A New Year is upon us and that means all kinds of new resolutions and predictions are floating around.For my first resolutions I have vowed to abstain from originality, and to begin the process of fabricating wild statements that I can later deny ever making (in spite of evidence to the contrary). With that, I give you my Top 10 Predictions of 2009!

One of the things that's continually amazed (amused?) me over the years is that the complete absence of critical thinking skill(s) does not deter anyone from voicing their opinion (often quite loudly)...

The neuromuscular adaptations to strength are just amazing. You can take any 98 pound weakling and give him a big boost to strength, and confidence, simply through a normal strength training routine. But every now and then, even I get a little surprised. After more than a decade and a half of training, I'm still learning about my body and how it responds to the iron...

A funny thing happened on my way to recent muscle growth and performance -I increased my carb intake. Although there's a distinct possibility that many people are overconsuming this nutrient, its utilization is still important for achieving your goals.

You know too many people who are overweight or obese. Worse yet, you know people who will die from health problems related to this. So why is it, that in the midst of a obesity epidemic, with a diabetes epidemic looming larger than global warming, that doctors and nutritionists are still so anti-protein?...

I can't seem to escape it. Wherever I turn, there are comparisons between whey and casein. These two milk-derived proteins seem locked in an eternal struggle for the title of "Supreme Protein." It may be irrelevant because every time they go head to head, whey gets its ass kicked...

I loathe calf training. It's just terrible. Now it's not that the loads used are too high, or I have to put "too much effort" into doing them, and it's not even the shoulder bruising that occurs from using the standing machine. I wish it were all of those. But the real reason I despise working the lower leg is because I just don't feel anything...

As part of my job, being on the cutting edge means that I have to subscribe to every newsletter available. I have to gather as much information as possible to keep people apprised of the most recent scam, and occasionally the coolest new technique (assuming I haven't already discovered or refined it). Most often, this simply means reading a lot of crap.

...so here he is, busting his ass, doing what he's been told (by internet authorities, no doubt) and he's frustrated at the result. As you know from the title, the exercise in question is the bent over row, and I think it's the worst exercise in existence. Okay, I'm completely exaggerating, but at the same time, I'm not alone in my disdain for this back killer...

If you had to guess, what would you say is the most prominent dietary feature of the greatest Olympic Champion in history? Raise your hand if you said "cheese sandwiches", because that's what it appears to be...

The following is a letter I received this week and spent some time composing the reply. I thought it would be worth publishing because it deals with common misconceptions pertaining to the industry, blood flow stimulation, and in particular NO-Xplode. Enjoy!

In the last Optimal Training Nutrition article we looked at the outdated idea of consuming massive amounts of fast carbs in the post-workout period. In this article we'll see if there's any good time to elevate the storage hormone insulin through the use of carbohydrates...

Low carb diets are great for fat loss and keeping it off, and they can also be used as a modified muscle growth plan. Unfortunately many clients only come to me only after they've been having problems for some time. It's my job to not only figure out what the problem is, but also develop a solution -the implementation of which is all up to them...

I must preface this discussion by saying that it is out of genuine concern for the health of our society that I write this - and it is a concern for us all. Even cold-hearted pragmatists, who live by the dictum of "every man for himself", must recognize the problem of rights violations and the economic consequences of our serious obesity and diabetes pandemic...

I was once asked point blank: "David, what's the best overall diet?" Now there are several ways to answer this question and we can get into a years worth of research data in order to answer it. But don't worry I'm not going to do that. I don't need to. Because from experience I finally understand that the best diet is and would like to share it with you.