Getting under the bar is a great feeling!

The women that I know that enjoy strength training all tell me how empowering it is.  I never thought the simple task of spending an hour, 4 times a week, stroking the steel, racking and unracking the barbell, picking up a pair of dumbbells, pulling my body up to the bar would be so rewarding.  I’m not going to waste time proving this point, but if you need more evidence, feel free to scroll though to Will Brink’s article on the matter: http://www.brinkzone.com/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/  I’ve heard it again and again, and you may have too, but it bears repeating, because the message WILL resonate with one another woman out there, and it could be you.  Girls who lift all know something you don’t, and that you could be missing.

The reality is, at least where I train (independently and at the Gold’s Gym locations in the Alexandria and Arlington, VA area) I rarely see many women out in the weight room.  They’re either on some cardio machine, or in the group fitness room.  There’s nothing wrong with that- I teach a group fitness class and enjoy it.  It gives me a chance to teach women and men, (yes, there ARE men in there) that working out with weights is fun (yes, it’s fun, I said the f-word), to demonstrate correct form, and make the point that strength training can transform the shape of your body.  Yet the group fitness room is where a lot of the women stay. 

The trainers I’ve spoken to all think we stay out because women think it’s “too intimidating” or that they’ll “stick out.”  Though I can’t relate to this fear, I have to say that the gym where I train has got a lot of fit lookin’ dudes.  Because of my gym’s proximity to the Pentagon, a lot of these guys have to stay fit for their routine physical tests.  There’s also the occasional powerlifter, bodybuilder, runner, and average dude just trying to “stay in shape.”  The one thing they ALL have in common is that despite their seemingly tough nature, they’re also among the nicest, most gracious people you’ll ever meet.  They’re usually happy to give you a spot, let you “work in” between sets, clear the floor for you when they see you doing walking barbell lunges, and some of them even cheer you on!  There’s a great camaraderie and a lot of chivalry that goes on.  Granted, there is the occasional outlier who lacks manners but those people are few and far between.

I encourage you to hop off the treadmill or elliptical, and give it a go in the weight room.  If you’re completely unfamiliar with the gym setting, enlist the help of a personal trainer, a knowledgeable friend, a good book from your library (hey, we all learn differently!), a good online support network like the one I found on the Body Building Revealed members forum, or a DVD.  Figure out the best way YOU can slowly and gradually test the waters.  Once you get there in there, you’ll never want to turn back. 

Ladies! Let’s Get Into the Weight Room is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

Toning & Firming Exposed! is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

If simple, basic weight loss is the goal, any number of diets will “work” just fine, just take your pick. What most popular diets fail to do is to give people the knowledge and the tools to go beyond the instant results to achieve their full potential for leanness and fitness in the long term. Learn the tools and use them if you want permanent weight loss.  For me, the key was eating 5-6 meals a day. I prepare all my meals during the weekend, and dedicate at least 2 hours to get the job done.  My husband likes to joke that I look like a mad scientist in the kitchen when it’s prep time: microwave’s ticking away, chicken/fish/sweet potatoes baking in the oven, stove top bubbling with brown rice, quinoa, or veggies, containers and measuring cups tossed everywhere. But for me, it works. I cook everything by myself, flavor the food how I like it, and nothing comes prepackaged out of a box.  And I like it that way.

Working moms always ask me, when do you find the time?  When Shaila is napping (and thank goodness she’s still young enough to still nap for at least 2 hours) and I’m home during the weekends. I’ve never been the type to “nap when the baby naps” anyway, so this lifestyle, which I picked, suits me just fine.  I have no family close by to help watch her while I go train or cook, I work 1.5 jobs, I have the constraints of daycare pickup and drop-offs just like everyone else. I’m not superhuman, but I figured out how to make it work, and you can too.  Here are my strategies that I use to succeed with my diet:

1) Cook your own food and measure it.  It sounds anal as all get out, but the more practice you have the better you get (and understand) proper portion sizes.
2) Drink water.  I fill up a gallon jug and deal with it. I probably get more than a gallon.
3) Don’t shop hungry. Ever. I always stick to my list too.  I hate shopping and wasting time, and the groceries task becomes even more of a headache when Shaila decides she’s done with sitting in the shopping cart and that standing in it or racing down the halls of the store is a good idea. You can imagine my laser-like focus when getting in and out. I’ve saved lots of money being quick about it.
4) KNOW that you have options other than an apple, a chicken breast, or a plain green salad.  Educate yourself on what is a lean, clean protein source, a low glycemic carbohydrate, a healthy fat, a high-fiber vegetable, etc etc. Body Building Revealed and Fat Loss Revealed are both excellent and simple to understand. Spice your food and flavor it to your tastes. I can’t imagine why you’d want to eat bland food, and there are a wealth of dry rubs, herbs, spices, vinegars (and lemons and limes) that make cooking and eating enjoyable. 
5) Surround yourself with a support network: a close friend, a workout buddy, your spouse, or like-minded athletes like the ones I found on the BBR Forum. Yeah, you can be tough and go it on your own, but you don’t have to.
6) Treat yourself every once in a while. It can be a mental break and a chance to have whatever you might feel you’ve been missing.  I’ll have a treat meal once a week, and some people can get away with more.  For me, eating out is expensive for a family of three, and I always find that the excess sodium and sugar in restaurant food doesn’t suit me well, so I always return to eating clean with renewed enthusiasm.

So, those are my strategies for permanent weight loss.  The task of cooking may sound daunting to you, but I encourage you to take baby steps to whatever approach you choose, and stick to it.  Nobody wants to hear that this is a PERMENENT lifestyle change, but at the end of the day it is.  The diet books and the internet are full of “sneaky weight loss tips” to help you get there.  Educate yourself on what works best for your life and your budget and stick to it!   Acknowledge too, that there will be bumps along on the way (family, job changes, etc) and even saboteurs who don’t want to see you succeed. Bottom line: there are no short cuts, no quick fixes, and only a commitment to a lifestyle change is going to keep the fat off long term. I realize that’s not what most people want to hear, but it’s the truth.

Strategies for Moms (and All of Us) for Permanent Weight Loss is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

DHEA Hormone Facts is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

Got Booty? Booty Building Facts! is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

So, as expected, increases in muscle slowed, and  small (very small) increase in BF,  but, I’m still seeing progress in the strength department, so clear progress is being made!  Here are the results from upper body 6X6 day: 115 lbs for the flat bench press and 55 lbs for one arm DB rows. Let’s compare that with the last time I did a 6X6 (during week 5): I was benching 105 for 6 reps so I’m seeing a 10 lb increase; and a 5 lb increase (up from 50 lbs) for the one arm rows.   Phew! That was HARD work!

The second day of this week for Hybrid training is the lower body 6X6, again one of my favorites. I love training legs-I just can’t get enough of it! Thanks to some great input frm BBR members, I experiment a bit with foot placement (2-3 inches wider than usual) and I see an improvement (hurray!!!) in my squat poundage.  I get 6 reps out of 145 lbs for sets 1 and 2 and 150 for set 3. That last set totally made my day! That represents a 15 lb improvement from week 5.  For the stiff legged deads, I’m pulling 155 lbs, though truth be told my back starts to round on set 3 for the last rep, so maybe I was too aggressive…form is always more important than any number.  For my last 6X6 I was deadlifting (135, 140, 145), so again, we are talking about a 10 lb improvement. I also see a huge improvement in the plate loaded squat leg press (420 lbs for 6 reps, up from 360) but break even with the leg curl (70 lbs).  Gotta love a great leg day!

The last day of the week is a Hybrid HIIT day. I do 10 sprints on the rowing machine (ouch, ouch, everywhere!) followed by the  weight circuit.  On set 1 I do 8 rope chins, back barbell squats (95 lbs for 15 reps), 35 lb DB bench presses (15 reps), then drop the rope chins (I’m tuckered out) and do inverted rows (15 reps, but barely, have to drop my feet to the floor and off the bench to complete 15) and back barbell squats for sets 2 and 3.  I notice that comparing to the first time I worked the circuit, I’m squatting 30 lbs more for the back barbell squat (I started off during the first week at 65 lbs for 15 reps).  It’s awesome…I wasn’t even trying to see an improvement on this day for that exercise, but I did, and I’m not complaining! I finish with a 20 minute uphill walk (8.0 incline) on the treadmill (the step mill is taken! grrrr.)

Another fun week on the program. I’m happy, injury-free, and consistently seeing strength gains. OK time to go eat! Please feel free to leave comments below.

Week 9- big improvements in the 6X6 is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

Back shot- feel like I'm getting bigger in the back..and waist too.

For my Hybrid HIIT day (and this day never gets easier!) I do 20 minutes of HIIT (5 minute warmup with 30 second all-out sprints and 1 minute recoveries) on an elliptical. I decide to switch up the order of the circuit to do chins first, then squats, and finish with the bench press. I vary the grip on the chins this time, using the short rope extension that normally attaches to the cable pulley apparatus. I wrap this around a high bar and am able to get 10, 9, and 7 reps this way. An improvement!  I also go a little heavier on the squats 90 lbs (15 reps) and stick with 65 lbs for 15 reps on the bench. I finish with a 15 minute incline walk (8.0) on the treadmill at a speed of 3.7. I think about really squeezing the glutes here with each step and I can feel the difference the next day!

Shaila doing chins

And she's so happy when she's done! Like mama...

Upper body hypertrophy day does NOT begin the way I planned. I start with the 40s for an incline DB press (last week I picked these up for set 3), so I figure I should start with them, but can only get out 6 reps for sets 1 and 2 before having to drop to the 35s for the final set. I’m so mad at me, but for some reason it’s hotter than normal in the gym today and I don’t have the same awesome spotter that I had last time, so maybe something else is up. I do much better with the Hammer machine flat bench press, though! Comparing set 3 from my last upper body hypertrophy day, I finish with 125 lbs for 8 reps this time (last time it was 115 lbs for 7 reps on set 3). I feel better already! The weighed dips are still kicking my butt. I don’t see an improvement, but at least I’m not getting worse!  Just goes to show you, you can’t always see improvement EVERYWHERE, but you got to celebrate the little successes that you do get!

I finish up the week with a lower body hypertrophy day. I decide to shorten the rest periods to 45 seconds to make my life more difficult. The hybrid program encourages rest periods for hypertrophy days of 60 minutes or less, so I’m going for less today.  For the front squat, I’m able to squat more than before (10 lb increase) but with shorter rests and more weight, I’m doing  2 fewer reps. I come out even with last time on the straight leg deadlifts and leg extension, but again, less rest is making the weight a bit more challenging. I am thrilled to see an increase in my lying hamstring curl (8 reps for 65, 60,60,60 lbs) compared to my last lower body hypertrophy day (where I stuck to 50 lbs for 12 reps). All in all, I’m getting stronger, though I know tomorrow I might have trouble walking up the steps!!

OK time to go eat! Please leave some comments below!

Week 4 on Sumi’s Hybrid Journey=4 lb increase in LBM is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

Have you ever noticed if a supplement, drug, etc is tried in men, and fails to work, it’s written off as being ineffective? Although improving, it’s well known that men have been the standard subjects in research, with the results often being applied to women as an afterthought.  In recent years, that situation has improved and women are viewed as the physiologically distinct people they are from men, and studies looking at specific effects in women – using women as the test subjects – has grown dramatically. That’s the good news at least. The bad news is, there’s still plenty of research out there done on men, being applied to women, sometimes to the detriment of women. Obviously, men and women are not so different that a great deal of research fails to be perfectly applicable to both sexes, but the fact remains a great deal of prior research was done looking at men, and the results, good or bad, applied to women more as an after thought.

Such is the case with DHEA in my view…

What is it?

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been around as a supplement for a long time, so I’m not going to go into great depth on in this article as there’s a ton of info out there already on DHEA and it’s fully covered in my ebooks. To quickly summarize: DHEA is a hormone produced primarily in the adrenal glands with minor amounts produced by the testes. It is found in both men and women. DHEA is the most abundant steroid hormone in the human body, and like all steroid hormones, ultimately comes from cholesterol. Most DHEA in the body is found as DHEA-sulphate (DHEA-S). DHEA is a major precursor to other steroid hormones. That’s the basic run down of DHEA.

From a strictly health perspective…

From a strictly health perspective – for those deficient due to aging or other causes – DHEA appears beneficial when used as a supplement for general health and well being in both sexes.   It’s well established that DHEA levels fall off as we age, and the research on health uses of DHEA justifies using small amounts to counter this age related drop off or deficiencies from other causes. DHEA levels rise slowly till they peak at around 30 years of age, and decline steadily after age 35, with levels reduced by 70-80% by age 75. This effect is one of the most consistent and predictable changes in aging  known with lower endogenous levels of DHEA/DHEA-sulfate found in advancing age strongly correlated with a myriad of health conditions best avoided.(1) For example, levels of DHEA and or DHEA-s in older men is strongly predictive of death by cardio vascular disease .(2)

Only blood tests will tell a person what their DHEA/DHEA-s levels are and where they are compared to others in their age group. As this is not an article focused on the potential health benefits of DHEA in deficient populations, that’s all I’m going to say on the matter here.

What about DHEA as a “muscle builder” in healthy young men?

DHEA often gets marketed as a “muscle builder” to men. As a muscle building supplement in young healthy men, DHEA is essentially worthless, and high intakes may in fact be counter–productive to gaining muscle as high doses also cause an increase in estrogen and the effects on testosterone are minimal. Studies have been conflicting in this area at best, and most “real world” users report no improvements in strength, muscle mass, etc from using DHEA. So, for  healthy young men with normal DHEA levels, it’s a bust as a “muscle builder” due to the fact it converts to testosterone poorly and raises estrogens levels when used at high doses.

“What About Us Women Will?!”

OK, this finally brings us to women and DHEA after the long winded intro above, but finally, here we are! Although the research in men using DHEA has been unimpressive and contradictory, such is not the case with women. In women, research using DHEA is much more consistent and compelling and there appears to be some gender specific responses to DHEA use.(3)
As a supplement that can improve mood, libido, memory, and possibly alter body composition (i.e., increase muscle, improve bone density, and reduce bodyfat), DHEA appears to be a winner for women. Most of the research has been done in DHEA deficient populations, but data – and real world experience- suggests it’s also a benefit to women not medically deficient in this hormone. Although the benefits of this hormone to women comes predomently from its conversion to testosterone, it also appears some of the effects may be due to other mechanisms.(4). One recent study concluded:

“The use of DHEA therapy may also be discussed in women of any age when a trial of androgen supplementation seems justified because of the existence of an inhibited sexual desire or a sexual arousal disorder associated with documented androgen deficiency. The rather weak conversion of DHEA into testosterone protects from the risk of overdosing associated with testosterone preparations.”

Side Bar: Testosterone myths. Testosterone is often viewed as a “male” hormone. Although testosterone is the dominant androgen in men, it’s a hormone essential to the health and well being of both sexes, just as men produce and require some estrogen. How important can this hormone be to women? Karlis Ullis, MD, a faculty member of the UCLA School of Medicine, who treats women with hormone imbalances states:

“It is clear to me, both from my clinical practice and from research, that testosterone is vital for women to preserve their lean mass and to prevent obesity. Not only will testosterone help mobilize body fat and negate some of the fat storing effects of estrogen, it is also extremely effective in building lean mass in women – even at small doses. Hormone replacement therapy that only includes estrogen and progesterone but leaves out testosterone is a curse of many a women’s fat loss program. This is not only a concern for postmenopausal women. Young women should think twice about using birth control pills. Birth control pills elevate estrogen and progesterone levels while drastically lowering testosterone levels. This is reason why many women experience large gains in fat as well as a decreased libido when using birth control pills.”

In women with established adrenal insufficiency, studies find 50mg DHEA corrects  low serum concentrations of DHEA/DHEA-S, and brings  testosterone into the “normal” range. With one recent study finding “DHEA treatment significantly improved overall wellbeing as well as scores for depression, anxiety, and their physical correlates. Furthermore, DHEA significantly increased both sexual interest and the level of satisfaction with sex.”(5)

Side Effects

Are there any side effects to DHEA use for women? Generally, they are easily dealt with by lowering the dose and “… are mostly mild and related to androgenic activity of DHEA in women and include increased sebum production, facial acne, and changes in hair status.” (6)

In my experience, the above is related to dose. The low-normal dose recommended (see below) rarely if ever causes side effects, but there’s no free lunch in biology, and adjusting any hormone up or down, comes with potential for side effects along with the benefits. The issue – as in the case with any drug, supplement, etc – is whether the benefits outweigh the risks/side effects. As the (potential) benefits of DHEA  high, and the side effects at best mild to non existent, my opinion is the risk/benefit ratio is very much in favor of using DHEA, but everyone has to decide for themselves on that score.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Believe me, there’s a lot more research I could cover, but I hope the above covers the essential points regarding DHEA and it’s potential value to women specifically. So, let’s sum it all up: For women over 40, or those with diagnosed adrenal insufficiency (AI), DHEA could be of considerable value to general well being as well as libido, mood, etc. Typical doses are 25 – 50mg and working with a medical professional to fine tune dosages is recommended.

For “normal” women under 40, and or have not been diagnosed with AI, 25 – 50mg seems to do the trick, and starting at the lower dose and assessing over a few months is recommended. Most women will notice improvements in mood, libido, and possibly muscle mass and or bodyfat, at lower doses. The effect is increased at higher doses, but possible side effects mentioned above also become more common. At 50-100mg+, DHEA does act as a mild anabolic agent in women in my experience, and I have seen some fairly impressive results of increased muscle mass and decreased bodyfat at the higher doses, but it’s not dramatic compared to other anabolic hormones used by some female athletes. High doses of DHEA will also elevate estrogen levels, so that too should be kept in mind.

See you in the gym ladies!

Citations:

(1,3) Cameron DR, Braunstein GD. The use of dehydroepiandrosterone therapy in clinical practice. Treat Endocrinol. 2005;4(2):95-114.

(2) XV International Symposium on Atherosclerosis.

(4) Buvat J. Androgen therapy with dehydroepiandrosterone..World J Urol. Nov;21(5):346-55. – 2003

(5) Arlt W, et al. DHEA replacement in women with adrenal insufficiency–pharmacokinetics, bioconversion and clinical effects on well-being, sexuality and cognition. Endocr Res. 2000 Nov;26(4):505-11.

(6) DHEA: why, when, and how much–DHEA replacement in adrenal insufficiency.Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2007 Sep;68(4):268-73. Epub 2007 Aug 8.

DHEA; The Most Underrated Supplement For Women? is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

Next up is the squat/chins/bench press weight circuit. I’m sweaty and determined.  Last week I substituted lat pulls for the chins because I could only complete 12 on round 1 (not 15 like advised), but this week I’m determined to stick to my chinups even if I don’t hit the 15. For set 1 I got to 12, but for round 2 and 3, I barely hit 8 good ones, am mad, so finish 5 reps by jumping up, and working the negatives. I keep telling myself that this will get easier!

I finish with 20 minutes on another new machine (to me), the stair master. At first, I step on the pedals and sink down to the floor like a water buffalo. I look nothing like the cardio bunnies around me who hop on this thing like gazelles.  Why don’t I see these gals on the weight room floor? I ask this question later of the guy at the front desk, and he tells me it’s because they all think weights will make them “bulky.” I’m thinking “really??? Have they seen me? All 112 lbs of bulkiness??” Anyway, I select a function called “glute blaster,” because I figure my glutes need all the help they can get. After this, I head back to the pullup bar and finish 12 chinups…for fun! My heart is pumping and I’m sweating…err glowing!

The next day is a 6X6 upper body core workout. I am really looking forward to this-I get 3 minute rest periods (yum!) and get to push 80% of my max. Today calls for bench presses (love `em), deadlifts (my fave next to barbell squats and pullups!), incline DB presses, and weighted chins (never done them). I’m pleasantly surprised that I’m able to lift more already on my bench press over from last week on my 5X5 day! I easily get to 6 reps at 85, bump it a little to 90 to get 6 again, and finish a little less peppy with 5 reps at the same weight. Still after supersetting with deadlifts at 135 lbs (I take no break between the bench and the deads, only once the superset is complete do I rest for 3 minutes) I feel good about my effort. I then superset with incline DB presses (I pick up the 40 lbs but only get out 4,6,and 5 reps). It was a challenge from start to finish but I know the 35s would be way too light. Ugh- I need a 37.5!! The icing on the cake was discovering I could do weighted chins!! When doing regular chins on my Hybrid HIIT day, I’m already a little spent from the circuit, so I assumed the weighted chins would kick my butt. I’m able to do 12 with 5 lbs, so figure I should pick up the 10s on the next two rounds. I’m happy to be able to do more than 6 reps. 8 to be exact! Next time, more weight on that chain!

The next day is a 6X6 lower body day. So far, I haven’t met a day on the Hybrid that I don’t like. I love them all equally! I choose barbell back squats supersetted with leg curls and leg presses paired with straight leg deadlifts.  The power rack is my best friend. I warm up for a 135- lb squat with the warm up protocol described by one the brilliant BBR mods. It’s not like what I used to think about warm ups (i.e., 20 reps with a light weight, but a 5,3,2,1 rep scheme with progressively heavier weights).  I get warm and tell myself I’ve come a long way with the weight, but as I approach the last rep and attempt break below parallel on my squat I feel my form give and the power rack pins come to the rescue.  Very frustrating! Getting to ¾ of the way is never an issue but below that it’s a whole new challenge. Something to work on for sure and comments welcome! Still, despite my frustration I know I’ve improved on the leg curl (70 lbs for 6 reps straight after a 135 is good for me- considering I fought with 70 lbs on a 5X5 the previous week!). Though you can’t see the plates too well, I’m currently leg pressing 380 lbs for 6 reps (I think you can tell by the look on my face though- yikes!).  Those gals in the fitness mags who smile through this are either pressing nothing for the sake of the shoot or are superhuman.  This ain’t pretty!

The final day of this week is another HIIT training day. But before I begin today’s protocol, I head off in the morning to watch a local figure and bodybuilding show.    These athletes have trained hard and dieted harder, so I’ve got plenty of admiration for their hard work and sacrifice.  I’m posting some pics of me with some of the Master’s Bodybuilders and the show’s organizer. (Can you see how happy I look next to those guys…ahem. Maybe too happy.) There’s also a shot of the figure girls and women bodybuilders on stage.  From a distance they all look amazing.  The show’s organizer tells me that she thinks women’s bodybuilding is a dying sport.  Only 4 of them compete today, and there are at least 3 times as many figure girls.  I also have a chance to chat with the families and friends of the competitors.  It’s a very friendly, supportive environment, even though one husband jokes that his wife has been really cranky during the last few weeks of dieting (she wasn’t around to hear that!)

After the show I head home for my final day of Hybrid this week.  I’m doing this workout at home, but luckily I have all the tools to get today’s workout complete.  I put my toddler down for her nap, and while she’s off in dreamland, I begin my workout. I set the incline at 1.5, warm up for 5 minutes on the treadmill, and begin with a sprint at a pace of 6:22 for 30 seconds, walk for 1 minute and repeat the madness for 10 cycles. I can only hope my neighbors below forgive me because I assume I’m pounding our floorboards! I have no idea if this pace is a true sprint, but it’s 9.4 out of 10 as far as level of intensity. The model I’m using only goes up to to 10! I know I worked hard because the squat, chin, and bench circuit kick my butt. Still not able to complete the full 15 for the chins, and my ability to complete them gets harder and harder by circuit 3. But as aggravating as it is, part of my really enjoys the battle.  It’s a fight to the end! I finish with a 20 minute walk at a 14:45 pace at a 2.5 incline.

OK, time to go eat!

Sumi’s Hybrid Journey Week 2 is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

So why am I writing about breast augmentation, besides the obvious fact I like breasts? I read a lot of diverse publications, and when I came across this topic in an issue of Plastic Surgery Practice, I thought it was an interesting topic many in the fitness/bodybuilding arena might also find interesting and potentially useful….Sounds like science fiction, or at the very least, some future way of increasing breast size, but it’s not. It’s a technology being used now in fact. No more implants, but your own real tissue.

I’m sure most reading this recall  some years ago talk about transferring fat from one place – such as the hips, stomach, etc -  to the breasts as the next big thing in breast augmentation (BA) procedures, but then the idea seemed to drop off. It was another one of those ideas that sounded great “on paper” but didn’t pan out so well. Due to the way the fat was harvested,  50% or more of the fat tissue transferred died, and was simply reabsorbed. It often left lumpy spots, and possibility of calcifications was another possible side effect. Thus, why it was a short lived idea, but that does not mean it went away…

As with many early technologies, it needed some additional work to be viable, and it appears that time is here. With much improved harvesting and implanting techniques, and using stem cells (more on that in a minute) to greatly improve survival rates of the transferred fat, according to a Dr. Malan interviewed  in a recent issue of Plastic Surgery Practice (1) over 80% of the tissue transferred survives and newer techniques look very natural with very low rates (lower then for that of implants  BTW) of complications.

Here’s how it works: it’s normally done during a liposuction procedure. The removed  fat tissue  is then  divided. Part of the fat tissue  has its stem cells extracted and purified, so this is using the person’s own stem cells for the procedure. The stem cells that were extracted and purified  are then mixed with the remaining fat tissue, and implanted using very small needles injected into the breast tissue. The stem cells release growth factors that lead blood vessels to grow (giving the newly implanted fat a blood supply so it does not die) as well as other assistance such as less trauma and swelling. Some have suggested the addition of the stem cells actually leads to additional breast tissue growth beyond what was implanted, but I don’t believe that’s been researched.

The end result is, larger breasts using your own tissues and no implants to worry about, with the bonus of some fat removed from the areas of liposuction. Flatter tummy, bigger boobs, in one shot.

Although some still consider the  procedure  in the “experimental stage” it’s been done in other countries outside the US for some time now, and a few docs in the US have been doing it with a fairly large number of patients. Todd Malan, M.D. at the Innovative Cosmetic Surgery Center in Scottsdale, AZ, is probably the doc with the most experience in the US using stem cell augmented BA.

This will probably be the true BA women have been searching for if the procedure gets greater attention and acceptance in the cosmetic medical field as it  appears to be a big step forward in BA. As far as I can tell so far, the major drawback to typical BA is it costs more, but if it’s as big a step forward over implants it seems, it sounds worth it.

For a list of docs using this method, click HERE

(1) Jan 2010, p16

The Latest in Breast Augmentation is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness