Why I Need to Outsource My Fitness and Nutrition
Last time I wrote about being on the Anabolic Diet. Granted I didn’t give it a long time to actually work – this is because my most recent BodPod results were not positive.My Recent BodPod Results
On October 6th I had my third BodPod test. My 2nd test had gone in the right direction. I went from 23.8% (May 2011) body fat to 18% (July 2011) body fat in 3 months. However, my test on October 6th, 2011 saw my body fat go to 21.9%. Better than my May results, but certainly not in the right direction. It was definitely time to re-evaluate my whole program and get some dedicated outside help.
Two Key Products for a Strong Foundation for Fat Loss
Over the past two years during my fat loss and fitness journey I have pretty much done my own research using the internet and the various strategies that I have come across. That includes doing exercise routines such as the 5/3/1 Program and Max-OT. It also includes trying nutrition programs such as Intermittent Fasting and just plain old low carb / low calories stuff.
I know for certain that I got started on the right foot with this research. In fact, there were two main programs / ebooks that got me off on the right foot and were responsible for the majority of my initial loss of approximately 40 pounds of fat.
The first was Lyle McDonald’s Rapid Fat Loss program. This book taught me the true fundamentals of fat loss, how it works, and what is the quickest way to lose a great deal of fat quickly. It is by no means easy as it is very low calorie with high protein, but it works IF you do it exactly as laid out in the book. This book will get anyone with a lot to lose off on the right foot. As the pounds went away, it became more and more motivating and has allowed me to continue focusing on getting in better and better shape. It is the first book of two that I would recommend that people interest in fat loss pick up. You can pick up the book here – Lyle McDonald’s Rapid Fat Loss.
The second book is Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat. Eat Stop Eat is an intermittent fasting method where two times per week you do a 24 hour fast. Essentially, you have your last meal of the day around 6:00 pm and then don’t eat again until 6:00 pm the next day. It sounds hard at first, but as you do it it gets easier and easier. This taught me how to control hunger and made me realize more than anything that I didn’t need to eat as much as I thought I did. It was also an easy way to control calories, which at the end of the day is most important. It is the second book that someone interested in fat loss should pick up. You can get Brad’s ebook here – Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat.
Outsource BOTH Fitness and Nutrition
Fitness
However, I got to a point where I lost the bulk of that easy to lose fat and it started to become harder and harder to do so. As I mentioned earlier, I was not seeing the results I wanted to see as I continued on with my current protocols (fitness and nutrition). I am getting a little older so the results are not as easy to come by. Fat does not “melt” off as quick as I want and it seems that the little details are becoming more important. As such, with the eye-opening results from the BodPod going the wrong way, I realized I needed some extra help. I sought outside help and am know listening to my fitness coaches and nutrition coach.
I have been working out at a place in Calgary, Alberta called 2110 Fitness. This facility has been great as it has opened my eyes to a fun and dynamic way to train using both metabolic conditioning and lifting. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday’s I train with Christopher Campbell (owner and trainer) and Curtis McGorman (trainer) who run sue through circuits that are different every day but include things like tire flips, TRX movements, push presses, skipping, airdyne sprints, etc. I do this with a pretty regular group of people and we all push each other through it.
On Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday I used to do things like the 5/3/1 program or Max-OT. However it was clear these programs were not working for me so Chris was good enough to put a program together for me focused on hypotrophy but that worked with the metcon work I have also been doing. The program is great and I look forward to the results.
Nutrition
As discussed earlier, I did fine on the nutrition front as I went from the really fat to in better shape with less fat. However I was still holding fat and the results were not coming as quick as they did at first with programs such as Rapid Fat Loss and Eat Stop Eat. I have tried all sorts of other programs such as other Intermittent Fasting protocols, Paleo, and the most recent Anabolic Diet.
The trouble was not the programs. Given the time and the discipline I know these programs would work as there are many others who have seen success with them. The trouble was me and discipline. It has become clear that I need structure and someone basically telling me how to exercise and what to eat. This takes the guess work out it for me and the feeling there maybe something better for me that I should try.
As a result of all of this, I am now relying on the gym and trainers at that gym to guide all my exercise selections (all included in my monthly membership). I no longer need to think about what program is best and will leave it in the hands of the experts. I am also relying on my nutrition coach (more on that later) to devise my eating program, including the meals and calories I consume. This allows me to focus on my job and family, while my coach works and plans my meals that are focused on good performance in the gym and body recomposition.
Summary
It is clear to me now that too much information is a problem for me. I am very analytical person who given the choice, will constantly analyze things and feel that there may always be something better. With my coaches and trainers I now that they will guide me in the right direction. Yes it costs extra, but I am confident that I will be able to report good results from my next BodPod test coming up in December.
The Anabolic Diet – My Experience So Far
This week I have started a new (for me) diet protocol – The Anabolic Diet. The diet was created by Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale and can be seen over at Metabolicdiet.com. In this post I am going to run through how the diet works and provide my perspective so far.The Diet Protocol
The diet is what Mauro calls a phase-shift diet. That is a fancy way of saying that you cycle your eating with two distinct periods of eating – one very low-carb and one high carb. Basically, as your start the diet you go with 12 days straight of eating no more than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day – this is called the Start-Up Phase. Your primary foods during this time include lots of meats and fats. Think steak, chicken, turkey, buffalo, any fish, shellfish, olive oils, butter, bacon, avocado, and full-fat cheeses. Your ratio of macros are generally 40%-60% fat, 40%-50% protein, 4%-10% carbs or 30 grams of carbs max.
After those 12 days you then do a 12-48 hour carb-up where you still eat the protein and fats, but reduce the proteins slightly and focus more on carbohydrates. Your macros on these carb-up days will be somewhere around 20-40% fats, 15%-30% proteins, and 35%-60% carbs.
Once you are done the 12-days you then start a 5 day low carb phase (Monday to Friday) and then on the weekend you start your carb up for 12 – 48 hours. The length of time you do the carb up is very dependent on you – as soon as you start to feel bloated you stop. Easier said then done, but over time you get the hang of it. During this phase of the diet, Mauro says you can really eat whatever it is you want. Pizza, donuts, sugar cereals – anything that is high carb. However, this does not mean it is a license to gorge yourself on sugar laden crap. Too much sugar is still a bad thing. Really, your should focus your food choices on things like bagels, breads, sweet potatoes, and pasta. That way you will fill your muscles with the glycogen you need to grow muscles and recover.
My Experience So Far
The Anabolic Diet works by manipulating your muscle building hormones. The key is eating the right combination of foods at the right time. I have found that this is working well. I am still gaining strength on my 5/3/1/ Program and I don’t feel tired or weak. The weekend carbs-ups are enjoyable, however I need to be sure not to let them get away from me. Once I have some sweet stuff I can open a whole floodgate of food desires so I really need to watch that.
The toughest period was the 12 days to start the program. Going low-carb for that long can be tough, but if you focus on doing what Mauro says – not reducing your calories during this period – then it is definitely manageable. Eating lettuce and other vegetables helped as well as they provided me with some good satiation.
As I progress on the program I will keep you updated on my experiences. Stay tuned for more…
Started the 5/3/1 Training Program
I am now in week 2 of my 4 week journey through Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System to Increase Raw Strength program. This is, by all accounts on the internet, a great program to build strength on the main lifts and to supplement with other goals such as building muscle or just getting in better shape. If you are unfamiliar with the 5-3-1 Program, here is a quick from Jim:
“Look, arguing about strength training theory is stupid,” he says. “And the reason I came up with 5/3/1 was that I wanted a program that eliminated stupid thoughts from my head and just let me go into the weight room and get shit done. I’ve been training for 20 years, and this is what I’ve learned.”
In the end, the 5/3/1 program is about simplicity and slowing building your strength through increased weight on the bar on the four main lifts: squat, press, deadlift, and bench.
My 5/3/1 Program
Since I also do conditioning workouts on Monday/Wednesday/Friday (more on that later), I have structured the program using Jim’s suggested three day split. Each day has a specific focus on one of the main lifts. The three day programs means I don’t hit all four lifts in one week but it is spread out over 7 days. So far not a problem because I am not overtraining and actually get some good rest in there for one of the lifts each week. This program is intense, so rest is very important.
I have also chosen to do the “Boring but Big” variation of the program explained in the book. The way this works is that I do the main lift at the prescribed set and rep range (3×5, 3×3, 3×1) over the weeks, but after each main lift I do the same main lift but with a 5×10 set/rep range. Of course the weights are much lower but it is still crazy tough and my muscles seem to be really loving it.
Patience is Key
If you read about the 5/3/1 on the internet long enough, the main “criticism” you will read about is that it progresses so slowly. In contrast to StrongLifts 5×5, you are not adding weight to the bar nearly as fast. In fact, you only do that in four week cycles. Sure each week as the rep range goes down the weight on the bar increases, but you are not increasing adding weight to you max calculations until after the deload week in week 4. This is taking some getting used to as the weight can feel pretty light for the first 2 sets of the main lifts. However, in that third set where you try to pound out as many reps as possible, you see why Jim has structured it this way. In my opinion, StrongLifts has many people progressing too fast and sacrificing form for more weight. I have seen it many times (with others and myself).
Summary
I am really enjoying the 5/3/1 program and hope to get at least 3 or 4 four week cycles out of it to see where my strength (and muscle mass) goes. At some point I can show you some pictures and of course will update my body fat using the BodPod at my gym. In the meantime, I will lift heavy and train hard.
My Eating
Fitness Measurement Update – July 30
Today I a fitness measurement test using the BodPod. My last test was on May 3, 2011. Since that time I have had a couple of vacations with unlimited eating. In between that time I have been relatively strict, especially in the past two weeks as I was done with the mental diet break of looser eating protocols and not watching/tracking the macros. In the past couple of weeks I have limited my carb intake to 100 grams (net carbs) per day and about 160 grams of protein and the rest fat. This works out to about 1850 kcal’s per day.My training has also changed. I am now going to a new gym which is very strength and conditioning focused. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I do work with a class where everyday is different, but we primarily do things like battle ropes, TRX moves, tire flips, and other metabolic strength work. On the other days I lift for strength and growth with lifts like squats, pull-ups (chins and wide grip), deadlifts, glute ham ham raises, etc. It seems to be a good balance and as you will see below it is working.
Here are the BodPod measurements:
May 3, 2011 (lb)
Body Mass : 160
Fat Mass: 38
Fat Free Mass: 122
BF %: 23.8%
July 30, 2011 (lb)
Body Mass : 159.7
Fat Mass: 28.8
Fat Free Mass: 130.9
BF %: 18%
As you can see, I have gained 8 pounds of muscle and dropped around 4% body fat, all while staying at the same weight. To me that is what I am looking to do.
My goal is still to get to 10% bodyfat which means I need to get my body weight down to around 145 pounds and put on some more mass. I hope to hit this goal on October 31, 2011. Stay tuned and we will see….
How To Get A Ripped Chest – Top Three Workouts For Forming A Ripped Chest
How to Build a Ripped Chest using only three exercises that you can use to get that chest you have always wanted.
The chest is one of the most important muscles on your body to train. Your chest is the first thing that people will notice when you come into their view. One of the most common questions that is asked when referring to training one’s chest muscles is what are the best chest exercises and how to form a develop chest. There are a variety of factors that come in effect when trying to achieve a ripped chest, but I am going to provide you with the top three workouts on how to get a ripped chest.
Bench Press
The grandfather of all chest exercises is the bench press. This is the most common of all chest exercises and is also the most important. This exercise is going to put the most strain on your chest muscles which is going to result in developing more muscles in your chest and increased strength gains. There is no substitute for this exercise as it is absolutely necessary in forming a well-developed chest. Not only will this exercise work your chest extremely well but it also works your triceps and also your front deltoid muscles.
Push-ups
Push-ups cannot be avoided if you want to develop a respectable chest. There are many forms of push-ups that one can perform but I would suggest the wide push-up variation as this will put the most pressure on your chest. Not only is this exercise going to apply pressure directly to your chest but it is also a muscle separation exercise. This is going to give you the muscle definition that you desire to form throughout your chest. Again this is also an exercise which you should not avoid or try to substitute for various other exercises.
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Chest-Flyes
This is a very important chest separation exercise that is also going to assist you greatly in developing a muscular chest. This exercise also comes with many variations but I would suggest performing this exercise on either a pec-deck flye machine or with cables. When performing this exercise it is very important that you maintain proper form as you can easily ruin this exercise with improper form, resulting in a reduced amount of desired effect.
This is only the minimum amount of exercises that should be done when attempting to develop a muscular chest. Actually, these exercises alone will not get you the desired chest that you wish to achieve. You must develop a much deeper workout plan that is going to help you achieve the goals that you want.
Don’t waste your time in the gym doing rigorous workouts that is not going to get you the results that you want. The only thing that is going to get you the muscle definition of pro-fitness models, or bodybuilders, is developing a plan that is going to provide you with specific details on what is needed in achieving your goals. If you want more information on how to get a ripped chest or developing the best muscle building routine for your body then click here now for more information.
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