In an earlier post I mentioned that I am currently on a cutting diet. That remains the case and I am now at the 60 day mark. How's it going?
Waist size is down 2 inches and my muscle definition is beginning to really become apparent, especially in the ab region. Which has historicly for me been the last place fat leaves, so I know when cuts start appearing there, I am getting to where I want to be. Not that it matters a bit, but my total body weight is also down about 14 lbs. But what matters to me is that 2 inch waist reduction. Smaller waist = bigger looking upper body.
To recap, my target numbers are 1300 calories and 150 grams of protein daily. I also look to front load my calorie intake, trying to take in about 800 by 4:00 pm.
So here is MY breakfast, EVERYDAY:
4 egg whites, tspn Tabasco sauce, scrambled, no calorie butter flavored Pam
4 strips turkey bacon, microwaved
4 Fresh whole strawberries
Total calories: 280 Total grams protein: 32 Or, 45.7% of the total calories are protein based.
So by 9:00 am I have consumed a total of 330 calories (50 more in the 3-4 cups coffee I drink) and have 32 grams of my protein target 140-150. And I am full and properly nourished.
My next calorie consumption is determined by whether I work out in the morning or afternoon. If it's an afternoon workout, lunch is my next meal. If it's morning, I have a post workout protein smoothie and then eat lunch later in the day. So the workout determines the order and time of my lunch/protein shake calories. So for the purpose of this post let's go with a 8:30 9:30 workout, which would put me in a position to have my shake by 10:30 am. Given breakfast happened around 7:00ish the timing for more calories is perfect.
Here's my killer protein smoothie recipe:
1 17 oz Labrada Lean Body Banana & Cream 40 g protein 260 calories
8 large ice cubes
4 fresh strawberries 0 g protein 20 calories
I have found that I MUCH prefer the ready to drink (RTD) protein drinks over powder because of the vastly better taste and mixability. The downside is the higher cost. But it's worth it to me. I choose the Labrada product because I'm cutting and each serving has 0 gram sugar, and only 9 gram carbs and 9 grams fat. If I were in a muscle building phase, I would be less concerned with these numbers and might choose something else.
Now this is KEY! Because I am cutting and total calories matter, a lot, I only DRINK HALF my shake at this time. Why? I know I am going to take in more calories and protein in just a couple hours for lunch. So the whole shake is too much at this time.
So here's where I am at: 11:00 am, my workout is done, (and I could have done that at 7:00 am instead of 9:00, had the shake pre-workout and then breakfast after if I need to be to work by 9:00. Lunch would then be 11:30ish) and I have consumed this:
52 grams protein
470 total calories
Since I drank my shake at 11:00 am I will hold off on lunch until 1:00, which is fine because I am full right now, and still have 830 calories to eat for the rest of the day.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Fastest Way to a Visible Six Pack
Summer is here and having a beach body is in high demand. If you have waited too long to get yours in shape, there is a way to rapidly increase the rate of fat loss necessary to get those abs out in public before the summer is over.
Everybody knows by now that having a visible six pack stomach is not about crunches, but instead about low body fat. But having said that, only being lean results in less than stellar abs, and will increase the time in which it takes for them to show. In other words, developed abs will show quicker than undeveloped ones with equal amounts of body fat, so why not work both sides of the equation to assist in getting your beach body.
Ab exercises need not be back breaking crunches and ineffective sit ups. More efficient ab moves can be found everywhere. The ones I recommend are planks and bridges. These are nothing more than the push up position modified to work your core area and are significantly more challenging and effective than most people realize. The fact they provide a full core workout without any back or neck discomfort makes them ideal for middle aged and up people.
Also, if you have access to a cable machine there are moves that you can do to take advantage of the machines ability to adjust weight loads that makes simple movements incredibly effective in building your six pack muscles. The reason most ab exercises are ineffective for so many people is that most peoples abs are not strong enough to lift the weight of their upper body. Hence they unknowingly "cheat".
You can find detailed descriptions of all these back saving ab blasting weight lifting routines all over the Internet.
Having better developed abs is the lessor half of the equation though. Reducing body fat into the single digits as a percentage of total body weight is the real solution to getting them visible. Some would say "diet" is the key. It is, but that isn't nearly specific enough. The real key is "the proper calorie composition and daily distribution rate" that makes it doable. Or, eating the right mix of foods in the right amounts at the right times of the day.
Today's muscle building supplements industry offers a wide range of very low calorie, fat and sugar products that are packed with muscle maintaining protein. If you combine these type products with a reduced calorie nutritional plan, in a relatively short amount of time the fat will melt away and your now better developed abs will show through.
Everybody knows by now that having a visible six pack stomach is not about crunches, but instead about low body fat. But having said that, only being lean results in less than stellar abs, and will increase the time in which it takes for them to show. In other words, developed abs will show quicker than undeveloped ones with equal amounts of body fat, so why not work both sides of the equation to assist in getting your beach body.
Ab exercises need not be back breaking crunches and ineffective sit ups. More efficient ab moves can be found everywhere. The ones I recommend are planks and bridges. These are nothing more than the push up position modified to work your core area and are significantly more challenging and effective than most people realize. The fact they provide a full core workout without any back or neck discomfort makes them ideal for middle aged and up people.
Also, if you have access to a cable machine there are moves that you can do to take advantage of the machines ability to adjust weight loads that makes simple movements incredibly effective in building your six pack muscles. The reason most ab exercises are ineffective for so many people is that most peoples abs are not strong enough to lift the weight of their upper body. Hence they unknowingly "cheat".
You can find detailed descriptions of all these back saving ab blasting weight lifting routines all over the Internet.
Having better developed abs is the lessor half of the equation though. Reducing body fat into the single digits as a percentage of total body weight is the real solution to getting them visible. Some would say "diet" is the key. It is, but that isn't nearly specific enough. The real key is "the proper calorie composition and daily distribution rate" that makes it doable. Or, eating the right mix of foods in the right amounts at the right times of the day.
Today's muscle building supplements industry offers a wide range of very low calorie, fat and sugar products that are packed with muscle maintaining protein. If you combine these type products with a reduced calorie nutritional plan, in a relatively short amount of time the fat will melt away and your now better developed abs will show through.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
How a Muscle Building Diet Will Lead to Visible Six Pack Abs
Have you noticed how professional bodybuilders no longer have to "starve" themselves to stay lean? Unlike the old days where a cutting cycle required a big muscle loss to also lose fat and get lean, today's weight lifters can control fat gain during muscle building and reduce muscle loss during the cut cycle. This is how.
Back in the early days of bodybuilding as a competition neared, the lifters would put themselves on ever shrinking calorie diets in an attempt to reduce their body fat. As a result of such a low calorie intake, it was impossible to maintain an energy level required to train as intensely for as long as they did during their muscle building, big calorie cycle. So muscle loss was inevitable.
Of course during this muscle building period to ingest the necessary amount of protein required by their bodies to take advantage of their intense training sessions, the calorie content would have to be so high that fat gain was unavoidable. So in essence it was 3 steps forward, then 2 steps back, over and over. My how things have changed.
Today's serious lifters are able to limit their fat gain during the muscle building times and can drastically cut muscle loss during the pre-competition cutting time. How do they do this?
The 2 biggest contributing factors are first, a much better understanding as to how the body processes the food it takes in. Today's lifters actually need more protein than their predecessors because they are so much larger now. We now know that the body can only process and use a certain amount of protein in any given time interval. Therefore the gluttonous meals of the past have been replaced by smaller, more frequent meals. This spreads the protein consumption out better so less is wasted.
The second major factor is that the muscle building supplements available today are more highly refined than yesteryear. The protein supplements that most of the big fella's take now are virtually all protein. Which means they are able to eat carbs and fats like anybody else would at meal time, and at the end of the day have gotten their required protein, eaten well and stayed low in total calories. Plus these supplements are ideal for the ability to spread out the intake. Keeping your calorie intake below your threshold is what allows muscle to be gained and limiting fat stores.
As you can now see, this type of muscle building diet leads to less fat to have to lose when the goal becomes getting your six pack to show. It also helps to have first rate weight lifting routines with which to capitalize on these improved muscle building diets and supplements. They can be found FREE at MuscleandHealth.
Back in the early days of bodybuilding as a competition neared, the lifters would put themselves on ever shrinking calorie diets in an attempt to reduce their body fat. As a result of such a low calorie intake, it was impossible to maintain an energy level required to train as intensely for as long as they did during their muscle building, big calorie cycle. So muscle loss was inevitable.
Of course during this muscle building period to ingest the necessary amount of protein required by their bodies to take advantage of their intense training sessions, the calorie content would have to be so high that fat gain was unavoidable. So in essence it was 3 steps forward, then 2 steps back, over and over. My how things have changed.
Today's serious lifters are able to limit their fat gain during the muscle building times and can drastically cut muscle loss during the pre-competition cutting time. How do they do this?
The 2 biggest contributing factors are first, a much better understanding as to how the body processes the food it takes in. Today's lifters actually need more protein than their predecessors because they are so much larger now. We now know that the body can only process and use a certain amount of protein in any given time interval. Therefore the gluttonous meals of the past have been replaced by smaller, more frequent meals. This spreads the protein consumption out better so less is wasted.
The second major factor is that the muscle building supplements available today are more highly refined than yesteryear. The protein supplements that most of the big fella's take now are virtually all protein. Which means they are able to eat carbs and fats like anybody else would at meal time, and at the end of the day have gotten their required protein, eaten well and stayed low in total calories. Plus these supplements are ideal for the ability to spread out the intake. Keeping your calorie intake below your threshold is what allows muscle to be gained and limiting fat stores.
As you can now see, this type of muscle building diet leads to less fat to have to lose when the goal becomes getting your six pack to show. It also helps to have first rate weight lifting routines with which to capitalize on these improved muscle building diets and supplements. They can be found FREE at MuscleandHealth.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Best Fathers Day Gift
I took over as my 13 year old daughters soccer team coach on Fathers Day 12 years ago. She was on a travel team that played almost year round and the annual try out's just happened to be on the week end of Fathers Day. To keep a "little" balance in our kid's lives our club and league had a rule that after try out's we were not allowed to have any organized team practices, using a ball, until the middle of August. A forced break to give kid's and their families a little time for summer vacations. Good idea in theory, but as you might expect, the best teams found away to train, somehow, in spite of this.
Well we were not one of the better teams (which is why there had been a coaching change) but I was determined to at least get us closer. I felt that on top of the obvious lack of soccer skills, our girls were not good at "competing". In keeping with the spirit of "not training with a ball", I instead held "voluntary" conditioning 3 times a week at my home gym.
It's in the basement with basic weight stuff, lots of room. I set up stations and paired the girls up and we did intervals of 1 minute on, 30 seconds rest, switch stations and so on. The kids loved it!! NOT the training, but just doing it, as a group, being together, having "fun". Most of my parents HATED it. Saw it as a waste of time, "the girls are to young for this", "they need soccer skills, not lifting skills" and so on.
Bear in mind that most of the parents of my girls were fairly well to do professionals (why they had their kid playing on a fairly expensive travel soccer team). This means that they made their money with their heads and brains, not the sweat of their brow. Not good, bad, better, or worse. Just that the idea of "working physically hard" was NOT something many of them had to do, or WANTED to do.
Not many of my parents were in very good physical shape either. What a coincidence.
But I wanted the girls to get "tougher". Resistance training teaches you that a little "pain" is necessary to make a difference physically. "It hurts" and "I'm tired" are no reasons to quit. In the gym OR the soccer field.
Also I was trying to instill something I felt was even more important. Good physical fitness habits. Remember these were 13 year old girls that had an interest in doing something other than watching TV or playing video games. At least they joined a group that did something active. So I felt they were already primed to absorb more info about how being physically fit mattered, then and forever.
Fast forward to today. My daughter is 25, and like most young athletes, hasn't "played" since high school. I was the same way, as are most people. It was during the years 22-35 that I tried to do some muscle building, but really all I did was take advantage of my "youth" to be able to live a fairly inactive life and stuff myself with mostly lousy fast food. I never gained a lot of weight, but like anybody with these habits, I gained a pound or two a year and, bam, 13 years later I'm 30 pounds out of "shape".
I had to learn the hard way.
I took over my daughters soccer team when I was 40, and had "figured it out" by then, which was why I did what I did, whether my parents understood it or not.
So, what does this mean to me on Fathers Day? Well, as I said my daughter is your average 25 year old. Last night I'm sure she went out, had a few drinks and ate some pretty lousy bar food. Might have even done it Friday night as well. Just like I used to. BUT she learned that other "habit" from me too.
Today, with no input, suggestion or prodding, my daughter will hit the gym, on Sunday, for the first of her 5 days this week of weight training. She's not trying to be "Ms. Olympia". She just knows that fitness is important, has learned to enjoy it, and it is, and will be, a part of her life forever.
What a great Fathers Day gift for me, and she doesn't even know she's giving it.
Have a great, safe, and healthy Father's Day.
Well we were not one of the better teams (which is why there had been a coaching change) but I was determined to at least get us closer. I felt that on top of the obvious lack of soccer skills, our girls were not good at "competing". In keeping with the spirit of "not training with a ball", I instead held "voluntary" conditioning 3 times a week at my home gym.
It's in the basement with basic weight stuff, lots of room. I set up stations and paired the girls up and we did intervals of 1 minute on, 30 seconds rest, switch stations and so on. The kids loved it!! NOT the training, but just doing it, as a group, being together, having "fun". Most of my parents HATED it. Saw it as a waste of time, "the girls are to young for this", "they need soccer skills, not lifting skills" and so on.
Bear in mind that most of the parents of my girls were fairly well to do professionals (why they had their kid playing on a fairly expensive travel soccer team). This means that they made their money with their heads and brains, not the sweat of their brow. Not good, bad, better, or worse. Just that the idea of "working physically hard" was NOT something many of them had to do, or WANTED to do.
Not many of my parents were in very good physical shape either. What a coincidence.
But I wanted the girls to get "tougher". Resistance training teaches you that a little "pain" is necessary to make a difference physically. "It hurts" and "I'm tired" are no reasons to quit. In the gym OR the soccer field.
Also I was trying to instill something I felt was even more important. Good physical fitness habits. Remember these were 13 year old girls that had an interest in doing something other than watching TV or playing video games. At least they joined a group that did something active. So I felt they were already primed to absorb more info about how being physically fit mattered, then and forever.
Fast forward to today. My daughter is 25, and like most young athletes, hasn't "played" since high school. I was the same way, as are most people. It was during the years 22-35 that I tried to do some muscle building, but really all I did was take advantage of my "youth" to be able to live a fairly inactive life and stuff myself with mostly lousy fast food. I never gained a lot of weight, but like anybody with these habits, I gained a pound or two a year and, bam, 13 years later I'm 30 pounds out of "shape".
I had to learn the hard way.
I took over my daughters soccer team when I was 40, and had "figured it out" by then, which was why I did what I did, whether my parents understood it or not.
So, what does this mean to me on Fathers Day? Well, as I said my daughter is your average 25 year old. Last night I'm sure she went out, had a few drinks and ate some pretty lousy bar food. Might have even done it Friday night as well. Just like I used to. BUT she learned that other "habit" from me too.
Today, with no input, suggestion or prodding, my daughter will hit the gym, on Sunday, for the first of her 5 days this week of weight training. She's not trying to be "Ms. Olympia". She just knows that fitness is important, has learned to enjoy it, and it is, and will be, a part of her life forever.
What a great Fathers Day gift for me, and she doesn't even know she's giving it.
Have a great, safe, and healthy Father's Day.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Add an Inch to Your Arms in 30 Days
Unless you work as a life guard, you probably wear a shirt most of your day. So massive pecs and cannonball deltoids aren't visible. But your arms are. Most people don't build mass on their arms for the simplest of reasons. They are out smarting themselves.
Massive arms are built the same way other body parts are, lifting a lot of weight. The problem is that they are small muscles as compared to back, chest and legs muscles, therefore moving a lot of weight with your arms is difficult. Some people think that it's all relative, meaning smaller muscles will grow by moving proportionally smaller weight. Those people have small arms still. Trust me.
There comes a time when isolation exercises like bicep curls and triceps kickbacks does build mass. It's when you already have mass and this allows you to throw around the amount of weight necessary to do it. Not to compare yourself to pro bodybuilders, but when they do isolated bicep curls they are using 80 pound and up dumbbells. Do you? Do you think they got arms big enough to do this by building up from the 20's or so that you probably use? If so keep using them and wondering, "why aren't my arms getting any bigger?"
So what's the answer to this weight lifting routine irony? Pull ups and full body weight dips. The average male can do 1 of each. That was 1. The reason is you need mass to do them. What builds that mass? Doing THEM. Not accepting lessor weights thinking you will "build up" to being able to do them. You won't. How do you think you will ever build enough mass to lift a weight amount you never even try to lift? You won't. So stop lifting like you will.
When you want to work your arms ONLY do pull ups and full body dips. You can modify each by doing only the negative of the pull up and dips off a bench for starters. By even doing this your arms are moving significantly more weight than you can curl or kickback. As soon as you are able to do just 1 of each, never do the lessor modification again. Do your 1, rest and try to do another. Soon 2 turns to 3, 3 to 4 and so on.
Training your arms with whatever your full body weight is will build your arms not only faster, but larger than any other exercise there is. This and other weight lifting routines and muscle building tips can be found for FREE at my home site, MuscleandHealth.
Massive arms are built the same way other body parts are, lifting a lot of weight. The problem is that they are small muscles as compared to back, chest and legs muscles, therefore moving a lot of weight with your arms is difficult. Some people think that it's all relative, meaning smaller muscles will grow by moving proportionally smaller weight. Those people have small arms still. Trust me.
There comes a time when isolation exercises like bicep curls and triceps kickbacks does build mass. It's when you already have mass and this allows you to throw around the amount of weight necessary to do it. Not to compare yourself to pro bodybuilders, but when they do isolated bicep curls they are using 80 pound and up dumbbells. Do you? Do you think they got arms big enough to do this by building up from the 20's or so that you probably use? If so keep using them and wondering, "why aren't my arms getting any bigger?"
So what's the answer to this weight lifting routine irony? Pull ups and full body weight dips. The average male can do 1 of each. That was 1. The reason is you need mass to do them. What builds that mass? Doing THEM. Not accepting lessor weights thinking you will "build up" to being able to do them. You won't. How do you think you will ever build enough mass to lift a weight amount you never even try to lift? You won't. So stop lifting like you will.
When you want to work your arms ONLY do pull ups and full body dips. You can modify each by doing only the negative of the pull up and dips off a bench for starters. By even doing this your arms are moving significantly more weight than you can curl or kickback. As soon as you are able to do just 1 of each, never do the lessor modification again. Do your 1, rest and try to do another. Soon 2 turns to 3, 3 to 4 and so on.
Training your arms with whatever your full body weight is will build your arms not only faster, but larger than any other exercise there is. This and other weight lifting routines and muscle building tips can be found for FREE at my home site, MuscleandHealth.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
You Are Only 60 days from Visible Abs
Arms and abs. Without doubt numbers 1 and 2 on every bodies "I want to have those" list of fitness goals. With a couple relatively small changes to your current fitness routine and diet, getting those abs to show can happen much quicker than you think.
Getting your abs to show is a two part process, with one part being somewhat more critical. We all know that excess body fat is the reason that your abs don't show through. Unfortunately there is no way, regardless of claims by some midsection reducing product websites, to "spot reduce" your body fat. It is simply physically impossible for your body to know you want fat lost in a particular area first, or most. What you CAN do is employ the other process, developing your abdominal muscles more, and in conjunction with total body fat loss, this added development makes their appearance happen more quickly.
One of the biggest reasons "getting your abs to be visible" diets fail, is that after a few weeks of sincerely trying, your abs will not be showing. You won't even see a difference, though your waist line is shrinking. Frustrated, people quit, because it isn't working. But it is, IF you have not been misled, it just takes a little more time than claims some will make. Your abs will be the LAST muscles in your body to show definition, not the first. So, 60 days is a realistic time frame, depending on how overweight you are to begin with. Assuming the average person is 40 lbs overweight, you will need to lose 25 of it before your abs even begin to show. I know this because I have done it before and am 45 days into doing it again.
The 2 single biggest diet modifiers you can make to help any fat reduction plan be successful (notice I said fat reduction, NOT weight loss per se) is to totally eliminate processed carbs and ingest 0 calories in the form of liquids (except for protein based drinks other than milk. I use some of the newest weight lifting supplements that are currently available to guarantee the correct content). Obviously you have to have a net daily calorie deficit going to lose any kind of weight, but fat loss is exponentially faster without these 2 calorie sources. In layman's terms that means no bread (not even whole wheat), pasta, rice, noodles, flour in any form and so on. By eliminating caloried drinks your sugar consumption plummets and the resulting sugar spikes that help induce cravings for these kinds of food is gone. So no alcohol, sports drinks, or the worst, fruit juices. Get your nutrients from food, not liquid! This helps you eat less of other kinds of food.
Developing abs will show faster than undeveloping ones, all things else equal. That's just a fact. So don't ignore training your abdominal muscles. It makes the process of fat loss a much shorter requirement. You can find all the helpful FREE weight lifting routines for this kind of ab work, beginner through advanced at my home site, MuscleandHealth.
Getting your abs to show is a two part process, with one part being somewhat more critical. We all know that excess body fat is the reason that your abs don't show through. Unfortunately there is no way, regardless of claims by some midsection reducing product websites, to "spot reduce" your body fat. It is simply physically impossible for your body to know you want fat lost in a particular area first, or most. What you CAN do is employ the other process, developing your abdominal muscles more, and in conjunction with total body fat loss, this added development makes their appearance happen more quickly.
One of the biggest reasons "getting your abs to be visible" diets fail, is that after a few weeks of sincerely trying, your abs will not be showing. You won't even see a difference, though your waist line is shrinking. Frustrated, people quit, because it isn't working. But it is, IF you have not been misled, it just takes a little more time than claims some will make. Your abs will be the LAST muscles in your body to show definition, not the first. So, 60 days is a realistic time frame, depending on how overweight you are to begin with. Assuming the average person is 40 lbs overweight, you will need to lose 25 of it before your abs even begin to show. I know this because I have done it before and am 45 days into doing it again.
The 2 single biggest diet modifiers you can make to help any fat reduction plan be successful (notice I said fat reduction, NOT weight loss per se) is to totally eliminate processed carbs and ingest 0 calories in the form of liquids (except for protein based drinks other than milk. I use some of the newest weight lifting supplements that are currently available to guarantee the correct content). Obviously you have to have a net daily calorie deficit going to lose any kind of weight, but fat loss is exponentially faster without these 2 calorie sources. In layman's terms that means no bread (not even whole wheat), pasta, rice, noodles, flour in any form and so on. By eliminating caloried drinks your sugar consumption plummets and the resulting sugar spikes that help induce cravings for these kinds of food is gone. So no alcohol, sports drinks, or the worst, fruit juices. Get your nutrients from food, not liquid! This helps you eat less of other kinds of food.
Developing abs will show faster than undeveloping ones, all things else equal. That's just a fact. So don't ignore training your abdominal muscles. It makes the process of fat loss a much shorter requirement. You can find all the helpful FREE weight lifting routines for this kind of ab work, beginner through advanced at my home site, MuscleandHealth.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Back to Basics: How to Build Muscle Mass
As I've already said, I am on a mission to get lean. In so doing I have reduced my daily calorie intake to about half of what it would be under normal circumstances. In trying to lose as close to only fat as I can, the majority of that calorie reduction has come from carbs, which happen to be the fuel for our energy source. Obviously then I expected a reduction in my energy level, thus affecting my ability to push hard in the gym.
It is a very tough balancing act. This is where the road to success or failure becomes very clear.
It is widely accepted that compound exercises are the way to build muscle fast. Therefore you could also say that it would be the most efficient way to maintain the muscle you already have. So with a reduced energy level, my ability to push through longer workouts, the type that a lot of isolation moves generally requires, just is not there, at least every day. So my choices become pretty clear. I can increase my carb intake, which will slow my fat loss or become more efficient in my workouts.
My choice? I am going with my Phase 1 weight lifting routine for the forseeable future.
As much as I enjoy isolating biceps, triceps and blasting out sets of cable flies, at the end of my energy level, I just haven't done enough to maintain the mass I currently have.
You can get my FREE weight lifting routines for the beginner, intermediate and advanced lifter at my home site.
So the lesson here is that, as I already knew, compound exercises are still and will forever be, the best path to the most muscle, even for someone that can justify isolating smaller muscles.
It is a very tough balancing act. This is where the road to success or failure becomes very clear.
It is widely accepted that compound exercises are the way to build muscle fast. Therefore you could also say that it would be the most efficient way to maintain the muscle you already have. So with a reduced energy level, my ability to push through longer workouts, the type that a lot of isolation moves generally requires, just is not there, at least every day. So my choices become pretty clear. I can increase my carb intake, which will slow my fat loss or become more efficient in my workouts.
My choice? I am going with my Phase 1 weight lifting routine for the forseeable future.
As much as I enjoy isolating biceps, triceps and blasting out sets of cable flies, at the end of my energy level, I just haven't done enough to maintain the mass I currently have.
You can get my FREE weight lifting routines for the beginner, intermediate and advanced lifter at my home site.
So the lesson here is that, as I already knew, compound exercises are still and will forever be, the best path to the most muscle, even for someone that can justify isolating smaller muscles.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Get Lean Eating Strategies
I indicated earlier that I try to front load my calories so that I consume about 800 of my daily total of 1300 by 3:00 pm. Before I tell you what I eat as my 800 calories, let me first illustrate how tough it is to "do this right".
It is not uncommon for many people to think healthy eating is automatically low calorie eating. Understand that weight loss in general, fat loss in particular comes down to calories first, and what type of calories second.
So a healthy breakfast at home or many popular restaurants would be something like:
Stack of 3 banana crunch pancakes with granola and syrup, English muffin and a glass of orange juice. Good choices. Except that is 890 calories and only 25 grams of protein. Or:
Fresh Fruit Crepes (Two thin homemade crepes, wrapped around fresh fruit, topped with strawberry yogurt, cinnamon and sugar served with a baked muffin and granola) Another good choice. Also 640 calories and 17 grams of protein.
So again the key is knowing how many calories your taking in and in what form are the majority of calories. I know that each gram of protein is 4 calories meaning the above breakfasts have only 11% (4 x 25/890) and 10.6% (4 x 17/640) of their calories in the form I need to maintain and fuel my muscle. Healthy, yes. Good for weight loss, maybe, depends on the rest of the day. Good for getting ripped? Uh, no.
The right choices consist of high protein to carb ratio, low calorie, and controlled but adequate portion size.
So here is MY breakfast, EVERYDAY:
4 egg whites, tspn Tabasco sauce, scrambled, no calorie butter flavored Pam
4 strips turkey bacon, microwaved
4 Fresh whole strawberries
Total calories: 280 Total grams protein: 32 Or, 45.7% of the total calories are protein based.
So by 9:00 am I have consumed a total of 330 calories (50 more in the 3-4 cups coffee I drink) and have 32 grams of my protein target 140-150. And I am full and properly nourished.
It is not uncommon for many people to think healthy eating is automatically low calorie eating. Understand that weight loss in general, fat loss in particular comes down to calories first, and what type of calories second.
So a healthy breakfast at home or many popular restaurants would be something like:
Stack of 3 banana crunch pancakes with granola and syrup, English muffin and a glass of orange juice. Good choices. Except that is 890 calories and only 25 grams of protein. Or:
Fresh Fruit Crepes (Two thin homemade crepes, wrapped around fresh fruit, topped with strawberry yogurt, cinnamon and sugar served with a baked muffin and granola) Another good choice. Also 640 calories and 17 grams of protein.
So again the key is knowing how many calories your taking in and in what form are the majority of calories. I know that each gram of protein is 4 calories meaning the above breakfasts have only 11% (4 x 25/890) and 10.6% (4 x 17/640) of their calories in the form I need to maintain and fuel my muscle. Healthy, yes. Good for weight loss, maybe, depends on the rest of the day. Good for getting ripped? Uh, no.
The right choices consist of high protein to carb ratio, low calorie, and controlled but adequate portion size.
So here is MY breakfast, EVERYDAY:
4 egg whites, tspn Tabasco sauce, scrambled, no calorie butter flavored Pam
4 strips turkey bacon, microwaved
4 Fresh whole strawberries
Total calories: 280 Total grams protein: 32 Or, 45.7% of the total calories are protein based.
So by 9:00 am I have consumed a total of 330 calories (50 more in the 3-4 cups coffee I drink) and have 32 grams of my protein target 140-150. And I am full and properly nourished.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Getting the day started Right
The data overwhelmingly supports breakfast as the most important meal of the day. As a matter of fact the higher the percent of your total calorie intake for the day that is breakfast, the smaller your waist line is likely to be. Obviously your total daily calorie intake needs to be the "right" number..
Since I am in a cutting phase I have taken my daily requirements and reduced them by half. This is to insure some kind of weight loss. By continuing my workouts and making the majority of the calories consist of protein, I am hoping to drop as close to only fat as I can.
My daily calorie demands are 2650. Therefore I am trying to eat around 1300 per day, and get as close to 150 grams of protein as I can. Staying at or above the protein number insures my muscles have the required fuel for growth and the calorie number assures me off weight loss.
Using the original concept of "front loading" calories, I also have to stay aware that protein usage by the body is limited to, at best, 10 grams an hour. So eating a 650 calorie breakfast loaded with protein, though great for my weight loss efforts, would result in the majority of the protein being wasted. So then to get that back I'd have to eat more later, thus blowing my calorie number sky high.
So though having a higher percent of daily calorie intake is best for weight loss, it can be counterproductive to maintaining my muscle mass. So I DO front load, but not just for breakfast. I'll take in about 800 of my daily 1300 by 3:00 pm. That gives me my best chance of success of balancing protein consumption with my weight loss goal.
So what does 800 calories, heavy in protein look like? Let's just say, I stay full (remember, lots of liquids helps with this). I'll break it down next time.
Since I am in a cutting phase I have taken my daily requirements and reduced them by half. This is to insure some kind of weight loss. By continuing my workouts and making the majority of the calories consist of protein, I am hoping to drop as close to only fat as I can.
My daily calorie demands are 2650. Therefore I am trying to eat around 1300 per day, and get as close to 150 grams of protein as I can. Staying at or above the protein number insures my muscles have the required fuel for growth and the calorie number assures me off weight loss.
Using the original concept of "front loading" calories, I also have to stay aware that protein usage by the body is limited to, at best, 10 grams an hour. So eating a 650 calorie breakfast loaded with protein, though great for my weight loss efforts, would result in the majority of the protein being wasted. So then to get that back I'd have to eat more later, thus blowing my calorie number sky high.
So though having a higher percent of daily calorie intake is best for weight loss, it can be counterproductive to maintaining my muscle mass. So I DO front load, but not just for breakfast. I'll take in about 800 of my daily 1300 by 3:00 pm. That gives me my best chance of success of balancing protein consumption with my weight loss goal.
So what does 800 calories, heavy in protein look like? Let's just say, I stay full (remember, lots of liquids helps with this). I'll break it down next time.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
My Diet Strategies for Getting Lean
As stated earlier I am on a mission to get leaner. Like anybody I have done this before to varying degrees of success. So I have ample experience to draw from as to what has "worked" before.
It starts with the obvious reduction in calories, which is easy to say, hard to do. So the real challenge is appetite control.
Two strategies that have helped me in the past are ones that anybody can do. The first is to drink a LOT of liquid. A LOT. Clearly this liquid needs to be as close to calorie free as possible. For most people that's water. Unfortunately I am not most people. I really only drink water while I am working out, and then I do it for the "wrong" reason. I drink while I'm training to kill time between sets. I don't take water with me, I walk to the drinking fountain and back as my way of helping me stay focused between sets.
No, for me it's a lot of DIET soft drinks. And generally NOT caffeine free, until after noon. The good aspect of all this liquid is the obvious, helps you feel full. The downside is a lot of trips to the bathroom (no middle age comments here please), day and night.
The second strategy I use is to go as close to 12 hours between my last bite at night and my first the next day as possible. Seems like a no brainer to me. But it's not as easy as you might think. Pre bedtime snack at say, 9:00 pm, means breakfast at 9:00 am. Except I get up most mornings at 5:00 am at the latest (when did you THINK I did all my web work?). That makes for 4 pretty tough hours. Thank God for Splenda and sugar free creamers, because, yes, I drink a lot of coffee as well.
Bottom line, diet soda, coffee, water, whatever, and 12 hours between bedtime snack and breakfast kills 5 hours of DAYLIGHT eating time and some of my hunger pains during the remaining daylight hours.
It starts with the obvious reduction in calories, which is easy to say, hard to do. So the real challenge is appetite control.
Two strategies that have helped me in the past are ones that anybody can do. The first is to drink a LOT of liquid. A LOT. Clearly this liquid needs to be as close to calorie free as possible. For most people that's water. Unfortunately I am not most people. I really only drink water while I am working out, and then I do it for the "wrong" reason. I drink while I'm training to kill time between sets. I don't take water with me, I walk to the drinking fountain and back as my way of helping me stay focused between sets.
No, for me it's a lot of DIET soft drinks. And generally NOT caffeine free, until after noon. The good aspect of all this liquid is the obvious, helps you feel full. The downside is a lot of trips to the bathroom (no middle age comments here please), day and night.
The second strategy I use is to go as close to 12 hours between my last bite at night and my first the next day as possible. Seems like a no brainer to me. But it's not as easy as you might think. Pre bedtime snack at say, 9:00 pm, means breakfast at 9:00 am. Except I get up most mornings at 5:00 am at the latest (when did you THINK I did all my web work?). That makes for 4 pretty tough hours. Thank God for Splenda and sugar free creamers, because, yes, I drink a lot of coffee as well.
Bottom line, diet soda, coffee, water, whatever, and 12 hours between bedtime snack and breakfast kills 5 hours of DAYLIGHT eating time and some of my hunger pains during the remaining daylight hours.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Losing weight as a 50 year old weight lifter
All the instability of my work and living situation has finally, for the next 3 months at least settled down. I have been bouncing between my mid western home and south Florida for a couple months making working out and eating a challenge. So I have gotten sloppy. Erratic workouts and carry out food has caused me to lose the edge.
I have gained a few unsightly pounds.
It stops today.
Actually a week and a half ago. To go 80's on you "the eye of the tiger" has returned.
I am back on track with consistent efficient workouts. And for the first time in YEARS am eating to get lean.
I have said before that my daily caloric requirement is 2650. It is based on a high rate of activity that I had stopped getting regularly. Well, that's back, and with a vengeance. So I am still using that number as my BMR.
Anything less than 2650 puts me on track to drop some pounds. But I don't want to go too fast. Losing muscle is a no no. Too hard to get it in the first place. So I am monitoring my lifting and reducing calories as low as I can, WITHOUT affecting my strength and energy in the gym (and at work).
To help me monitor my progression I am logging my workouts, as usual and my calorie intake. I am also going to use this platform as a means of public accountability and a source of motivation.
10 days into things my strength has returned to my levels of a few months ago (before the unsettled life style) which always happens quickly after a layoff.
And I have yet to consume more than 1370 calories in a day. So a little more than half what I normally eat. That puts me on a 2 pound a week loss rate. I intend on doing this until my strength drops. Then I will re-evaluate.
I'll be posting what 1370 calories a day looks like for a 50 year old weight lifter trying to get lean soon.
I have gained a few unsightly pounds.
It stops today.
Actually a week and a half ago. To go 80's on you "the eye of the tiger" has returned.
I am back on track with consistent efficient workouts. And for the first time in YEARS am eating to get lean.
I have said before that my daily caloric requirement is 2650. It is based on a high rate of activity that I had stopped getting regularly. Well, that's back, and with a vengeance. So I am still using that number as my BMR.
Anything less than 2650 puts me on track to drop some pounds. But I don't want to go too fast. Losing muscle is a no no. Too hard to get it in the first place. So I am monitoring my lifting and reducing calories as low as I can, WITHOUT affecting my strength and energy in the gym (and at work).
To help me monitor my progression I am logging my workouts, as usual and my calorie intake. I am also going to use this platform as a means of public accountability and a source of motivation.
10 days into things my strength has returned to my levels of a few months ago (before the unsettled life style) which always happens quickly after a layoff.
And I have yet to consume more than 1370 calories in a day. So a little more than half what I normally eat. That puts me on a 2 pound a week loss rate. I intend on doing this until my strength drops. Then I will re-evaluate.
I'll be posting what 1370 calories a day looks like for a 50 year old weight lifter trying to get lean soon.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
MY Weight Lifting Routine
I have finally been able to put my weight lifting routine down on paper. Or more accurately stated, uploaded to my website. I have been weight lifting for over 13 years successfully and over 25 in total. You can find my story here or at right.
Anyway it took a while before I found the type of lifting routine that would work for me. Plus "little things" (sarcasm folks!) like consistency, discipline, proper eating and resting habits.
And to stop consuming alcohol and the "foods" that usually accompanies it.
So, again, I have lifted successfully for 13 years.
The first couple years I did lift according to me Phase 1 plan. For the next 5-6 I followed my Phase 2 plan, and now for the last 4-5 the Phase 3 weight lifting routine.
Obviously, along the way, I detour off for a couple weeks with different things, because as we all know it is about keeping the muscles guessing. And working.
I bring this up because people ask me, while they see me training, how did I get to this point. In other words, "did I always train this way?". And the answer is no.
It is a process, or at least was for me, to understand how to successfully add muscle mass. For example, I ran. A lot. Thinking it was part of an overall fitness plan. Well it may have been, but my goal was to add mass. So I learned that for me to do this, I had to find other ways to get heart healthy. Things that were not counterproductive to my mass goals. That takes a while to learn about yourself.
So are you at a point in your fitness life that you can benefit from my weight lifting plan? Well, I have 3, one will fit.
But only YOU can make it WORK.
Anyway it took a while before I found the type of lifting routine that would work for me. Plus "little things" (sarcasm folks!) like consistency, discipline, proper eating and resting habits.
And to stop consuming alcohol and the "foods" that usually accompanies it.
So, again, I have lifted successfully for 13 years.
The first couple years I did lift according to me Phase 1 plan. For the next 5-6 I followed my Phase 2 plan, and now for the last 4-5 the Phase 3 weight lifting routine.
Obviously, along the way, I detour off for a couple weeks with different things, because as we all know it is about keeping the muscles guessing. And working.
I bring this up because people ask me, while they see me training, how did I get to this point. In other words, "did I always train this way?". And the answer is no.
It is a process, or at least was for me, to understand how to successfully add muscle mass. For example, I ran. A lot. Thinking it was part of an overall fitness plan. Well it may have been, but my goal was to add mass. So I learned that for me to do this, I had to find other ways to get heart healthy. Things that were not counterproductive to my mass goals. That takes a while to learn about yourself.
So are you at a point in your fitness life that you can benefit from my weight lifting plan? Well, I have 3, one will fit.
But only YOU can make it WORK.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Humbled and Amazed at the same time
Reading Yahoo sports a day or so ago I ran across a story about Willie Gault. If you're a football fan you will know the name. Gault was one of these guys that was a lightening fast track runner that decided to give football a try. He played college ball at Tennessee and played for 13 years with the Chicago Bears. He was their "go to" receiver when they won the Super Bowl in 1985. He also has a Gold Medal from the 1984 Olympics in the 4 x 100 meter relay.
Today Willie Gault is 48 years old. He does lot's of things to stay busy and competes in Master's (for the old guys!) track and field meets. His 10.80 clocking at Mt. SAC a couple weeks ago – not bad for his first 100 of the season – was only seven tenths of a second slower than his personal best nearly 30 years ago.
Read that again - was only seven tenths of a second slower than his personal best nearly 30 years ago. And he was WORLD CLASS then.
Are you kidding me?
No, no I'm not. So how does Gault defy age? Clearly he has genetics working for him, but I will NOT cheapen this accomplishment with that as a reason. Try this reason first:
Gault weighs the same 176 to 178 pounds he did 25 years ago (how many people in ANY field can say THIS). He eats sparingly, loves his vegetables and organic foods, and eschews meat. “If a fish walked I wouldn’t eat it,” he said.
How about this one second:
He said he abstains from the popular vices: “No drugs, no drinking, no smoking.”
And last but in my opinion the most important reason:
Gault doesn’t lift as much weight as younger sprinters, but he still benches 225 pounds 10 times for three sets, and squats nearly 200 pounds during his four 90-minute sessions per week.
My only beef with this is doing 10 reps. But remember, Gault is training to be a sprinter, so massive bulk is a negative. But still, he benches 50 lbs more than his body weight for 30 reps.
So let's see, eat right, watch your weight, a clean and healthy life style. Oh and weight train 90 minutes 4 times a week.
Sounds like a good anti-aging fitness plan to me.
Today Willie Gault is 48 years old. He does lot's of things to stay busy and competes in Master's (for the old guys!) track and field meets. His 10.80 clocking at Mt. SAC a couple weeks ago – not bad for his first 100 of the season – was only seven tenths of a second slower than his personal best nearly 30 years ago.
Read that again - was only seven tenths of a second slower than his personal best nearly 30 years ago. And he was WORLD CLASS then.
Are you kidding me?
No, no I'm not. So how does Gault defy age? Clearly he has genetics working for him, but I will NOT cheapen this accomplishment with that as a reason. Try this reason first:
Gault weighs the same 176 to 178 pounds he did 25 years ago (how many people in ANY field can say THIS). He eats sparingly, loves his vegetables and organic foods, and eschews meat. “If a fish walked I wouldn’t eat it,” he said.
How about this one second:
He said he abstains from the popular vices: “No drugs, no drinking, no smoking.”
And last but in my opinion the most important reason:
Gault doesn’t lift as much weight as younger sprinters, but he still benches 225 pounds 10 times for three sets, and squats nearly 200 pounds during his four 90-minute sessions per week.
My only beef with this is doing 10 reps. But remember, Gault is training to be a sprinter, so massive bulk is a negative. But still, he benches 50 lbs more than his body weight for 30 reps.
So let's see, eat right, watch your weight, a clean and healthy life style. Oh and weight train 90 minutes 4 times a week.
Sounds like a good anti-aging fitness plan to me.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Before and After Photo’s, The 2 Tricks Behind the Amazing Transformations
You know the pictures and the captions: From “scrawny to brawny,” are you a “hard gainer”? And my favorite “from this to this in 90 days”. It’s almost like magic they are so amazing. So, how do they do it? Well if you are the magician…….you know the “magic”.
The first thing that I have to admit is that all of the before and after photo’s that I am aware of are in fact real. Not photo shopped, or altered to any great degree. The physical transformations that they represent did and do actually take place. It’s just not portrayed exactly as it happened.
Let’s start with the skinny guy transforming into an Adonis. The hard gainer. The facts are that when it comes to muscle building, we’re all hard gainers. You don’t add 30 lbs of muscle easily. No one does, or everybody would do it, wouldn’t they? Now some people’s genetic predisposition and body type makes it somewhat more difficult to add size, but everyone will, eventually. And therein lays the first trick.
The before and after photo’s of these fantastic transformations are taken YEARS apart. Not months, weeks or days. Years. If you notice the photos closely there will always be a difference in facial features, though they try to avoid direct straight on face shots. The hair style is different, often different color, shading and lighting will be changed and skin tone is usually darker in the after. These are all done to enhance the after, and it work’s, and to take your attention away from the fact that the skinny before photo is 5 or more years old.
News flash: Lift a lot of very heavy weight often, eat a lot of protein and work hard at it and in 5 years ANYBODY will pack on muscle. No miracle weight lifting routine here.
Then there’s the Doughboy before photo becoming Mr. Universe in the after, and doing it in 90 days. Well, this DOES happen. Have you ever seen what a professional lifter looks like if they go 30 days without lifting and add 15 lbs of blubber to their body? They look a LOT like the people in the before shots. Big, beefy, even chunky,very soft and smooth looking. But if you have ever had 3% body fat before, you can get back to this number 10 times faster than doing it for the first time. Same with muscle memory in lifting. It can take you years to get to a certain level of weight for bench or whatever, then injure yourself and have to take months off. When you hit the weights for the first time you might be able to handle 60-70% of what you were doing. But it comes back in just a few weeks. Same with fat loss. These before and after photo’s usually will be literally identical in every way. That’s because these will have been taken 60-90 days apart. But the before photo isn’t some schlub off the street. He’s a very muscular dude with 25 lbs of fat to drop. Been there, done that.
Lastly I have learned that the internet is loaded with useful, helpful FREE muscle building information. You just have to look for it. If you are too lazy to do that, and instead opt for some costly “program”, realize that buying it doesn’t make you NOT lazy anymore. Save your money.
The first thing that I have to admit is that all of the before and after photo’s that I am aware of are in fact real. Not photo shopped, or altered to any great degree. The physical transformations that they represent did and do actually take place. It’s just not portrayed exactly as it happened.
Let’s start with the skinny guy transforming into an Adonis. The hard gainer. The facts are that when it comes to muscle building, we’re all hard gainers. You don’t add 30 lbs of muscle easily. No one does, or everybody would do it, wouldn’t they? Now some people’s genetic predisposition and body type makes it somewhat more difficult to add size, but everyone will, eventually. And therein lays the first trick.
The before and after photo’s of these fantastic transformations are taken YEARS apart. Not months, weeks or days. Years. If you notice the photos closely there will always be a difference in facial features, though they try to avoid direct straight on face shots. The hair style is different, often different color, shading and lighting will be changed and skin tone is usually darker in the after. These are all done to enhance the after, and it work’s, and to take your attention away from the fact that the skinny before photo is 5 or more years old.
News flash: Lift a lot of very heavy weight often, eat a lot of protein and work hard at it and in 5 years ANYBODY will pack on muscle. No miracle weight lifting routine here.
Then there’s the Doughboy before photo becoming Mr. Universe in the after, and doing it in 90 days. Well, this DOES happen. Have you ever seen what a professional lifter looks like if they go 30 days without lifting and add 15 lbs of blubber to their body? They look a LOT like the people in the before shots. Big, beefy, even chunky,very soft and smooth looking. But if you have ever had 3% body fat before, you can get back to this number 10 times faster than doing it for the first time. Same with muscle memory in lifting. It can take you years to get to a certain level of weight for bench or whatever, then injure yourself and have to take months off. When you hit the weights for the first time you might be able to handle 60-70% of what you were doing. But it comes back in just a few weeks. Same with fat loss. These before and after photo’s usually will be literally identical in every way. That’s because these will have been taken 60-90 days apart. But the before photo isn’t some schlub off the street. He’s a very muscular dude with 25 lbs of fat to drop. Been there, done that.
Lastly I have learned that the internet is loaded with useful, helpful FREE muscle building information. You just have to look for it. If you are too lazy to do that, and instead opt for some costly “program”, realize that buying it doesn’t make you NOT lazy anymore. Save your money.
Is Protein Supplementation Necessary?
These last few weeks for some reason I have become really aware of my diet. I think it has to do with the fact that I spent so much time in Florida, away from my normal routine, feeding myself was a bit more complicated than normal. That's my way of admitting my wife helps a great deal with my nutritional eating, and that she wasn't with me while I was gone.
Lunch, breakfast and between meal snacks I seem to do alright with, but it's dinner and after I struggle with when I am fending for myself. As a regular lifter I am keenly aware of the amount of protein that I need and I see how hard it is to hit my target amounts without a LOT of forethought. My biggest problem seems to be getting that protein amount in ways that don't require a lot of excess calories.
A man can only eat so much canned tuna.
So to ease my mind I started supplementing a lot more protein than I ever have before. To my pleasant surprise there are a lot of very good tasting high protein products out there. And for me the best part is that you can get these in low carb, low sugar and low fat versions. Hence, basically eating pure protein.
By cutting a few calories here and there, and then adding these weightlifting supplements to my daily intake, I get my protein but don't have to make every single bite I take tuna, chicken or turkey.
Makes me feel a little better about my chinese and pizza carry out!
Lunch, breakfast and between meal snacks I seem to do alright with, but it's dinner and after I struggle with when I am fending for myself. As a regular lifter I am keenly aware of the amount of protein that I need and I see how hard it is to hit my target amounts without a LOT of forethought. My biggest problem seems to be getting that protein amount in ways that don't require a lot of excess calories.
A man can only eat so much canned tuna.
So to ease my mind I started supplementing a lot more protein than I ever have before. To my pleasant surprise there are a lot of very good tasting high protein products out there. And for me the best part is that you can get these in low carb, low sugar and low fat versions. Hence, basically eating pure protein.
By cutting a few calories here and there, and then adding these weightlifting supplements to my daily intake, I get my protein but don't have to make every single bite I take tuna, chicken or turkey.
Makes me feel a little better about my chinese and pizza carry out!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Diet of a 50 Year Old Weight Lifter
So how does my diet differ from that of a 30 year "weight lifting machine"?
This is a bit of a trick question. "Because the answer is not at all."
I eat exactly the same kinds of things that hopefully successful muscle building younger men and women eat. The difference is in how much of it.
Protein, protein and more protein. It is the building block (actually the amino acids contained in protein) of muscle building. The analogy I like to make is you can spend all the time and energy you want on building your "muscle car" but without fuel in the tank, what have you got? Not much muscle, eh?
Protein is THAT fuel for your bodies muscle building efforts. So this means that I start with determining how much protein I need in grams. From there I multiply that by 4, the number of calories in a gram of protein.
Now I calculate my daily calorie needs using BMR. Subtract from this number the amount of protein calories that I MUST consume, and the remaining amount I take split between carbs, fats and sometimes more protein.
My diet is made up of basically 5 foods: chicken, tuna fish, peanut butter, beans and the only weightlifting supplement that REALLY matters, whey protein.
I NEVER eat a meal, or snack for the most part, without 1 of these 5 as the largest portion. And yes I do eat about 1600 calories a day in vegetables, some bread, fruit and occasionally sweets.
For the record based on my size, age, gender and activity level I consume 190 grams of protein a day and 2600 total calories.
20 years ago almost daily after work I ate a small bag of doritos (840 calories) drank 2 beers (360 calories) and had a shot (180 calories), for a grand total of 1380 calories.
I was not benching 330 but I did weigh 175 lbs with a 33 inch waist as I do now.
I wasn't a 30 year old "weight lifting machine."
But I wasn't 52 either. So except for the bench part my weight and waist haven't changed that much. What would happen NOW if I ate that everyday, all else equal?
This is a bit of a trick question. "Because the answer is not at all."
I eat exactly the same kinds of things that hopefully successful muscle building younger men and women eat. The difference is in how much of it.
Protein, protein and more protein. It is the building block (actually the amino acids contained in protein) of muscle building. The analogy I like to make is you can spend all the time and energy you want on building your "muscle car" but without fuel in the tank, what have you got? Not much muscle, eh?
Protein is THAT fuel for your bodies muscle building efforts. So this means that I start with determining how much protein I need in grams. From there I multiply that by 4, the number of calories in a gram of protein.
Now I calculate my daily calorie needs using BMR. Subtract from this number the amount of protein calories that I MUST consume, and the remaining amount I take split between carbs, fats and sometimes more protein.
My diet is made up of basically 5 foods: chicken, tuna fish, peanut butter, beans and the only weightlifting supplement that REALLY matters, whey protein.
I NEVER eat a meal, or snack for the most part, without 1 of these 5 as the largest portion. And yes I do eat about 1600 calories a day in vegetables, some bread, fruit and occasionally sweets.
For the record based on my size, age, gender and activity level I consume 190 grams of protein a day and 2600 total calories.
20 years ago almost daily after work I ate a small bag of doritos (840 calories) drank 2 beers (360 calories) and had a shot (180 calories), for a grand total of 1380 calories.
I was not benching 330 but I did weigh 175 lbs with a 33 inch waist as I do now.
I wasn't a 30 year old "weight lifting machine."
But I wasn't 52 either. So except for the bench part my weight and waist haven't changed that much. What would happen NOW if I ate that everyday, all else equal?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
So This is How I Feel All Winter Normally?
I was have spent the last 10 weeks staying in a Florida gulf coast vacation home rental (while working) and returned to my midwest home a couple days ago. When I was a young man I used to think that living in Florida would be alright but didn't really see what the big deal was. Of course, I thought who wouldn't want to be there during spring break and bike week in Daytona, and of course in my day the TV show Miami Vice made everybody aware of how cool south beach was. But Florida, or any really warm, year round weather climate, was just another place to live.
Now I get IT.
Being middle aged and spending as long there this winter as I did got my BODY used to the conditions. Now that I have returned to a northern climate (which unfortunately has been unseasonably cold this week) it feels like some one has taken a baseball bat to every joint and muscle I have. This is how I feel ALL the time during winters here?
Spending day after day in temperatures in the 70's and having the sun shine on you for at least some of EVERY day really is good for the body. Not to mention the mind. After my workouts in Florida, I'd leave the gym, take off my shirt and allow the warm sun to help me stretch and meander around during my cool down. But here? I have to bundle up, winter coat, gloves and hat, and still when I hit the cold outside air, everything just tightens up and I can't get "loose" again. Not to mention even in the gyn or inside the house, it just feels COLD.
So how does this pertain to weight lifting and muscle building? Well, I now realize that stretching, flexibility, massage and allowing myself the proper rest is even more important. Plus there is no doubt that you are at a bit of a disadvantage training under these circumstances. All the more reason, if you live in cold weather climates, to take fitness in general and weight lifting in particular more seriously.
Because knowing how these conditions make ME feel? I pity the poor people that struggle to get up a flight of stairs or have to do any physical activity at all (shovel snow?), and have to do it while being over weight, out of shape and lacking the strength and confidence that muscle building provides.
Now I get IT.
Being middle aged and spending as long there this winter as I did got my BODY used to the conditions. Now that I have returned to a northern climate (which unfortunately has been unseasonably cold this week) it feels like some one has taken a baseball bat to every joint and muscle I have. This is how I feel ALL the time during winters here?
Spending day after day in temperatures in the 70's and having the sun shine on you for at least some of EVERY day really is good for the body. Not to mention the mind. After my workouts in Florida, I'd leave the gym, take off my shirt and allow the warm sun to help me stretch and meander around during my cool down. But here? I have to bundle up, winter coat, gloves and hat, and still when I hit the cold outside air, everything just tightens up and I can't get "loose" again. Not to mention even in the gyn or inside the house, it just feels COLD.
So how does this pertain to weight lifting and muscle building? Well, I now realize that stretching, flexibility, massage and allowing myself the proper rest is even more important. Plus there is no doubt that you are at a bit of a disadvantage training under these circumstances. All the more reason, if you live in cold weather climates, to take fitness in general and weight lifting in particular more seriously.
Because knowing how these conditions make ME feel? I pity the poor people that struggle to get up a flight of stairs or have to do any physical activity at all (shovel snow?), and have to do it while being over weight, out of shape and lacking the strength and confidence that muscle building provides.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Actually Better Than I Thought
I was just reading a magazine and saw a stat that startled me. According to the Journal of Physical Activity and Health:
91% of people over the age of 18 have NOT lifted weights in the last month.
This means, of course, that 9% have. This is more than I would've guessed. But having said that, it's a pathetic number either way. So you want to get an "edge" in this world? There it is.
You will never convince me that the 9% of adults that have weight lifted in the last 30 days aren't better equipped to deal with all life has to throw at you. It is stating the obvious it seems that being in better shape physically (which helps being sharper mentally), gives you the strength and stamina to deal with the day better than someone who isn't. And it most certainly will help you out work other people.
Given the current state of our economy, who wouldn't want that advantage?
Building muscle is not just for people who want to look and fell better. It's for people who want to LIVE better.
91% of people over the age of 18 have NOT lifted weights in the last month.
This means, of course, that 9% have. This is more than I would've guessed. But having said that, it's a pathetic number either way. So you want to get an "edge" in this world? There it is.
You will never convince me that the 9% of adults that have weight lifted in the last 30 days aren't better equipped to deal with all life has to throw at you. It is stating the obvious it seems that being in better shape physically (which helps being sharper mentally), gives you the strength and stamina to deal with the day better than someone who isn't. And it most certainly will help you out work other people.
Given the current state of our economy, who wouldn't want that advantage?
Building muscle is not just for people who want to look and fell better. It's for people who want to LIVE better.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
March Madness: The Perfect Event
I am a huge fan of March Madness. The excitement and emotional roller coaster ride that is the tournament is just a pure joy to watch. But there is another aspect of the event that makes it even more appealing to a guy like me.
It rewards success.
You play the game and if you win you get to move on and play another game. You lose, you go home. That is how competitions should be. Not this feel good "everybody is a winner" stuff that so many think needs to be pushed. Life is hard, and you may have noticed, is not always fair. There aren't enough examples in our world where we simply accept the outcome as the judge as to whom "won" and who "lost". No one has tried to tinker with the tournaments format to do anything other than have the team that wins advance.
It is why I like weight lifting so much. Like the tournament, lifting is an outcome based event. If you can bench 300 lbs and I can't you are stronger than me. Pure and simple. You may or may not have genetics, age, or whatever on your side, the bottom line is 300 lbs is 300 lbs. The people that can lift it are stronger than those that cant.
The beauty of weight lifting is that you don't have to wait a year for another shot at your success. If you don't lift your goal weight today, learn how to build muscle and there is a tomorrow to try again. But the agony of weight lifting is that if you lift it today and you can't the next time, what is your excuse?
That's why example's like March Madness are so important. There are no excuses. Win or go home.
It rewards success.
You play the game and if you win you get to move on and play another game. You lose, you go home. That is how competitions should be. Not this feel good "everybody is a winner" stuff that so many think needs to be pushed. Life is hard, and you may have noticed, is not always fair. There aren't enough examples in our world where we simply accept the outcome as the judge as to whom "won" and who "lost". No one has tried to tinker with the tournaments format to do anything other than have the team that wins advance.
It is why I like weight lifting so much. Like the tournament, lifting is an outcome based event. If you can bench 300 lbs and I can't you are stronger than me. Pure and simple. You may or may not have genetics, age, or whatever on your side, the bottom line is 300 lbs is 300 lbs. The people that can lift it are stronger than those that cant.
The beauty of weight lifting is that you don't have to wait a year for another shot at your success. If you don't lift your goal weight today, learn how to build muscle and there is a tomorrow to try again. But the agony of weight lifting is that if you lift it today and you can't the next time, what is your excuse?
That's why example's like March Madness are so important. There are no excuses. Win or go home.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
AIG Bonuses and Muscle Building?
So what does all the hoopla about the AIG bonuses have to do with muscle building or fitness?
Nothing on the surface, but think about it this way:
Whether you are management or blue collar oriented, the PEOPLE that got the bonuses had a legal contract stating they were due them. How did they get that contract? Well really it doesn't matter from a legal perspective, but in fact most got them when they hired in and had earned them because of past successes in their careers.
So because AIG received bail out money everybody seems to think that they shouldn't receive them, because it's being paid with "taxpayer" money (the people getting the money are taxpayers to you know, so it's already as much their money as yours, and by the way, do you know ANYBODY in their position that would have turned the bonuses down?).
Now the government has decided that they are not "entitled" to the money and has levied a 90% tax against the recipients of the bonus money. Everybody cheers!
Okay.
I am going to run for congress and if I win you know what I am going to do?
Once Obama gets his national health care system established, every person receiving health care will be getting it with "taxpayer" money, whether they pay taxes or not. And since we will have established that some people getting things with taxpayer money (though legally entitled) isn't "right" or "fair" I, as a congressman will push for a 90% tax on health benefits received by everybody who is out of shape, unhealthy because of a lack of fitness and can't bench press their body weight. I am going to do this because why should you receive more health benefits than me? I have decided that because I take fitness seriously so MUST you.
If you are going to let the government decide who is and is not "entitled" to things because it's being funded with "taxpayer" money, you better hope the people running the government don't decide that you as a overweight, lazy, TV watching coach potato aren't entitled to "extra" health care.
There is so much wrong with people's attitudes right now it's hard to know where to start to fix things.
How about, responsibility, accountability and consequence. Let people keep what they have earned.
Nothing on the surface, but think about it this way:
Whether you are management or blue collar oriented, the PEOPLE that got the bonuses had a legal contract stating they were due them. How did they get that contract? Well really it doesn't matter from a legal perspective, but in fact most got them when they hired in and had earned them because of past successes in their careers.
So because AIG received bail out money everybody seems to think that they shouldn't receive them, because it's being paid with "taxpayer" money (the people getting the money are taxpayers to you know, so it's already as much their money as yours, and by the way, do you know ANYBODY in their position that would have turned the bonuses down?).
Now the government has decided that they are not "entitled" to the money and has levied a 90% tax against the recipients of the bonus money. Everybody cheers!
Okay.
I am going to run for congress and if I win you know what I am going to do?
Once Obama gets his national health care system established, every person receiving health care will be getting it with "taxpayer" money, whether they pay taxes or not. And since we will have established that some people getting things with taxpayer money (though legally entitled) isn't "right" or "fair" I, as a congressman will push for a 90% tax on health benefits received by everybody who is out of shape, unhealthy because of a lack of fitness and can't bench press their body weight. I am going to do this because why should you receive more health benefits than me? I have decided that because I take fitness seriously so MUST you.
If you are going to let the government decide who is and is not "entitled" to things because it's being funded with "taxpayer" money, you better hope the people running the government don't decide that you as a overweight, lazy, TV watching coach potato aren't entitled to "extra" health care.
There is so much wrong with people's attitudes right now it's hard to know where to start to fix things.
How about, responsibility, accountability and consequence. Let people keep what they have earned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
