I find that when I want to lean up it is more effective to cut BOTH calories and carbohydrates.
After a period of adding muscle when calories must exceed amount needed, I like to strip off the fat that was added and see what's left.
That's where I am now.
I went from 165 to 173.5 over several months, lifted heavy, and now want to take it back to about 165 or so and see what it looks like.
I don't want to take 1,000 calories a day out of my diet (as I did during the big loss phase last year) because I don't need to and I know that if I take that many calories out my body will go catabolic and some of the muscle gains I've made will be lost, i.e., the body consuming muscle.
So, I am taking 500 calories a day out and moving my carbohydrates down to 120 grams or less per day. In just the last three days, I've moved from 173.5 to 171.6.
Here were my totals from yesterday:
Calories 1742.5
Carbohydrates 107.9
Fat 61.2
Protein 191.8
That left me short about 550 calories (considering the exercise from yesterday) - right on target.
The key will be keeping the energy levels up when the carbs are this low and that means (for me) eating at least 7 times a day -- very small meals that are high in protein. I know I'm doing good when I feel hungry often. I feel better when I know I can satiate that hunger.
Over the next several weeks I'll take you with me on this little journey and provide some commentary as we go along. Hope it helps.
If you'd like to see my diet from yesterday (or any day during this process), e-mail me at jimkarger@mac.com and I'll forward it back by e-mail.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Exercise Routine: Does It Matter?
I get a lot of questions in my sessions about workouts -- splits, sets, days, exercises.
Important questions but not in the way they are often intended. Let me explain . . .
Splits, sets, exercises etc. matter only after the most important issues are addressed, and those are:
1. Diet. You can eat more bad things in 30 minutes than you can work off in 8 hours. Unless you have the diet under control, are counting calories, carbs, fat, and protein and getting at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and no more than 1 gram of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight, you'll never reach your goal -- if your goal is to look lean and muscled.
2. Intensity. I have the opportunity to work out in a lot of gyms and I'd say less than 25% of the people I see are working out at an intensity level that will take them to the next stage of their physical development. When I say intensity, I'm not talking about yelling, screaming, cursing and grunting. I'm talking about focus and the ability to work through pain, to get an extra rep after you believe there is nothing left. This comes with focus and practice.
3. Regularity. We work weights 5 days a week as follows:
Monday - Chest/Abdominals
Tuesday - Back/Calves
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Off
Friday - Arms/Abdominals
Saturday - Shoulders/Traps/Calves
Sunday - Off
What we do and the order we do it in is not important, at least not as important as doing it - every week -- not missing a workout, even when we're on the road.
Only then can we talk about exercises. We train primarily with basic movements -- bench press (barbell and dumbbell) , squats (machine and bar), dead lifts, pull ups, and barbell overhead presses. Everything else follows these. I'm not a 'one-arm reverse wrist curl while standing on an exercise ball" kind of guy.
Bottom line: If you haven't got your diet right, you're wasting your time. You'll never add muscle and you'll never look ripped. And that maybe OK -- no judgment there. But I am perplexed when I get e-mails about how this guy or that girl followed my routine and didn't get results. I always go back and focus on their diet and in every case they were getting too many carbs, too many calories, and not enough protein. And, final thought for today -- if you think of the gym as a social experience, then enjoy it. Just don't expect results, except perhaps some new friends.
Train hard; diet harder!
Have a great week.
Jim
Important questions but not in the way they are often intended. Let me explain . . .
Splits, sets, exercises etc. matter only after the most important issues are addressed, and those are:
1. Diet. You can eat more bad things in 30 minutes than you can work off in 8 hours. Unless you have the diet under control, are counting calories, carbs, fat, and protein and getting at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and no more than 1 gram of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight, you'll never reach your goal -- if your goal is to look lean and muscled.
2. Intensity. I have the opportunity to work out in a lot of gyms and I'd say less than 25% of the people I see are working out at an intensity level that will take them to the next stage of their physical development. When I say intensity, I'm not talking about yelling, screaming, cursing and grunting. I'm talking about focus and the ability to work through pain, to get an extra rep after you believe there is nothing left. This comes with focus and practice.
3. Regularity. We work weights 5 days a week as follows:
Monday - Chest/Abdominals
Tuesday - Back/Calves
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Off
Friday - Arms/Abdominals
Saturday - Shoulders/Traps/Calves
Sunday - Off
What we do and the order we do it in is not important, at least not as important as doing it - every week -- not missing a workout, even when we're on the road.
Only then can we talk about exercises. We train primarily with basic movements -- bench press (barbell and dumbbell) , squats (machine and bar), dead lifts, pull ups, and barbell overhead presses. Everything else follows these. I'm not a 'one-arm reverse wrist curl while standing on an exercise ball" kind of guy.
Bottom line: If you haven't got your diet right, you're wasting your time. You'll never add muscle and you'll never look ripped. And that maybe OK -- no judgment there. But I am perplexed when I get e-mails about how this guy or that girl followed my routine and didn't get results. I always go back and focus on their diet and in every case they were getting too many carbs, too many calories, and not enough protein. And, final thought for today -- if you think of the gym as a social experience, then enjoy it. Just don't expect results, except perhaps some new friends.
Train hard; diet harder!
Have a great week.
Jim
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Separating Resistance Training From Cardio
Kelly and I have long discussed the problem of following weight training with cardio.
In short, if you're putting everything you have into 20-28 sets of resistance training per workout, there is little, if anything, left for cardio.
We've tried putting cardio before weights and the results there -- even worse -- a noticeable decline in energy levels and the ability to handle heavy weight.
I have read and talked to some bodybuilders about the problem and most of them split cardio away from the weights, e.g., cardio in the morning and weights in the afternoon, or vice versa.
Problem? It means going to the gym twice a day and we're just too busy to get that done on a consistent basis.
Which brings me to the solution -- we purchased two elliptical trainers and are reconfiguring our garage into a mini-gym -- the trainers, a complete set of dumbbells and a couple of benches. This is not to replace the gym in any way, but allows us to work weak areas we have designated for improvement at home and, most importantly, separate cardio from the weight training.
We've been on the program a couple of weeks now and love it.
We get up, go to the gym, put all we've got into it, come home, work, rest, and then late in the afternoon or early evening, get our cardio. And cardio feels very different -- we're rested, relaxed, and ready. We can hit it harder, burn more calories and feel we've given the best we can in both areas -- weights and cardio.
Only caveat -- don't do cardio too close to bedtime -- you rev the metabolism and body doesn't want to sleep. We've found, though, that if you finish your cardio at least 2 hours before bedtime, no problem. You'll sleep like a baby.
That's news from the home front. Hope all is well.
Train hard; diet harder!
Best,
Jim
Plus50Fitness.com
In short, if you're putting everything you have into 20-28 sets of resistance training per workout, there is little, if anything, left for cardio.
We've tried putting cardio before weights and the results there -- even worse -- a noticeable decline in energy levels and the ability to handle heavy weight.
I have read and talked to some bodybuilders about the problem and most of them split cardio away from the weights, e.g., cardio in the morning and weights in the afternoon, or vice versa.
Problem? It means going to the gym twice a day and we're just too busy to get that done on a consistent basis.
Which brings me to the solution -- we purchased two elliptical trainers and are reconfiguring our garage into a mini-gym -- the trainers, a complete set of dumbbells and a couple of benches. This is not to replace the gym in any way, but allows us to work weak areas we have designated for improvement at home and, most importantly, separate cardio from the weight training.
We've been on the program a couple of weeks now and love it.
We get up, go to the gym, put all we've got into it, come home, work, rest, and then late in the afternoon or early evening, get our cardio. And cardio feels very different -- we're rested, relaxed, and ready. We can hit it harder, burn more calories and feel we've given the best we can in both areas -- weights and cardio.
Only caveat -- don't do cardio too close to bedtime -- you rev the metabolism and body doesn't want to sleep. We've found, though, that if you finish your cardio at least 2 hours before bedtime, no problem. You'll sleep like a baby.
That's news from the home front. Hope all is well.
Train hard; diet harder!
Best,
Jim
Plus50Fitness.com
Monday, July 12, 2010
Back: The Forgotten Body Part
Look at most people who train and their back will almost always be their weakest body part.
It makes sense. We don't see our backs.
Unfortunately for most, everyone else does.
First and foremost, train your back just as you train every other body part. We are currently training five days a week -- Chest, Back, Legs, Arms, and Shoulders (with abs and calves mixed in two of those days each week.) Notice back is trained just like every other major body part.
Here's some good exercises for you to try -- keep it fresh and you'll keep it going:
Incline dumbbell rows. Lie face-down on an incline bench and row two dumbbells up, rotating your wrists from an overhand grip at the bottom to a palms-facing-your-sides grip at the top.
One-arm pulldowns With one hand. Grab a D-handle attached to a pulldown cable. Pull the handle down to the side of your chest (armpit area). With a longer range of motion, it’s easier to place more emphasis on the contraction than in a standard (two-hand) pulldown.
Seated cable high rows. With an overhand grip, grasp two ends of a rope attached to a low cable. Pull the rope back and up and separate the two parts so that at the top position, your hands are near your face but at opposite sides. This exercise combines a low cable row with an upright row; it works the lats and the lower and upper traps.
High-cable arms-out pulldowns. Stand in the middle of a cable crossover station and hold D-handles attached to two high cables (your arms will be out and up). Pull your elbows down and to your sides at the same time. You should feel a strong stretch in your outer lats at the top and a firm contraction in your inner, lower traps at the bottom position.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
It makes sense. We don't see our backs.
Unfortunately for most, everyone else does.
First and foremost, train your back just as you train every other body part. We are currently training five days a week -- Chest, Back, Legs, Arms, and Shoulders (with abs and calves mixed in two of those days each week.) Notice back is trained just like every other major body part.
Here's some good exercises for you to try -- keep it fresh and you'll keep it going:
Incline dumbbell rows. Lie face-down on an incline bench and row two dumbbells up, rotating your wrists from an overhand grip at the bottom to a palms-facing-your-sides grip at the top.
One-arm pulldowns With one hand. Grab a D-handle attached to a pulldown cable. Pull the handle down to the side of your chest (armpit area). With a longer range of motion, it’s easier to place more emphasis on the contraction than in a standard (two-hand) pulldown.
Seated cable high rows. With an overhand grip, grasp two ends of a rope attached to a low cable. Pull the rope back and up and separate the two parts so that at the top position, your hands are near your face but at opposite sides. This exercise combines a low cable row with an upright row; it works the lats and the lower and upper traps.
High-cable arms-out pulldowns. Stand in the middle of a cable crossover station and hold D-handles attached to two high cables (your arms will be out and up). Pull your elbows down and to your sides at the same time. You should feel a strong stretch in your outer lats at the top and a firm contraction in your inner, lower traps at the bottom position.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
Saturday, June 5, 2010
You've Heard It Before -- Now, Hear It Again . . .
Water.
Yep. Water.
One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University study.
Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen.
Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Don't like water? Spice it up with a little no-cal Kool Aid or one of the many variations on the theme and keep a gallon or two in the refrigerator. If it is available and cold you're more likely to drink it. I know I am.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
Yep. Water.
One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University study.
Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen.
Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Don't like water? Spice it up with a little no-cal Kool Aid or one of the many variations on the theme and keep a gallon or two in the refrigerator. If it is available and cold you're more likely to drink it. I know I am.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
Monday, May 31, 2010
7 weeks and 3.5 pounds later . . .
7 weeks on the road feels more like 7 months . . .
Waking up in hotels, forgetting where you are, what city you're in, and eating almost every meal out is not good for the body. Except when I could make it to a store and buy packaged tuna and protein powder, I had to try and do the right thing eating out. It is not easy and I learned about the importance of having a refrigerator in the room.
In those 7 weeks I put on 3.5 pounds, and that was even in with personal effort to keep the diet under control.
The question is, of course, why? Why does travel and weight gain go together?
Here's the best I can come up with . . .
1. Calories Per Meal. At home, each meal contains an average of about 300 calories. This keeps the metabolism going, never bogging it down and causing fat storage of excess calories. There is no such thing as a 300 calorie restaurant meal, unless you order a small salad, talk the cook into a chicken breast that hasn't been soaked in oil, and bring your own salad dressing.
2. Number of meals. At home, I eat 6 to 7 meals a day. On the road, it is usually 3 or 4 meals, all larger. The larger the meal, the more negative impact on metabolism.
3. Sodium. Holy Smoke! The amount of salt they put into food is disturbing, yet I got used to it quickly on the road. That's the problem -- you stop noticing. And sodium causes all kinds of problems, including higher blood pressure, lower energy levels, and water retention.
4. Alcohol. This wasn't really a problem for me, but I could see it becoming a problem if I'd stayed out there much longer. After a long day at work, a lot of folks want to have a drink or two or three. Sometimes, it is hard not to join in the fun.
5. Stress. Work is often stressful. That causes people (including me) to eat more. And, eat more or not, stress results in the creation of cortisol by the body which has been linked to fat storage.
6. Exercise. I didn't miss too many workouts while I was out, but they were often rushed or abbreviated due to time constraints. It often meant working out after work which is not good for me. I do better and can hit it harder and longer if I get up and get to the gym in the norning. That also translates into less work, less calories expended, and less continuing metabolic effect.
7. Rhythm. This is more difficult to explain, but doing the same things at the same times each day, while it may sound boring, is good for the body. Eating, working out, sleeping -- all important and all can get out of synch when other demands control your life.
So, what's the answer?
I don't believe there is a good answer beyond staying off the road as much as possible.
For me that means never doing it again. Sure, I'll go out on the road from time to time, but not for 7 weeks, not even for 5, or 4 or 3 weeks. Staying in condition is too important to my physical and mental well-being to trade it for a few extra dollars.
That's a personal choice, of course, but it is my choice.
Hope you're having a great Memorial Day weekend.
Train hard; diet harder.
Jim
Waking up in hotels, forgetting where you are, what city you're in, and eating almost every meal out is not good for the body. Except when I could make it to a store and buy packaged tuna and protein powder, I had to try and do the right thing eating out. It is not easy and I learned about the importance of having a refrigerator in the room.
In those 7 weeks I put on 3.5 pounds, and that was even in with personal effort to keep the diet under control.
The question is, of course, why? Why does travel and weight gain go together?
Here's the best I can come up with . . .
1. Calories Per Meal. At home, each meal contains an average of about 300 calories. This keeps the metabolism going, never bogging it down and causing fat storage of excess calories. There is no such thing as a 300 calorie restaurant meal, unless you order a small salad, talk the cook into a chicken breast that hasn't been soaked in oil, and bring your own salad dressing.
2. Number of meals. At home, I eat 6 to 7 meals a day. On the road, it is usually 3 or 4 meals, all larger. The larger the meal, the more negative impact on metabolism.
3. Sodium. Holy Smoke! The amount of salt they put into food is disturbing, yet I got used to it quickly on the road. That's the problem -- you stop noticing. And sodium causes all kinds of problems, including higher blood pressure, lower energy levels, and water retention.
4. Alcohol. This wasn't really a problem for me, but I could see it becoming a problem if I'd stayed out there much longer. After a long day at work, a lot of folks want to have a drink or two or three. Sometimes, it is hard not to join in the fun.
5. Stress. Work is often stressful. That causes people (including me) to eat more. And, eat more or not, stress results in the creation of cortisol by the body which has been linked to fat storage.
6. Exercise. I didn't miss too many workouts while I was out, but they were often rushed or abbreviated due to time constraints. It often meant working out after work which is not good for me. I do better and can hit it harder and longer if I get up and get to the gym in the norning. That also translates into less work, less calories expended, and less continuing metabolic effect.
7. Rhythm. This is more difficult to explain, but doing the same things at the same times each day, while it may sound boring, is good for the body. Eating, working out, sleeping -- all important and all can get out of synch when other demands control your life.
So, what's the answer?
I don't believe there is a good answer beyond staying off the road as much as possible.
For me that means never doing it again. Sure, I'll go out on the road from time to time, but not for 7 weeks, not even for 5, or 4 or 3 weeks. Staying in condition is too important to my physical and mental well-being to trade it for a few extra dollars.
That's a personal choice, of course, but it is my choice.
Hope you're having a great Memorial Day weekend.
Train hard; diet harder.
Jim
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Keeping it together when traveling on business . . . advice to the road warriors
Just as I began my cutting diet six weeks ago, duty called.
I have now been on the road for six weeks -- not just 3 or 4 days a week, but seven days a week. Indeed, this is the first time I've been home in six weeks and I'll be here all of four days. Then it is back to wars for two more weeks.
The lessons I've learned are important . . .
- If you are working 10 - 12 hours a day, there is no way to stay in "condition." Sure, you can stay in "shape," keep the weight down, but no way, no how, can you work out enough and with enough intensity to build muscle, or carve up.
- I have learned to get two workouts in every weekend on the road, and then squeeze two into the week, usually finding a gym that stays open late and showing up about 9 p.m.
- The other mornings (and sometimes evenings) I find the workout room in the hotel and climb on the elliptical trainer just to burn calories and keep the metabolism going.
- I eat clean on the road but don't always get all my meals and find myself developing a bad habit -- getting most of my calories after 2 p.m. Not good. I can do better there.
- I am within a pound of the weight I was six weeks ago, but that hard, etched look is nowhere to be found. Not surprising and easily correctable when I can get back into my groove at home . . .
So, here's some advice to you road warriors . . .
1. Don't expect to be entering any physique competitions -- you will lose to those who can stay at home, keep strict on their diets, not eating out, and working out hard five days a week.
2. You can stay in shape by always working out on the weekends and squeezing two, maybe three, workouts in on the road.
3. When you can't work out, at least do 30 or 40 minutes of cardio a day -- keep the metabolism boosted.
4. Eat clean, watch your calories. DietController, the software I use, has been very valuable because I can watch my calories and protein intake as I go through every day and keep it within the speed limit.
5. Try to get your sleep. This is very difficult for me. I am an 8-hour sleeper, if given a chance, but I almost never get that on the road, oftentimes subsisting on 5 or 6 hours a night for a week at a time. To help me when I am wound up, I have found a natural compound called "Lean Dreams" that includes L-Tryptophan that promotes deep sleep as well as a compound that helps reduce cortisol.
In the four days I'm at home I am working out, not surprisingly, all four days. Monday finds me back on the road, returning home May 28th, after which I intend to stay put, get back in the groove, without too much damage having been done living in various Hampton Inns across the country.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
I have now been on the road for six weeks -- not just 3 or 4 days a week, but seven days a week. Indeed, this is the first time I've been home in six weeks and I'll be here all of four days. Then it is back to wars for two more weeks.
The lessons I've learned are important . . .
- If you are working 10 - 12 hours a day, there is no way to stay in "condition." Sure, you can stay in "shape," keep the weight down, but no way, no how, can you work out enough and with enough intensity to build muscle, or carve up.
- I have learned to get two workouts in every weekend on the road, and then squeeze two into the week, usually finding a gym that stays open late and showing up about 9 p.m.
- The other mornings (and sometimes evenings) I find the workout room in the hotel and climb on the elliptical trainer just to burn calories and keep the metabolism going.
- I eat clean on the road but don't always get all my meals and find myself developing a bad habit -- getting most of my calories after 2 p.m. Not good. I can do better there.
- I am within a pound of the weight I was six weeks ago, but that hard, etched look is nowhere to be found. Not surprising and easily correctable when I can get back into my groove at home . . .
So, here's some advice to you road warriors . . .
1. Don't expect to be entering any physique competitions -- you will lose to those who can stay at home, keep strict on their diets, not eating out, and working out hard five days a week.
2. You can stay in shape by always working out on the weekends and squeezing two, maybe three, workouts in on the road.
3. When you can't work out, at least do 30 or 40 minutes of cardio a day -- keep the metabolism boosted.
4. Eat clean, watch your calories. DietController, the software I use, has been very valuable because I can watch my calories and protein intake as I go through every day and keep it within the speed limit.
5. Try to get your sleep. This is very difficult for me. I am an 8-hour sleeper, if given a chance, but I almost never get that on the road, oftentimes subsisting on 5 or 6 hours a night for a week at a time. To help me when I am wound up, I have found a natural compound called "Lean Dreams" that includes L-Tryptophan that promotes deep sleep as well as a compound that helps reduce cortisol.
In the four days I'm at home I am working out, not surprisingly, all four days. Monday finds me back on the road, returning home May 28th, after which I intend to stay put, get back in the groove, without too much damage having been done living in various Hampton Inns across the country.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)