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 =

Tales from a big time gym

 

Over the past weekend, I visited my sister and family in Ohio, she recently started at the Ohio State University.  I had a great time, I got to experience college from a “big” school perspective, ok …………..“huge" school” perspective.

One of the activities on my list was to experience what a huge big time college gym was like, so we went to the RPAC the main athletic center to the students of O.S.U.

1)      It was huge

2)      The guys were huge

3)      Lots of racks!

We had a nice session that consisted of some squats, swings, pull-downs, and even some bicep curls….

We were even going to do some sprints on the indoor track…but it was 20 degrees outside, which meant I was springing back to her dorm anyway!

Some things I learned-

1)      Seeing people in other gyms gives you a better perspective of hard work, and “strong” I saw more guys lifting heavier weights, it motivated me to get stronger and continue improving!

2)      Spending time with my sister was fun, got me thinking maybe I could do a big school?........If it wasn’t  freezing….

3) Every once in a while try to train in a new environment, it may give you new ideas and keep you motivated to not get complaisant.

Train smart, stay motivated-

A-Lev

Crossing that finish line... and an A-lev fit Challenge

It has to be the best feeling in the world, a release of tension, a feeling of accomplishment, a cloud of relief pouring into your body....no I’m not talking about taking a dump.....I’m talking about crossing a finish line!

This past weekend was the 5k race I decided to run a few weeks ago, and it was actually a lot of fun, tons of people, lots of sponsors/ vendors, and supported a good cause. I was pleased with the way I ran, considering I only had about one week to prep, running 3 miles under 8 minutes each, not bad for the kid who could barely finish the mile in high school!

I gained not only a sense of accomplishment, because I committed to doing something, trained hard, and made significant improvements in my running time and my “longer distance running endurance”., but also realized that the only person who can stop me from reaching my goals is me.

Let me explain- If I want something bad enough, if I am willing to work hard enough, and be committed to a long term approach, anything is possible.

(Not to get all “sappy and motivational”)I’m basically saying don’t make excuses just work hard and stay committed and you would be shocked at how far you can come.

Work out test of the day- I challenge you to Swap this for your usual cardio, it’s quick, effective, and gives you a number you can actually improve on! (or use it as a finisher at the end of your workout, you will be sore!)

Do as many as possible in one minute and record your times for each category, at the end add up your total and post it on my Facebook

A-Lev fit challenge Max- I minute of
Dips
Pull-ups
Air squats

Pushup up downs – (It’s an up down with a pushup at the bottom and a jump when you stand)

If you don’t feel like you can do all of them simply modify, do assisted pull-ups and dips, and on the up downs take your time and try to go as smoothly as possible. (Try to do the entire circuit in less than 8 minutes) Limited breaks -

(Post your time on my facebook, see how you measure up!)

After a week and a half of running, im craving some barbells…..DEADLIFT day!
Train smart, stay committed- your finish line (goal) is not as far as you think!

A-Lev

Me on the right,(sporting my new red shoes)  and my friend Greg who challenged me to run the race on the left.

Get After it!

Word of the day- Motivation

Motivation- The key to determining how hard you will train and how committed you will be to exercise and nutrition.

When you work for something you begin to train for a purpose, you tailor your work load to achieve your goal. I recommend getting into a competition or finding a training partner that will keep you motivated.

Things I have learned prepping for the race-

1) The body is highly adaptable- put sufficient work in and over time literally any goal can be accomplished

2) In the past few weeks my hatred for running has drastically decreased, not because it became easier, but fighting through the pain and fatigue made me stronger

3) Keeping a balance in life is the key to success, once you priorities what matters to you go ahead and begin to work to fulfill you requirements

4) If you are feeling like you are just “going through the motions”, (it happens to all of us), mix it up and try to integrate one of your passions or a reward for doing something great.


Motivate yourself to achieve excellence; it’s contagious.

A-lev

Portable Workout - Do it at home, in the office, wherever!

I wrote an article for the school paper, on a quick way to implement a workout short of time; this can be done virtually anywhere. Go for as much time as you have, or feel comfortable with, do ten reps for each, 45 seconds on the plank, go until your time allotted is up.

Pushups- Place hands shoulder width apart and low your chest to the floor and push off using your chest and triceps.

Body weight squats- Keep your back strait, look slightly up, and lower your hips and “squat” down and explosively use your quadriceps and hamstrings to push yourself up.

Chair Dips- Place your hands on the end of the seat part of the chair and walk your legs out, lower your arms keeping your shoulders still, use the triceps to push your body up and down, use your shoulder to stabilize your body.

Lunges-Keeping your hands on your head, step out with one foot bringing your back knee to about three inches from the ground, return to a standing position and alternate legs, do 5 repetitions on each foot. Use your core and quads to stabilize your body.

Forty five second plank-  Get into a pushup position and place your elbows on the ground and keep your body angle as straight as possible, brace your abs and hold the position for forty five seconds.

Benefits of doing this routine:
1) Breaks up your day, gets your endorphins and blood flowing
2) Easy way to stay toned when you are short of time

3) It helps stretch your body after long periods of sitting- (work, school)

4) Its fun! Make a competition with yourself, see how many rounds you can do in 10 minutes and try to improve the following time.

4) Do it enough times and will you look like this.........

Ok maybe not, but you will feel better about yourself!

Give it a try

A-Lev

Running circles around the Solution

Dialogue-

My friend- Hey man you want to run a 5-k with me in a couple of weeks?

My face- (same type of face you make when you shart, (try to fart, but well figure it out)...

Jogging is something I do not like doing, I find it tedious, and brings back bad memories of my 9th grade gym class always being the last kid to run the mile.....However, as I thought about it i realized that maybe doing a 5-k wouldn’t be such a bad idea.....

Reasons i decided to commit to run the 5-k
1) Support my friend
2) Its a good cause- supporting charity
3) It challenges me, its my biggest weakness as far as fitness
4) I think to be considered fit you should be able to do an array of athletic skills and competitions at least on an average level
4) It challenges mental toughness- doing something you don’t necessarily like or nor particularly skilled at

Reasons why distance running sucks....
1) The human body adapts to a movement after a while, after a while your calorie expenditure will decrease and your body will eat away at anything it can for fuel- muscle...not good.
2) Not the best method of fat loss- Besides the numerous studies and research, ( i got to under 6% percent body fat, never doing more than 20 minutes of direct "cardio")
3) Not the best method to train your heart, or improve athletic ability- Its proven intervals work your heart at a much greater capacity and improve recovery time.
4) Jogging is extremely hard on your knees after 30 or 40 minutes of jogging, your body produces stress hormones that will increase muscle loss and harvest fat....again not good.

Solution
1) Intervel training - mess with your heart rate! No really...do something like sprinting, jump rope, body weight exercises as hard as you can get your heart rate to about 80-95 percent max for a short duration 10-40 seconds and allow it to cool down and repeat. Training like this is not only more beneficial for fat loss and heart health, but it also saves you a ton of time! A session of intervals if done correctly and at full intensity should last anywhere from 10-25 minutes max.
2) Eat better......fat loss comes from diet not cardio....Trust me
3) Strength train- Just one or two strength straining sessions a week will improve your metabolic rate, and keep you lean...even body weight exercises will have positive effects on body fat composition.

The entire post in a picture- can you tell the sprinter vs the jogger?
Ok a bit exaggerated but you get the point...





This is not all about bashing running, I know plenty of super healthy and fit people who run marathons the benefits of smart and properly programmed running programs are its a great way to measure endurance, mental toughness, and heart health....It can also reduce stress.
If your goal is fat loss and muscle preservation- Take a good long look at your training program and make sure your working to achieve those goals and not "running in circles".

So for the next couple weeks, I’ll be hitting the pavement and doing some running, don’t worry i'll still be lifting and training to improve and get stronger, just throwing in a challenge along the way. I challenge you to pick an obstacle, or something you’re not great at doing, and begin to chip away and improve......


How have you made yourself better today?

A-Lev

Push it to the limit

On the eve of the NFL playoffs I cant help but root for the ravens. I have no affiliation to any team, and no preference of who wins, since the "superstar" dolphins had their chances of any playoff appearance stripped from them by week five. Im rooting for the Ravens because they have a chip on their shoulder, their players, namely  Ray Lewis is linked to working hard and "pushing it to the limit" every single day on the field and off....let me explain.

Ray Lewis trains with a purpose, he trains with the intensity and focus that is required to be an NFL superstar, he outworks, out- trains, and gives 100 % percent,

 how can you not root for a guy like that? .....

This post how ever is not about how great Ray Lewis or the Baltimore Ravens are, its about using intensity drive and sheer determination to break plateaus and reach your goals.

In the last post I said that I would give you some insight into some of my goals and what "category" of exercise they fell into. I have 3 main goals, (Not to get to specific on you)....
1) Constantly get stronger- Power lifter mentality
2) Maintain a lean body weight - Body builder Mentality
3) Improve athletic condition - Cross fit/ athletic mentality

Let me explain how I incorporate my training routine to meet these goals, Monday- Friday I pick one main lift such as Bench press, dead-lift, military press, and squat, and work on a rep/ weight scheme that works off percentages ( 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler). I then implement some assistance work that coordinates with the major lift, and then i finnish with high intensity short duration cardio, such as sprints, treadmill pushes, or swings.

Work out break down:
Warmup- Body weight exercises   ( Pull-ups, lunges, pushups, squats, jumps)
Main lift- Heavy on either the bench press, Dead-lift, Military press, Squat
Assistance lifts- 3-4 exercises moderate weight/ varying rep schemes
Conditioning- High intensity - 10-20 minutes....( Sprints, pushes, body-weight circuits)

This type of training has allowed me to get stronger, stay lean, and have fun doing conditioning exercises. As you can see, this doesn't fit any one type of workout style ........it fits my style! ( Thats all that matters)
Keys to a great workout:
1) Keep the rest periods to "as needed",( keep you pace up)
2) Have a plan before you walk in, write it down and follow it....( keeps you from hopscotching around the gym looking lost!)
3) Implement a proper warmup, and keep your sessions relatively short and intense- ( total-under 90 minutes)
4) Leave feeling better than when you walked in, train to stimulate the muscles and make improvements, it should be fun, something you look forward to doing.

Home work for the week- Set 3 training goals for yourself, and implement three strategies in your training the will help you reach them.......

Go Ravens!

A-Lev

Choose a Path...Or Make your own?...

So what do you do?

Corssfit?

Bodybuilding?

Powerlifting?

It’s one of the first questions you get asked when the topic of training routines come up, the need to categorize your workout into a particular breed of athlete or competitor. First lets go through and allow me to give you some pros and cons on each.

Crossfit:

The hottest new trend to hit the fitness world, mainly used and endorsed  UFC, and mixed martial artist, this combines aspects of lifting, running, swimming, biking, sprinting, powerlifting, pretty much you name it, probably was on some crosfit agenda somewhere. It’s a combination of all different types of endurance, and can be extremely effective in creating a more athletic and conditioned person.

Pros- Great for conditioning, applies to functional daily activities ( it will carry over into your daily life), super popular, and has a growing fan base.

Cons- Many times a cross fit workout has no set goal, its simply a laundry list of excersises and conditioning circuits without proper alignment of exercises to ensure you don’t get injured, or over train. ( This is a major con). Crossfit is basically saying get ready for anything, however if you dont specifically set a routine up and consistently train it, how can you make or measure long term progress?

Bodybuilding-

Classic bodybuilders such as Lou Ferigno, Arnold, and Frank Zane, have been synonymous with "bodybuilding". Its simply the "art" of being aesthetically pleasing. Training the body to create a perfect portrayal of the human body. Very common type of style of training with younger college aged men and women. Requisites for bodybuilding require big biceps, shredded abs, and small waist. The true measure of success in this type of training is appearance and physique, bringing the body to new levels of muscularity and leanness.

Pros- Bodybuilders are extremely dedicated and meticulous, it teaches discipline, and hard work. Most bodybuilders have a sound diet, and train very specifically to reach an eventual goal.
Cons- You must be willing to make sacrifices, each piece of food put into your mouth must be weighed and examined to ensure that its in your "macros" for the day. You must be willing to do long (in my opinion "painfully" slow steady state cardio") to reach the level of leanness required to be a body builder, typically below 7%.


Powerlifting

This is pretty strait forward; it’s the basic act of lifting, pushing, or squatting weight for competition. Power lifting meets usually require you to enter a weight class, and you compete with other people to assess the strength of each competitor.

Pros- A clear goal is set, you are constantly trying to break through training plateaus and increase your strength. You must train with a purpose to ensure that you are on track and progress with proper care and timing.

Cons- Depending on your weight class, you may have to eat...a lot....and this could add a few inches to the waist line. The big difference in bodybuilding and powerlifting is that strength competitions are not worried about how their abs look from this angle, or under that lighting, they are reaching for one thing, breaking PR's.

All this information, what to choose.....the best part...YOU DONT HAVE TO!
Don’t get caught up in a specific breed of training, incorporate all different aspects of fitness into your routine.
(if you get nothing else out of this article...get this)
The main factor in a successful training program is not if you can define it as a specific type, its if you are improving and have set goals that you are reaching.

A-lev
(Next post i will go into more detail on how I incorporate aspects of these training types into my routine and how they help reach my fitness goals)

MASS SEASON- Get big, stay Lean

How many times have you heard overweight men saying "its mass season"? In other words a period of time where you increase your calories, minimize your intensely vigorous movement and stick to basic heavy lifts. Now when defined that sounds fine for someone who wants to put on quality muscle and size, how ever, the confusion of "putting on mass" starts creeping in when you get the dude thats forty pounds overweight and is using this slogan as an excuse to not exercise and eat pretty much what ever he wants.

 Isn't the point of weight training to increase strength and muscular size? Sure their can be times of increases calories and decreased cardiac conditioning, but not to use as an excuse to get fat, unconditioned, and flat out sloppy. So how can we put on size/muscle with out all the blubber that comes with it?

Well first lesson, something that was and still is hard for me to swallow, if you truly aspire to get stronger and add size you must eat more, and yes you will put on weight! Let me repeat that if your goal is to get stronger and bigger, do not freak out when the scale says you put five pounds on.( Something  that can scare the crap out of a former chubby kid) .....me.

Second lesson- realize like almost everything if done correctly, in the fitness field it takes time, the way to stay lean and athletic is by maintaining a sound cardio routine, and slowly increasing your calories over a period of time.  Staying lean while adding significant muscle is definitely challenging but not impossible, staying committed to eating more of the right foods and hitting your target numbers consistently will ensure consistent progress.

Lesson three- Biggest mistake people make when training for an  increase in strength and size, they turn the gym session into a two hour annihilation of their body. Remember in the gym while training we are breaking down the muscle, the growth happens outside of the gym, while in rest. Keep your sessions short and and intense. Stick to one major lift a session, like a bench press, squat, dead-lift, and add in some assistance work after.


Cheat sheet to get big and strong-  ( for those of you who scroll all the way down with out reading)

1) Eating a surplus of quality calories (mainly protein, slow digesting carbs, healthy fats)
2) Training to stimulate not annihilate- keep your lifting sessions to about an hour
3) Slow progress like anything in the fitness world, is the safest and most effective way!

A-Lev

New Weight Loss Supplement!

The greatest supplement on the market to lose weight-

Is it a fat burner? No

is it Weight watchers ? No

Is it expensive? No

Where can i purchase it?.......................ready for the best part?

We all already have it! it’s called self-discipline. One of the most frequently asked questions i receive is what supplement can i get to lose weight?  The equation is simple, trust me I’m terrible at math but even i understand this one, to lose weight you must create a deficit- in other words go to bed having burned more calories than gained. Now let me be clear that does not mean eat less, it means eat smarter! Try implementing more fruits and vegetables into your daily eating routine. by using that new product we talked about earlier , "Self Discipline", try swapping out the side of chips for steamed veggies, or instead of having a bagel swap it out for a banana or apple. (Sure at first it will seem CRAZY, but trust me, give it a chance you will feel just as satisfied!)

So for the question, what supplement should i get to help me lose weight? 
Look no further! Start incorporating more fruits, vegetables and proteins in your diet. Start with baby steps one meal a day swap out a side for a vegetable, once that becomes manageable do that to a second meal. You will feel healthier you will naturally become leaner ....and you can save the money on the supplements! (send me the money if you want) lol

Remember slow and steady wins the race.
(Post coming soon on the second most frequent question- how to gain weight/muscle) Stay tuned!

A-lev

Goal!!!!!!

One trait that all successful seem to have, persistence. A quality that I try to implement in my daily life and training routine. In my opinion persistence is the most important factor in reaching your goals.

The first step is clearly identifying what you want 

examples 

1) lose 15 pounds by june

2) Gain 6 pounds of muscle in the next year 

3) Do 10 pull-ups by April 

Once you have a specific goal tailor your nutrition and workouts to reaching it. Many people start working towards a goal but go about getting there the wrong way or don't have the persistence to stick with a program. Instead of going to the gym and "going through the motions", work for a purpose and constantly test yourself to ensure your moving in the right direction. 

My advice, find someone that has accomplished your goal, and figure out how they achieved it. In other words if you want to be stronger, hang out with stronger people, if you want more money hang out with richer people. I promise with a solid plan and consistency all your training goals can be reached. 

Change your mentality to instead of "can i do this", to  "am i willing to put in the effort to do this". 

A winning mentality is the crucial in determining the success of your health and fitness endeavors. 

Remember the word of the day is persistence, the key that will unlock any obstacle in your way. 

Step 1- Set a goal

Step 2- Work your ass off to get it

Step 3- Don't stop till you get it

As Charley sheen would day "Uh winning".... 

Now the only question is, what are your goals? 

Excuses... just don't have time to make them....

As a busy college student, balancing  classes, work, fraternity and friends I understand it seems like the day seems to be getting shorter and shorter and time for taking care of your health, and doing something "fun" seems to take the brunt of a hectic schedule. Continuing on the same theme from my first post- (Making the most of your new year resolution) lets sit down and realize what really matters:


1) Am i healthy?
2) Are my family and friends supporting me and my goals? 
3) Have i taken care of my primary responsibilities?  work, family, personal time.

Lets  list some easy ways to ensure your getting the "important" parts of your day filled:

1) Start everyday ensuring that you have properly fueled yourself, get a quality breakfast - fruit, eggs, oatmeal, Protein shake, even a breakfast bar.(If you at least get a good breakfast, you will be better equipped, more energized and fueled to take on your day)...You wouldn't drive to the mall with no gas, so don't start your day on empty!

2) Without support from family and friends you will realize your days will quickly lose purpose, Staying connected is key in keeping your relationships healthy and powerful. Ways to stay connected- make a point when your walking to class, driving to work, or ( sitting on the toilet,  cough, cough ) lol ..Make phone calls text your loved ones and fill them in! See how they are doing and inform them on how you are, with the support of your core people you will be more motivated and feel empowered to do better and constantly improve in your endeavors.

3) The last tip to scratch off the "big 3" is make a to do list! You would be surprised how much you get done when instead of saying what you have to do write it down, and cross it off as you complete each task. (something i learned from my mother) writing down  your responsibilities for work or school will ensure you don't forget deadlines and due dates, and crossing shit off a list feels great!

Spark notes version of post- 
Priorities what really matters and enjoy your day
 keep yourself in good health eat right, run, lift, (get your heart rate up)
Stay connected with the people that matter.

Follow these principles and your need for excuses to find time will diminish, start 2012 asking yourself this question

What matters to me?

A-Lev

Getting Started! National Join a Gym Month

The three main factors why people begin training/ Eating nutritiously-  

1) Lose weight 

2) Gain muscle

3) Improve athletic performance/ mobility 

 Now being that its everyone join a gym month (January), people have set their goals and have went full force into workout, and eat right mode. The fact is that after about 3 weeks on a plan people go back to the normal routine of oreos, laying around and not doing much to help themselves out.  The gyms will clear out to the normal level of occupancy, and the vegetable section in the grocery store will be back to being stocked up to max capacity. 

The three main ways to stick to a plan and achieve your new years fitness goals-

1) Start small, begin with a simple routine every morning when you wake up, im talking simple, set a timer for 5 minutes and do 10 squats, 10 pushups, and 10 leg raises, do this until the 5 minute timer runs out. By doing something managable it will be much easier to stick to a plan and make it part of your daily routine. As your strength builds add time to the routine, until you can eventually transition to the gym. 

2) Notice how in the beginning of the post i didn't say "diet" i simply said eating nutritiously. The word diet is always thought of as a temporary transition, not a lifestyle change. Instead of going on a "diet" simply eat real whole foods, like meat, vegetables, beans and nuts. Start slow and implement more wholesome foods into your regiment and you would be shocked at the rate your body fat decreases and if combined with weight training your  muscle tone increases.

3) The greatest way to achieve your fitness goals and staying committed to a plan is by realizing this resolution is not a quick fix but a change that is now becoming part of you lifestyle and routine.  The journey to your goal is not a sprint but a long marathon.

Stay committed, motivated and persistent, and your resolutions of tomorrow will become accomplishments of today. 

A-Lev