Stat Tracking-- 1RM

Seven weeks ago, I began training to regain my strength that I had lost from losing almost 40 lbs. I was excited that I had lost a great amount of body fat, but I not that I was losing strength.

There are hundreds of strength training programs out there that can help you achieve your goals but one thing will always remain constant: DOCUMENTATION. How can you know how far you have come if you never knew where you started??

When I started my strength program I performed a "true" 1RM for bench and squat. "True" meaning I used proper form and didn't cheat... after all, you're only cheating yourself. I was able to manage 345lbs on bench and 515lbs on squat weighing 251.

I worked out with low rep schemes at 85-95+% of my 1RM and always increased 5lbs each week on every set. The 5lb/wk increase was the most important part for me that I never really have carried out all the way through.... because it gets super heavy. Then again if you never overload your muscles, you will never get stronger. Make sure to have a spotter, because chances are you will not be able to push the weight for all the reps.

After 6 weeks I retested my maxes and was up to 365 lbs bench and 545 squat weighing 260. I feel pretty good about this being the strongest I have ever been pound for pound. (When I weighed 295lbs I maxed out at 375 on bench.)

Since the program I am doing is 12 weeks I will then readjust my percentages to meet my new 1 RMs. This way my muscles won't adapt to working off weaker percentages and will put me on the plane to make great gains. I will keep remaxing and working off my percentages until I meet my goal of benching over 400lbs and squatting 600.

Super Shake-- Post Workout Magic

After you are finished lifting weights your muscles are craving for carbohydrates. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, this is because your glycogen levels (sugar) are low. Glycogen stores are like your fuel tanks and to perform at your best you always need to have them topped off. One of my favorite parts of my workout is actually my post workout shake. I like this because it is one of the few times when it is GOOD to eat/drink a sugary snack! Nutritionists say that after your anaerobic workout you have about a 15-30 minute window of opportunity to feed your muscles.

Post workout, our bodies are in a hypoglycemic state or low blood sugar. Insulin is low and natural Growth Hormone levels struggle to increase as they are trying to rebound from the intense workout.

Simple carbs like fruits and other natural sugars will give an immediate increase to blood glucose levels and cause a state of hyperglycemia. Insulin will be forced to increase! I used to drink a Grapico after every workout, but now prefer fruit and honey-- a more natural sugar source.

This high increase in blood sugar will begin causing further secretions of Growth Hormone, one of the key hormones responsible for muscle growth. Also, the faster you can get glucose into your bloodstream and muscles, the less protein destroyed and the more glycogen stored. The more protein your body keeps the faster your muscles can recover and GROW!!

I like a protein shake blended with orange juice, milk, strawberries and honey! (Sometimes even peanut butter).


--I'm out

Supplement Testimony

There are many nutritional supplements out on the market today that claim to increase strength, vascularity, and skin ripping pumps. I will preface first off by saying that the supplements I refer to in this post are not anabolic steroids. I don't believe in them and have pity for anyone who uses them.

Now I am not a supplement expert and haven't tried everything that is out there, but I know a lot of people ask me what I recommend and here is what I believe works for me.

1. Protein--- Whey Protein is by far the best supplement I take. Aids in quick muscle recovery which allows my muscles to grow.
2. N.O. Xplode- I am a huge fan of this energy/N.O. creatine supplement. It definitely delivers oxygen to the bloodstream for increased circulation "the pump" which makes your muscles swell. Also, gives me energy to complete an intense workout.
   
3. Fish Oil- Aids in brain function, Omega-3 fatty acids for heart health-- I will testify that my mind is always brainstorming when I take this supplement. Increased alertness.
   
4. Multi-vitamin- We can't always follow the food pyramid, so in order to be sure I get my nutritional needs I depend on this vitamin.
5. Vitamin C- Increased immunity to virus and infection. This is highly debated and argued, but I always feel better when taking this vitamin.
   

I have given trial and error to many supplements and believe that these are by far my top five.
I know everyone reacts differently to different things, but hopefully this list will save you time and money!

---I'm out

Cardio Interval Training--- burn more fat in half the time

Source: flickr bh88keys

Here's a Cardio Program I highly recommend in the gym:

Elliptical Trainer:

2 minutes @ 150 Strides Per Minute (SPM)
1 minute @ 200 SPM
2 minutes @ 160 SPM
1 minute @ 210 SPM
2 minutes @ 170 SPM
1 minute @ 220 SPM
2 minutes @ 180 SPM
1 minute @ 230 SPM
2 minutes @ 170 SPM
1 minute @ 220 SPM
2 minutes @ 160 SPM
1 minute @ 210 SPM
2 minutes @ 150 SPM
1 minute @ 200 SPM

This is a short 22 minute workout- but gives you the same benefit as running for an hour.
The mix between the high & low intensity keeps your heartrate guessing. The reason that interval training works better for fat loss is this: Your body will adapt to running at the same pace the whole time, your body will go into what they call a "steady state." Your body adapts to the consistent speed and conserves energy (calories). You will be able to avoid this and burn more calories and FAT by doing the interval training.

The Three Levels of Resistance Training

In strength training there are three main levels of achievable goals. A: Build Endurance, B: Gain Strength, C: Hypertrophy (muscle growth)

While some of these can be intertwined into your workouts, its nice to choose one of these as your main goal.

For Example lets say I want to get stronger.

The first thing you want to do is test your one rep max for all core lifts (bench,squat,power clean, deadlift, etc). Then for your core lifts you want to do about 4-5 sets and no more than 6 reps/set at 85% of your 1 RM.

An example workout plan could be: 1x6 @ 85%; 2x4 @ 90%; 2x2 @ 95%. The goal would be to increase your weight 5-10 lbs every week so you would constantly increase your workload. Rest 3-5 minutes between each set.


Hypertrophy (muscle growth) is a great compliment to getting stronger. Hypertrophy is working 2-4 sets with a max of 12 reps/set between 65%-85% of your 1RM. You can do these on core lifts and on secondary exercises (bicep curls,leg curls,cable crossover, flies, etc).

An example workout plan could be: 1x12 @ 65%; 1X10 @ 75%; 1X8 @ 80%. Rest time is cut down to about 30-90 seconds between each set.

Building muscle endurance is a great compliment to long-distant runners, swimmers, bikers, etc. Muscular Endurance is working 2-3 sets with >12 reps/set below 67% of your 1RM.

An example workout would be 2x 15 @ 55% with rest under 30 seconds.


Sorry for the lack of posting this week. Time is hard to come by these days ;).

I'm out

To Carb or Not to Carb

Source: Flickr-- Darwin Bell

Over the past several months I have lost almost 40 lbs and lowered my body fat percentage by at least 7%. As I mentioned in Mr. Consistency my diet hasn't exactly been high carb. I have eaten a lot of protein and up until now it has paid off.

So what's the problem?

Recently my workouts have flopped in the gym. I have very little energy and I have not been getting the "pump" I normally achieve. Not to mention my strength has dropped significantly in the last two weeks.

Typically I would expect to see a decrease in strength as far as "raw weight" numbers go. (For example, say I bench press 350 lbs at 290lbs and someone who weighs 250lbs benches 320. While I can bench more raw weight than the 250lber, the 250lber is stronger as far as body weight to strength ratio goes. )

Two weeks ago I was still feeling very strong as far as my BW to strength goes... however that was two weeks ago. My strength has since dropped significantly in two weeks and I haven't changed anything with my workout, diet, or resting.

This left me scratching my head and while I still haven't 100% solved the problem, I think I have at least identified it. I think my Mr. Consistency has finally caught up with me and my body is beyond adapted to my eating habits. I frequently mix up my workouts, but I have neglected changing my eating habits.

For the past six months, I have done a relatively good job of burning fat and preserving hard earned muscle. I failed to realize that the decrease in my strength wasn't because I wasn't working out hard enough, but because I had pretty much limited my body's source of fuel (carbs). Limiting my carbo energy tank and having lowered my body fat percentage my body went searching for the next place to make energy. It just so happened to be that it took from my muscles... my hard earned muscles. Muscles I spent years in the gym working to achieve are being used as fuel to foster my workouts.... and while they haven't noticeably withered away.. they have noticeably lost strength.

So I picked up a good book from the Human Kinetics publishers and started brushing up on my nutrition. They brought me back to such a simple solution that FITNESS AMERICA doesn't want you to believe.

Higher energy workouts produce bigger muscle and strength gains!

It makes complete sense, sure protein repairs muscles but it doesn't provide hardly any energy to complete a workout. Carbohydrates are the body's most readily available source of energy and if eaten properly can give you the fuel to supercharge your workouts.

If you choose smart carbs such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables you will have more energy to work harder in the gym without worry about gaining fat....(For long term benefit stay away from simple carbs such as: sugar, white grains, sodas, candy, etc.)

If you sustain the energy to work harder in the gym, pump out more reps, lift more weight-- then your muscles will reward you with strength and growth. Remember protein does not make muscle grow, it repairs muscle faster so it can grow. It does not provide ample energy and if your workouts are lackluster--- it doesn't matter how much protein you drink-- your not working your muscles hard enough to grow or gain strength.


It's amazing how a peer-reviewed nutrition text book can show you so much more than MUSCLE MEATHEAD MAGS. Sure those guys tell you to take all the protein in the world, they don't have to worry about carbs for fuel-- they have anabolic steroids!!!


I'm out

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Now playing: Alice In Chains - Brother
via FoxyTunes

Staying on Path--- Benefits of Training with a Workout Partner

Source: Flickr-milkshakepants



So you've been hitting the gym pretty hard for about two weeks now and you're starting to get burnt out. If all other motivation techniques fail, try finding a workout partner who will hold you accountable.

So where do I find one?

Chances are you have at least one friend who somewhat enjoys doing the same things you do. Hopefully one of them is getting in shape, or working out...Try to put together a schedule where ya'll can both workout at the same time.

What if I don't have a friend like that or we pay memberships to different gyms?

Don't worry--- there has to be at least one individual in your gym that is seeking the same goals you are. Chances are if you keep any kind of routine schedule, you will start to see the same people in the gym at that time. This is where you have to overcome your fear of talking to strangers and gradually build a talking relationship.

For example: I usually workout about 6pm and notice that the same people are usually in there everyday at the same time I am. If you have been going to the gym for several weeks, people will start to become familiar to you and visa-versa. Even if you haven't ever talked to the person before, you already some sense of familiarity.

Start with a simple "hey" everyday, then you can progress to small talk,then simple conversation. Before you know it you have made friends! Since you are already in the gym the simple conversation would be to talk about working out. JUST DON'T BECOME A LEACH!
Find common goals and ask them, "Hey if you don't mind do you care if I workout with you today?"

Bam, Now you have a workout partner! It's as simple as that.

Top 3 reasons you should have a workout partner

1. Motivation---Competition--- Whether you know it or not, it's human nature to try to prove yourself. You'll work twice as hard trying to keep up or outwork your partner than just lifting alone. I always seem to have more adrenaline when I have a workout partner!
2. Dependability- Sometimes you don't feel like going to the gym--- but knowing that someone is there waiting ---will get your butt in there!
3. Safety- You can always attempt heavier weights when you have a partner there to spot you. Lifting heavier weights builds more muscle mass--- so therefore having a partner makes you stronger--LOL not quite-- but it does help!
P.S. Unless you absolutely know you can get the weight yourself, I don't recommend training heavy alone.


I'm out---
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Now playing: Stone Temple Pilots - Big Empty
via FoxyTunes