FRANCO COLUMBU: 120 GRAMS OF PROTEIN: High Protein is a lie. Other diet Myths!

[MCWAY]

Reread the article dummy.

He says he does the same diet as he did then.


Also, High Protein diets aren`t for anybody.

Try taking your own advice, genius. Or, did you miss the following:

As to diet, he pretty much eats the same way he did when he was competing, except that he eats less (about 120 grams of protein per day).

That would mean that, in his heyday, Columbu ate MORE protein, more than 120 grams of protein. If his grams of protein were close to his competition bodyweight (reported to be 198 lbs, when he won his 2nd Olympia title), this would mean that he consumed <<<gasp>>>.....A HIGH-PROTEIN DIET, the kind that works for many trainers today.

[lion33]

Adonis you make no sense. Columbo was an obvious steroid user and not to mention his great genetics. I find it hard to belive he got that big on just 120 grams of protein. I have a degree in exercise physiology, work full time in a lab, and in this degree its basic science that tells us that a high protein diet is what builds muscle. To the extremes some people take it,...no but, it comes down to how many calories you are putting in your body and most off us prefer get that from protein. 120 grams of protein is only 480 calories. I know that he ate more than just protein but there is no way he got that big with that amount of protein. Now if you want to use the amount of Dbol and Test he did then maybe.......

[The True Adonis]

I can pull his book out right now.

LOLOL

Want me to scan what he recommends?

Its lower than 120 grams of protein.

[MCWAY]

I can pull his book out right now.

LOLOL

Want me to scan what he recommends?

Its lower than 120 grams of protein.

It doesn't matter what Columbu recommends. If it doesn't work for a particular individual, that individual needs to do something else, period.

[Ozzy]

As if I'd listen to what someone "recommends" for MY body. No thanks.

[pobrecito]

I can pull his book out right now.

LOLOL

Want me to scan what he recommends?

Its lower than 120 grams of protein.

Who gives a shit.

Even if he did, he was on a shit load of steroids which enhanced how his body utilized that protein well beyond what a natural could do.

For every pro you find, I can find a better one taking in a much greater amount.

Why do you feel the need to push yourself on everyone. These principles of yours are nothing new, they were in print long before you were born.

Do us a favor, and quit wasting server space. Thanks.

[Ozzy]

I think he wants to market this "plan" of his, actually. That's why he's testing the waters here.

Only one white man's opinion, though.

[Eyeball Chambers]

Eat like a Strongman
Dr. Franco Colombu, former Mr. Everything and costar of ‘Pumping Iron,’ on what really works

~ By ANNETTE STARK ~

 
Photo by Max S. Gerber
Franco Columbu, former Mr. Everything, says, “Hey, you, eat a bagel!”



ack when he was considered one of the World’s Strongest Men, renowned bodybuilder Franco Columbu would bench press 520 pounds, dead lift 750, and squat 655. He bent a bar across his face in one contest, carried a refrigerator on his back in another, power-lifted a car, and blew into a hot water bottle ’til it exploded like a party balloon, spraying water all over the audience.

He hasn’t carried a refrigerator in years, but his imprint on body culture is indelible. Today, at 54, Dr. Franco Columbu is a Los Angeles chiropractor, nutritionist, and trainer who has cowritten several health and fitness books, including Weight Training and Bodybuilding: A Complete Guide for Young Athletes (with Richard Tyler, D.C.); Franco Columbu’s Complete Book of Bodybuilding (with a foreword by Arnold Schwarzenegger); and The Bodybuilder’s Nutrition Book (with Lydia Fragomeni).

Most people will recognize Columbu as the muscleman posing next to Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of the greatest guy flicks ever, the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron. That body-fetish classic followed these guys through daily workout regimens that included five hours a day in the gym, ballet classes for posing techniques, and humongous mounds of ground beef and egg-and-tuna omelets.

A lot of cholesterol went into the making of that film. Even now, it’s not uncommon for serious weight-training programs to include as much as 200 grams of protein per day, and nearly all of it from animal sources. As a key figure in the culture since the ’70s – (he won Mr. World, Mr. Universe, and Mr. Olympia titles) – Columbu has seen the 200-gram protein diet, as well as every other extreme food fad, come and go.

Mostly, he avoided all of it. “It didn’t come out in Pumping Iron, but Arnold and I never went on those diets,” he says. “We used to eat things in front of people and they
ay, ‘You eat that?’” He didn’t do the high carb, he didn’t do the low carb, and he didn’t do the “food combining” diet, either. “Remember that one? Don’t eat protein with carbohydrates. Food combining was so bad; I thought, these people are really out to lunch. How do you separate protein from string beans, pasta, potatoes, and rice? All these foods are half carbohydrate, half protein.”

Then there was the egg-white craze. “I had guests come to my house, bodybuilders, Frank Zane, Arnold, all the guys from Pumping Iron. Arnold didn’t care about egg whites. Arnold said, ‘Give me the protein and let’s go to the gym.’ So I would separate the eggs because the other guys wanted the whites. We ended up drinking the yolks.”

In the ’80s, a lot of bodybuilders switched to diets of water and meat. “Frank Zane and Lou Ferrigno, a lot of those guys believed in low carbohydrates. But we realized that some of these guys had very low energy as a result. So we went with our instincts, which was that you need protein for the body and the stored glycogen and stored fat in the body for energy. The brain needs carbohydrates.”

Columbu and Schwarzenegger were roommates during that time. Backstage before a competition, Schwarzenegger would announce, “Franco, it’s time for pizza.” They did it for the energy and also to psyche the other guys out.

Their grocery bills were huge. Columbu recalls, “Joe Weider paid us $80 a week each. We’d go to the market, and three days later all the money was gone. We’d work construction to make extra money.”

Schwarzenegger, Columbu reveals, never ate a fad diet. But he was jealous of Columbu’s even less-exclusive menu. “I could eat sweets, and this would make him angry. He’d say, ‘Oh, you. You can make muscle if you eat wood.’”





How to Eat Like a Strongman

Columbu received his degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College in 1978. He’s married and has a 10-year-old daughter, Maria. “Most of Maria’s friends are told, ‘Don’t eat this and don’t eat that.’ I say, ‘Eat the pasta.’ She eats everything. And she is in the best shape of all of her friends. What I’m saying is, to put a kid on a diet is devastating, in my opinion.”

The two-time Mr. Olympia has become a respected expert in nutrition, sports medicine, and kinesiology. He does special training programs for sports injuries, and the list of celebrities who have sought his bodybuilding advice includes Sylvester Stallone, whom Columbu made sign a contract promising that he wouldn’t even swallow a vitamin pill without seeking Columbu’s approval first.

But he doesn’t spend his whole life in the gym anymore. Columbu works out for maybe 20 minutes three times a week. He still sees Schwarzenegger all the time, but they gave up the constant training in favor of tennis. “I started playing tennis with Arnold in 1995, and we play on weekends. I mix up the sports … tennis, cycling. I like hiking.”

As to diet, he pretty much eats the same way he did when he was competing, except that he eats less (about 120 grams of protein per day). He recommends eating high-quality proteins. In order of importance, these are: eggs, fish, dairy, and meat (including poultry and pork).

Eggs are the highest quality protein, he points out, and still the most important to any fitness program. He notes that most dietary guides are wrong when they say eggs cause cholesterol problems. In fact, egg yolks contain enough of the fat emulsifier lecithin to neutralize cholesterol in other foods. Columbu cites a study: “In a group of 100 people, the first group ate eggs. The second group drank only milk. The third drank milk and ate eggs. And people thought, that third group is really going to have high cholesterol. But the eggs lowered the cholesterol, even in the group drinking milk.”

Much of Columbu’s information goes against conventional wisdom. “Let’s say you’re going to the gym at 3 p.m. Breakfast isn’t important. Bread and eggs is perfect. Lunch is when you eat a big meal with carbohydrates. Why? Because you can’t go to the gym without energy. But if you eat that for dinner and you don’t burn it, it will store as fat overnight.”

He stresses eating smaller meals and more frequently and that high-protein diets require extra Vitamin B6. Also, check the labels for sulfur dioxide, prevalent on fruits and vegetables. “You can’t digest it, and it bloats your stomach. People say they can’t eat grapes. It’s not true. It’s the sulfites.”

But the biggest tip for anyone who is looking for a flatter stomach and smaller waistline is that many folks on high-protein diets require hydrochloric acid and enzyme supplements. The body just doesn’t make enough on its own, especially past age 26.





On the Juice

It’s well known that they took steroids in the Pumping Iron days. Even Schwarzenegger has come clean about this. Fact is, they didn’t have the information back then about how dangerous the drugs are. But Columbu found that the negatives far outweighed the positives; you got big but you lost definition. And he notes that musclemen who kept using drugs eventually developed fat stomachs.

He sees those symptoms in today’s bodybuilders, some of whom are so massive they make the Pumping Iron bunch seem small. Columbu sees a lot of fat stomachs, which indicates to him that drugs are rampant. He tells young athletes and bodybuilders to stay off the juice, including Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

“Old people are trying to live longer, but young people want to win,” he explains. “Even if you tell them that they are taking something that is killing them. But … the minute you start taking these drugs, your workout stops. You will be depending on that instead of going to the gym. Once you switch your mind to depend on a secret like steroids, winning is over.”



 


2-2-06

That was excellent Adonis!

Thank you very much!

[tu_holmes]

Thank fucking god!!! Finally someone comes clean... Just fucking eat like a normal person and stop the  bullshit.

Adonis... I have to admit it... I'm a believer.

[Big N]

Chic what do you think about this bro?

[Big N]

Adonis dude are you seriously comparing Franco Columbu and Arnold S. who were on stereoids which not only does stereoids give a FASTER metabolism but also lets them mess around with crazy diets compared to NATURAL athletes, dude ever thought about that???

[tu_holmes]

Adonis dude are you seriously comparing Franco Columbu and Arnold S. who were on stereoids which not only does stereoids give a FASTER metabolism but also lets them mess around with crazy diets compared to NATURAL athletes, dude ever thought about that???

Still, the lack of high protein can not be denied.

I mean, people talk about high protein ALL THE TIME in the mags, on the boards everywhere.

If the juice let him eat so much... why wouldn't he just eat more.

I really need to get some of the drugs from the 70s. They must have been GREAT!

[Ozzy]

...lack of high protien?

55g is 108% DV of protein. Anything over 100% is considered "high protein".

[Disgusted]

...lack of high protien?

55g is 108% DV of protein. Anything over 100% is considered "high protein".

Good point. No one here has yet to define what thay mean by "high protein"

[tu_holmes]

Good point. No one here has yet to define what thay mean by "high protein"

I will say what I mean... anything over this 200gm mark... I don't care what you weigh.

That's the Tu definition... I'm sure others will even say that is high.

If you're eating more than 200gm you're just pissing it out.

[Big N]

Still, the lack of high protein can not be denied.

I mean, people talk about high protein ALL THE TIME in the mags, on the boards everywhere.

If the juice let him eat so much... why wouldn't he just eat more.

I really need to get some of the drugs from the 70s. They must have been GREAT!

Think about it bro, this shit is common sense and this guy Adonis is confusing the shit outta people with these misconceptions between natural and stereoids. It all goes to genetics, body types, height, etc.

Dude Franco Culumbo was not more than 5'7, and the biggest ANYBODY got back then was like 220lbs until Ferrigno came around.

Am i missing something here? Somebody correct me, i'm not even sure what True Adonis considers "natural" anymore

[tu_holmes]

Think about it bro, this shit is common sense and this guy Adonis is confusing the shit outta people with these misconceptions between natural and stereoids. It all goes to genetics, body types, height, etc.

Dude Franco Culumbo was not more than 5'7, and the biggest ANYBODY got back then was like 220lbs until Ferrigno came around.

Am i missing something here? Somebody correct me, i'm not even sure what True Adonis considers "natural" anymore

Ok, well, I'm 5'6"... If I eat like Franco, take a little juice, and lift heavy... then I could look like he did?

I could handle that... better than GH gut.

[The True Adonis]

Think about it bro, this shit is common sense and this guy Adonis is confusing the shit outta people with these misconceptions between natural and stereoids. It all goes to genetics, body types, height, etc.

Dude Franco Culumbo was not more than 5'7, and the biggest ANYBODY got back then was like 220lbs until Ferrigno came around.

Am i missing something here? Somebody correct me, i'm not even sure what True Adonis considers "natural" anymore

I have not a clue what you are talking about.

Anyone can use the Franco diet.

Steroids don`t give you a free pass.

[Ozzy]

I wish we had that head slamming into a brick wall smiley over here.

[Big N]

I have not a clue what you are talking about.

Anyone can use the Franco diet.

Steroids don`t give you a free pass.

Dude 1 + 1 c'mon on guy. Why even get into somebody like Franco Columbu's dieting skills when you know he was not a natural? Plain and simple let's hear it, and dont be a hypocrite. Did you or did you not knock down on every single enhanced BB @ any BB forum? But yet you go so far back into time with somebody like Franco Columbo who you know also built his career from stereoids and get amazed by his diet? But it doesnt bother you that he was on stereoids as well while using those type of diets

[tu_holmes]

Dude 1 + 1 c'mon on guy. Why even get into somebody like Franco Columbu's dieting skills when you know he was not a natural? Plain and simple let's hear it, and dont be a hypocrite. Did you or did you not knock down on every single enhanced BB @ any BB forum? But yet you go so far back into time with somebody like Franco Columbo who you know also built his career from stereoids and get amazed by his diet? But it doesnt bother you that he was on stereoids as well while using those type of diets

TA does not knock all people who have juiced.

He has been favorable of pretty much everyone before 1990 actually... I think he even said some nice things about Flex wheeler once.

Really though, he's talked quite well about Gaspari, Labrada and many before their time as well.

[Chick]

The bottom line is this:

There are many ways to prepare for a show...the one constant I've seen in my 28 years of training and competing...is high protein. You need X-amount of calories just to sustain the amount of muscl mass you have. As one gets bigger and puts on more mass over time...their protein rquirements also get higher. In order to get lean while retaining muscle, the only way to get those calories....is from protein.

What Adonis is preaching has already been tried...many times. This isnt innovative or even original. Dr. Mario DePasquale (and probably some before him) brought this "revolutionary" method to the WBF back in the 90's....with dismal results.

I am personal friends with a few of the guys that were on the WBF, and had to follow this diet made up of high fat foods, high sugar foods, etc....a caloie is a calorie. The physiques displayed were among some of the worst I've ever seen on a pro stage...these guys looked like my balls (with all due respect to my balls!)

The answer to this great debate is simple....IT'S IN THE MIDDLE.

LIKE ALL THINGS IN LIFE...THE ANSWER LIES RIGHT WHERE PEOPLE FAIL TO LOOK...IN THE MIDDLE.

Gez...lets see..should I take 500g. of protein or 100g.??

Should I do 30 sets per bodypart, or 4?

Should I cut my water out 4 days out or 2 hours before the show?

Should I train heavy all the time, or mix in some rep work?

etc.

etc.


EXTREMES are the worst thing a competitive BB can do...every action will produce an equal and greator re-action...usually not for the better.

[Ozzy]

Thank you Bob, about fucking time.

[Big N]

Chic really about  time dude you chipped in here. I just feel bad for the newbs @ getbig to get mislead by this type of confusion true adonis is blurring around for either attention or "revolutionary dieting principles" that either kills your muscles or barely to maintain it.



http://www.ivannikolov.com/nutrition/index.html

Check that link out, this dude has an awesome physique from Bulgaria if i'm not misstaken, he's a natural if it matters.  A very SIMPLE approach to dieting just like most people who do it right!

[tu_holmes]

Fuck yeah... it's about time someone stepped up... Everyone thinks about moderation, but no one talks about it.

Thanks Chick.