A co-worker of mine did a presentation this morning on the topic of resistance training versus aerobic training, especially for the female population. If you go into any gym you will see that most of the cardio equipment is occupied by females and very rarely do you see a female lifting weights in the area of free weights. My co-worker talked about the misconceptions that females have about resistance training as well as the benefits of weights versus the negative effects of long distance aerobic training. There is a lot of research being done on this topic as of late and a lot of talk by specialists such as Alwyn Cosgrove.
Resistance training is an overall better approach to body composition goals than is long distance aerobic training. Resistance training will strengthen the muscles which in turn makes them "tight" looking and gives the body definition. Along with this there is the effect of "afterburn" in which the body burns more calories, and more calories from fat many hours after the training session is over. With long distance aerobic training there are more calories burned during the actual training session than with resistance training or interval training, but the "afterburn" effect with resistance and interval training compensates for this and creates a larger calorie usage.
Resistance training is used by a lot of people in an incorrect manor as well. There are many people, especially females, who want to "tone" and resistance train using dumbells that are maybe 5% of the actual weight they can lift. When resistance training, one should use a weight that they can only complete about 10-15 reps. The reps that are completed should be a challenge and weights should be increased when the current weight is no longer difficult. Results come from effort and if a large effort is not needed then the results are not going to be maximal.
Solely doing cardio training can lead to complications later in life. For instance, strength will not be there to complete daily activities when one becomes elderly. Also for women, there will be a greater chance for osteopenia. With resistance training bone density is increased but with endurance training and long distance running bone resorption is increased. Women are already more likely to have bone deficiencies when they get older so resistance training is needed to combat this. Stress fractures, joint and back problems are also results from large amounts of running.
I will add this...I am not saying that no one should run long distances. If you are an athlete competing in a sport such as cross country or marathons, then you obviously need to train by running long distances. However, incorporating resistance training into a regemine will increase your quality of life as well as performance. So there are some people out there who need to train aerobically, but for the average person just looking to cut fat and look good naked, resistance training and interval training are a much better and more efficient option.
This is just a brief overview of the topic. For more information check out the work by Alwyn Cosgrove. Also check out the book, "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" by Lou Schuler and Cassandra Forsythe.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
"Is that a sledge hammer?"
Here are a couple videos from today's sledge hammer workout. Just a nice little visual into my world.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
We Should All Be Mad Scientists
Experimentation...a word and thought that most people associate with science. Go into a lab, mix some solutions in a couple different beakers and step back to see the reactions that take place. However, the word is more of an action; An action that should be present in everyone's daily lives.
Most people think that the best way to learn is read books and articles and take notes in class. These are all great ways to achieve knowledge and without these our knowledge will be lacking, but the most promising way to learn is to experiment. Whether it be in the field of exercise, food, or whatever, experiments lead to results and no one can argue those results. Go out and try new things. Try new lifts, new recipes, even new supplements or other types of aids. I myself am constantly experimenting with my life. People always give me a hard time for using supplements and claim that I am wasting money because they probably won't work. True, they may not work but I will never know unless I try them out myself. I love finding new supplements because for me it is a way to learn. I learn what doesn't work, what does work, and how it works. I learn what different things are used for.
When looking at my workouts, I try new set/rep schemes, new exercises, and new methods of prehab/recovery and monitor my body and the progressions I make over a period of time. When it comes to my eating, I try different ways to increase my meals, different types of meals, and different timing on meals. Each way I am keeping an eye on my weight and how it fluctuates. Even small things like today where I was making a smoothie and tried throwing some different items in it. Yea, it's taste wasn't so great but the only way I could know that was to try it.
Try new things and new ways to do old things. But don't just do these different things for a few days and quit. Set a time period, do something new over that period of time, and make notes and observations on the changes that occur. It's like the scientific method states: Develop a hypothesis, create and experiment, gather data, analyze the results and draw a conclusion. This method is used for all scientific experiments and most of the knowledge we have today has come from experimentation. Use this in your daily life to learn and experience what you may read about and who knows, you may come across a groundbreaking find.
Some of your experiments may fail and you may see that as a negative but remember this Micheal Jordan quote, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."
Most people think that the best way to learn is read books and articles and take notes in class. These are all great ways to achieve knowledge and without these our knowledge will be lacking, but the most promising way to learn is to experiment. Whether it be in the field of exercise, food, or whatever, experiments lead to results and no one can argue those results. Go out and try new things. Try new lifts, new recipes, even new supplements or other types of aids. I myself am constantly experimenting with my life. People always give me a hard time for using supplements and claim that I am wasting money because they probably won't work. True, they may not work but I will never know unless I try them out myself. I love finding new supplements because for me it is a way to learn. I learn what doesn't work, what does work, and how it works. I learn what different things are used for.
When looking at my workouts, I try new set/rep schemes, new exercises, and new methods of prehab/recovery and monitor my body and the progressions I make over a period of time. When it comes to my eating, I try different ways to increase my meals, different types of meals, and different timing on meals. Each way I am keeping an eye on my weight and how it fluctuates. Even small things like today where I was making a smoothie and tried throwing some different items in it. Yea, it's taste wasn't so great but the only way I could know that was to try it.
Try new things and new ways to do old things. But don't just do these different things for a few days and quit. Set a time period, do something new over that period of time, and make notes and observations on the changes that occur. It's like the scientific method states: Develop a hypothesis, create and experiment, gather data, analyze the results and draw a conclusion. This method is used for all scientific experiments and most of the knowledge we have today has come from experimentation. Use this in your daily life to learn and experience what you may read about and who knows, you may come across a groundbreaking find.
Some of your experiments may fail and you may see that as a negative but remember this Micheal Jordan quote, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."
Monday, January 19, 2009
Take Advantage of Your Life
The future...something we can't control. Yet I find myself constantly thinking about it and trying to determine how it will turn out. I was once told that time is our only currency and once we lose it we can never get it back. Ever since I have tried to live with that mindset and take life one step at a time. Yet I still tend to look at the future and overlook the present. To focus on the present and what we have now is to live life to the fullest. Take in everything the present has to offer for once it's gone, it's gone. I hope that I can fully take in and appreciate every moment I am granted and fulfill everything I am capable of.
What happens to us down the road is determined by our actions today. I personally expect to better myself day by day while enjoying the life around me. It's not always fun and it's not always positive, but that's what makes it life. Things will tear us down and that is where we have to be strong and rebuild to a better person. Overlooking life because of a bad situation can create holes in out lives which can cause our character to be weak. Attack instead of avoid and embrace instead of fear. These are the ways that life will be mastered.
What happens to us down the road is determined by our actions today. I personally expect to better myself day by day while enjoying the life around me. It's not always fun and it's not always positive, but that's what makes it life. Things will tear us down and that is where we have to be strong and rebuild to a better person. Overlooking life because of a bad situation can create holes in out lives which can cause our character to be weak. Attack instead of avoid and embrace instead of fear. These are the ways that life will be mastered.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Call Me John Henry
You may have read about the experience my lifting partner and I had on Friday on his blog, accelerateyourself.blogspot.com. If not, I will explain. Instead of performing your basic lifts with dumbbells, bars, and machines, we decided to mix things up every Friday. This past Friday we had some fun with sledge hammers and a sled. As a student of the University of Kentucky you may have seen us walking through the Seaton Center or Johnson Center with sledge hammer on shoulder. You may have given us a confused, maybe even scared look. You may have thought we were crazy. I'm not gonna lie, I'm not all there but there was a method to the madness. The sledge hammer is a way to work multiple muscle groups in a fashion that the body is not used to. It also mixes things up so that the workouts do not get monotonous. It's a great way to take your body to the next level.
The workout itself was brutal. It consisted of 4 sets of 1 minute on, 2 minutes off of alternating sledge swings. The goal of each set was to get the maximal number of hits before the time was up. After each set my lower back, shoulders, and forearms were on fire, which was great considering we were outside in 5 degree weather. With the completion of the four sets we headed inside to play with the sled. For this we set up a straightaway that was about 20-25 yards. With the sled holding 60 kilos (approximately 130lbs) we took turns pushing the sled the 25 yards and back. We completed 3 round trips and by my last 10 feet it was all I had to get it across the finish line. Near vomiting, I picked myself up off the ground to get some water.
This was something my body was not accustomed to and I could definitely tell. Each week the volume of the workout will increase while we continue to mix up the workouts. Other things such as sled pulls, sand bag training, and possibly your good Ole' car pushes will be used. I am excited to see how the rest of the weeks turn out with Fridays being this way. I truly believe this addition will help boost me to my goals and keep me guessing along the way.
Stay tuned for videos and pictures in the coming weeks.
The workout itself was brutal. It consisted of 4 sets of 1 minute on, 2 minutes off of alternating sledge swings. The goal of each set was to get the maximal number of hits before the time was up. After each set my lower back, shoulders, and forearms were on fire, which was great considering we were outside in 5 degree weather. With the completion of the four sets we headed inside to play with the sled. For this we set up a straightaway that was about 20-25 yards. With the sled holding 60 kilos (approximately 130lbs) we took turns pushing the sled the 25 yards and back. We completed 3 round trips and by my last 10 feet it was all I had to get it across the finish line. Near vomiting, I picked myself up off the ground to get some water.
This was something my body was not accustomed to and I could definitely tell. Each week the volume of the workout will increase while we continue to mix up the workouts. Other things such as sled pulls, sand bag training, and possibly your good Ole' car pushes will be used. I am excited to see how the rest of the weeks turn out with Fridays being this way. I truly believe this addition will help boost me to my goals and keep me guessing along the way.
Stay tuned for videos and pictures in the coming weeks.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Arnold Classic
The Arnold Classic is coming up in a couple months and I am very excited. I am looking online right now at what all is going to be going down at the Classic since I have never been before. A couple of my buddies and myself are going to make the trip up to Columbus to catch the event. For those that don't know, the Arnold Classic is a three day event that encompasses all of fitness. There is a figure competition (from amateur to pro), there is an expo of 650 booths of retailers, supplement companies, etc. There is powerlifting, strongman, cheer and dance, arm wrestling, boxing, strength training presentations, and the list goes on. In the three days we are there I am going to try to soak up as much information from the professionals on location. I am going to see who I can meet and who all I see. Hopefully I will also pick up some supplement samples to try out. This is a weekend that any meat head, fitness guru, and lifting fanatic should experience. I am sure that once I go once I will want to return every year. If your interested and want some more information then check out the site: http://arnoldsportsfestival.com/home2/
Monday, January 12, 2009
Nutrition Bite
PROTEIN
Protein is an important part of an athlete’s diet. It helps to rebuild tissue that has been broken down such as muscle after exercise. For many people a normal diet can be enough for getting the recommended amount of protein but for athletes there is a higher need which sometimes requires added protein to the diet. The recommendations for protein intake are between 1.2 and 2g/kg of body weight for athletes. With this there are many places you can get protein from in your diet including meats, fish, vegetables, dairy products and lentils. It is also important to mix up the types of proteins you eat and get both animal and plant proteins.
With regards to exercise it is important to make sure there is an intake of protein immediately following exercise to start the refueling process. There has also been recent research saying that protein during exercise, as well as after, can lead to even better training results.
Below are some protein contents of common foods.
Food Sources
Protein (g)
Egg White, 3g
Beef, Roast 4 oz, 30g
Chicken Breast 4 oz, 30g
Tuna 1 can, 30g
Nuts 1 oz, 6g
Lentils 1/2 cup, 7g
Peanut Butter 2 tbsp, 9g
Cheese, American 1 slice, 6g
Milk 1 cup, 6g
Yogurt 6 oz, 6g
Cottage Cheese 1/2 cup, 15g
Rice 1/3 cup dry, 4g
Oatmeal 1/2 cup dry, 5g
Peas 1/2 cup, 2g
Carrots 1/2 cup, 2g
Corn 1/2 cup, 2g
Potato, 2g
Protein is an important part of an athlete’s diet. It helps to rebuild tissue that has been broken down such as muscle after exercise. For many people a normal diet can be enough for getting the recommended amount of protein but for athletes there is a higher need which sometimes requires added protein to the diet. The recommendations for protein intake are between 1.2 and 2g/kg of body weight for athletes. With this there are many places you can get protein from in your diet including meats, fish, vegetables, dairy products and lentils. It is also important to mix up the types of proteins you eat and get both animal and plant proteins.
With regards to exercise it is important to make sure there is an intake of protein immediately following exercise to start the refueling process. There has also been recent research saying that protein during exercise, as well as after, can lead to even better training results.
Below are some protein contents of common foods.
Food Sources
Protein (g)
Egg White, 3g
Beef, Roast 4 oz, 30g
Chicken Breast 4 oz, 30g
Tuna 1 can, 30g
Nuts 1 oz, 6g
Lentils 1/2 cup, 7g
Peanut Butter 2 tbsp, 9g
Cheese, American 1 slice, 6g
Milk 1 cup, 6g
Yogurt 6 oz, 6g
Cottage Cheese 1/2 cup, 15g
Rice 1/3 cup dry, 4g
Oatmeal 1/2 cup dry, 5g
Peas 1/2 cup, 2g
Carrots 1/2 cup, 2g
Corn 1/2 cup, 2g
Potato, 2g
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
And once again...
It's another new year. This means it's a new semester, a new workout, and another page of the book entitled LIFE. I can't speak for others but I myself get excited to create a new page of my life. There are all kinds of possibilities and even more than usually this time around. Not only am I about to graduate with my Master's degree but I am about to enter this place people refer to as "The Real World". Am I nervous? A little. But am I ready for it? As much as I need to be. I have already decided that this is going to be a year of great things. I know I have goals and I know they will be reached. This is 2009. This is the year I reach 190lbs. This is the year I find myself a great job. This is the year I meet new people and continue to stock pile my connections. I have two close friends getting married this year. I have had some rough times in my life lately but I am not discouraged by these times, I am motivated. People like to use negative things in their lives as excuses...well I like to use them as fuel. Fuel to my life and my mission. Everyone wants people to feel sorry for them and comfort them however this is only making them weaker. Life and everything that happens with it is meant to build and strengthen one's character and drive. Use a negative to better a positive and you will live a better more successful life.
Back to the topic of 2009. The number nine is considered to be a complete and perfect number. Well in that case make 2009 a complete year for yourself, I know I will. Wake up every day with a plan to better yourself and those around you and you will see many good things happen. Stay focused on your goals and resolutions. Achieve them.
On a side note I was working on a workout for one of my clients earlier and I am pretty excited about this one. I am trying a few new things for him and I hope that we can get a solid schedule so I can see what kind of results he gets. He wants to get bigger and stronger and last semester we worked together but scheduling conflicts really limited our time. However I got to identify some problem areas and things that we need to work on. I have decided to try out full body workouts and use a undulating periodization plan. It looks like this: Day one will be a heavy strength day, focusing on core lifts such as squat and deadlift, and the rep scheme will be very low. Day two will be a moderate day while day 3 a higher volume day. His hip strength is somewhat behind so I have a few hip circuits added in his warm-ups. Hopefully with this as well as box squats we will see some improvements. I can't wait to see how this program works since there are a few things I am doing different.
I myself also have a new workout with some new techniques. We are adding in a fifth day to a push/pull split where we will be doing some functional work with sleds, sledge hammers, and sandbags. Hopefully we will see some improved overall strength with these workouts and also don't kill ourselves.
Welcome to 2009...will you make this year complete or just let it pass by and hope everyone feels sorry for you?
Back to the topic of 2009. The number nine is considered to be a complete and perfect number. Well in that case make 2009 a complete year for yourself, I know I will. Wake up every day with a plan to better yourself and those around you and you will see many good things happen. Stay focused on your goals and resolutions. Achieve them.
On a side note I was working on a workout for one of my clients earlier and I am pretty excited about this one. I am trying a few new things for him and I hope that we can get a solid schedule so I can see what kind of results he gets. He wants to get bigger and stronger and last semester we worked together but scheduling conflicts really limited our time. However I got to identify some problem areas and things that we need to work on. I have decided to try out full body workouts and use a undulating periodization plan. It looks like this: Day one will be a heavy strength day, focusing on core lifts such as squat and deadlift, and the rep scheme will be very low. Day two will be a moderate day while day 3 a higher volume day. His hip strength is somewhat behind so I have a few hip circuits added in his warm-ups. Hopefully with this as well as box squats we will see some improvements. I can't wait to see how this program works since there are a few things I am doing different.
I myself also have a new workout with some new techniques. We are adding in a fifth day to a push/pull split where we will be doing some functional work with sleds, sledge hammers, and sandbags. Hopefully we will see some improved overall strength with these workouts and also don't kill ourselves.
Welcome to 2009...will you make this year complete or just let it pass by and hope everyone feels sorry for you?
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Great Article
I was doing my daily article reading and I came across this article from t-nation.com. This encompassed my thoughts exactly so I thought I would share it on here. Check it out:
Merry Christmas, Bobby Chris Shugart
"So, what are you doing for a living these days?" Bob asked me. We're sitting on the couch at one of those tedious holiday get-togethers, you know, the ones where you're supposed to be nice to family members you never see except during major holidays and funerals. I think Bob is my wife's brother-in-law's second cousin or something.
"I'm the assistant editor and a writer for Testosterone magazine," I say. Bob looks at me with a blank expression on his face, as if I'd just told him I sell handmade testicle warmers beside the freeway and was looking to open franchises across the nation.
"It's a bodybuilding magazine," I say.
Blank expression. Deer caught in the headlights. Ronnie Coleman doing trigonometry.
"Oh," Bob finally says, "I heard you were, like, one of those bodybuilder guys or something. So, what's that like, you know, working out every day and stuff? I just don't have time to lift weights all day, but I have been meaning to get rid of this beer belly." He takes another sip of beer. "What do you suggest?" Sip.
At first I was a little offended. I wanted to grab him up and say, "You can't tell I'm a bodybuilder?! Look at my ass! Now, if that's not a nice round squat-built piece of sirloin, I don't know what is! You think that comes naturally? I can crack walnuts with this puppy! Wanna see? Huh, punk? Do ya? Do ya?"
Then I realize this just might cause a scene and could cost me several Christmas presents. I was planning on returning any presents I got and using the money to buy a power rack, so I didn't want to jeopardize this gift getting opportunity. I also realized that old Bob probably had a certain preconceived image of a bodybuilder and I just didn't fit that image. I'm not gorilla huge; I weigh about 205 at 5'11" right now. (When I first started lifting I was a pudgy 159, so that's not too shabby.) Also, I wasn't wearing clown pants, a fluorescent string tank top, a hanky on my head and one of those little fanny packs. And isn't that what real bodybuilders are supposed to wear?
Bob continued to sit there drinking his Natural Light, smoking a cigarette and waiting for an answer, oblivious to the fact that he'd come this close to seeing some serious walnut- crunching ass power. I tried to figure out how I could explain to the average guy what the typical T-Man does and why he does it. How could I get him to understand what it is we do, how we feel, how we live? So I took a deep breath and told him something like this:
"Well, Bob, I guess you could use the term bodybuilder if you really need a label for what it is we do. Most of us actually don't stand on stage and compete, though. We lift weights and manipulate our diets so that we'll look good naked. Sure, it's healthy too, and we'll probably live a longer and more productive life than the average guy, but mostly it's about the naked thing. Truthfully, it goes beyond even that.
"Let's be honest here. We do it because of people like you, Bob. We look at you sitting there with your gut hanging over your belt and we watch you grunt and groan just getting out of a chair. Guys like you are our inspiration, Bob. You're better than Anthony Robbins, Bill Phillips, Deepak Chopra, and Zig fucking Ziglar all wrapped up into one. We love it when guys like you talk about not having time to exercise. Every time we see you munching on a bag of potato chips, you inspire us. You're my shot in the arm, Bob, my living and breathing wake-up call, my own personal success coach.
"You want to know what it is we do? We overcome. We're too busy to train, too, but we overcome. We're too busy to prepare healthy meals and eat them five or six times a day, but we overcome. We can't always afford supplements, our genetics aren't perfect, and we don't always feel like going to the gym. Some of us used to be just like you, Bob, but guess what? We've overcome.
"We like to watch 'normal' people like you tell us about how they can't get in shape. We smile and nod sympathetically like we feel your pain, but actually, we're thinking that you're a pathetic piece of shit that needs to grow a spine and join a gym. You smile sheepishly and say that you just can't stay motivated and just can't stand that feeling of being sore. (For some reason you think that admitting your weaknesses somehow justifies them.) We listen to you bitch and moan. We watch you look for the easy way out. Because of people like you, Bob, we never miss a workout.
"You ask us for advice about diet and training and usually we politely offer some guidance, but deep inside we know you won't take our advice. You know that too. We smile and say, 'Hope that helps. Good luck,' but actually we're thinking, 'Boy, it would suck to be you.' We know that 99% of people won't listen to us. Once they hear that it takes hard work, sacrifice and discipline, they stop listening and tune us out.
"We know they wanted us to say that building a great body is easy, but it just isn't. This did not take five minutes a day on a TorsoTrack. We did not get this way in 12 short weeks using a Bowflex and the Suzanne Somers' 'Get Skinny' diet. A good body does not cost five easy payments of $39.95.
"We like it that while you're eating a candy bar and drinking Mountain Dew, we're sucking down a protein shake. You see, that makes it taste even better to us. While you're asleep we're either getting up early or staying up late, hitting the iron, pushing ourselves, learning, succeeding and failing and rising above the norm with every rep. Can you feel that, Bob? Can you relate? No? Good. This wouldn't be half as fun if you could.
"We do it because we absolutely and totally get off on it. We do it because people like you, Bob, either can't or won't. We do it because what we do in the gym transfers over into the rest of our lives and changes us, physically, mentally, maybe even spiritually. We do it because it beats watching fishing and golf on TV. By the way, do you know what it's like to turn the head of a beautiful woman because of the way you're built? It feels good, Bob. Damned good.
"When we're in the gym, we're in this indescribable euphoria zone. It's a feeling of being on, of being completely alive and aware. If you haven't been there, then it's like trying to describe color to a person who's been blind since birth. Within this haze of pleasure and pain, there's knowledge and power, self-discipline and self-reliance. If you do it long enough, Bob, there's even enlightenment. Sometimes, the answers to questions you didn't even know you had are sitting there on those rubber mats, wrapped up in a neat package of iron plates and bars.
"Want to lose that beer belly, Bob? I have a nutty idea. Put down the fucking beer. I'll tell you what, Bob. Christmas morning I'm getting up real early and hitting the iron. I want to watch my daughter open her presents and spend the whole day with her, so this is the only time I have to train. The gym will be closed, so I'm going out in my garage to workout. You be at my house at six in the morning, okay? I'll be glad to help you get started on a weight training program. It'll be colder than Hillary Clinton's coochie in there, so dress warm.
"But let me tell you something, Bob. If you don't show up, don't bother asking me again. And don't you ever sit there and let me hear you bitch about your beer belly again. This is your chance, your big opportunity to break out of that rut. If you don't show up, Bob, you've learned a very important lesson about yourself, haven't you? You won't like that lesson.
"You won't like that feeling in the pit of your stomach either or that taste in your mouth. It will taste worse than defeat, Bob. Defeat tastes pretty goddamned nasty, but what you'll be experiencing will be much worse. It will be the knowledge that you're weak, mentally and physically. What's worse is that you'll have accepted that feeling. The feeling will always be with you. In the happiest moments of your life, it'll be there, lying under the surface like a malignant tumor. Ignore it at your own peril, Bob.
"Don't look at me like that either. This just may be the best Christmas present you'll get this year. Next Christmas, Bob, when I see you again, I'm going to be a little bigger, a little stronger, and a little leaner. What will you be? Will you still be making excuses? This is a gift, Bob, from me to you. I'm giving you the chance to look fate in those pretty eyes of hers and say, 'Step off, bitch. This is my party and you're not invited.' What do you say, Bob? Monday, Christmas morning, 6am, my house. The ball's in your court."
Okay, so maybe that's not the exact words I used with Bob, but you get the picture. Will Bob show up Monday? I don't know, but I kind of doubt it. In fact, Bob will probably take me off his Christmas card list. He probably thinks I've got "too much Testosterone," like that's a bad thing. I think Bob is just stuck in a rut, and as the saying goes, the only difference between a rut and a grave is depth.
The way out of the rut is to make major changes in your life, most of which won't be too pleasant in the beginning. The opportunity to make those changes seldom comes as bluntly as I put it to Bob. Most of the time, that opportunity knocks very softly. What I did was basically give Bob a verbal slap in the face. You can react two ways to a slap. You can get angry at the person doing the slapping, or you can realize that he was just trying to get you to wake up and focus on what you really want and, more importantly, what it'll take to get it.
If you're a regular T-mag reader, I doubt you need to be called out like Bob. But maybe you've caught yourself slacking a little here lately. Maybe you've missed a few workouts or maybe you started a little too early on the usual holiday feasting, like, say, back in September. Just remember that the time to start working on that summer body is now. The time to get rid of those bad habits that hold you back in the gym is now. You want to look totally different by next Christmas? Start now. This isn't because of the holidays or any corny New Year's resolutions either. The best time is always now.
Christmas day I want you to enjoy being with your family and friends. I want you to open presents, sip a little eggnog and have a good meal. But if your regularily scheduled workout happens to fall on December 25th, what will you be doing at six o'clock that morning?
That's what separates us from guys like Bob.
"So, what are you doing for a living these days?" Bob asked me. We're sitting on the couch at one of those tedious holiday get-togethers, you know, the ones where you're supposed to be nice to family members you never see except during major holidays and funerals. I think Bob is my wife's brother-in-law's second cousin or something.
"I'm the assistant editor and a writer for Testosterone magazine," I say. Bob looks at me with a blank expression on his face, as if I'd just told him I sell handmade testicle warmers beside the freeway and was looking to open franchises across the nation.
"It's a bodybuilding magazine," I say.
Blank expression. Deer caught in the headlights. Ronnie Coleman doing trigonometry.
"Oh," Bob finally says, "I heard you were, like, one of those bodybuilder guys or something. So, what's that like, you know, working out every day and stuff? I just don't have time to lift weights all day, but I have been meaning to get rid of this beer belly." He takes another sip of beer. "What do you suggest?" Sip.
At first I was a little offended. I wanted to grab him up and say, "You can't tell I'm a bodybuilder?! Look at my ass! Now, if that's not a nice round squat-built piece of sirloin, I don't know what is! You think that comes naturally? I can crack walnuts with this puppy! Wanna see? Huh, punk? Do ya? Do ya?"
Then I realize this just might cause a scene and could cost me several Christmas presents. I was planning on returning any presents I got and using the money to buy a power rack, so I didn't want to jeopardize this gift getting opportunity. I also realized that old Bob probably had a certain preconceived image of a bodybuilder and I just didn't fit that image. I'm not gorilla huge; I weigh about 205 at 5'11" right now. (When I first started lifting I was a pudgy 159, so that's not too shabby.) Also, I wasn't wearing clown pants, a fluorescent string tank top, a hanky on my head and one of those little fanny packs. And isn't that what real bodybuilders are supposed to wear?
Bob continued to sit there drinking his Natural Light, smoking a cigarette and waiting for an answer, oblivious to the fact that he'd come this close to seeing some serious walnut- crunching ass power. I tried to figure out how I could explain to the average guy what the typical T-Man does and why he does it. How could I get him to understand what it is we do, how we feel, how we live? So I took a deep breath and told him something like this:
"Well, Bob, I guess you could use the term bodybuilder if you really need a label for what it is we do. Most of us actually don't stand on stage and compete, though. We lift weights and manipulate our diets so that we'll look good naked. Sure, it's healthy too, and we'll probably live a longer and more productive life than the average guy, but mostly it's about the naked thing. Truthfully, it goes beyond even that.
"Let's be honest here. We do it because of people like you, Bob. We look at you sitting there with your gut hanging over your belt and we watch you grunt and groan just getting out of a chair. Guys like you are our inspiration, Bob. You're better than Anthony Robbins, Bill Phillips, Deepak Chopra, and Zig fucking Ziglar all wrapped up into one. We love it when guys like you talk about not having time to exercise. Every time we see you munching on a bag of potato chips, you inspire us. You're my shot in the arm, Bob, my living and breathing wake-up call, my own personal success coach.
"You want to know what it is we do? We overcome. We're too busy to train, too, but we overcome. We're too busy to prepare healthy meals and eat them five or six times a day, but we overcome. We can't always afford supplements, our genetics aren't perfect, and we don't always feel like going to the gym. Some of us used to be just like you, Bob, but guess what? We've overcome.
"We like to watch 'normal' people like you tell us about how they can't get in shape. We smile and nod sympathetically like we feel your pain, but actually, we're thinking that you're a pathetic piece of shit that needs to grow a spine and join a gym. You smile sheepishly and say that you just can't stay motivated and just can't stand that feeling of being sore. (For some reason you think that admitting your weaknesses somehow justifies them.) We listen to you bitch and moan. We watch you look for the easy way out. Because of people like you, Bob, we never miss a workout.
"You ask us for advice about diet and training and usually we politely offer some guidance, but deep inside we know you won't take our advice. You know that too. We smile and say, 'Hope that helps. Good luck,' but actually we're thinking, 'Boy, it would suck to be you.' We know that 99% of people won't listen to us. Once they hear that it takes hard work, sacrifice and discipline, they stop listening and tune us out.
"We know they wanted us to say that building a great body is easy, but it just isn't. This did not take five minutes a day on a TorsoTrack. We did not get this way in 12 short weeks using a Bowflex and the Suzanne Somers' 'Get Skinny' diet. A good body does not cost five easy payments of $39.95.
"We like it that while you're eating a candy bar and drinking Mountain Dew, we're sucking down a protein shake. You see, that makes it taste even better to us. While you're asleep we're either getting up early or staying up late, hitting the iron, pushing ourselves, learning, succeeding and failing and rising above the norm with every rep. Can you feel that, Bob? Can you relate? No? Good. This wouldn't be half as fun if you could.
"We do it because we absolutely and totally get off on it. We do it because people like you, Bob, either can't or won't. We do it because what we do in the gym transfers over into the rest of our lives and changes us, physically, mentally, maybe even spiritually. We do it because it beats watching fishing and golf on TV. By the way, do you know what it's like to turn the head of a beautiful woman because of the way you're built? It feels good, Bob. Damned good.
"When we're in the gym, we're in this indescribable euphoria zone. It's a feeling of being on, of being completely alive and aware. If you haven't been there, then it's like trying to describe color to a person who's been blind since birth. Within this haze of pleasure and pain, there's knowledge and power, self-discipline and self-reliance. If you do it long enough, Bob, there's even enlightenment. Sometimes, the answers to questions you didn't even know you had are sitting there on those rubber mats, wrapped up in a neat package of iron plates and bars.
"Want to lose that beer belly, Bob? I have a nutty idea. Put down the fucking beer. I'll tell you what, Bob. Christmas morning I'm getting up real early and hitting the iron. I want to watch my daughter open her presents and spend the whole day with her, so this is the only time I have to train. The gym will be closed, so I'm going out in my garage to workout. You be at my house at six in the morning, okay? I'll be glad to help you get started on a weight training program. It'll be colder than Hillary Clinton's coochie in there, so dress warm.
"But let me tell you something, Bob. If you don't show up, don't bother asking me again. And don't you ever sit there and let me hear you bitch about your beer belly again. This is your chance, your big opportunity to break out of that rut. If you don't show up, Bob, you've learned a very important lesson about yourself, haven't you? You won't like that lesson.
"You won't like that feeling in the pit of your stomach either or that taste in your mouth. It will taste worse than defeat, Bob. Defeat tastes pretty goddamned nasty, but what you'll be experiencing will be much worse. It will be the knowledge that you're weak, mentally and physically. What's worse is that you'll have accepted that feeling. The feeling will always be with you. In the happiest moments of your life, it'll be there, lying under the surface like a malignant tumor. Ignore it at your own peril, Bob.
"Don't look at me like that either. This just may be the best Christmas present you'll get this year. Next Christmas, Bob, when I see you again, I'm going to be a little bigger, a little stronger, and a little leaner. What will you be? Will you still be making excuses? This is a gift, Bob, from me to you. I'm giving you the chance to look fate in those pretty eyes of hers and say, 'Step off, bitch. This is my party and you're not invited.' What do you say, Bob? Monday, Christmas morning, 6am, my house. The ball's in your court."
Okay, so maybe that's not the exact words I used with Bob, but you get the picture. Will Bob show up Monday? I don't know, but I kind of doubt it. In fact, Bob will probably take me off his Christmas card list. He probably thinks I've got "too much Testosterone," like that's a bad thing. I think Bob is just stuck in a rut, and as the saying goes, the only difference between a rut and a grave is depth.
The way out of the rut is to make major changes in your life, most of which won't be too pleasant in the beginning. The opportunity to make those changes seldom comes as bluntly as I put it to Bob. Most of the time, that opportunity knocks very softly. What I did was basically give Bob a verbal slap in the face. You can react two ways to a slap. You can get angry at the person doing the slapping, or you can realize that he was just trying to get you to wake up and focus on what you really want and, more importantly, what it'll take to get it.
If you're a regular T-mag reader, I doubt you need to be called out like Bob. But maybe you've caught yourself slacking a little here lately. Maybe you've missed a few workouts or maybe you started a little too early on the usual holiday feasting, like, say, back in September. Just remember that the time to start working on that summer body is now. The time to get rid of those bad habits that hold you back in the gym is now. You want to look totally different by next Christmas? Start now. This isn't because of the holidays or any corny New Year's resolutions either. The best time is always now.
Christmas day I want you to enjoy being with your family and friends. I want you to open presents, sip a little eggnog and have a good meal. But if your regularily scheduled workout happens to fall on December 25th, what will you be doing at six o'clock that morning?
That's what separates us from guys like Bob.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Nutrition Bite
Dining Out: Do’s and Don’ts
When going out to a restaurant to eat, choosing foods wisely will make your visit a whole lot healthier. Don’t be afraid to ask the server if they have any healthier options on the menu or if you can order something prepared a certain way. The best ways to have your food prepared are baked, broiled, roasted, or steamed. One way you should never have your food prepared is fried.
When ordering keep some things in mind to help make your order healthy:
Appetizers: Shrimp cocktail, fruit cocktail, melon, and crackers are great starters.
Breads: Ask if the bread is whole-grained and avoid using large amounts of better. Not using butter at all would be you best choice however.
Soups: Broth-based soups, minestrone, lentils, and bean soups.
Salads: Try to limit the amounts of cheese, bacon bits, olives, and high-fat dressings. Stick with the veggies and croutons.
Seafood and Poultry: Request your food to be broiled, baked, roasted, steamed, or stir-fried. Also ask that it be done dry or with very little oil because many chefs tend to use a large amount of oil or butter to prepare their food.
Beef: If you order large portions of meat then reduce the size and take the left-overs home to eat for another meal. Also, trim the visible fat or ask for extra-lean cuts of meat.
Pasta: Order pasta served with tomato sauces rather than high fat sauces such as cheese, oil, or cream sauces.
Vegetables: Request your veggies to be steamed or prepared with no butter and sauces served on the side.
Potatoes: A baked potato can be a good source of carbs however, ask that toppings be served on the side so you can control the amount used. Try to avoid large amounts of fatty toppings such as butter, and bacon bits.
When going out to a restaurant to eat, choosing foods wisely will make your visit a whole lot healthier. Don’t be afraid to ask the server if they have any healthier options on the menu or if you can order something prepared a certain way. The best ways to have your food prepared are baked, broiled, roasted, or steamed. One way you should never have your food prepared is fried.
When ordering keep some things in mind to help make your order healthy:
Appetizers: Shrimp cocktail, fruit cocktail, melon, and crackers are great starters.
Breads: Ask if the bread is whole-grained and avoid using large amounts of better. Not using butter at all would be you best choice however.
Soups: Broth-based soups, minestrone, lentils, and bean soups.
Salads: Try to limit the amounts of cheese, bacon bits, olives, and high-fat dressings. Stick with the veggies and croutons.
Seafood and Poultry: Request your food to be broiled, baked, roasted, steamed, or stir-fried. Also ask that it be done dry or with very little oil because many chefs tend to use a large amount of oil or butter to prepare their food.
Beef: If you order large portions of meat then reduce the size and take the left-overs home to eat for another meal. Also, trim the visible fat or ask for extra-lean cuts of meat.
Pasta: Order pasta served with tomato sauces rather than high fat sauces such as cheese, oil, or cream sauces.
Vegetables: Request your veggies to be steamed or prepared with no butter and sauces served on the side.
Potatoes: A baked potato can be a good source of carbs however, ask that toppings be served on the side so you can control the amount used. Try to avoid large amounts of fatty toppings such as butter, and bacon bits.
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