Questions and answers with DeWayde Perry, M.D.
Body Muscle Journal Volume 6
Training Through an Illness
Q When is it appropriate to train while ill... when is it not?
FD In general, don’t train if you’re ill. To build muscle you
need to concentrate mentally and physically on each
rep of every set. When ill, both your physical and mental energies
are sapped and training in such an environment becomes counterproductive.
If you insist on training while ill, you’ll only further compromise your
immune system by depleting glutamine, BCAAs and infection fighting
T-cells. This can prolong recovery training and lead to more illness.
Lastly, given the close proximity of individuals in most training facilities,
it is easy to pass bacteria and viruses to each other in much
the same way if your kids get sick at school you get sick at home.
Not only can organisms be passed by direct human contact, but
transmission can occur through the air and via stationary objects
e.g., towels, bags, weight benches and plates, etc.
The best thing to do when ill is rest until symptoms have abated.
Frequent colds are a hallmark of "overtraining".
I recommend a layoff
from intense exercise every eight to ten weeks to guard against
overtraining.
Take a multi-whey-based protein like
Muscle Provider ...
high in branched chain amino acids and
also use an additional form of free Glutamine.
Beverly Glutamine Select Plus BCAAs is tops!
Growth Without Steroids
Q If I stay steroid-free, what kinds of results can I really
expect? Most of the guys in the gym say you need to
take steroids to really be a successful bodybuilder. I don’t
want to go that route. What advice can you give me?
FD Don’t listen to the guys in your gym. To them a "successful
bodybuilder" is a guy that makes $40,000 as
a pro and spends $39,000 on steroids and GH just so they can finish
12th. If that’s success, what is failure?
Unequivocally, you do not need to use AS (anabolic steroids) to
achieve "bodybuilding success." Yes, it is easier to turn into a mass
monster on lots of steroids but let’s explore certain untruths.
The basic tenet of bodybuilding is to develop muscle and have a
functionally strong and healthy body. The sad paradox for some
bodybuilders who use AS, insulin, Growth and other pharmaceutical
agents is that many of them are on the verge of a health catastrophe.
High blood pressure, kidney ailments, liver inflammation,
peptic ulcer disease, metabolic derangements and even sperm
reduction and motility fertility problems run rampant among several
of them. Drug free bodybuilders have none of these problems.
Your ultimate results depend on a multitude of factors you can and
cannot control. Natural hormone levels, joint size, muscle belly
length, and fiber type are pretty much genetically determined. More
important are the factors you can control: motivation, persistence,
knowledge, nutrition and supplement strategies, and training/recuperation
regimens. Don’t set limits on what you can achieve.
Establish high goals and work diligently to surpass them.
Most natural trainees, depending on their training experience, can
realistically expect to gain 5-15 pounds of lean muscle over the
course of one year. If you’re relatively new to bodybuilding a 15-
pound gain in a year can be achieved. For the advanced bodybuilder
a 5-pound lean muscle gain represents excellent progress.
How Much Protein?
Q Is too much protein bad for my kidneys?
Dr. Perry (below) says... "Certain forms of
proteins like the protein hydrolysates found
in Beverly International’s Mass Amino Acids
and Muscle Provider have been proven to
induce a positive nitrogen balance."
FD Only if you have preexisting disease with compromised
kidney function to begin with! But, while the
myth that high protein intake is injurious to normal organ health is
still widespread, there is no basis for these claims. Newer studies
have revealed that a high protein intake, such as that consumed by
strength and endurance athletes, does not pose health risks to persons
with normal kidney function.
For most bodybuilders trying to gain mass and strength, 1.5 grams
of protein per pound bodyweight or 3.3 grams per kilogram bodyweight
is a good starting point. Good sources of whole food protein
include egg whites, turkey and chicken breasts, ostrich, lean beef,
venison, bison, fish (including shellfish), and low-fat cottage cheese.
Protein’s role in building muscle is straightforward. For a muscle to
grow you first induce trauma by hard training. Repair and growth
then become a function of your protein intake over the next 36-48
hours. How much protein? Whatever amount is necessary to keep
your body in positive nitrogen balance. In simplistic terms, this
means more protein is being consumed than is utilized by the body.
A positive nitrogen balance encourages muscular gain (provided
total caloric intake is adequate).
The Holy Grail of
Bodybuilding More
Muscle and Less Fat
Q My goal is to gain lean muscle mass
without adding fat (and hopefully lose
a little bit). I’m realistic. Do you think I can
gain 6 pounds of lean mass over the next 3
months?
FD Everybody is searching for the Holy
Grail, more muscle and less fat.
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to
decrease bodyfat while increasing lean muscle
mass without the use of steroids. From the information
you have provided, you hold approximately
25 pounds of fat and 155 lbs of fat-free mass. To
achieve your goals, eat between 12-15 calories
per pound bodyweight daily. Follow the macronutrient
ratios of 50% protein, 20% carbohydrates,
and 30% fat. Try to lose about 1-1.5 pounds per
week. Faster weight loss and you’d sacrifice muscle
mass. If you find you are losing more than 1-
1.5 pounds per week, increase your caloric intake
by 300. Likewise, if you are not losing 1-1.5
pounds per week, decrease daily calories by 300.
To lose fat and gain real muscle two supplements
become paramount. These are branch-chain
amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and
supplements specifically designed for fat loss.
BCAA’s are especially important during periods of
negative caloric balance in order to retain as much
lean tissue as possible. For most natural lifters,
creatine monohydrate is also beneficial.
I have never been a proponent of ephedra or
ephedrine-based thermogenic supplements.
Instead, personal experience has shown me that
with proper nutrition/supplementation and aerobic exercise, I am
able to repeatedly achieve low bodyfat levels. L-carnitine based
supplements as well as 7-keto DHEA are both excellent adjuncts in
your quest to drop unwanted bodyfat.
To simplify matters, I have not included aerobic activity in the equation.
However, if you choose to perform cardiovascular exercise, I
suggest no more than 2-3 sessions of high-intensity interval training
(20 minutes each) per week
Glutamine Select Plus BCAA are the best
when it comes to BCAA supplements. To
Energy Reserve are the highest quality
L-carnitine based supplements on the
market. 7-Keto MuscLEAN can more than
double your rate of fat loss.
