In This Issue:
– Robertson Training Systems Updates
– Training Tip
– Nutrition Tip
– Exclusive Interview: Cassandra Forsythe
– New Articles
– Schedule
Robertson Training Systems Updates:
The Montreal Seminar is OFFICIAL!
Here’s a quick rundown from the T-nation site:
Hey guys, some of you already knew it from talking with CT, but there’s a mega seminar in Montreal October 20-21. This is another one of those readers-turned-muscle-enthousiast organised thing, à la DC Test Fest.
So lets do the Cliff’s note here
Where: Auditorium of the Tower of the Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Québec, Canada
When: October 20th in English (Saturday) and October 21st in French
Speakers:
October 20th
Christian Thibaudeau
Charles Poliquin
Eric Cressey
Mike Robertson
Joe DeFranco
October 21
Christian Thibaudeau
Pierre Roy
Michel Portmann
Denis Pedneault
Yvan Campbell
Nicolas Roy
Alain Watier
You have the option of taking only one day or both, of course
But best of all, we’re doing a Vinkomorf/T-Nation special presale offer: 250$ for October 20, 75$ for October 21 or only 300$ for both days. Special will only last until sunday at midnight!
If you’re interested in attending, check out the site below for more details and registration information:
http://www.muscledrivethru.com/vinkofest/
Training Tip:
Strengthen the hip external rotators
Recent research by Powers has alluded to the importance of the hip rotators in those with patello-femoral issues.
In his research, Powers determined that those with patello-femoral issues were up to 26% weaker in their external rotators of the injured vs. non-injured sides. That’s a big difference! While we’re always quick to blame the VMO or medial knee structures, inclusion of exercises that develop the external rotators are important as well.
To strengthen the external rotators, add some facilitation work in pre-workout; this could include side-lying clams (ala McGill) or even something like multi-planar reaches. Take it to the next level by including single-leg drills that develop the gluteals such as single-leg RDL’s, lunges, step-ups, etc.
Remember that when we’re talking knee issues, we need a holistic approach to re-training the body. Get those hips doing their job and you’ll be that much better off!
Need more help getting those knees fixed up? Don’t forget to check out my Bulletproof Knees manual!
Nutrition Tip:
Passion Lemonade
By Mike Roussell
Last summer my wife and I were at a Starbucks looking for something to cool us down from a hot July day. We noticed they had a Passion Lemonade. It sounded interesting so we ordered two.
Being the nutritional nut that I am I wanted to know what they were putting in my drink. It was pretty simple Cold Tazo Passion Tea and Lemonade; but it was Starbucks so they charged me $3.50. It tasted great, but the Lemonade added too many empty calories for an everyday drink. I made a quick modification to came up with a great tasting calorie free version that will quench your thirst on a hot day or satisfy a sugar craving.
Boil 1 quart of water in an electric kettle. Next pour into a large glass pitcher along with two bags of Tazo Passion Tea. Let the tea steep (a fancy word for sit in the water) for 7-10 minutes (or longer it you have the time). Add packet of Lemonade Crystal Light and mix. Now you can either just put the pitcher in the refrigerator, let it cool, and drink it later. Or add 2 cups of ice cubes to cool it down immediately.
This drink not only tastes great but it contains a nice dose of anti-oxidants from the hibiscus and orange peels found in the Tazo tea. Enjoy!!

If you like this tip and want to learn more about Mike and his products, check out his Naked Nutrition website.
Exclusive Interview: cASSANDRA FORSYTHE
Cassandra Forsythe is one of the foremost researchers in low carbohydrate diets – and beyond that, she’s jacked to boot!
Read on to learn Cassandra’s views on training, diet, and dealing with injuries.
MR: Cassandra, let’s start from the beginning with the usual routine. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
CF: I originate from the Great White North, better known as Canada. Specifically, I was raised in Northern British Columbia, where the typical city was miles and miles away from anything other than mountains, trees and bears. Here I grew to love outdoor activities, such as hiking, fishing and mountain biking, which is something not many people get the chance to enjoy. From the ages 9 to 15 I practiced gymnastics, but I wasn’t involved in any other competitive sports.

Scholastically, I completed my Bachelors and Masters of Science in nutrition at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta and am now in the process of completing my PhD in Exercise Science at the University of Connecticut. I’ve always been interested in anything surrounding health, exercise and nutrition, so, I’ve spent the past 14 years of my life learning how we all can become healthier and more fit with proper exercise and diet selections. My primary research (and personal) interests include female fat loss, cardiovascular disease, ketogenic diets, dietary fats, digestive health, exercise training and personalized nutrition. I also practice what I preach; I’ve competed in figure competitions and currently eat and train very meticulously and seriously. I’d like to work towards figure competitions again, but right now my life is focused on getting my PhD and graduating successfully.
In my spare time when I’m not working on school or working out, I like to write. Currently, I’m working on a diet and exercise book for Women’s Health Magazine and I write for Men’s Health Magazine. I also co-authored a exercise and nutrition book for women with the legendary Lou Schuler and brilliant Alwyn Cosgrove. The book is titled “The New Rules of Lifting for Women” and it is available for pre-order on amazon.com. When I’m finally done with school (in about a year), I hope to continue in research and also have my own business focusing on female-specific nutrition and exercise prescription.
MR: What led you to the field of dietetics? Was there anything specific that pulled you in this direction?
CF: I like to eat; bottom line. So that’s why I decided to study food and eating.
Actually, in all seriousness, when I started University back in 1997 (yes, I’ve been in school now for 10 years), I thought I wanted to become a corporate sales manager, so my major was initially business. However, after taking my first class in economics and absolutely hating it, I knew business wasn’t for me. Another thing that pulled me away from that area of study is that the job I would’ve landed involved too much sitting. As I’ll describe below, I have a bad back, so sitting for long periods of time causes me a lot of pain. Because of this, I knew that a desk job was not for me, so I re-evaluated my career goals. I knew that I was very interested in resolving health problems with food and I felt supplements were essential for good nutrition. In fact, I resolved a few health problems of my own just by changing my diet. I also worked in a health food store from the age of 16 to 19, and absolutely loved it. These factors pulled me towards the study of nutrition and dietetics. I also was quite obsessed with exercise. When I was younger I practiced as a gymnast, and was always admiring muscle. When I turned 15 and found out about my back issues, I turned my focus towards the gym. That’s why after my masters I immediately began a PhD in Exercise Science so that I could make the marriage between nutrition and exercise a solid and long lasting affair.
MR: Before we dig into the nutrition, let’s talk training for a second. You have a great physique, so where do you see most women going wrong with their training?
CF: Thank you for the kind words Mike, but I must admit, that my physique has taken a bashing over these last 8 months due to all the sitting, writing and studying I’ve had to do for my PhD and books. I’m just like any other regular woman: if I become sedentary and eat too much for my needs, I gain body fat. That’s why my mantra is that you have to move EVERYDAY, even if it’s just a brisk 30 minute walk. No one has any excuse to sit all day long, especially if they really care about their body.

With respect to exercise training for the goal of physique improvement, women go wrong by only selecting one type of exercise. And, unfortunately, the single type of exercise they usually choose is aerobically-based, like running. I’m a firm believer that women need exercise that challenges both their cardiovascular system and their musculo-skeletal tissues; it’s this carefully selected blend of both activities that’ll improve their physique and their health.
However, women think the only way to attain the body of their dreams is to spend unnecessary hours doing long boring cardiovascular-dominant exercise. These women will religiously attend every aerobics class Monday through Friday, but still look like they never went to those classes at all. Although some form of cardiovascular fitness is important, it won’t reshape your body. Even heavy weight lifting alone, with little aerobic component, will lead a woman to a static state; take a look at some women power-lifters and you’ll know what I mean.
Now, I must admit that when I first starting going to the gym, I too felt more comfortable in an aerobics class than in the weight room. But, I learned that the physique I desired did not come from endless step classes. The women I wanted to look like lifted weights, and they did so with enough resistance to stimulate muscle growth. Therefore, I hired personal trainers and learned how to lift weights properly using a respectable load. I combined resistance training with both high-intensity interval aerobic training and steady state cardio and my body eventually evolved from a soft pile of mush to a statue of hard muscle (or something like that). Plus, lifting weights was excellent for my back. You see, for women, unlike men, the combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise is the key to fat loss and muscle gain. Women have more stubborn metabolisms and can’t simply reduce their calories as much as men can to lose body fat. Since women have a lower caloric intake to begin with due to their lower body size, cutting back calories too much puts them at a very low level. Women therefore need to expend more energy with both weight lifting and cardio rather than starving themselves. Increased activity in this fashion prevents a decline in metabolism that would occur if women tried to change their bodies with diet alone.
Back to exercise, women just need to stop fearing using resistance when they work their bodies. Weight lifting will not make them bog of bulky. It’s important not only for re-shaping their body, but also for strengthening their muscles so that they don’t become injured. The amount of weight lifted by a women is also positively correlated with bone density; so lifting heavy weights will help prevent osteoporosis, which is a disease that many women suffer from as they get older. But, they still need to do some aerobic exercise, to get the body they want. An exercise scheme that works best is an alternation of cardio with weight training every day of the week. Like I said, exercise everyday is the key to health, longevity and a great body.
MR: Those are great points.
You also mentioned about your bad back in the second question. Can you expand in this more and explain why it’s something unique for you to deal with?
I have what is called spondylolithesis. To explain this easily to people who have little training in anatomy, I just tell them that I have a broken back – which is true. However, I know your readers are more educated, so I’ll just elaborate on this a bit more.
Spondylolisthesis is a spinal instability condition that affects the posterior elements of the spinal vertebrae, also known as the lamina. These lamina attach to the vertebrae via the pedicles; and, at the top and bottom of the lamina, are the facet joints. The facet joints provide static stability, and to a lesser extent, help with load bearing. However, the main load-bearing piece of the spine is the strong vertebral body. For people who have extensive lumbar lordosis, or participate in activities that involve repeated lumbar hyper extension, especially under a considerable load (like gymnasts and weightlifters), the load-bearing responsibilities are shifted away from the vertebrae and placed upon the smaller posterior spinal structures (the lamina and facet joints). Since these relatively weaker posterior elements aren’t designed to deal with this kind of load, they eventually succumb to the stress and become fractured. When the fracture occurs on one side of the spinal vertebrae, the result is termed spondylolysis. When these stress fractures are experienced on both sides, this is termed spondylolisthesis. In both conditions, the result is pain, especially with excessive or loaded extension. The difference between spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis is that in the later condition, the fracture on both sides of the lamina allows one vertebrae to slip forward upon another. Thus, spondylolysis is simply a spinal fracture where spondylolisthesis is a fracture and a slip. Spondylolisthesis is usual graded on a 1 to 4 scale, depending on the degree of slippage. Those with a grade 1 are usually able to function normally, with some limitations, while a grade 4 requires immediate surgical fusion.
For me, the condition probably results from a combination of competing as a gymnast and being hypermobile. No matter what the cause, my back causes me pain, especially if I sit for a long period of time. I’ve also learned (the hard way) that I have to avoid exercises that load my spine or encourage lordosis, such as back squats and back hyperextensions, because they exacerbate the pain.
MR: On that note, what do you and don’t you do to make sure your back doesn’t make you want to abuse pain killers like so many other people do?
CF: Well, what I do is workout or move my body in some way, everyday. I’m not a team sport kind of girl, so when I exercise, I usually go to the gym to lift weights, ride my mountain bike, run sprints at the track, or go hiking. I can’t ride a road bike, because the bent over position makes me want to curl up and die in pain. So, when I ride my bike on the road, I have a granny bike; one that sits me upright. The bike looks like it should have a wicker basket attached with a little dog inside, but it allows me to get around without driving a car everywhere. I stabilize my core muscles with static exercises such as front and side planks, and, of course, I ensure that my hips and upper back are mobile, so there’s no extra strain on my lower back from overly tight muscles in those areas.
For things to avoid, I try to not sit for too long as I mentioned. I take frequent breaks and de-load my spine in different ways, such as holding myself up by the arms of my chair. I also watch out for rotational abdominal exercises, such as Russian Twists, because the sheer forces on my lower spine aggravate my problem.
All in all though, I live a normal life, but know my limits. If something hurts or causes me pain, I just don’t do it. Everyone should be aware of their body like this, and listen to what it’s telling them. Not everyone is made to squat or run, even if you think it’s the ultimate exercise. Like I said, if it hurts, more than through muscular pain just don’t do it!
MR: Now, let’s talk nutrition, since that is your specialty. What do you think are some of the biggest mistakes people make with regards to nutrition?
CF: For this question, I’m just going to focus on the habits of women, since that’s where my main interests lie.
In my experiences, one of the biggest mistakes women is skipping meals when they want to improve their health or change their body composition. It’s far better to eat every 3 to 4 hours than 5 to 8, like some many women do. Eating more frequently keeps blood glucose levels more stable, controls appetite and allows the body to burn more energy, rather than storing it (mostly as fat). Skipping meals thus increases your risk of developing adult-onset diabetes, heart disease and obesity. But, women are bombarded with messages that they should eat less, and take pills to make them less hungry so they can fit into some piece of clothing that even a Barbie model would have problems squeezing into. It’s outrageous. The practice of missing meals just sets their body up for disaster. Women need to educate themselves what they should eat, not what they shouldn’t so they can improve their health and body. If the choice was up to weight loss companies, food would be banned and women would subsist off diet cola and appetite suppressants.
The other thing women do wrong is eat low-calorie snack packs of chocolate chip cookies in place of protein-rich foods such as chicken, fish or meat. From what I understand, women are scared of eating these types of animal products because they think they’ll make them fat. Part of this stems from the recommendations of our so-called nutrition governing bodies who tell women that they should only eat 3 to 4 ounces of meat per day, because that’s all the body supposedly needs. However, however, it’s not what the body needs per se, it’s about what’s optimal for health and body composition. Protein-rich foods are well-known for protecting bone health (think cheese or milk here), supplying essential fatty acids (think salmon here), and providing minerals that women really need (like iron in meat and fish). On the other hand, carbohydrate-rich, low-fat foods are only recommended in such high quantities because they fill the void of calories, when protein and fat are restricted. They’ll do nothing to improve your nutritional status alone.
Women also think soy products are great because the food industry pushes these products in their face in every beverage, energy bar, and “healthy” salad. In fact, soy just emphasizes something that women already have a hard time controlling: estrogen. Estrogen is related to increased risk of breast cancer, higher body fat levels, mood swings and water retention. Why then would women want to eat a food that makes estrogen higher? In a recent summary of the research, soy products have not been conclusively shown to reduce risk of cancer, or heart disease alone. Also, researchers showed that purified soy products, such as soy protein, increased markers of bone breakdown compared with animal products. Therefore, ditch the soy ladies and your body will thank you.
Without making this too much longer, women also avoid fat-rich foods (like nuts and seeds), because they are scared it is bad for their body, and they don’t drink enough water-based fluids. Fat helps the body burn more fat, and water helps control appetite and improves mood and concentration.
The bottom line is that to improve their nutritional status, women need to eat more protein-rich foods, include more fat and water in their daily diet and limit soy-rich foods.
MR: You’re a very staunch advocate of low carb diets. How do YOU define a low carb diet? If you have to convince someone on the spot, why are they superior to a more “traditional” diet?
CF: The low carb diets that I research with my supervisor, Jeff Volek, PhD, RD, at UConn are those that were originally advocated by the late, great Dr Atkins. These diets contain a high percentage of calories from fat, moderate amount of calories from protein and a very low percent of calories from carbohydrates. People eat full-fat cream and cheese, skin on their meats and oils or butter on all their foods. They avoid any food rich in carbs like pastas, breads, grains, but eat lower carb vegetables, like spinach, okra and cucumbers — and even some berries due to their very high fiber content.
I define a low carb diet as any diet that contains less than 40% of calories from carbs, or about 150 grams or less of carbs per day, while a very low carbohydrate diet is one that contains less than 10-15% of calories from carbs, or less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day.
Diet with less than 40% of cals from carbs are superior to higher carb “traditional” diets because they allow you to obtain to more calories from protein and fat. This macronutrient selection promotes more satiety, increases fat-burning, reduces risk factors for disease. It also provides enough essential amino acids and essential fatty acids to stimulate muscle growth and prevent essential fat deficiencies. Muscle mass is known to protect health through injury prevention and improved processing of nutrients, while proper fat balance is known to reduce symptoms of depression, prevent over-accumulation of body fat and stop diseases associated with increased inflammation (such as arthritis and heart disease). When people follow a traditional diet, the beneficial amino acids and fats are not often obtained.
To benefit from a low carb diet, one doesn’t need to cut back carbs to the very low carb level, because the research shows the same benefits of carb restriction even with moderate carb reduction -such as at the low carb level. In my opinion, our traditional diet needs to be revamped. People all would benefit if they reduced their intake of carb foods because it encourages more variation in the diet and ensures optimal nutrient ratios.
MR: Last question – if you could only give people one piece of nutritional advice to help them achieve their goals, what might that be?
CF: Eat foods that come in their most natural form as often as possible. For example, if you could choose between an apple or apple juice, go with the whole, unprocessed fruit. Same thing with meat, if you could eat either a slice of deli turkey meat, or a whole chicken breast, go with the unaltered meat and you’ll do your body good.
MR: Awesome, thanks so much for the interview! Where can my newsletter readers learn more about you?
CF: I have a blog that I update as often as possible. The site address is http://cassandraforsythe.blogspot.com/. I also will have my own column in Women’s Health Magazine starting this November as the Weight Loss Expert.
On December 26th, my first book with Lou Schuler will be released and next summer the book with Women’s Health should be on the shelves.
Thank you so much Mike!
MR: Thanks Cass!