Arnold, Frank Zane, Bob Kennedy, And the Importance of Enzymes In Your Diet

A few months back I was over at the MuscleMag offices in Mississauga, Ontario and I ran into the publishing legend himself Bob Kennedy. Of course it was exciting because Bob Kennedy’s been publishing health and fitness magazines for over 25 years. In fact one of my biggest thrills in my bodybuilding career occurred when I was written up in Canadian Corner nearly 10 years ago at which time my picture appeared as the overall winner of my provincial championships.

I will always be grateful for Bob’s coverage of the sport that has given so much to me and for helping me realize one of my first big dreams of having my picture grace the pages of his magazines.

Amazingly enough, nearly ten years later I am face to face with the man that has been around the best of the best in bodybuilding.

Bob a tall soft-spoken man appeared older than the smiling picture I see in the editorial section of his new magazine REPS. He told me that he has started REPS as a way to bring bodybuilding back towards the Golden Age Physiques of the 60’s and 70’s when health and the ideal physique were achievable without the massive levels of drugs taken by today’s bodybuilders.

This of course was the age often referred to as the Golden Age of Bodybuilding. Legends like Arnold, Frank Zane, Franco Columbu, Robby Robinson and all the gang could be seen sunning themselves on Venice Beach or putting in ferocious workouts in at Joe Gold’s gym in Venice.

I listened intently as Bob still as enthusiastic about pumping iron as he was back then recall a conversation he had the night before with the Legendary Frank Zane.

Bob laughed heartily as he recounted how Frank was on the phone for hours talking about bodybuilding, how it’s been and where it’s going. I thought to myself “Gee, imagine Frank Zane calling you up to talk shop for hours. Most guys would kill just to talk shop with Frank for 10 minutes and here Frank is calling Bob to talk Bodybuilding for hours for FREE.

Well one thing led to another and before you know it Bob was sharing me about insights that Frank had made about Arnold and the rumor that Arnold was told by his doctors that he could not train anymore because of his heart troubles.

Well I am not in a position to comment whether the report was true or not Frank did relay some first hand experiences with Arnold back when they used to hang out on Muscle Beach in the 70’s.

Frank told Bob that Arnold was a big eater, and ate all sorts of crappy food in the off-season. Of course when dieting he was laser focused as only Arnold can be but Frank was clear that Arnold would love to scarf down tons of fried foods, and sweets. Other bodybuilders would try to follow Arnold’s plan and just wind up fat, out of shape, and most of all confused.

Arnold was blessed with a fast metabolism and he was also known for incredible levels of stamina. He would routinely train 4 hours plus per day could get away with the junk food back then as he was young, and it apparently had little or no effect on his physique.

Even after his bodybuilding career ended, Arnold continued his hard living lifestyle as movie star, entrepreneur and now Governor of California. While no one would consider contesting Arnold’s achievements, as he is an inspiration to every bodybuilder who ever picked up a barbell, Arnold’s once famous body has degenerated perhaps more than it should for someone of his age and physical capacities.

The question is of course why? How could something like this happen to the Greatest Bodybuilder of All-Time?

Part II Enzymes, Metabolic Damage -The Effects Of A Poor Diet

Frank believes that Arnold’s disregard for clean eating had a deleterious effect on his metabolism. He stated to Bob Kennedy that he felt all the junk food, had some how compromised Arnold’s tremendous physical capacities. Eventually, Arnold’s body started showing the signs of wear and tear. His genetic heart condition needed surgery, which forced Arnold to cut back on his training intensity and focus more on cardio vascular training.

It seems life has dealt the Champion perhaps the cruelest hand of them all by not allowing the 7-time Mr. Olympia from training at all, even though he is still a relatively young man at 60 years old.

Frank also confessed to Bob that he found it harder and harder to get in top shape each year as his body just didn’t respond to training the way it used to 10, 20 or even 30 years ago. Although Frank is a bit older than Arnold he still maintains great conditioning for a man at any age, and has always been known to keep a careful eye on everything he eats.

Bob asked me what I thought of the two cases and I quickly pointed out that both Arnold and Frank were suffering from the same problem, just at different intensity levels. Bob quickly agreed and added, yeah it’s called the “AGING PROCESS”. Which of course garnered a round of laughs of all those present as most of the individuals around during the conversation could relate.

I chuckled as well but quickly added… “Well, I believe what your saying is true Bob but have you ever considered what causes Aging?”

Bob looked at me with a little more intensity then before and asked, “Just what exactly did I mean.”

Sensing that this was my moment, I quickly gave the low down as fast and concise as I could about the research performed by Enzyme Pioneer Dr. Howell and how he had discovered that the rate of aging was directly proportional to the total Enzyme potential of any organism.

Part III What Are Digestive Enzymes?

You see enzymes are regularly found in food, whether its fruits, vegetables, even meat that occurs naturally in Nature. Digestive enzymes are required for the breakdown and digestion of food and fall into 4 main digestive enzymes and a whole pile of other enzymes and enzyme precursors. Sucrase and lactase are a couple ones you may be familiar with, mostly because some people are unable to digest certain foods because of a lack of these enzymes.

Protease – which digests protein

Amylase – which digests carbohydrates

Lipase – which digests fats

Cellulase -which digests cellulose in vegetables (that’s the fiber)

There are also many other enzymes such as.

Sucrase – which digests sugar (Sucrose)

Lactase – which digests Lactose (the sugar in milk)

And the list goes on with other enzymes enzyme precursors etc.

Research has shown that any food that is heated above 118 degrees loses all of its enzymes. In other words all cooked food is deficient in digestive enzymes.

Processed foods, irradiated foods, foods grown with pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or on mineral deficient soils all have minute levels of enzymes that occur naturally.

Our bodies are actually designed to recognize the taste of enzyme and nutrient dense foods by seeking foods that break down easily, and taste sweet. Anyone who has eaten a vegetable or fruit at an organic garden or farm will quickly attest to how different organically grown enzyme rich foods taste.

You see nature designed our food to break itself down in our digestive tract, however modern man has gone against Nature’s natural ways and started eating food that is deficient in enzymes.

Humans are the only species on the planet that cooks their food. Humans are also the only species on the planet that puts chemicals on the ground to grow food, or spray pesticides on the food, and we are the only species that processes food with chemicals, additives, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, or worse create genetically modified foods.

The bottom line is Humans are going against over 4 Billion Years of evolution. Now that is serious.

Now what does this have to with Arnold you might say? And more importantly what does that have to do with you.

Everything…

Arnold, Frank Zane, Bob Kennedy, And the Importance of Enzymes In Your Diet by Wade McNutt