Dr. Squat - Dr. Fred Hatfield

by Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.

Convention has it that there are three ways to lose weight: 1) dehydration, 2) fat loss, and 3) lean muscle weight loss. Fat loss is the ONLY acceptable route for you. Dehydration is never healthy or acceptable, and losing lean muscle is totally counter to everything that a healthy, fitness-oriented lifestyle stands for.

by Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.

Oh, my aching brain!

Training systems galore! Training techniques beaucoup! All of the competing systems and techniques available these days are enough to fry anyone's brain! It's called "hyperchoice" and the result is that more and more iron worshippers are opting for the one that's presented with the greatest sizzle instead of carefully scrutinizing each relative to personal needs and objectives.

by Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.

One of my favorite lines is, “I can pass by the weight room, smell the iron inside, and instantly begin to grow.” Simply, some people tend to thrive on very little exercise, while others seem to be incapable of making gains no matter how hard, long and frequently they train. This was referred to as one's "tolerance to exercise," a term coined by Arthur Jones years ago. One’s “tolerance” is high if more exercise is needed, and low if less is needed. There are many variables that can affect your exercise tolerance. Of course, “genetics” ranks highest on the list below, and you’ll notice several such factors. Others, on the other hand, are able to be manipulated in various ways.

by Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.

Much is written about strength. But, save for all too few research documents, little of it goes beyond musings about how to acquire more than the norm. While this utilitarian approach to understanding strength is laudable, too few athletes, bodybuilders and coaches have ever taken the time to pull the concept of strength apart to a thoroughly finite level in order to discern its essence.

by Frederick C. Hatfield II, MS, MFS, CSCS

The ABC system of bodybuilding training is a program based on the seven rules of training. These rules are not new, nor can anyone claim to have discovered them. Over the years, these rules have gained acceptance as "laws;" they are set in stone.

While Dr. Hatfield and the International Sports Sciences Association have noted them, every other credible expert in the training sciences acknowledges them, even if they have different names for them. When taking the ABC approach, watching your diet (that is, abiding by the 5 rules of performance nutrition) is critical.

THE ABC SYSTEM IS NOT SET IN STONE - THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND IT ARE!

by Frederick C. Hatfield II, MS, MFS, CSCS

In Part I of ABC Training Made REAL Simple, I gave a 28-day program, which focused on body part training. This time I'd like to focus on incorporating ABC training on "movements". One of the problems with the ABC program when you focus on body parts is that so many exercises work more than one muscle. For example, the bench press works the shoulders, the triceps and the chest. Another example is of course, the squat; quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and lower back are all involved.

by Frederick C. Hatfield II, MS, MFS, CSCS

In Part II of ABC Training Made REAL Simple, I discussed arranging your training by multi-joint movements rather than body parts. In this part, I'd like to show you how ABC training can be used in a very popular format: the 3-day per week approach. I will go back to arranging exercises by body part, but you can arrange this schedule by movements as well.

by Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.

Basal energy expenditure (BEE) or basal metabolic rate (BMR) as it is sometimes called, is the energy required to maintain life. It is measured at rest, but not asleep, in a thermo-neutral environment in the post-absorptive state. It can be measured directly or indirectly, or it can be estimated as I have done in this article. I am using the equations of Harris & Benedict (1919).

by Frederick C. Hatfield PhD

While in the Soviet union back in '83, I met Marchuk -- the guy who broke Alexeev's C&J record. He was a very strong dude! We got to talking. I was 242 at the time. He looked at me, at my legs, at my "supposed" WR of 1008 in the squat and said, "NYET! NOT POSSIBLE!" So I bet him a quart of vodka that I could beat him -- all 350 pounds of him. He accepted. His coach secretly came up to me and said, "In Russia, we call powerlifting the "fake" lifts. We call it that because you use supersuits, big belts and giant knee wraps. Can you still beat Marchuk?" I said, "Yep!" He said, "If you do, Marchuk will be SHIT forever! In this gym he is king. If he's beaten at ANYTHING he will be shit!" Then, two days later we went head to head. He barely struggled up with an 800 pound squat -- not bad for a sans wrap sans suit lift, no? So I did it, being out of shape, I figured what the hell! I'd save this poor fat slob's career by not beating him. I did it too -- sans belt, sans suit.

by Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.

There are many physical factors that contribute to obesity cited in the research literature. Listed in Table One are most of the important ones. It’s quite clear that a far greater percentage of the obese population in America suffer their obese condition as a result of the final factor (Socio-Cultural / Environmental) as opposed to the more medically oriented ones. America is the only country on earth with an obesity problem of epidemic proportions. Yet, the factors listed in Table One are probably no different for the world than what exists in this country.