small studies showed that vitamin D supplementation did not affect testosterone, but the highest daily dose was only 1200 IU, which isn’t enough to raise levels to be optimal in most people.

In another study, 98 men took 20,000 IU of D3 per week or took a placebo. After 12 weeks, there wasn’t a significant difference in total testosterone between the groups.

Interestingly, in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), higher daily doses of D3 helped normalize testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, and free androgen index. 

VDR (Vitamin D receptors) and vitamin D metabolizing enzymes have been located in human and rat testis and have been shown to enhance the affinity of androgen binding receptors. This effect increases the rate at which androgens can bind to testosterone-producing glands resulting in higher concentrations of steroid hormones, leading to an increase in skeletal muscle hypertrophy, strength and power output.

Dahlquist DT, et al.

How Vitamin D Affects Testosterone

The way vitamin D improves testosterone levels isn’t fully understood. Researchers currently believe in two possible mechanisms:

Most people know about some of the health benefits of vitamin D, but few people realize its role in testosterone levels.

Even though I’d read numerous research articles and written multiple blog posts about vitamin D, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I connected vitamin D levels and testosterone levels.

I was reviewing my lab work from the previous several years. I get a complete lab panel done about every six months and noticed a consistent trend between my vitamin D levels and testosterone.

My testosterone was consistently higher in the fall than in the spring, as was my vitamin D. That led me to search for research explicitly looking at the impact vitamin D has on testosterone. This is what I found.

Vitamin D isn’t a “Vitamin.”

Though it’s characterized as a “vitamin,” vitamin D is a hormone precursor. 

Humans convert vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, to the biologically active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. You get vitamin D3 from sun exposure, a small amount from some foods, or through supplementation. 

Another available form called D2, or ergocalciferol, comes from plants. While some animals convert D2 to D3 easily, humans do not. So it’s an ineffective source for humans.

Vitamin D regulates the expression of more than 900 genes, so it affects most systems and functions in the body.

In this blog post, I’m focusing on vitamin D and testosterone, but I’ve touched on other health benefits of vitamin D in Vitamin D: Deficiency Symptoms And Benefits Of Supplementation.

The Vitamin D–Testosterone Connection

Being a hormone precursor, it’s no surprise that vitamin D plays a role in sex hormone balance.

A cross-sectional study of 2299 men showed a similar seasonal change in vitamin D and testosterone like I experienced. It showed a low point for both in March and a peak in August, as you would expect for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.

In another study involving 2854 men, those with low vitamin D were more likely to have hypogonadism  (low testosterone).

One more cross-sectional survey of 3369 men from Europe found that those with low vitamin D also tended to have low testosterone.

In a study from Amsterdam, the testosterone-vitamin D correlation was strongest for men with vitamin D below 25 nmol/L compared to the men above 75 nmol/L. 

The vitamin D Council generally recommends maintaining levels between 50-80 nmol/L.

In a 12-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 54 overweight men with low vitamin D, the group who took just 3332 IU per day of vitamin D experienced a significantly higher vitamin D level, total testosterone, bioactive, and free testosterone. The placebo group experienced no change in these measures.

To be fair, not all studies show that D3 improves testosterone.

A few small studies showed that vitamin D supplementation did not affect testosterone, but the highest daily dose was only 1200 IU, which isn’t enough to raise levels to be optimal in most people.

In another study, 98 men took 20,000 IU of D3 per week or took a placebo. After 12 weeks, there wasn’t a significant difference in total testosterone between the groups.

Interestingly, in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), higher daily doses of D3 helped normalize testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, and free androgen index. 

VDR (Vitamin D receptors) and vitamin D metabolizing enzymes have been located in human and rat testis and have been shown to enhance the affinity of androgen binding receptors. This effect increases the rate at which androgens can bind to testosterone-producing glands resulting in higher concentrations of steroid hormones, leading to an increase in skeletal muscle hypertrophy, strength and power output.Dahlquist DT, et al.

How Vitamin D Affects Testosterone

The way vitamin D improves testosterone levels isn’t fully understood. Researchers currently believe in two possible mechanisms:

I recently introduced a new style of workouts into my VIGOR Strength Athlete training program. I call it Attention Deficit Training (ADT), for reasons that will be obvious once I explain it.

Attention Deficit Training takes well-proven strength training principles and modifies how those principles play out in a program.

It's an ideal training format as part of an annual, periodized program. I designed ADT to:

Maximize muscular work: Accomplished by performing many max-effort exercises, but with single sets, for each body part. When you perform multiple sets of the same movement, it becomes increasingly difficult to put forth a max effort on each subsequent set.

Minimize mental fatigue: Accomplished by using single sets instead of multiple sets. This helps you avoid the mental fatigue that comes from knowing you still have two or three sets of the same exercise after already giving your first set all you had.

Avoid boredom: Accomplish by providing various exercises for the same body part, rather than doing multiple sets of the same exercise. Even if you have to do a movement you hate, you only have to give it your all one time.

Stimulate hypertrophy while minimizing aches and pains: Accomplished by completing high volumes of work for each body part while avoiding repetitive sets on movements that could cause pain to previously injured joints.

Keep reading to learn how it works. VIGOR Training members who currently (at the time of this post) follow VIGOR Strength Athlete are in the midst of a 12-week cycle of ADT.

Though this type of training isn't for beginners, I do have an option for those who haven't been weight training. Check out Genesis, my free 24-week Beginner Gym Workout Program. It's a complete, 6-month, strength and conditioning program.

How Attention Deficit Training Works

Like all VIGOR Training programs I design, I designed Attention Deficit Training to build lean body mass. At any age, the benefits of building muscle are more far more than aesthetics.

The basic principles of muscle growth are pretty well established. To build or maintain muscle, you must consistently create mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage.

Your workout program should include:

Max-effort sets leading to momentary muscle fatigue

Shorter rest periods

Multiple sets for each muscle group

Training for each muscle group once every 4-7 days, which allows for enough recovery time, but not enough that you lose what you've gained during that recovery period

In addition, your lifestyle should also include:

A higher-protein diet and adequate total calories 

Sufficient sleep

Optimal hormone levels, especially hormones such as testosterone, thyroid, cortisol, and growth hormone

Consumption of, or supplementation with, optimal levels of micronutrients 

While I wanted to maintain a higher volume of total sets for each muscle group, I also wanted to avoid the monotony of multiple sets of the same exercise (though I'll still use a traditional format during other parts of the year).

Instead of using a "multiple sets per exercise" program design, I implemented a "single sets, multiple exercises" format.

The program design makes for a refreshing approach to training while inducing some pretty serious delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and continuing to help you build muscle, move better, and feel better.

The Split

I set up ADT as a three-day split routine, performed over a four-day workout week.

Session 1: Lower Body

Session 2: Back & Chest

Session 3: Shoulders & Arms

I scheduled the training days for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday sessions. However, you could adjust the days to work with your schedule.

Also, my primary client base is middle-aged men and women. Younger adults eating well and getting sufficient sleep might benefit from a five-day workout week, which would allow them to cycle through the sessions with a little ...

I recently introduced a new style of workouts into my VIGOR Strength Athlete training program. I call it Attention Deficit Training (ADT), for reasons that will be obvious once I explain it.

Attention Deficit Training takes well-proven strength training principles and modifies how those principles play out in a program.

It's an ideal training format as part of an annual, periodized program. I designed ADT to:

Maximize muscular work: Accomplished by performing many max-effort exercises, but with single sets, for each body part. When you perform multiple sets of the same movement, it becomes increasingly difficult to put forth a max effort on each subsequent set.Minimize mental fatigue: Accomplished by using single sets instead of multiple sets. This helps you avoid the mental fatigue that comes from knowing you still have two or three sets of the same exercise after already giving your first set all you had.Avoid boredom: Accomplish by providing various exercises for the same body part, rather than doing multiple sets of the same exercise. Even if you have to do a movement you hate, you only have to give it your all one time.Stimulate hypertrophy while minimizing aches and pains: Accomplished by completing high volumes of work for each body part while avoiding repetitive sets on movements that could cause pain to previously injured joints.

Keep reading to learn how it works. VIGOR Training members who currently (at the time of this post) follow VIGOR Strength Athlete are in the midst of a 12-week cycle of ADT.

Though this type of training isn't for beginners, I do have an option for those who haven't been weight training. Check out Genesis, my free 24-week Beginner Gym Workout Program. It's a complete, 6-month, strength and conditioning program.

How Attention Deficit Training Works

Like all VIGOR Training programs I design, I designed Attention Deficit Training to build lean body mass. At any age, the benefits of building muscle are more far more than aesthetics.

The basic principles of muscle growth are pretty well established. To build or maintain muscle, you must consistently create mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage.

Your workout program should include:

Max-effort sets leading to momentary muscle fatigueShorter rest periodsMultiple sets for each muscle groupTraining for each muscle group once every 4-7 days, which allows for enough recovery time, but not enough that you lose what you've gained during that recovery period

In addition, your lifestyle should also include:

A higher-protein diet and adequate total calories Sufficient sleepOptimal hormone levels, especially hormones such as testosterone, thyroid, cortisol, and growth hormoneConsumption of, or supplementation with, optimal levels of micronutrients 

While I wanted to maintain a higher volume of total sets for each muscle group, I also wanted to avoid the monotony of multiple sets of the same exercise (though I'll still use a traditional format during other parts of the year).

Instead of using a "multiple sets per exercise" program design, I implemented a "single sets, multiple exercises" format.

The program design makes for a refreshing approach to training while inducing some pretty serious delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and continuing to help you build muscle, move better, and feel better.

The Split

I set up ADT as a three-day split routine, performed over a four-day workout week.

Session 1: Lower BodySession 2: Back & ChestSession 3: Shoulders & Arms

I scheduled the training days for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday sessions. However, you could adjust the days to work with your schedule.

Also, my primary client base is middle-aged men and women. Younger adults eating well and getting sufficient sleep might benefit from a five-day workout week, which would allow them to cycle through the sessions with a little less recovery time between workouts.