I’m pleased to say that our first podcast of the year took place on Thursday night with fitness trainer and author James Chan from Alpha-Asian. Most of you have probably seen his site, but most of you probably don’t know how he began personal training, why he does it, and what his training philosophy is. Learn about him in our bigWOWO podcast. Download it here, or play it here:
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The podcast is an informative 24 minutes long, 8.3 mb.
James is the owner of the Alpha-Asian blog and the Strength and Physique blog. He is the author of Strength and Physique Volume One and Volume Two. In the podcast, James talks about his early years of training, how he became a trainer, and why he loves training. He discusses workout mindsets and the Asian American lifter, and he talks about his training philosophy and diet tips. It was an enjoyable interview, and I like James’s holistic approach to training, diet, and life. I think we could all do more to make ourselves healthier.
By the way, if you haven’t seen Mr. Chan’s training videos (I felt obliged to call him “Mr. Chan” after watching this), here is a sample:
Not only does that bar weigh around 45 lbs., it’s no easy feat to keep a six foot bar perfectly parallel. This guy is a monster! (Listen to the podcast though…he also presents some good information for those entering middle age…)
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I also wanted more rice than what could fit inside the wrap....
Thanks again for the interview, Byron. It’s always great talking to you and that podcast really was fun. No need to call me “Mr. Chan.” Only my readers at my strength blog call me that!
I found those “side to side” pushups on the Strength and Physique website useful. Not your typical pushup.
What do you think is the best exercise for the core, James?
Core strength is best through a 2 pronged approach: an ab targeting exercise and an exercise that integrates the core with the rest of your body. You muscles don’t like to work in isolation from each other, and if they do, then it leads to problems.
So planks are good for tightening the abs, but you have to do them right.
To integrate the strength of your abs with the rest of your body, front squats, standing military presses and pull-ups are all good.
Although I have no particular interest in this kind of stuff, my husband is going to LOVE this. RIGHT up his alley. On his behalf, thanks for providing this resource!
P.S. The two words generated below are “expend” and “men.” Just a thought.
I won’t lie – I listened with limited attention span (doing a puzzle with LN)… since, well, I was only interested in portions of the podcast. I know that when I first started kickboxing some months ago, being a tall skinny Asian woman, I was automatically dismissed as someone who would be “delicate” or “fragile”. And yes, in this sexist world, there IS a difference between being a woman and a man and perceptions of physical strength. So I might be talking out of my ass but I am not so sure if this is something specifically an Asian male issue…?
I have seen AA males who get obsessed with physique and lift weights until their arms don’t even look natural. Although I am not saying that strong masculine arms are not attractive, I think when the arms get past a certain size and the obsession clouds one’s judgment on whether he wants armas bigger than his head…
And no, this is not a criticism on Alpha-Asian’s training methods or his approach to life, training, etc. (or his arms). I am wondering about the aftermath of misinformed training that began as a reaction to a cultural stereotype.
Oh, and the main reason I, who has NO qualifications to comment on this, decided to comment on this was the discussion about tofu. I could only find articles like this one:
http://www.tofumaster.org/bodybuilding.htm
LN is a HUGE fan of tofu – and no, she’s not going to be bodybuilding any time soon… but as a parent, I am always interested in finding more about nutrition. I was wondering if James could post a link to the article (the study done in Japan) he mentioned? Is this only relevant to bodybuilding or muscle development in general?
James,
That was an awesome talk! It was interesting learning about your workout routes and your philosophy, and I had a great time.
Akrypti,
Hope your husband likes it. Is he watching the upcoming UFC with B.J. Penn vs. Georges St. Pierre? My words are “expecting good.” Man, this recaptcha is like a fortune cookie–and hopefully it means good news for B.J.
MN and James:
About tofu:
Portland is very much a vegan/sustainability type of environment, and one thing I remembered was that there is a pretty well known vegan bodybuilder here. I think he gets most of his protein from soy, which is tofu. Read an article about him here. You can see what he eats here. There are more pics of vegan bodybuilders here.
James, what do you think? Those guys are obviously built well, but if you were to argue that they aren’t Schwartzenegger and wouldn’t be able to become Schwartzenegger without meat, I’d probably agree. This dude may be perfectly healthy, but I’m also sure his testosterone level is lower than someone who eats less tofu.
“So I might be talking out of my ass but I am not so sure if this is something specifically an Asian male issue…?
“I have seen AA males who get obsessed with physique and lift weights until their arms don’t even look natural. Although I am not saying that strong masculine arms are not attractive, I think when the arms get past a certain size and the obsession clouds one’s judgment on whether he wants armas bigger than his head…”
Nope it’s not specifically am AA male issue. The majority of my readers of my strength blog are not Asian. Most bodybuilders and people who aspire to be bodybuilders are not Asian.
AA males, however, can become obsessed with gaining muscle at all costs, just every other young red-blooded American. As you get older though, you do grow out of that body dismorphia.
Byron,
Yeah I’ve come across him on the web. There are plenty of vegetarian/vegan bodybuilders/athletes. Mike Mahler is a strength coach who is a vegan. Randy Couture follows the alkaline diet. The bodybuilder Bill Pearl was a vegetarian, and he was incredibly big and strong.
Most of these people, however, built their muscle BEFORE they became vegetarian. Bill Pearl become a vegetarian at the age of 39, 16 years after he won first Mr. Universe. Even then, he still ate eggs and dairy.
Mike Mahler, a VEGAN strength coach, doesn’t recommend eating soy at all. If you want literature on the subject of soy side effects, there are plenty. Here is a list of 288 FDA studies on soy side effects:
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~djw/pltx.cgi?QUERY=soy
Here’s a website with a long list of articles on soy side effects:
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html
Here’s another website with a list of studies, including the one I mentioned on Japanese Americans:
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/articles/SymAbs.htm
A lot of these articles seem to be outdated or not updated recently. Most of those FDA studies are from the 50′s – 70′s! Also, they seem more concerned about soy supplements in pill form?
I found a rebuttal on a vegan website:
http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/3476771.htm#14
(oh and my two words were Charley objective)
“A lot of these articles seem to be outdated or not updated recently. Most of those FDA studies are from the 50’s – 70’s! Also, they seem more concerned about soy supplements in pill form?
“I found a rebuttal on a vegan website.”
Sounds great Mama. Whatever works for you.
(wanted to add that I don’t doubt that soy protein isn’t enough for men who are bodybuilding. I’m just looking at those articles from a mother’s point of view, i.e. soy being bad for my child. These articles don’t appear to be fully substantiated.)
Am I sensing a bit of dismissive tone? Granted, my approach to this discussion is as a mother of a growing child concerned about some of the nutritional claims you make, and not as someone trying to bulk up my muscles – I was sincerely asking for your sources since you are a “fitness trainer”. As a parent, I have to question the validity of every information I receive regarding the health of my child. So I spent most of this morning reading up on the articles you mentioned, trying to educate myself on the harms of soy. And since you shared the information, I was merely letting you know that I found this website (I am not a vegetarian) that refutes the very same websites you offered. If you, as an expert, are going to be recommending articles to people, isn’t there a responsibility that goes with that recommendation?
I was sincerely interested in your opinion because I had assumed you had done more full research on this. I apologize that my questions aren’t about abs and biceps and other wonderful muscles.
As a track coach and someone who trains sport specific strength (fancy word for functional training), I found your blog and exercises a good source of information for those looking to add flavor in their normal workout routine. I did like the side to side push ups, but wonder if you’ve incorporated the medicine ball side to side push up or the push up dumb bell row. I hate them, but they really work for changing up the monotony. I’ve also used a lot of resistance bands instead of free weights.
As for the issue with soy, I have mixed issues. I was vegan/vegetarian for about 8 full years. At my biggest during that time I weighed 165 lbs (except for the 175 during my then-wife’s pregnancy). However, I dropped to about 155 during a bout of depression, a divorce, and overall lack of training.
I’ve always had lean muscle and was deceptively strong for my size (6′ frame). Yet, I never had a muscular physique during those years. I was also incredibly fit, playing soccer, football, and basketball several times a week, including basic overall fitness with body weight exercises.
So after my divorce, I went back to a diet consisting of red meat and poultry. Now, even during those 8 years of being a vegan I would occasionally eat sushi because that’s a weakness of mine. I went from 155 to about 175 in less than a year and have maintained that weight and physique ever since. I’m not looking to get bigger at all.
I’ve noticed that I’ve developed fuller looking leaner muscle and am significantly stronger. I attribute this to the change in diet. However, I still use soy products to supplement my whey and casein proteins. And I also am raising a vegan child.
Here’s the dilemma. I’m not looking to have a child who is training as a muscular athlete. She is only six, and doesn’t probably need the amount of protein an athlete/muscle builder is ingesting. Her mother and I have done the research, and besides the research that comes from alarmist websites or foundations that are sponsored by the poultry, dairy, and beef farming associations, there are mixed reviews about raising a vegan child. There are warnings that too much soy can be unhealthy. But, I’d agree that too much meat can be unhealthy.
Most studies reveal that mammals given soy had lower rates of colon/rectal cancer than those given casein/meat diets. Most studies also suggest that vegans have lower cholesterol levels than the average American, have lower rates of heart disease, and lower rates of cancer. Now, what’s important is to look at what it means to be vegan. It does NOT mean eating soy exclusively. I think that’s for lazy vegans.
At the same time, we have to remember that even though the Japanese and Chinese and Koreans eat a small amount of soy, they also eat a hell of lot less “meat” than Americans. So, in terms of protein ratio, I’d venture to say that their soy ratio to meat ratio of proteins is higher than most Americans.
Also, soy contains plant based estrogen (fatty sterols) that mimic estrogen. But, I think most studies suggest that the phytoestrogens in soy are about 1000 times weaker than the estrogen naturally produced in the human body.
I think it’s just a matter of variance and balance and maintaining perspective on how much of anything you put into your body.
James, what about flax seed in place of fish oil? I know research suggests it may not work as well as fish oil, but for vegetarians it is probably a great alternative.
Mama,
We seem to have started off on the wrong foot here, so let’s start over. In my opinion, 288 studies by the FDA is much better than what 2 people put up as an authoritative article on their website. The links that you posted didn’t even refer to scientific studies to refute the claims that soy is estrogenic and affects development, whether child development or muscular development.
There is plenty of research out there, and I’ve provided a whole list of articles and studies. Here are some notable studies. Note that these are from scientific journals such as the JAMA and those specializing in reproduction and pediatrics. They are not web articles written for a vegan propaganda site:
Sharpe RM and others. Infant feeding with soy formula milk: effects on the testis and on blood testosterone levels in marmoset monkeys during the period of neonatal testicular activity. Hum Reprod 2002 Jul;17(7):1692-703; Strauss L and others. Genistein exerts estrogen-like effects in male mouse reproductive tract. Mol Cell Endocrinol 1998 Sep 25;144(1-2):83-93
Chorazy PA (1995). Persistent hypothyroidism in an infant receiving a soy formula: case report and review of the literature. Pediatrics Jul: 96 (1 Pt 1): 148-50
Irvine CHG (1998). Phytoestrogens in soy-based infant foods: concentrations, daily intake, and possible biological effects. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med1998 Mar; 217 (3): 247-53)
Nagata C (2000). Inverse association of soy product intake with serum androgen and estrogen concentrations in Japanese men. Nutr Cancer; 36 (1): 14-8
O’Donnell L and others. Phyto-estrogens and Infant Formulas. Endocr Rev 2001 Jun;22(3):289-318; Sharpe RM and Skakkebaek NE. Are Oestrogens Involved in Falling Sperm Counts and Disorders of the Male Reproductive Tract? The Lancet, 1993 May 29;341(8857):1392-1395.
Irvine CH and others. Phytoestrogens in soy-based infant foods: concentrations, daily intake, and possible biological effects. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1998 Mar 217:3 247-53.
Strom B and others. Exposure to Soy-Based Formulas in infacy and Endocrinological and Reproductive Outcomes in Young Adulthood. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001 Nov 12;286(19):2402-3.
“I did like the side to side push ups, but wonder if you’ve incorporated the medicine ball side to side push up or the push up dumb bell row? I hate them, but they really work for changing up the monotony.”
Yeah, I’m not a big fan of medicine ball pushups or stability balls or wobble boards. Exercises on unstable surfaces won’t do anything to increase your strength or speed. In fact, you will become weaker and slower.
The reason is that random motor units start firing all over just to keep you in balance, so no one motor unit actually gets worked enough to develop further.
Those exercises are great for the non-athlete, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the athlete.
As for the pushup-dumbbell row combo, they’re OK. You have to isometrically your entire body just to maintain that position while you row and pushup, so it is definitely challenging. I can’t say there is much carryover to athletics.
“Most studies reveal that mammals given soy had lower rates of colon/rectal cancer than those given casein/meat diets. Most studies also suggest that vegans have lower cholesterol levels than the average American, have lower rates of heart disease, and lower rates of cancer.”
Yeah I’m sure you’ve read “The China Study.” Taking meat out of your diet leads to a much longer life. Look at the 7th Day Adventists. They’re vegetarians, and they have a high number of centenarians in their congregations.
I don’t knock the vegetarian lifestyle. I happen to be on pesco-vegetarian diet: http://strengthandphysique.blogspot.com/search?q=vegetarian
So I wholeheartedly embrace vegetarianism for health, but what I despise about vegan propagandists is when they distort the truth about what is healthy. I can’t say veganism is healthier than vegetarianism.
“Now, what’s important is to look at what it means to be vegan. It does NOT mean eating soy exclusively. I think that’s for lazy vegans.”
People develop food allergies when their diets are limited. So if you eat soy all the time, then those side effects are more likely to happen.
You should define yourself by what you are, not what you are not. Being a vegetarian or vegan means eating vegetables. I’ve run into plenty of vegans who eat veggie pizzas and eat tons of starchy carbs, but very little vegetables.
“James, what about flax seed in place of fish oil? I know research suggests it may not work as well as fish oil, but for vegetarians it is probably a great alternative.”
flax oil is fine, but I would limit it to 1 tablespoon a day, as there is some evidence it has negative effects on the prostate.
James, thanks for your responses. I don’t use those stability balls, but use the medicine ball for ballistics work (especially for football athletes) and plyometrics.
However, I’ve found that doing single leg squats on a stability ball actually increases lower body strength and thereby increases speed. This is because the act of sprinting requires a significant amount of lower body biomotor capabilities that a lot of athletes have not yet developed.
By the way, I should perhaps say that I’m training athletes between 14 and 19 years of age. So perhaps it is different for younger athletes than older athletes who have already done advanced training.
Yeah, I think we’re both on the same page that being balanced and healthy in all aspects is important.
Interesting discussion. Especially since I just finished an awesome dinner that had lots of tofu.
The first time I heard negative news about soy was in the gym. They have a huge bulletin board where the trainers post stuff. Someone posted an article that basically said the same thing as what those articles say–that soy increases estrogen, limits testosterone, and is unsuitable for a bodybuilding lifestyle. It’s significant in Portland because of our big vegan movement.
In the article, someone asked about the Chinese and tofu. The author cited a study that said the Chinese don’t eat as much tofu as would increase estrogen. I’m Chinese, and I think this is probably true–we eat tofu, but we also eat pork, fish, beef, shrimp, and all kinds of veggies. I think the author was writing in response to certain vegan diets that heavily stress tempeh and tofu burgers.
I think Gandhi once recommended vegetarianism because he said it decreased people’s tendencies towards violence. I have no idea if this was a plug for soy or statement about reducing testosterone or karmic growth by not killing animals, but I do agree with him–I’ve never met a violent vegan.
So I do think there is some qualitative difference between meat eaters and those who eat lots of tofu. The reason they need to have a “vegan bodybuilding contest” is because vegans are at a disadvantage.
As for the children thing raised by Mama Nabi and P2H (and this is my view only, and I realize that many or most may disagree with me):
Dieticians keep going back and forth on their recommendations. They used to say carbs were really good, and now they’re bad. Eggs used to have too much cholesterol, and now they’re good. I usually go along with the recommendations of the time–for me. (except for beer–dieticians always say beer is bad, but I always drink it anyway because, well, what the hell do they know?)
Occasionally, there will be some huge news that has all force and reason behind it–a good example is the move from formula to breast milk–it’s virtually universally accepted that breast milk is superior to formula, and even the formula companies have had to acknowledge this. But by and large, sweeping changes such as this are rare.
So for my kids, I’m more or less strictly traditional. I give them what children have eaten for centuries. I remember years ago when Paul McCartney started touring Britain and telling parents to eliminate cow’s milk from their children’s diets. While I think there are some possible logical reasons for taking it out, I’m a traditionalist who says that we’re probably best off continuing to do what has worked over generations. Sure, there are hormones that farmers inject into cows that were not so common fifty years ago, but drinking modern milk, to me, seems a whole lot less risky than eliminating it completely. Kids need that protein to grow, and if you don’t give them what they need at a young age, the results will be present for the rest of their lives. My older one (younger one still doesn’t eat) eats fish, veggies, rice, dairy, and tofu in whatever form or ratio he wants. I usually have to push him to eat certain foods, but this is how kids were raised in the past, so this is how I do it with him.
Is this the best way to feed a child? I don’t know. I figure that since so many people have done it before successfully, I might as well continue the tradition. So if my son wants it, and it is a natural food, I don’t worry about ratios or volume–I just give it to him. I do, however, make sure that he eats a little of everything. It’s not good to be a picky eater.
I don’t knock the vegetarian lifestyle. I happen to be on pesco-vegetarian diet: http://strengthandphysique.blogspot.com/search?q=vegetarian
Thanks for the link, man. That’s cool stuff. I eat WAY too much meat, so I should probably check out the pesco-vegetarian diet.
Here’s an ethnic edge to the fish question: I’m not too crazy about Euro-style fish; I really only like fish when it’s prepared Asian style. And my Chinese cooking leaves lots to be desired…
“I think Gandhi once recommended vegetarianism because he said it decreased people’s tendencies towards violence. I have no idea if this was a plug for soy or statement about reducing testosterone or karmic growth by not killing animals, but I do agree with him–I’ve never met a violent vegan.”
Yeah, there’s a reason why tofu is considered monk food in Asia. Even though Tibetan monks are vegetarian and eat tofu, they’re not vegan. They drink a glass of butter milk everyday.
Anyway, soy as a condiment is not a big deal. I can’t eat my sushi without wasabi mixed in soy sauce!
James, ditto on starting over. I only cited the vegan website because, in my opinion, it equaled in calibre of the latter two you cited as far as selective citation of references that pertain to its agenda. I work around medical papers and for most part, when I looked up effects of soy, the papers that popped up on top were on the medical and health benifits of soy. That was my reasons behind asking you for your resources because I was genuinely interestes in reading the articles. And yes, I am aware that soy as the only source of nutrient (i.e. the infant formula articles) can be dangerous and fatal. And of course, like any food, vitamins, and minerals, too much of anything is bad for you. I was merely questioning some of the hard lines the anti-soy websites are taking – and as someone who feeds her child tofu, the statement that says tofu and soy will cause hormonal and brain damage will get my attention.
I like to question even the articles in the so called reputable medical journals such as JAMA – hell, I worked down the hallway from a scientist who recently made big news because her work that was published in all the important medical journals and considered the breakthrough discovery turned out to be somewhat fabricated.
I guess I take the old adage “Do not believe everything your read” a bit too seriously.
Jaehwan: Exactly. Just as pharmaceutical companies can and will influence medical doctors to promote one drug over another, FDA is not above influence. I’ve seen nutritionists flip flop between food groups that are bad or good for you. FDA research done 50 years ago can easily have less merit than a layperson’s research done over the information found on the internet. So my philosophy is usually to go with the tried and true. However, being human, I still have to research all information, whether it sounds like an alarmist propaganda or not, if it is relevant to my child’s wellbeing.
Any experiences with almond or rice milk?