DAY 15

I spent the end of last week traveling with family, so I did not have much time for working out or eating properly.  I did the best I could with getting enough calories and protein and I even did a full workout with dumbbells in a Marriott hotel gym in Victoria, Canada.  It's not too difficult to keep at it while you travel! You have 168 hours in your week. You can at least use 4 of those hours to get some exercise! 

DAY 15, 180 lbs

I'm excited to be starting a new 4-week strength training routine this week.  I'm very happy to have recruited a friend of mine to join me.  We'll be getting up at 4:30 every morning to get in the gym before work.  We'll be doing a lot of high weight with low repetitions (i.e. 4 sets of 4 reps).  The workout comes straight out of The New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle, so, unfortunately, I can't share it with you. However, I urge any weight lifters (from beginners to intermediate lifters) to purchase this book! It is an excellent resource for up-to-date lifting routines and techniques. It has given me a whole year of very effective weight lifting routines!  If you already have the book, I am using the Strength 2 routine for these next 4 weeks.

The only thing that the book lacks is proper instruction on working the core and the abdominal muscles.  I substitute crunches for planks for working my core. Crunches and sit-ups are highly ineffective.  I'll write a post on this soon!  For now, just start doing more planks.  If you can easily hold plank for a minute, try putting your feet on a bench or a swiss ball.  You can also try lifting one hand and the opposite foot for 10 to 15 second intervals.  There are tons of variations of the plank to help with core.

Let me know! How do you work your core?

DAYS 9 and 10

DAY 9

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope y'all made time to look good for your significant others.  I know I couldn't thank my wife enough for the love and support she gives me.  I can honestly say I don't always enjoy lifting weights, but I am motivated each and every day by her.  I work hard to make sure that we will have a long, healthy, and happy life together.  I love you, Lee-Cassie.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!

Valentine's Day was no excuse to miss a day a training.  I squeezed a great workout into my busy schedule.  I feel like my body is starting to head in the right direction now that I have the right food to fuel me and the right schedule to get proper rest.  One set-back has been the crowds in my gym lately.  I workout in a shipyard, so when we have more Navy ships docked, there are more people in the gym. I plan on starting to workout early in the morning this Thursday. We'll see how that goes.

DAY 10

My sweet wife went grocery shopping for us this week after I compiled a list of the types of food I should be eating every week to fuel my workouts.  Below is my personal 7 day list if you're curious. I don't have too much time to write tonight.  I'm getting to bed early so I can get in the gym bright and early tomorrow morning.   

FRUIT
Apples
Bananas
2 Pineapples (precut)
Plums, Pears, or Oranges
Berries

VEGGIES
5 Bags Fresh Spinach
3 Bags Baby Carrots
7 Potatoes
1 Onion
4 Red Bell Peppers
Cucumbers

DAIRY
1 Dozen Eggs
2 Large Containers Plain Yogurt
4 Cartons Egg Whites
Sliced Sharp Cheddar
2 Gallons Milk

MEAT
3 Packs Chicken or Turkey Sausage
4 Pounds Extra Lean Ground Beef
Large Bag of Chicken Breasts
Fish

GRAINS+NUTS
Whole Grain English Muffins (NOT ENCRICHED)
1 Box High-Fiber Cereal
Walnuts
Cashews
Quinoa
Steel Cut Oats
Spaghetti Noodles

OTHER
Banana Cream Syntha-6 Protein Powder

Sports Drink Mix
Fish Oil Capsules (EPA + DHA = 300 to 600mg)
1 Bottle Flax Oil
Green Tea
Spaghetti Sauce

Let me know! How is your workout going? What does your grocery list usually look like?

When To Eat

Do you eat 3 balanced meals every day? Is dinner your biggest meal of the day?  Are you one of those people who just can’t eat breakfast?

If your answer is yes to any of these questions, you have it all wrong!

If you have been following along these last few weeks, I have given you a glimpse of  what you should be eating and drinking for optimal health.  Lean meats, fish, dairy, whole vegetables, whole fruits, whole grains, unpasteurized fruit juice, water, etc.  See Grocery List - Fruit , Grocery List - Vegetables, and Grocery List - Meat, Poultry, and Fish for some guidance in what to eat.

What I have not yet discussed is when to eat. I like to call this nutrient timing. Improving your nutrient timing will allow your metabolism to stay high throughout the day and turn your body into a well oiled, fat burning machine. 

If someone asked you, "What are the two most important meals of the day?", what would you say? If you said breakfast and after your workout, you are correct!  Do you know why?

BREAKFAST

When you are getting your long night’s sleep, your metabolism is at its most efficient state and you have tons of stored energy and low levels of glucose in your muscles.  It is extremely important to eat a healthy meal within 1 hour of waking up in order to keep your metabolism high and build up stores of nutrients for the day. You have to avoid simple carbohydrates and refined sugars, because these foods will have a negative effect on your metabolism. Plus, the excess glucose actually turns into fat! Don’t start your day with a plate of fat. Instead, eat lean proteins (e.g. egg whites or natural peanut butter), complex carbohydrates (e.g. whole grain english muffin or a whole grain bagel), whole fruits, and vegetables.  Breakfast will affect your metabolism more than any other meal. The effects last the rest of the day. If you are not eating breakfast, you are shooting yourself in the foot. I would say you’re shooting yourself in both feet. If there is anything you take away from this post it is that you should start every day off right with a good, nutrient-rich breakfast!

AFTER YOUR WORKOUT

Cardiovascular and anaerobic exercises both use nutrients very quickly, so exercising, like sleep, will create nutrient deficiencies in your body.  For this reason, what you eat after your workout can be very similar to what you would eat for a healthy breakfast. In the meals following your exercise, you should replenish your body with lean proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables. If you consider yourself to have a sweet tooth, post-workout is probably the best time of the day to get your sugar fix. A little sugar improves your insulin and glucose levels. I’m not a huge fan of sweets, but my post-workout protein shake includes hydrolyzed whey protein (quick dissolving for quick supply to the muscles) and sports drink mix (sugar).  If you drink a post-workout protein shake, make sure it is immediately after the workout. Also eat a solid meal within two hours of your workout. Avoid fatty foods (even healthy fats) in the 6 hours following your workout.

EAT SIX MEALS PER DAY

You have probably heard this one before. Eating six meals each day is incredibly important for maintaining a high metabolism. You will get nutrients more frequently, avoid over eating, and spend less energy handling waste products.  Many studies have shown that a person who eats 6 meals each day gets way more nutrients than a person eating the same exact food in 3 meals. The body can only absorb a certain level of nutrients, so large meals create tons of excess waste that slow the metabolism down.  If you’re eating three meals per day, it is time to make the change! Take a few minutes each morning or night to prepare your meals if you have to.

These three rules apply to everyone wanting a healthier body. If you want an individualized eating plan meant for your particular goal (weight loss, muscle mass, etc.), feel free to email me or leave a comment below. I would be more than happy to help!

Let us know! Which one of these tips do you struggle with the most? If you eat 6 meals per day, how do you take time to prepare each meal? Leave a comment below!

My Journey - Hitting a Wall

I have taken a lot of time to give all of you some of my best tips on exercise and nutrition, but I haven't found time to tell you about my own journey - until now.

ABOUT ME

I'm a 22 year old mechanical engineer. I live in Bremerton, Washington with my beautiful wife, Lee-Cassie. She has a blog herself, so check it out! [www.asoutherngirlsguidetoskinny.blogspot.com] I have been exercising and improving my nutrition off and on for the last 8 years, so I definitely know what it's like to go through slumps.

Okay, so don't hate me when I tell you this... Do you promise?....Fine. I have always been skinny. No matter what I have eaten my whole life, I have always been lanky, scrawny, a bean stalk, ectomorphic, or whatever you wanna call it. I have grown up on thousands of pizzas, pounds of mac and cheese, and tons of fast food. I've always thought (as a lot of people do) that skinny means healthy. Here's a quick fact though: Our bodies were made for natural whole foods, not the man made science experiments all of us are guilty of stuffing our faces with. Skinny, obese, strong, or weak, there is no way to bypass this fact. If there is anything I've learned in the last 8 years, it's that skinniness is definitely not directly proportional to health! My family has a history of high blood pressure and heart issues. I knew if I continued to eat poorly, I would be on a fast track to high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis among tons of other issues. It's amazing how eating correctly can affect your life.

My freshman year of college (5 years ago), I was 6' 2" and 144 lbs. I added 20 pounds of muscle over my four years at Auburn University (War Eagle!) by improving my diet and being a little more consistent with weight lifting. My engineering courses made it nearly impossible to stay consistent, but my schedule got much better once I graduated. My work day is usually 7:00 am to 3:45 pm. It leaves me plenty of time to hit the gym before dinner. Since I finally had the time, I had to set goals. I ordered "The New Rules of Lifting," written by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove back in July. It helped me strip my workouts down to the most effective exercises and helped me lay out a one year plan. I'm now 23 weeks into the program and I'm 185 pounds and much stronger than I've ever been. I have seen close to 40% strength increases in several exercises, like deadlift, squat, and bench press. The results have been great so far, but I have recently hit a wall. Before I tell you about the wall, let me tell you about my personal goal.

MY GOAL

My goal is simple; be as healthy as I possibly can be. For me, this includes physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It's very important for me to find balance in all of these. I don't want to spend so much time focusing on my physical health that I end up dumber than a box of rocks. Some day down the road I want to be as fit as a professional athlete, have a PhD in engineering, and be a leader in my church. I'm a firm believer in self-improvement and I try to find at least one thing to improve upon each day.

To find a balance in my life, my goals are to:
-Live a long, healthy life with my wife
-Grow stronger in my Christian faith
-Improve the lives of those around me
-Be successful in my career
-Travel the world

Fitness and nutrition is obviously a small slice of my goals. So why am I writing on it, you ask? Because there is so much information out there about nutrition and fitness and it takes a crazy amount of time to find out the correct ways to eat and exercise! I've had to devote a ton of time to find out how to be physically healthy. This is time I could have been spending focusing on all of the other aspects of my life. I'm hoping this blog will help save you a ton of time by giving you simple information, so you can spend time doing all of the other things you enjoy.

HITTING A WALL

I have not gone to the gym in the last 10 days. This doesn't sound so bad, right? I know, but I think it definitely is. I started this 52 week program 23 weeks ago. I haven't missed a single planned workout since I've started. I have skipped the last 6 planned workouts and now I feel almost no desire to pick up any weights. I am having a hard time convincing myself that I need to keep going and I'm continuing to make tons of excuses. I've had a pretty bad cold since last Monday, the gym was closed due to snow for a few days last week, and I went out of town this past weekend. Also, I will start working 9 straight days of 13 hour night shifts this coming Monday. I'm a little worried I'll never get back!

BREAKING THE WALL

So here's my plan. I won't have much time to devote to the gym during the next two weeks, so I'm going to eat especially healthy and hit the gym hard as soon as I'm done with the long shifts. I'm being a huge hypocrite because I firmly believe that you should never put things off, but February 13th will be the day.
I will have 6 weeks of strength exercises, 1 week off, 6 weeks of hypertrophy workouts, 1 week off, 4 weeks of strength workouts, 2 weeks off, then 6 weeks of fat loss exercises. This has me ending sometime in August. I need you guys to help hold me accountable!

Let us know! What's the longest plan you've ever had? How do you break through your walls? What are your goals?

Making Your Workout Plan and Staying Motivated

Before I start talking about motivation and planning, let’s address the word no one likes to hear - Procrastination. We all procrastinate - let’s just get that out in the open. There’s not a one of us who doesn’t, to some degree.  When you’re starting a new workout or any new good habit at all, just take Mr. Procrastination and punch him right in the face!

How many times have you had the following thoughts? “I’ll start exercising next Monday” -or- “I’ll start eating well after the holidays.” If you’ve had these thoughts, did you actually follow through? Chances are you did not and, unfortunately, Mr. Procrastination won yet again. There is no reason not to start these habits RIGHT NOW. If you want to start working out, go to the gym TODAY. If it’s too late, go ahead and get your workout clothes together for tomorrow. If you want to start eating well, throw out all of those bad foods TONIGHT and get a grocery list together for healthy food.

PLANNING

When I started lifting weights about 8 years ago, I would go the gym whenever I had spare time with a few exercises or body parts I wanted to work (usually abs, biceps, and chest like any teenager wanting a ‘beach body’). I had no real plan at all. I would do this for a month or two and hardly see any results. Without a plan, I was completely frustrated, tired of exercising, not to mention, totally wasting my time.

When you begin weight lifting, making a plan is essential. Just follow these 4 simple rules:

Make a 1-week schedule that works all muscle groups: You have to decide whether you want to lift weights 2, 3, or 4 days per week. Keep in mind that resting is very important because it gives your muscles much needed time to repair. Do not lift weights more than two days without taking a rest day (a lower intensity exercise is still ok). Make sure you work all muscle groups (shoulders, chest, back, biceps, triceps, legs, abs) within this week. You could split these groups into 2, 3, or 4 separate days.

Continue doing your 1-week schedule for 4 to 8 weeks: This 4 to 8 week routine gives you time to see progress. You’ll be able to do more weight each week. Your technique will improve and so will your body. The problem is, as you near the end of this routine, your muscles will start to get used to each of these exercises and you will begin to plateau.

Create another routine at least a week before your current routine ends: This new routine will keep you from plateauing! Plus, I always get bored doing the same thing for a long time, so I’m always excited about changing my workout.

Take a week off after your 4 to 8 week routine: By now you have probably not had a single day without being sore in some part of your body. It is very important that you take a break for both emotional and physical reasons. Some of you will be thinking “Thank goodness about time for a break,” but most of you will be excited about getting started the next week. Just know that when you work hard, you have to rest hard as well!

STAYING MOTIVATED

I’ve been lifting weights for the past 6 months with 5 different 4 to 8 week routines, but this past week I hit a wall. I took a two week break during the holidays and when I started back, I did not want to be in the gym. My current routine starts on Monday by working legs and I really hate leg days so that probably didn’t help. I didn’t like it, but I stayed in the gym and finished my workout anyways. That night, I couldn’t have been happier and more proud of myself. Now I’m more excited than ever about my plan.

Set goals. What kept me motivated when I hit that wall were my goals. 6 months ago, I made a somewhat long term (I say ‘somewhat’ because the ultimate long term goal should be lengthening your healthy life!) goal to lift weights for a year without skipping a single day of workouts. The fact that I have already been through 6 months without missing a day holds me accountable. I think to myself “I can’t give up now!” I also make weekly goals. I take a log sheet with me to the gym every day to record the weight I lift. Not everyone does this, but I highly recommend it. Recording my weight allows me to beat myself each time I go to the gym. If I don’t beat my weights from the previous week, I’m losing and no one likes losing! Think about how much you could progress if you continue to beat your past weights for 6 consecutive weeks. I’ve seen more than 30% strength gains in my 6-week routines before!

Workout with a partner. If you have a partner in crime, you will always have someone to spot you for one, but, more importantly, you will have someone who can pick you up when your down. It is unlikely that you will both lack motivation on the same day. I always thought I needed a partner to hold me accountable each week, but not everyone needs one. I haven’t been able to keep a steady partner  since I started 6 months ago, but I’ve learned to stay motivated by other means (above).



Look back in time.  Sometimes looking at old photos of how you were before you began training, losing weight, and building muscle are more than enough to keep you motivated. This also works with recorded weights and numbers.  

Tell people about your goals. Just vocalizing your goals can make it a lot easier for you to stick to them. They suddenly feel more real and tangible. Plus, you do not want to fail in front of your friends and family or let them down. I’ve seen people that post their goals on Facebook. The people (men and women both) who I’ve seen post their weights and weight goals on Facebook have all obliterated their goals and have all been more excited doing so. I’m sure the same would definitely work for guys with strength goals or guys trying to put on muscle mass.

Let us know! What are your fitness goals? Weight loss? Gaining strength? Gaining muscle mass? Try writing them all down and use your new planning skills to make a plan to achieve them!