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
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.
Full-body strategically-designed resistance training programs along with high intensity cardiovascular training programs guaranteed to strip off body fat when combined with a healthy diet are included in my book The Truth About Six Pack Abs. If you’re serious about getting lean for good, this book is a must-read.
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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_J_Cutler
Muscle Building Protocol #1 – Too Much Fat Update
The good thing about self-experimentation is that you tend to track a lot of data which gives you some real time feedback to play with. This real time feedback has provided me with the need to alter the experiment so that I don’t end up with too much additional body fat.
With my Muscle Building Protocol #1, I set out to build muscle. As such, I laid out a specific plan that at the heart of it included a nutritional and calorie plan designed to pack on the muscle. The trouble is, that even after 2 weeks on the protocol I have packed on too much fat (and some muscle and want to ensure that I stick with my overall goal.
Results to Date
So what has the data been telling me? Let’s start with a graphical representation of what has happened:
Here is what I read into this. First off, my weight went way up. Now I have been doing this weight loss thing long enough to know that water weight can play wicked games with the scale. That is why I generally don’t go by the scale anymore. However, there is no denying that the weight gain did go up – by about 8 pounds over two weeks. More importantly however are the other two readings.
First off, I had a professional body fat test done a couple of weeks ago and that reading was 10%, which was good considering where I came from 2 years ago. When I did the body fat test on myself at home using my Warrior Digital Body Mass Caliper I came out at over 13%. Now, I know these are not the most accurate by I did find that after my professional test I did get a rating just above 10% so perhaps it is not that far off. Looks like my body fat went up approx. 3%. Not a great sign.
Now, since I am looking at muscle gain I need to determine if all that extra eating did in fact allow me to put on some muscle. When I do the lean mass calculations (subtract body fat as determined by BF% from total weight), I went from lean mass of 134.6 lbs to 135.7lbs or a gain of 1.1 lbs. Given that a new lifter (I would say I am at that point as I have only been really seriously lifting for under a year) will only gain about 2 pounds per month, and assuming that that 1.1 lbs was all muscle then I am on track. However, there are too many variable to really know and I feel I need to act now to see if I can lessen the fat gain while still putting on some muscle.
Acting too Fast?
2 weeks is not a long time in the body recomposition world. In fact, I could argue that the changes to my body over the past two weeks could be just an overcompensation by my body since I am not used to eating this much food. I bet there is a lot of water weight in there. However, the body fat test does show an increase in body fat so I think it is important to act now. Another point on acting too fast, is that we just came out of the holidays and I was not attract and ate a lot on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. These excess calories certainly could have been more than I thought (probably are) and have added to the gain.
However, the fact still remains that fat went on too fast and I need to adjust to stop the damage
The Response: Adjusted Calorie and Macro Nutritional Protocol
Since I have put on some muscle, the logical response is to adjust calories as opposed to the workout program. Based on all of this data, here is the new muscle building which reflects the lower calories.
Calories RMR + 732 additional calories on all workout days
1790 + 732 = 2522 calories
Protein: 188 grams
Carbs: 302 grams
Fat: 62 grams
In addition, I am going to incorporate an Eat Style Eat scenario on non-workout days to this program so that I can manage calories. If you remember from my first post, I said I wanted to do this program with flexibility so that I can still eat during Friday date night with my wife, Sunday family dinners, and eat with my kids most nights. By building in this buffer I should be able to enjoy these meals which might take me higher in calories (I will track these calories still) and not go too far out of whack.
I am going to continue to track progress and see how I do. Again, I am looking to add some muscle, but not at the expense of too much fat. I know, sounds counterintuitive and at polar opposites, but keep in mind that I am not looking to get fat at the expense of muscle gain – my goal is still a lean physique. Make sense??
Special Winter Activities to Keep you Fit and Healthy!
Megan Gates is an outreach representative for Gym Source (gymsource.com) – a leading retailer of home gyms and various other fitness and exercise equipment. Megan contributes written work to the blogosphere related to health and fitness.
When winter hits, most people are concerned about two things: the oncoming cold temperatures and of course the extra winter weight. For most people, the spring and the summer months come with a lot of great sports leagues and activities that are an easy way to stay in shape.
Unfortunately, many of these leagues are outdoor sports like softball, baseball, and soccer. However, there are plenty of ways for people of all ages to keep active, even when the temperature is below freezing.
A great way for people to stay active is participating in indoor recreational leagues during the winter. The obvious one that comes to mind is basketball and it’s more than easy to find leagues in your area that are looking for teams and players to sign up. Even getting a few people together to play pickup games is a great way to hone your jump shot and keep in shape until the snow melts. Then again, if basketball isn’t your thing there are plenty of other great recreational sports that can be done inside like indoor soccer, box lacrosse, and racquetball.
Sure, all of the mentioned sports and activities are great, but what happens if you don’t have a gym membership or can’t get through the rough snowy roads of winter? Well, don’t fret, there are great activities at home that serve the same purpose as going out to shoot hoops or lift weights. One of these great at home activities, believe it or not, is shoveling your own sidewalk or driveway. Now, yes, no one likes to shovel their driveway when there’s inches of snow on the ground, but it’s a great workout. Shoveling snow is almost comparable to lifting weights, but just like at the gym it’s important to have good form when shoveling or you may risk injury.
Another answer to staying fit and healthy during the winter months is purchasing and utilizing home gyms. Simple equipment like treadmills and ellipticals can really help to keep the pounds off until springtime returns. Home gyms are great if you are more about working out rather then participating in team sports and other activities. If you love to lift and work out then a home gym is the way to go for you.
Winter can be a pretty inactive season to get through for most people and it can do big time havoc on staying fit and healthy, but by following these tips you won’t have to hibernate until springtime to stay fit and healthy.
The Top 5 Things I Have Learned About Lifting Weights
I have always dabbled with weights, but over the past couple of months I feel like I finally have got some real consistency going and things are starting to click. Don’t get me wrong, I am still a beginner and the body comp still proves that! However, using the StrongLifts 5×5 program has really focused me on strength gains and it feels great. I really look forward to going to my gym and seeing if I can get 5 reps for 5 sets at a weight 5 pounds heavier than last time. When I succeed it is extremely rewarding.
I read about fitness, nutrition, and lifting weights a lot. I have also been steadily working out (running, biking, and finally lifting heavy weights) for about a year now. Being the analytical guy that I am, I was recently thinking about what I have learned (or haven’t) over the past year. Here is what I came up with so far:
1. Stick to a program
I have been notorious for starting a program and then 2-weeks later reading about another lifting program and starting that one. This has done nothing more than make me aware of the programs that are out there as opposed to actually building my body. For a program to be successful, a person has to stick with it and let the program do its job. StrongLifts 5×5 has done that for me.
2. Lift heavy – really heavy
Whenever I lifted in the past, I thought I was lifting heavy weights but my lack of results proved that I wasn’t. When I actually focused on getting the weight up there and shooting for 5 reps then I began to start seeing some muscle. It really comes down to intensity and pushing yourself out of the comfort zone. Now I finish my workouts tired and with a sense of accomplishment.
3. But do not sacrifice form
This one takes some efforts and actually has meant that I have had to go lighter than I thought. Look up Rippetoe on Youtube and learn how to do the squat, press, deadlift, and bench press properly. However, when you focus on form you will feel the effects and going a bit lighter means you can actually do the lift properly. Over time my weight has increased even with this focus. Don’t let that jackass in the gym squatting 3 plates on each side but with knees buckling and back arched fool you – he is not as strong as the guy doing 2 plates but with bang-on form.
4. I still don’t know how to eat right
I still struggle with this one and about 1 week ago I began a bit of an experiment. In the past I have been after those two competing goals – bigger muscles with lower body fat. I have now made the commitment that I am after bigger muscles and must eat as such. With that in mind, I set my calories a bit higher than I think my maintenance is (2300 calories) on training days and at maintenance on off days. After 4-weeks I am going to see what my body has done (I took measurements and pictures) to see if I need to tweek things. Only then will I think I really know what I should do.
5. There is a lot of conflicting information on the web
If there is any truisms in the lifting world, it is that everyone and their dog has a belief and opinion or researched stat and they can vary widely. Truth is, there is no one answer out there and it is important not to get bogged down in all the noise. I think my approach above of experimenting with my food intake and recording measurements over time to see what works for me is important.
Anyway, that is where my mind is at at this point. I will let you know how it progresses over time.
