Atkins Had a heart attack

local radio ^ | April 25, 2001 | Magnus Mat

[MagnusMat]

Just heard that Atkins had aheart attack this morning

[Paradox]

Likewise, us women become more conservative as we become more feminine. It's like there's a natural order to things--conservatism is the optimum mindset for humans. :)

Absolutely! I find that the more a woman is at peace with her personage (sexuality, etc), the more likely she is a conservative. Also, despite the stereotypes, the more conservative women I know, tended to have less hangups and "issues", like with sexuality. Finding young, neurotic, sexually disturbed, liberal women is easy!

[galt-jw]

Two issues. The first. It is not possible to increase reps, and/or weight, every workout, or you would be benching a thousand punds for high digit sets....The normal Powerlifting protocal, produces by far, the greatest stregnth gains, and muscle hardness...3-5 reps...few sets...

of course not. that would be absurd, and goes without saying. that gains should be continous within the potential of genetics when adequate rest time is given is all the point entails, and is valid. it means, in order to gain reps and strength, recovery must be sufficient to lay down new muscle tissue. most systems have folks overtraining.
if you havent increased in reps or strength since your last workout of the muscle group, only a few things will account for it: incomplete recovery, which involves a ton of variables, inadequate stimulation of the growth response, that is, the need to stimulate other types of muscle fiber, or genetic limit.

[galt-jw]

But what's your squat and dead at?

snl: Yeah, so whats ya bench? (public access channel spoof)

[homeschool mama]

I should add to my original post that besides pasta, olive oil, and pine nuts...are fish, sundried tomatoes, feta cheese, mega amounts of green leafy vegetables, fruit, red wine, and yogurt (the real kind...not the fru fru stuff).

[Paradox]

Benching twice your body weight..

3 years ago I made a mad dash for it and pulled it off. At a body weight of 165, I managed 335. I still think that this is alot easier than benching 405 at a BW of 200 though. At 5'4" tall, I don't have to move the bar a whole lot.

I paid a big price though, I ended up screwing up my shoulders, especially the left one. I strained my rotators and could hardly move my shoulders. After I pulled it off, I stopped working out for a year to heal. I never got back into the iron game as much as I should have either. At the moment, my workouts are on a hiatus, as I await word from some doctors as to how to treat a strange medical condition I have (massive hydronephrosis of the left kidney).

I'm still in decent shape, and compared to the general public, I am probably in good shape. But I sure do miss going into the gym and busting a gut.

[HELLRAISER II]

I have found that a "max" lift 1 time a month will give good results, but you also mention genetics & that is probably the best indicator of what type of lifts you will be strong at and what the limit of someone's potential to be.

[jennyp]

Here's the statement from Atkins' website:

Statement on the Status of Dr. Robert C. Atkins’ Health from Dr. Atkins and from the Chief Executive Officer/President of The Atkins Companies

April 25, 2002

On Thursday April 18, Dr. Robert C. Atkins, the well-known nutrition expert and best selling author, did, in fact, experience cardiac arrest during breakfast. He was quickly revived by an associate and taken to the hospital. As this was not a heart attack (or myocardial infarction), but a cardiac arrest related to an infection of the heart he has been suffering from for a few years, Dr. Atkins experienced a speedy recovery and was released from the hospital on Wednesday, April 24. In fact, Dr. Atkins hopes to return to his responsibilities, including local speaking engagements and as chairman of the Dr. Robert C. Atkins Foundation, within the next week or so. His doctors have advised him to curtail his travel plans for the next 30 days as a precautionary measure.

The cause of this event was cardiomyopathy, not blocked arteries. Over the last couple of years, Dr. Atkins has had an infection of the heart muscle (called the myocardium) contracted during an overseas trip. Coupled with the extreme heat conditions of mid-April here in New York, the 71-year old Dr. Atkins suffered this event.

“We have been treating this condition, cardiomyopathy, for almost two years,” explains Patrick Fratellone MD, Dr. Atkins’ personal physician and cardiologist, “and during the course of diagnosis, we discovered that Dr. Atkins’ coronary arteries were normal as diagnosed by an angiogram performed at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital on the upper west side of New York City in April of 2001. Clearly, his own nutritional protocols have left him, at the age of 71, with an extraordinarily healthy cardiovascular system. Unfortunately, the infection-related cardiomyopathy is totally another matter.”

“I have had cardiomyopathy, which is a non-coronary condition and is in no way related to diet,”says Dr. Atkins.

Cardiac arrest is an event in which the heart abruptly stops. It is not the same thing as heart attack in which the heart is severely deprived of oxygen but still beating. Certainly a heart attack (or myocardial infarction) is one of the known causes of cardiac arrest, but there are several others that have nothing to do with blocked arteries and other problems typically associated with a heart attack.

Cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart’s ability to pump blood is weakened because of enlargement, thickening or stiffening of the heart muscle. In Dr. Atkins’ case, this cardiomyopathy was caused by an infection that spread to his heart muscle.

“Up until today, this has been a personal and private family matter for Dr. Atkins. It is unfortunate for the family that it has not remained so, said Paul Wolff, Chief Executive Officer/President of The Atkins Companies. “ The Atkins Nutritional Approach™ is based on controlled carbohydrate nutritional science and has helped millions of people achieve their goals of weight loss, weight maintenance, good health and increased energy for the past 30 years.”

[hobbes1]

massive hydronephrosis of the left kidney).

My two year old son, currently has hydronephrosis of the Left Kidney. He is undergoing exploratory tommorrow, and will probably have the valve corrected after that....

[hobbes1]

600lbs. You can do it....

Go here Ask for Louie! LOL ;)

[southernnorthcarolina]

I am sorry to hear about Dr. Atkins. I hope he makes a rapid and complete recovery. But I can't say I'm terribly surprised.

Certainly the Atkins plan has its vigorous defenders, on this forum and elsewhere. Most arguments in its defense are anectotal, or personal. You know, "I eat Spam fried in butter and a cheese omelet for breakfast every day, and I never felt better." Not unlike people who will point out that they smoke two packs a day, but are in (seemingly) good health. But there is an absolute linear statistical relationship between the consumption of fat in excess of recommended daily allowances and early mortality, just as there is a demonstrable relationship between smoking and early mortality. If YOU are beating the odds (so far), good for you. I subscribe to the wisdom of the great journalist Damon Runyan: "It may be that the race is not always to the swift, or the contest to the strong, but that's the way to bet."

There is no doubt whatever that strict adherence to the Atkins plan will result in short-term weight loss, and rather rapidly, too, as the body struggles to dilute the excess protein and fat with all the water it can flush out of its tissues and excrete. That accounts for the plan's renewed popularity. But the weight loss comes at a great cost, which need not be reiterated here.

Suffice it to say that fat causes fat. What is intuitively obvious is, in this case, true. It's the Alfredo sauce, not the pasta. It's the sour cream and bacon bits, not the baked potato. It's the cheeseburger, not the bun. Atkinites will disagree, and nothing I can say will dissuade them. Without doubt, if you look hard enough, you can find a doctor who endorses your favorite foods, or is willing to do so if he can translate his theory into a best-selling book. Peanut butter, chocolate, cabbage soup, gin, whatever gullible people will swallow (so to speak).

Those who think that carbohydrates are the cause of obesity should be careful to draw a distinction between "simple" and quickly digested carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar, and "complex" carbohydrate-fiber blends such as whole grains and beans. But even "simple" carbohydrates, while they constitute "empty calories," and don't do you much good, don't do nearly the harm to your blood vessals, heart, liver, etc. as fat, especially of the saturated variety.

Best wishes to all FReepers for good health and a long life, however you accomplish it. Think of the long-term ramifications if we outlived the liberals by ten years, on average.

[hobbes1]

in order to gain reps and strength, recovery must be sufficient to lay down new muscle tissue.

No. That's my point. Mentzers over generalized statement about adequate rest leads to that inaccurate conclusion.

Listen Closely. There is NO BODYBUILDER on the PLANET, that can compete, with the poundage moved by competent powerlifters......And they train In small sets, and Often. Hell, the Bulgarians used to train 8 or morehours a day EVERY day, when they were at the Top of the Iron Game. And under the Heavyweights, you would be hardpressed to find finer physiques....

[tracer]

Jim Fixx....

[hobbes1]

You can Dead more than 500. I can do 400, myself. I don't generally squat, bc the Gym I work out at has no Power rack, only a Friggin Smith Machine.....

[HELLRAISER II]

I was trying to give an honest answer of what I knew I could get, but I haven't dead lifted in so long I couldn't say more without being sure, I was trying to be conservative. I do know at age 37, soon to be 38 my old back & knees just can't take the punishment it use to.

[Paradox]

But even "simple" carbohydrates, while they constitute "empty calories," and don't do you much good, don't do nearly the harm to your blood vessals, heart, liver, etc. as fat, especially of the saturated variety.

This is being too simplistic. Anyone who understand carbohydrate metabolism will tell you that eating them in excess is bad for you. Excess of anything really. Fats are just another kind of food, there are good fats and bad fats. Saturated fats are the bad guys, but there are quite a few good, and neccessary fats. Fats are not evil.

[retrokitten]

See post #247, cardiac arresst due to an infection that settled in his heart...

I never really understand the Atkins bashers. Basically, all that is cut out (temporarily, I might add) is processed flour and processed sugar. If flour and sugar were so vital to mans survival then none of us would even be here. Ancient man did not have sugar processing mills or bleached white flour and he did just fine and so are the millions of people who have given up sugar and flour.

[Paradox]

My two year old son, currently has hydronephrosis of the Left Kidney. He is undergoing exploratory tommorrow, and will probably have the valve corrected after that....

Yeah, it is usually diagnosed early in life, and fairly easily corrected (or it corrects itself) before any damage occurs to the kidney. In my case, its been there since infancy, undetected until now. It has destroyed my left kidney, and is now a bag of pi$$ the size of a large grapefruit in my torso... weird image I tell ya.

[hobbes1]

Yeah I am also 38. Gettin OLd sucks man...I keep thinking, what if I started in HS. or even 26.....Oh Well....

[hobbes1]

Yes we knew about him from the 16 week sonogram......I hope everything works out OK. For you..... Keep me informed....

[HELLRAISER II]

I saved the website to check out later, man I don't want to seem pessimistic after trying to jack you up for your lifts. But 600 lbs, man that's a lot of weight but I'll try to put my money where my mouth is & keep on truckin. It might take me a few years to get to that weight and don't forget my comment on genetics, I might be maxed out after all I'm not getting any younger.