Last week I took a trip to Peak Performance in NYC (consistently voted in the Top 10 Gyms of AMERICA according to Men’s Health) and had the distinct pleasure of meeting with Coach Dan Trink to have him perform a unique specialized test on me reffered to as a “BioSignature”. This test was used to obtain a hormonal profile on me and tell me what I need more or less of in order to achieve an optimal body composition. Needless to say I was floored by the knowledge and insight that this test gave me, as well as the highly informative and professional consultation of Coach Dan Trink into my body’s inner workings and what I really needed to work on. A lot of times you find your progress stagnating no matter what you are doing, this test can give you some real insight as to what exactly is missing from your diet, training, and lifestyle!
First off let me give a special thanks to my lovely sweetheart Luisa Korpi for setting this up for me, if you dont know about her yet, you surely will as she is heavily involved in promoting everything fitness — keep an EYE out! Check her Facebook Page also – My Big Fat Butt – for more fitness info! Thanks to Coach Ed Williams also at Peak Performance for taking time to talk to me about the test and discussing hormones and their effect on results with me. Ed has his info at EdPhit.com also on FB. Finally a very special thanks to Dan Trink for taking the time out to do this test and consult with me on what I should be doing to better myself! You can find Dan’s writings on Facebook as well at Trink Fitness, look him up!
FIRST QUESTION – What is the BioSignature?
This test developed by Charles Poliquin over his 20+ years of experience involves a very specific method of evaluating your body’s fat storage sites using skinfold calipers. There are 12 fat storage sites around the body that are measured in particular to give you a snapshot of your bodys hormonal profile – the sites are cheek, chin, pectoral region, triceps, umbilical, supra iliac, subscapular, mid axillary, quadriceps, hamstrings, knee and calf.
Different hormones correspond with the different sites and according to the ratio of the sites, a picture of what hormones need to be put under control can be created to help you achieve a better body composition.
For example – Fat stored in the suprailliac and subscapular (love handles and upper back) region are indicative of an imbalance of insulin response, more than likely what you are eating is throwing your insulin out of wack and you need to change your dietary habits to get them back in control.
THE POWER OF HORMONES
According to Poliquin –
“Hormones, diet and the right kind of exercise are all critical components in how the body looks and feels. BioSignature Modulation allows us to look at specific hormones and how they can affect weight loss and the overall condition of the body. For example, the thickness of one’s umbilical skin fold? The belly button area, is a reflection of one’s cortisol output. It is a direct reflection of one’s stress levels and their ability to handle it. BioSignature Modulation allows us to recommend specific supplements, exercise and dietary changes that can specifically target fat loss in the belly region. Some females have a tendency to store a majority of their fat in the hips and thighs while others may store fat in the arms and torso. Specific hormones dictate where and why the body stores fat. BioSignature Modulation allows us to naturally fix the hormones that are out of balance allowing for quick and effective fat loss in the targeted areas.”
In a nutshell, if certain hormones are off, you will dump fat in a certain area. Plain and simple, this is the NEXT step to training and nutrition that is truly on the CUTTING EDGE and will entirely change this industry! Not just the fitness industry but the medical industry as well.
According to an article by strength coach Alan Levi –
“You may not have heard of BioSignature yet, but I guarantee that you will. Next year Coach Poliquin will take BioSignature before thousands of US doctors, as this unique diagnostic tool can be used as an accurate predictor of breast and prostate cancer. Think about it: BioSignature can be used to diagnose these two killer diseases long before any symptoms appear. In other words, this system has the potential not only to help you shed fat, it could also save your life.” –
My results indicated that my BF% is at 20%, much higher than I would like, I know this is due to poor dieting as of late and enjoying summer a little TOO much! =)
The sites that were higher in fat were my umbilicus (belly button) and calf. The higher fat in these sites in proportion to the others indicates an elevated cortisol level in my system. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can be brought under control by including more restorative stress reducing activities. Dan recommended I MUST get MORE sleep, he said that taking a nap during the day would help.
Supplement wise I was pretty much on the money, I have been taking a heavy dose of fish oil daily (4-6gs), and a high-quality multivitamin, probiotic and fiber supplement. These covered all the basics. I have also been taking Tropinol which is a fairly new supplement on the market that is a testosterone booster made of Bulbine Root. Dan suggested that “specialized” supplements should be taken at certain intervals throughout the year depending on your training and not so much as a daily “core” supplement. I fully agreed with him as it did feel as I was beginning to build a tolerance to it. The only supplement he suggested I add in was BioTests Alpha GPC to enhance the growth hormone production in my system.
Diet advice was to pretty much cut out BS carbs, make the carbs good quality. Stop the breads and rices so often and switch over to eating more like a caveman, not his words exactly, but I know if I embody a caveman mentality with food more often, I will see some serious changes in my body. I am not a Paleo Diet person, but pretty simply, I can eat it if it came out of the ground and has colors. (I call that the Fisher Price Diet – LoL! )
*(Come on, name a food that corresponds with each color, I know you can!!!)*
My current training program has been pretty intense and will actually require me to get more sleep in order to decrease stress and naturally increase the production of growth hormone so I can get more benefit out of my training.
Technically by following this advice I should expect a call from Professor X fairly soon to recruit my mutant superhuman specimen to join the X-MEN! . . . FOR THAT I THANK YOU DAN!
The analysis was super helpful and I can’t thank Dan enough for sharing this information with me. It has definitely shed new light on a little known aspect to training that most trainers do not even consider, I am glad to have learned the valuable lessons from the Biosignature Modulation. The test was a great experience and is definitely something anyone serious about their training and results should consider getting.
It sucks to bang your head against the wall with stagnant results when you have a system like the BioSignature to open the door for you and increase your results!
The FUTURE of TRAINING is NOW! GO GET IT!
Stay Strong,
Coach Joey
PS – Dont forget – You can also check my stuff out on FACEBOOK too! facebook.com/joeysgymclass – See you there!
