Summer time- Time to experiment

Now that summer has come and I have a bit of a break from school, I decided to put some training and diet protocols into question. I have many ideas for blog posts/ future articles in the Eagle News, I will share soon! As for my summer experiment.....

Diet Experiment 

The first diet protocol that I will  follow is popularized by John kiefer, called carb backloading   for more info check  it out here-   http://articles.elitefts.com/nutrition/carb-back-loading/

The main points: 

1) Keep the entire day low carb, high protein moderate fat, post workout have some carbs 20-50g  and protein , than wait to eat carbs until the evening until the time you go to bed. ( If you workout later in the day keep all carbs for post- workout, I usually workout in the early part of the day) 

2) The idea is you get shredded and gain strength, while eating majority or all carbs at night...sounds great! Lets see if it works... 

3) I will cycle the amount of carbs I have depending on how active/ rigorous my day and workout have been, protein will be kept high around 160 g and carbs will be ranging from 100- 300ish, fat will fall anywhere from 20-50 g) kept pretty low, higher on low carb days

 calories will range from:

 1800- off days- 

 2100- upper body, 

 2400 lower body. ( these are rough estimates) 

3) My weight is about 143 about 11-13% BF,-( Heaviest I have been in a while) 

My max 1 rep max is roughly  

chin-up  bw+ 50 #

parallel squat 265#

dead -lift  325#

bench press is around 220#

Training protocol: 

My training will be similar to what I have been doing, following the 5/3/1 training numbers for squat, press, bench, dead lift, and weighted chin ups.( the addition will be experimenting with frequent squatting, each day I will do some variation of squat from body weight to max effort, everyday I train at least 2-3 sets, so 3-5 days I will be under the bar, seeing how frequent exposure effects strength and size gains.  

After about 4 weeks of trying this method i will re- test max lifts and record body weight/ BF to see how I have changed or improved. 

goal- under 10 % BF while slight improvements on lifts-  ( losing fat while simultaneously gaining strength and muscle) 

How I plan to achieve this:

1) following the percentage numbers and being consistent on accessory lifts on each day- record and log workouts,....and every once in a while throwing in some body building type tactics/ isolation- Its Summer time in Florida...Curls and cavs...why not?) 

2) Follow the macronutrient goals protein/fat/carbs for each day as close as possible, cycle the carbs and keep the majority of them in the later part of the day or evening 5- bed time. ( Largest meal at night) - (This will be a switch for me! )

3) Doing low intensity  recovery cardio 3-5 days a week, and a couple of HIIT sessions - sprints or bw complexes 1-3 times a week ...This should keep me conditioned while not compromising recovery. 

Remember keep training fun! Change up your routine and get motivated to keep making improvements! 

Stay motivated, and consistent! 

A-lev 

Frequency...How much is too much?

In the last few years my training regimen and frequency has changed tremendously, I have done 3, days a week, 4, 5, 6, and even 7 days of doing some type of lifting . It was believed that doing one motion more than one or two days a week would hinder growth or gains for the muscle, an example it would be unheard of for someone to squat more than 2 or 3 days a week, it would hinder growth and make your weak! ......or would it?  Some of the experts that I  follow such as J.C Deen, and Jason Ferruggia  have been questioning this very question of frequency and overtraining, is overtraining that much of a problem? Do we really need 4 or 5 days to recover from a training session? Most people don't go hard enough to truly need an entire week of recovery, my opinion is that hitting the same movement like a bench press, a dead-lift, or a squat, at different intensities- meaning (weight and reps ) 4 days or more per week will actually stimulate more growth than just once or twice per week.


Benefits of doing full body workouts 4-6 days a week

1) Workouts are shorter and more intense
2) The muscle gets much more stimulation( More growth)
3) You can vary the rep ranges and get the most out of each phase.
4) After a few weeks your body will adapt to the frequency and you will become stronger


Sample plan- This can be done 4-6 days a week 
* Sets X reps

1 ) Major lower body move- Squat variation, deal-lift variation 5-6x3-5
2) Push- Any type of press- barbell or dumbbell , dips, or pushups 3-5x 6-10
3) pull- Pull up, or lat pull down or barbell row 3-5x 6-10
4) Conditioning- 10-20 minutes of intense metabolic conditioning - swings, sprints, body weight movements

Rules-Vary the three big movements in reps each time example, day one heavy lower, day two start with heavy push, and day 3 start with heavy pull. This can simply continue to be rotated.

This will get you in and out of the gym in under an hour, and if done correctly will hit every major body part, and keep you lean! Give it a try...

Keep it simple, and track your progress-
A-lev

Mass Made "superbly"Simple..

Over the last year I have  realized that Gaining muscle is not something that is extremely complicated, I didn't say it was easy, it just said it wasn't complicated..I am going to outline the best ways in the simplest format to put on size and gain some serious strength.

1) Use progressive overload- Use more weight than you did in a previous workout, the only way your body will have a need to grow more muscle is if your muscle fibers are strained and forced to breakdown, and rebuild.

2) Track your progress- Keep records of weight/rest time/ exercises- If you do the same routine of 3x10 for the the same weight you will most likely have the same results- look the same, feel the same, and have no real gains.

3) Use big compound movements - The more muscles you can stimulate the more growth will follow- start every workout with a big movement- presses, pull-ups, dips, dead lifts or squat variations.

4) Eat a surplus of calories, if you want to grow and build muscle, you must feed the beast! Mainly high quality proteins and slow digesting carbs will do the trick. If you claim that you just "cant put on any weight".....EAT MORE...and I guarantee you will put on size.

The simplest way to go about getting bigger and stronger-

Eat, lift hard, rest, repeat


Don't make it complicated- lift smartly and track your progress and eat lots of protein, as long as your not eating crap, your muscles will soak in the calories and not your gut!

Stay motivated!

A-lev

Frequently asked Question- "Six pack edition"

This must be the  most frequently asked question in the fitness industry .....(mistakingly).. is "how can I get a six pack"?

Its the mile marker in everyones mind that says " I Have reached a status of elite fitness"....

( this is sad but true) ...really it means nothing, dont get me wrong, it is impressive, and shows a certain level of discipline...I think having a a set of killer abs along with great strength and overall conditioning is awesome and something I definitely strive for, however i would not recommend making that your primary goal, a couple years ago when I first started on my "quest to get in shape" I searched for the "holy grail of abs" and yes i reached it, I was 6 %body fat, had great abdominal definition. That was the only thing I had....no strength, no conditioning, I was always tired ( Because of the little I ate, and the abundance of cardio i did). The funny part, it didn't even look like i worked out...

looking back on that time period, I appeared to be the 3rd Olsen twin sister, but yes i was super lean...and nobody cared!.....Take a lesson from me pick a goal that makes you feel better, not one that you think other people will care about or notice....

Example goal- improve max pull-ups and you 1 mile time...

( guaranteed if you make a goal performance based it will reflect on you physique as well) 

most people have some form of abdominal muscles already that are just covered by layers of fat

The proper and safest way to obtain a lean physique and a six pack :

First thing is to have some base of core strength, by doing movements like leg-lifts, cable chops, weighted sit ups, and basic full body movements- squats, dead-lifts, pushups and pull-ups. These movements will strengthen your mid section and give you the ripples you desire, However! If you are not lean enough to see them..it wont matter, without a sound diet and cardio program to ensure a low body fat, all the crunches in the world wouldn't help you see that six pack. 

without having under ten percent body fat, no way will you see your abs, ( more like 7-8 percent to really see you abs)  So the most important tactic to get on the road to achieving a lean mid section for summer, is eating in a calorie deficit, and getting your overall body fat below 10 percent , once you have achieved this than and only than you will see those abs popping out. 

Six pack tips: 

Do full body movements- Dead lifts, pull-ups, squats, presses 

Eat lots of veggies, lean proteins, drink lots of water 

Do enough cardio movement to create a slight calorie deficit-  (this is needed to reach that under 10 

percent body-fat) 

Stop doing crunches! 

Remember the six pack is a nice side effect from a sound diet, and training program, not the ultimate goal! 

Stay motivated 

A-lev 

Summer is around the corner..Some steps to get into beach ready shape!

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged but between spring break, school work, writing for Eaglenews , work, and lots of exciting new plans for next year my time has been slightly limited….to say the least….

Don’t worry haven’t forgot!

In the past couple weeks ive gone to ohio for the Arnold Fitness Expo- Rocked! Met some of my idols people I follow all the time- Layne Norton, Kelechi Opara, Alex Carniero, Steve cook, Sean Harley, and many more…..not to mention got about thirty pounds worth of samples!

As far as my fitness progress im continuing on the 5/3/1 plan still getting stronger and making gains, I’ve put on more than 20 pounds in the last six- eight months and my bf has stayed low at about 10%, with summer approaching (beach season)…I will start to implement some different tactics to enhance my physique and lean out a bit….

this brings me to the meat of the post!

- Simple ways to “get shredded” for summer, basically lean out…

Step 1) slowly remove carbs from your diet, don’t neglect carbs but lower the amount you take in, keep the majority of your carbohydrate sources pre workout and post workout

step 2) Lift weights….wait but Alan don’t I have to do hours of cardio a day to lose fat?....NO…if you continually get stronger and preserve muscle while eating a clean diet, your fat will have no choice but to vanish and you will be left with hard earned muscle!  

Step 3) Increase your aerobic activity, don’t make this your only source of exercise,  some light jogging or walking will supplement your aerobic capacity as well as help with calorie burning, ( plus its getting nice out, take advantage!) – For more advanced fitness enthusiasts, try implementing some type of sprint work, running or biking, or body weight complexes at maximum effort for minimal time with intermittent breaks, this will help condition you and rev up your metabolism.

Step 4) Increase water consumption, summer is hot you sweat, stay hydrated it will keep you working harder, longer, and stay fuller throughout the day

Step 5) Be Stay motivated! If you have fallen off the wagon, its ok winter has that effect on many people, you are not alone….It is never to late to start making changes..

Start slow, stay consistent and progress will follow

A-lev -

HIIT it.... or quit it?

.

HIIT is a very effective mode of cardio  to lose body fat.    The research that I encountered through magazines, websites, books, and my personal experience proves it to be true.  The best way to preserve lean muscle mass and lose the visceral fat around it, is higher intensity work. The science says that by implementing this hard vigorous strain on your heat it will naturally increase your metabolism and you will continue to burn calories at a faster rate for an extended period of time after you finish the exercise.  Your body doesn’t have time to adjust or use any other means of fuel besides fat, because fat is the first source looked to burn. The quick duration of the intense vigorous exercise doesn’t allow the body to eat away at the hard earned muscle.

The Next post will outline benefits of low intensity cardio....Stay tuned

A-Lev

The Power of Strength

Since doing a 5k, the competitive feeling and drive to make myself better has increased.

So the next competition I have decided to do is a strength based contest.  (basically it’s an accumulation of the squat, deadlift, and bench press. Whoever can have the highest total of the three lifts, and the lowest body weight, will win and be deemed the “true strength” winner.

 The best ratio percentage of weight vs. the body weight will win.

Plans for the next couple months-

1)  Follow 5/3/1 lifting program

2)Maintain my body weight - keep it as low as possible

3)  get as strong as possible …

Tip of the week

Next time you go the gym ask yourself does this exercise help me reach my goals?

When you go out to eat, ask yourself does this meal benefit my health or recovery?

(Start saying yes to these questions, and start breaking plateaus)  - # Winning Mentality

Advanced -Conditioning circuit of the week

50- 70 feet farmer walk- 70-90#

5 chin-ups

5 pushup up downs

Do this circuit 5 times 20-40 second rest in-between  

(Or until you puke) Jk

A-Lev

Farmer walk =