POWERMAG.ORG
september 17, 2001

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1.....RICKEY DALE says.....

well after a most intense and sorrowful turn of events last week...we are now faced with reality...a reality that will be forever changed and forever change the way we perceive our lives.....it should make us that much more intent of living a life of meaning......intent on taking care of ourselves......enjoying ourselves and givning meaning to our lives as well as those around us.......keeping ourselves in as best physical condition as possible....knowing our life could be snuffed out at any given moment like those of last week's catastrophe........with 50% of our nation trying to end their lives prematurely by the way they stuff their face with everything imagineable, along with the fact they get little or no strength or conditioning exercise......we are now faced with the challenge of encouraging them to do something about it......onward and upward............................................

now with a change of pace>>>>>>>congrats to all the junior lifters coming back from overseas........for many of them it was a brand new experience in international or overseas lifting...which is enough for anybody to learn all at once.....

2.....POWERLIFTING PARAPHERNALIA.....TRIVIA and STUPID QUESTION OF THE WEEK........

and the winning answer is larry pacifico........had a lot of ed coan answers....who we all know is the best powerlifter we have ever witnessed......but larry was the first to dominate for such a long time....... and the winners are..........joe sheerin of harleysville, pa........mike bixler of hanover, pa..and walt mayer of oxford, mississippi......... and this week's trivia question is.....?????.....what world champion powerlifter of the 70's and 80's was a high school state wrestling champion???????

BELOW IS AN INTERESTING ARTICLE THAT WAS SENT TO ME BY DR RICHARD HERRICK.............as i have asthma and almost died from it at an early age it was of particular interest to me......i can remember playing little league baseball and sitting in my parents car between innings taking hits off an inhaler so i could get back out and play the next inning..........what athletes will do to participate in sports is incredible and should never be underestimated...... Athletes needing asthma drugs face extra hurdles With better treatments, more asthmatics are becoming athletes, but they struggle with a sports mind-set and some International Olympic Committee rules not conducive to treatment compliance. By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. Sept. 24, 2001. Additional information

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Jim Davis, the creator of the cartoon cat Garfield, credits his success to a childhood spent indoors drawing. He wasn't allowed to play outside because of his asthma.

This condition may have also been a factor that led other famous people -- Ludwig Van Beethoven, Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, for instance -- to nurture their talent, because their lung function did not allow them to do more active things.

But the days in which asthmatics were relegated to quiet, indoor lifestyles are long past. Improved pharmaceutical options mean that asthma no longer automatically precludes a person from participating in sports.

Most asthmatics are now able to compete, and some do so at the highest level. Track and field athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, swimmer Amy Van Dyken and Washington Redskins fullback Donnell Bennett are all asthmatics and top-flight athletes. The list keeps growing. And even at the recreational level, people who use inhalers before and during competition are a regular sight.

"Even kids with severe asthma can be well-controlled and well-conditioned to participate in all age-appropriate physical activity," said Martin Hurwitz, MD, clinical associate professor in the pediatric pulmonology department at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor. "And they can play competitive sports, sometimes at extremely high levels where the limitations are only their own innate physical gifts."

Physicians complain, however, that the combination of a sports mindset that makes people think they are invincible, and an international sporting world obsessed with getting drugs out of sports -- even those needed to treat a medical condition -- is hampering treatment efforts.

"Compliance is the biggest problem we have," said John Weiler, MD, a professor of internal medicine with the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City. "The medications we have today are wonderful, but they don't do anything if they're not taken."

In August, Northwestern University football player Rashidi Wheeler died during a practice. His death is being blamed on asthma, and there are suggestions that he had not taken his medication. Doctors say such deaths are rare, but when they happen, they highlight the challenges and high stakes of treating asthmatics.

"This was a young man who needed his inhaler many, many, many times during practice," said Dr. Hurwitz. "That's a badly controlled asthmatic patient."

Controlling asthma usually requires a combination of quick-acting bronchial dilators and medications such as anti-inflammatories that provide long-term maintenance. But it is the latter category that has the poorest adherence, with most estimating 50% compliance populationwide.

"You don't get positive body feedback," Dr. Hurwitz said. "But it improves your pulmonary function and does prevent acute asthma attacks."

Physicians say medication is what allows asthmatics to compete as equals with non-asthmatics, but concerns that the treatments are sometimes viewed as performance enhancers is another wrinkle.

According to a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology last year, use of asthma medications by American athletes at the 1998 Winter Olympics ranged from a high of 60% among cross-country skiers to a low of 3% for bobsledders. Because of high numbers like these that are not in line with populationwide estimates for the condition, the international sporting community has targeted asthma medications as part of the efforts to get performance-enhancing drugs out of sport.

"An awful lot of people are using asthma medications," Dr. Hurwitz said. "Nobody knows if they're really performance-enhancing, but a lot of the athletes think that it gives them an edge. Like anything else, it can be subject to abuse."

IOC skepticism trickles down
Last month, the International Olympic Committee announced their new list of prohibited and restricted substances, including tougher requirements to get permission to take asthma medications. Athletes must now submit clinical proof to a medical review panel and may be subject to an on-the-spot test to substantiate that they have asthma.

"I don't want to see athletes taking drugs they shouldn't," said Dr. Weiler, who authored the study. "But when they start making edicts that don't allow for the art of medicine and its just a bunch of numbers, that does not work. We make the diagnosis of asthma based on clinical presentation, but they're asking for tests that aren't commonly done. And they're probably not the right tests to be asking for."

While most experts feel that the intent of the efforts is noble, it sometimes means therapeutics are categorized with other drugs that give athletes an unfair edge.

"The IOC doesn't really believe asthma exists among athletes," Dr. Weiler said. "But it's a common problem and not any less common among athletes. Athletes also push themselves, and they can provoke pretty severe attacks."

Experts believe asthmatic athletes may forgo their medication because of the hassle, and that some, although diagnosed as asthmatic, may not pass the tests required by the IOC. "Every test we do has an opportunity to be falsely negative," Dr. Weiler said. "Then what do you do? You don't provide drugs to them? That's terrible."

And although the actions of the IOC appear to affect only elite athletes, physicians report that its approach does trickle down to recreational athletes.

"The message it sends to our kids and the athletes who participate at lower levels such as the NCAA, all the way down the line, is not a good one," said Dr. Weiler. "The message is: 'This really doesn't exist. These people are going for these drugs so they can improve their performance.' Indeed athletes have it at all levels. Let's treat them properly."

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Olympic rules for asthmatics
Beta-2 agonists
Must submit clinical and laboratory evidence of asthma, including lung function tests, at least one week before competition.
This evidence will be reviewed and approved by a panel of medical and scientific experts.
If questionable, athlete will be required to submit to additional tests.
Salbutamol, salmeterol, terbutaline*
Classified as stimulants.
Permitted by inhaler only.
* Otherwise, same requirements as in place for beta-2 agonists.

Glucocorticosteroids
Regular oral, rectal and intravenous administration is banned.
Athlete can receive intermittent local injections as deemed medically necessary.

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Weblink
Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code http://www.olympic.org/ioc/e/org/medcom/medcom_antidopage_e.html

Article, Asthma in United States Olympic Athletes who Participated in the 1998 Olympic Winter Games, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, August 2000

....this is food for thought>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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3.....FORM.....STYLE.....TECHNIQUE.....and ROUTINES.....

I RECEIVE A NEWSLETTER FROM "THE BLOND BOMBER"...I.E. DAVE DRAPER...  MR UNIVERSE..........if you remember.... he was in all the beach movies and on the cover of all the bodybuilding mags back in the 60's.......he had a few choice things to say about lifting gear and equipment.........i thought was interesting and very on the mark...... and it comes from a bodybuilder no less................

"Draper here... Ready for Action, Ready or Not

Throughout my workouts I regularly strap, wrap and cinch myself together to protect this or that and to enable me to outdo my unsupported self. This is quite legitimate as few athletes of any sport perform free of gear of one sort or another for very long. Continual adjustments are required as I move about the equipment in my multi-set fashion to secure one pair of wraps suitable for one particular exercise and release another that is not. Certain straps need to be bound tightly to enable me to exceed a joint's limits and quick removal is advisable as circulation is inhibited -- Thank heaven for Velcro.

My belt is necessary for the overhead load yet resists my efforts when bent over and pulling at an angle. The wrist strap has been in place too long and my hand is deep blue, swelling and numb. Anybody see my belt? I thought I left it here by the chalk box. Heavy-duty knee wraps take tedious minutes to gather and re-roll while the wrist straps and elbow wraps, looped around my appendages, hang long and loose between sets. I look like the Curse Of The Untidy Mummy in a tank top and Nikes.

Supersetting squats with pullovers is engaging as I juggle my belt-cinching and knee wrap procedures (wrapping, un-wrapping and re-rolling) for the heavy leg movement with tight wrist strapping and meticulous elbow wrapping (or is it strapping?) for the pullover. A notorious volume trainer I sometimes carry on like a clown for seven or ten rounds of this act before fatigue and confusion overcome me. Once I hoisted a loaded Buffalo Bar across my shoulders and backed out of the rack to dig into a hopeful set of four reps... you can do it, Draper. I squinted into the polished mirror before me and noted that my wrists were impenetrably bound in heavy-duty safety-red elastic binding (genesis power wrist wraps)..., my bandage-fortified elbows could take a bullet and my absolutely indispensable thick black leather belt lay limply next to my rumpled, totally essential knee wraps on the floor behind me. Something's wrong with this reflection. I got the reps but it's confusing out there.

Oh, yeah. I never fail to carry water, a power drink, tissues (runny nose) and a towel on my excursions and on occasion add gloves, bar grip-expanders and a manta ray to the collection. Exhausting. I have enough inventory and strategies for a small business. One day I will go Public.

There are times when I go out to the wilds of the gym floor, er, naked: just my gym clothes and me. What freedom. What courage. What innocence. Truth is, the goofy heap of added attractions allows me to train harder and heavier with less risk and less damage and soreness. I'm getting the hang of it after all these years and I appreciate the hand-eye coordination and the pacing mechanism their application provides. They contribute a playful dimension to the already playful sport without resorting to aerobic contraptions resembling Harleys and Corvettes. They come in pairs and in colors and are under twenty bucks, belts excluded." the older we get the smarter we get...that is for sure~rickey dale crain

still have a few sets of used dumbells for sale....at a very good price......... as well as used power bars.....plates...some equipment...etc...

4.....NUTRITION and SUPPLEMENTS.....you are what you eat.....

you are what you eat..... caffeine......guarana....carb loading......etc.....many different types of herbs and supplements are used to enhance your workout......both in performance and recovery..... many of these raise your metabolism.....i.e heart rate...blood pressure ...etc....... so that even after the workout is long over with and you are physically dead tired... your system wants to keep on going on..... and the end result is a sleepless night of tossing and turning.......what to do????????? a couple of things to help avoid this and overcome this......first...make sure whatever you are taking is at least 8-10 hours before you plan to go to bed......i.e bedtime 11 pm......nothing later than 3 pm.... second.....make sure you take no more than you need.....early in a training cycle means less than a few weeks before the meet... third......you can try some sleep aid products to help you to relax......there are many over the counter types...you also might try kava kava or vallerian root......it can help you relax and sleep...there are also many different types of teas available than can also help..... relaxing is the key......if you continue to have the problem you probably better go to a doctor to make sure you do not have a sleep disorder..........good luck and get some zzzzzzzzzzzzz's..... and check out the incredible supplement specials we have....... we still have some closeouts on protein bars (and oat bars at 1.00 each) and drinks.......call to see what we still have

.....and check out the incredible supplement specials at
www.crainsmuscleworld.com/supplements.asp

5.....PARTING THOUGHTS.....

do not forget to check out PURE POWER>>>> www.purepowermag.com

it has been a hectic 2 weeks.....a trying 2 weeks.....a thoughtful 2 weeks.....many times over that period of time i just could not get it going.......could not concentrate....could not get motivated........but that too shall pass..........getting back to normal may take a while......

strength in character is as important as strength in all other aspects of one's life....remember that......

IN HIS NAME
Rickey Dale Crain

5 time world champion
2000 powerlifting hall of fame inductee

CRAIN'S MUSCLE WORLD, LIMITED

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3803 north bryan road
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