Since starting to hit the gym hard a couple of years ago, Kelly and I have been working out as a start to our days -- usually between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.
We never questioned whether that time was right. It simply fit into our schedules. We got our weight training in and then would do our cardio at the end of the day at about 6 or 7 p.m. It worked and we never questioned whether there might be a better time of day to workout.
Then, on the way to the circus as it were, we found ourselves out of town and in a situation where early morning workouts didn't fit our schedules. In making adjustments we found it easier to get up early and get the cardio in and then show up at the gym about noon. We never thought it would be permanent or even make a difference. It was simply the way it was.
But, we discovered something important: It's not just what you do that is important. It is when you do it.
What we found was that we were both noticeably stronger at noon than we had been at 7 a.m., even after doing our cardio session earlier in the morning. And that was an important discovery. The stronger you are the more weight you can lift. The more weight you can lift, the more micro-tears in the muscle and the bigger the muscle will grow (assuming proper nutrition, protein balance, etc.)
This caused me to do a little research when we got back home and here's what I found - the pros and cons of working out early in the day . . .
Pros of early morning workouts:
• The majority of people who exercise consistently do so early in the day. It is easier to form the exercise habit through morning exercise.
• Fewer distractions and schedule interruptions.
• Can make time for exercise by getting up a bit earlier.
• Raises your heart rate and metabolism to burn more calories earlier in the day.
• Gives a feeling of physical energy for hours.
• Improves your mental acuity for hours.
• Cooler temperatures in summer.
• Air pollution is lowest in the morning.
• The body adjusts to your exercise time, so if you are training for a morning sports event, train in the morning.
Cons of early morning workouts:
• Body temperature is at its lowest 1-3 hours before awakening, making morning a time of naturally lower energy and blood flow.
• Cold, stiff muscles may be more prone to injury - be sure to warm up well before doing a higher intensity workout, and do gentle stretching.
• If you do not enjoy morning exercise, you won't easily form a habit by choosing a morning workout time.
• Because body temperature and hormones are higher in late afternoon, you probably get the same or better calorie-burning effects later in the day.
Bingo! That explains why morning workouts were great in the beginning -- it got us into a habit. It, unfortunately, also perhaps explains why I was suffering more injuries than I needed to. Most importantly, it explains why later in the day (about noon) works for us best now -- we're more energetic, can hit it harder and heavier, and get in more sets.
Does that mean "noon" is the time to workout? No. It just means it is the best time for us now. As we move through our development, it may be that we move the workout even further forward in the day, to say 5 p.m. After all, some of the best bodybuilders in the world workout late in the day. Or, we may find that we'd like to take advantage of the metabolic effects of working out in the morning and move it back to sometime early in the day.
Lesson: Experiment! See what's best for you and always be willing to try something new -- whether it is a new exercise or a time to exercise.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Decide What You Want to Exercise: Your Muscles Or Your Ego
I have the opportunity to work out in many different gyms in the United States and a few in Mexico and a dynamic I see more often than not is what I call "hero lifting." It involves using heavy weight (much heavier than one can really handle) and handling it by lifting it (or more often than not) not lifting it properly.
A couple of examples:
Leg Press - The way this works your legs effectively is to put your feet low on the pad and bring your knees to your chest -- a full, long movement. The "hero" move is to load a couple of extra plates on, put the feet high on the pad and drop it about 4 or 5 inches. Or, even worse, drop it a few inches and then put the hands on the knees and help press it back up. That's worthless to build leg strength but a great ego booster. The same is true with squats and hack squats. They are a cheater's paradise because the movement can be truncated easily so as to completely avoid working the quadriceps.
Bench Press - Same song, second verse. A bench press involves bringing the weight to the chest, touching it lightly and then pushing it back to full extension. The "hero" move is to load up the bar and drop it about 4 or 5 inches (sometimes even less than that) and then get up and make sure everyone in the gym has seen just how much weight you can (but really can't) handle.
Bottom line? Decide what you want to work -- your muscles or your ego. If the former, leave the latter outside the gym and just come in, work hard and do what you can do properly and effectively.
Train hard; diet harder.
Jim
A couple of examples:
Leg Press - The way this works your legs effectively is to put your feet low on the pad and bring your knees to your chest -- a full, long movement. The "hero" move is to load a couple of extra plates on, put the feet high on the pad and drop it about 4 or 5 inches. Or, even worse, drop it a few inches and then put the hands on the knees and help press it back up. That's worthless to build leg strength but a great ego booster. The same is true with squats and hack squats. They are a cheater's paradise because the movement can be truncated easily so as to completely avoid working the quadriceps.
Bench Press - Same song, second verse. A bench press involves bringing the weight to the chest, touching it lightly and then pushing it back to full extension. The "hero" move is to load up the bar and drop it about 4 or 5 inches (sometimes even less than that) and then get up and make sure everyone in the gym has seen just how much weight you can (but really can't) handle.
Bottom line? Decide what you want to work -- your muscles or your ego. If the former, leave the latter outside the gym and just come in, work hard and do what you can do properly and effectively.
Train hard; diet harder.
Jim
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Someone at McDonald's Didn't Get The Memo
As the U.S. Agriculture Department has recently Americans to "eat less." Fast-food chain restaurants are ignoring the memo, adding menu items loaded with more calories, sodium and fat.
How about a footlong burger or a burrito stuffed with beef, cheese sauce and Fritos?
Seriously.
From the Los Angeles Times . . .
"A Big Mac without cheese has 540 calories, according to McDonald's Corp., twice as many as in one of the company's smallish regular hamburgers. By comparison, the company's new Angus Bacon Cheese Wrap has 790.
"Here are other recent or proposed items:
"• All-American Jack from Jack in the Box Inc. To debut during the Super Bowl, the sandwich will feature two jumbo beef patties and two kinds of cheese, with 840 calories. Make it a meal for $4.99 and the count goes up to 1,400.
"• Taco Bell Corp.'s Beefy Crunch Burrito meal: ground beef, rice, nacho cheese sauce, sour cream and spicy Fritos wrapped in a tortilla, plus cinnamon twists on the side and a medium soft drink, for a total of 1,390 calories. Now available.
"• Carl's Jr.'s Footlong Cheeseburger: Three cheeseburgers laid end to end on a 12-inch roll was a hit when the chain tested it at four Orange County restaurants last year. It has 850 calories and is under consideration to be a regular offering.
"• Burger King Holding Inc.'s Stuffed Steakhouse: a third of a pound of beef stuffed with jalapenos and cheese, at 600 calories. Fries and a drink make it 1,200 calories. Now available."
Not surprising that many States now have more than 25% of their populations waddling around in the "obese" category.
Friends, this kind of eating is not just unhealthy. It is dangerous. This "food" (to use the term loosely) should come wrapped in your death certificate. And, what's worse it increases the cravings for fat, salt, and sugar.
If you need a day where you forget about calories, no problem. But even on those days, eat clean. Eat more, but eat clean -- lots of lean chicken, turkey, plenty of vegetables and if you want something naughty make it nuts or peanut butter or even some ice cream.
But not this. Not now. Not ever.
Train hard; diet harder.
Jim
(Original article: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fast-food-calorie-20110202,0,4499158,full.story
How about a footlong burger or a burrito stuffed with beef, cheese sauce and Fritos?
Seriously.
From the Los Angeles Times . . .
"A Big Mac without cheese has 540 calories, according to McDonald's Corp., twice as many as in one of the company's smallish regular hamburgers. By comparison, the company's new Angus Bacon Cheese Wrap has 790.
"Here are other recent or proposed items:
"• All-American Jack from Jack in the Box Inc. To debut during the Super Bowl, the sandwich will feature two jumbo beef patties and two kinds of cheese, with 840 calories. Make it a meal for $4.99 and the count goes up to 1,400.
"• Taco Bell Corp.'s Beefy Crunch Burrito meal: ground beef, rice, nacho cheese sauce, sour cream and spicy Fritos wrapped in a tortilla, plus cinnamon twists on the side and a medium soft drink, for a total of 1,390 calories. Now available.
"• Carl's Jr.'s Footlong Cheeseburger: Three cheeseburgers laid end to end on a 12-inch roll was a hit when the chain tested it at four Orange County restaurants last year. It has 850 calories and is under consideration to be a regular offering.
"• Burger King Holding Inc.'s Stuffed Steakhouse: a third of a pound of beef stuffed with jalapenos and cheese, at 600 calories. Fries and a drink make it 1,200 calories. Now available."
Not surprising that many States now have more than 25% of their populations waddling around in the "obese" category.
Friends, this kind of eating is not just unhealthy. It is dangerous. This "food" (to use the term loosely) should come wrapped in your death certificate. And, what's worse it increases the cravings for fat, salt, and sugar.
If you need a day where you forget about calories, no problem. But even on those days, eat clean. Eat more, but eat clean -- lots of lean chicken, turkey, plenty of vegetables and if you want something naughty make it nuts or peanut butter or even some ice cream.
But not this. Not now. Not ever.
Train hard; diet harder.
Jim
(Original article: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fast-food-calorie-20110202,0,4499158,full.story
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
"Is That You In The Mirror?" Probably Not If You're Eating At Taco Bell
"Is That You In the Mirror?"
That's the title I gave my nutrition/fitness seminar because it asks the right question -- is who you see when you look in the mirror really you? I spent years avoiding mirrors so as not to have to answer that question. Now, after having lost 55 pounds and putting on a lot of muscle over the last couple of years, I can say, "Yeah, that's me in the mirror, and I like what I see."
It is really not difficult to get to that point in life. It is simply a matter of deciding to do it and having a fool-proof system to get it done, one that provides the accountability we all need to get anything done. (I will be at Fitness International in San Miguel de Allende this Thursday from 2 - 4 p.m. talking about it. If you're in the area, come by. More dates in other locations coming soon . . .)
One of the few "rules" we play by at plus50fitness.com is this: "If you can't tell what it was, don't eat it." What I mean by that is so much of our food is so processed that you cannot tell what it once was in the original form. You can tell a peanut was a peanut. But you can't tell what your Coco Puffs once were, now can you? Nope, you can't.
We learned this lesson (again) today reading the papers about the lawsuit filed against Taco Bell. Seems
That's the title I gave my nutrition/fitness seminar because it asks the right question -- is who you see when you look in the mirror really you? I spent years avoiding mirrors so as not to have to answer that question. Now, after having lost 55 pounds and putting on a lot of muscle over the last couple of years, I can say, "Yeah, that's me in the mirror, and I like what I see."
It is really not difficult to get to that point in life. It is simply a matter of deciding to do it and having a fool-proof system to get it done, one that provides the accountability we all need to get anything done. (I will be at Fitness International in San Miguel de Allende this Thursday from 2 - 4 p.m. talking about it. If you're in the area, come by. More dates in other locations coming soon . . .)
One of the few "rules" we play by at plus50fitness.com is this: "If you can't tell what it was, don't eat it." What I mean by that is so much of our food is so processed that you cannot tell what it once was in the original form. You can tell a peanut was a peanut. But you can't tell what your Coco Puffs once were, now can you? Nope, you can't.
We learned this lesson (again) today reading the papers about the lawsuit filed against Taco Bell. Seems
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Good Pain/Bad Pain: Know The Difference
Hi, Team.
Well, the good news is my hip/leg injury is finally getting better. Went to a specialist earlier this week and he confirms that no surgery is needed. That's always a relief and brings me to the point . . .
If you work out hard long long enough you become immune to the pain. In other words, you can go hard and heavy for an hour to an hour and a half and stay focused. You feel the pain but you get used to it. It is at that point you have to be careful because you can go too far -- your muscles can take what you're dishing out but your tendons and ligaments may not and they will give you little or no warning before being damaged.
That is a key to success for those have been at it awhile and I notice that when I watch champions like Jay Cutler and Phil Heath train, they often engage in a "rest-pause" a couple of times each set. A part of it is getting a little additional rest but another more important part is feeling where they are. They want to completely exhaust the muscle but not tear anything else up.
This dynamic is something Kelly and I are focusing on more as we begin shaving down for Spring. You are especially vulnerable to injury when you are on a calorie-restricted diet and if you've worked for months with a few excess calories, you are bigger, stronger, a lot stronger than you were going into the bulking phase. As you move into the cutting phase, however, you cannot handle as much weight and if you try you will injure yourself sooner or later, probably sooner.
Train hard; diet harder, but always consider where you are in each set -- are you maximizing muscle tension or are you going too far? After you have trained a while, you will know the difference between "good pain" and "bad pain." Unfortunately, for most of us we only learn that through injury, hopefully none too severe. A good trainer can help in this regard, too, but make sure and get one who will take you far enough!
We will be training at Gold's Gym in San Antonio, Texas this Saturday morning -- should be fun!
Best,
Jim
Well, the good news is my hip/leg injury is finally getting better. Went to a specialist earlier this week and he confirms that no surgery is needed. That's always a relief and brings me to the point . . .
If you work out hard long long enough you become immune to the pain. In other words, you can go hard and heavy for an hour to an hour and a half and stay focused. You feel the pain but you get used to it. It is at that point you have to be careful because you can go too far -- your muscles can take what you're dishing out but your tendons and ligaments may not and they will give you little or no warning before being damaged.
That is a key to success for those have been at it awhile and I notice that when I watch champions like Jay Cutler and Phil Heath train, they often engage in a "rest-pause" a couple of times each set. A part of it is getting a little additional rest but another more important part is feeling where they are. They want to completely exhaust the muscle but not tear anything else up.
This dynamic is something Kelly and I are focusing on more as we begin shaving down for Spring. You are especially vulnerable to injury when you are on a calorie-restricted diet and if you've worked for months with a few excess calories, you are bigger, stronger, a lot stronger than you were going into the bulking phase. As you move into the cutting phase, however, you cannot handle as much weight and if you try you will injure yourself sooner or later, probably sooner.
Train hard; diet harder, but always consider where you are in each set -- are you maximizing muscle tension or are you going too far? After you have trained a while, you will know the difference between "good pain" and "bad pain." Unfortunately, for most of us we only learn that through injury, hopefully none too severe. A good trainer can help in this regard, too, but make sure and get one who will take you far enough!
We will be training at Gold's Gym in San Antonio, Texas this Saturday morning -- should be fun!
Best,
Jim
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Injuries - Part of the Game
Injured.
Again.
It was a year and a half ago I went under the knife for an injury -- good news it was "fixable," bad news I was out 6 weeks.
Now I'm faced with another. Not sure what the injury is exactly but I know it is taking too long to heal. A doctor will give me the verdict on Monday.
I'm hoping and manifesting positive it is something that will self-correct over time but I am prepared for the worst which would be another surgery and time out of the gym.
Bottom line: I'm not giving up. Never will. They can cut me until I'm just "parts," but I'll be in the gym and I'll be better than I was yesterday, regardless.
There are no excuses. There are only results.
Train hard; diet harder.
Jim
Again.
It was a year and a half ago I went under the knife for an injury -- good news it was "fixable," bad news I was out 6 weeks.
Now I'm faced with another. Not sure what the injury is exactly but I know it is taking too long to heal. A doctor will give me the verdict on Monday.
I'm hoping and manifesting positive it is something that will self-correct over time but I am prepared for the worst which would be another surgery and time out of the gym.
Bottom line: I'm not giving up. Never will. They can cut me until I'm just "parts," but I'll be in the gym and I'll be better than I was yesterday, regardless.
There are no excuses. There are only results.
Train hard; diet harder.
Jim
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Dreaded Sugar Hangover . . .
Never thought I'd have one of those again . . . but being in the States for Christmas and attending a series of parties, I went over the edge and partook of well . . . nearly everything.
This morning Kelly and I went to the closest 24 Hour Fitness and got a workout . . . but not a great one. We felt hungover, sluggish, and just got through it.
Combine that with the fact I am injured and it made for a miserable experience.
The bright side? I am ready to return home and get back into the groove, have a doctor look at what is ailing me, develop a plan to deal with it, and move forward.
The question I often ask myself is: "Is it worth it to fall off the wagon every now and then?"
For me, probably not. I don't get enough bang out of it and a little cheating leads to a lot of cheating and I spend a lot of unnecessary time convicting myself.
For others, I believe a week "off" the diet is a good dynamic. It keeps them from serial cheating.
This is where good trainers come in handy -- they don't preach a "one size fits all" program, but rather they get to know their clients, their inclinations, their strengths and their weaknesses and develop exercise and diet programs that recognize that each individual is different.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
This morning Kelly and I went to the closest 24 Hour Fitness and got a workout . . . but not a great one. We felt hungover, sluggish, and just got through it.
Combine that with the fact I am injured and it made for a miserable experience.
The bright side? I am ready to return home and get back into the groove, have a doctor look at what is ailing me, develop a plan to deal with it, and move forward.
The question I often ask myself is: "Is it worth it to fall off the wagon every now and then?"
For me, probably not. I don't get enough bang out of it and a little cheating leads to a lot of cheating and I spend a lot of unnecessary time convicting myself.
For others, I believe a week "off" the diet is a good dynamic. It keeps them from serial cheating.
This is where good trainers come in handy -- they don't preach a "one size fits all" program, but rather they get to know their clients, their inclinations, their strengths and their weaknesses and develop exercise and diet programs that recognize that each individual is different.
Train hard; diet harder!
Jim
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