Another One In the Books

It was an ultra busy week for me last week to the point to where I couldn’t get to my wordpress. There’s always a lot going on in the final week of show prep. For starters, I had to sacrifice a day or two so I had to cram more people in at different times than usual. Another thing is that I had to go through the process of hair removal, spray tanning, and water depletion, the last of which is always the toughest aspect of show prep. And then of course, finding the show venue was a big challenge, as I had rarely been that far east of Pittsburgh to the point where we were seeing the beginnings of the mountain range. Greensburg is a good forty-five minutes away from Pittsburgh.

The good news is that I managed to take fifth place at the NPC Natural Pennsylvania Championships and secured a qualification to the NPC Team Universe, a pro-qualifier. Now, I do want to secure one more top five finish at a Team Universe qualifier to ensure that I can hang with some of the best natural men’s physique competitors in the country, preferably facing a larger class of at least fifteen competitors or more. My class at the Natural Pennsylvania consisted of nine other competitors, which is a fairly decent size.

My plans for the near future are simple: for one, I need to find someone to give me some honest critique on my presentation. A few (including one prep coach backstage) let me know that I had the best look of the entire class. This leads me to believe that my presentation was off…….way off. So, this is definitely what needs to be corrected. Luckily, I have a friend who has a good connection to a well respected member of the NPC, who lives about thirty minutes down the Ohio River. I can’t wait to talk to this guy, as he knows the ins and outs of presentation in every single NPC division, being around the sport for so long.

As for my fitness shoot update, it seems like it will be taking place on Wheeling Island in November before the prejudging of the NPC West Virginia State and Mid Atlantic Grand Prix. I can’t wait to do the shoot, but I’m still on edge about possibly hopping into the fray in November as well, something I had no intention to do as recently as last week, but we’ll see how things play out. I really wouldn’t mind hopping in though, but again, we’ll see. This is due to the fact that I may get talked into doing the show during my trip down the river this weekend since my friend’s prep coach is very good friends with the contest promoter. Being that I like to remain close to my contest look year round, with some critique on my presentation, I may be set to do very well if I did in fact decide to compete.

As for my workouts, I really only have one for you all this week because last week was more of my lighter weeks, since I wanted my body to be completely rested before taking the stage last Sunday. I really lightened up the load last week, in an attempt to prevent any and all injury as I strode to simply burn a bit more energy with lighter weights and higher reps. This is something I only do the week of a show, but it is still good for anyone to try every three to four months after lifting heavy for that time, just to give the joints a break for a week without really stopping what you are doing, which one should never do, and it gives the muscles a little bit of confusion since they are so used to one particular style of training.

As for this week, I am a big fan of the afterburn team training workout that was distributed this week. If I thought last week was up my alley, then this week is two times that. Six sets of every exercise, consisting of twenty seconds on, ten seconds off Tabata style training is always intense. Even more intense than last week’s do as many circuits of ten reps of each movement as many times as possible for ten minutes straight, and trust me, that is my style of cardio right there. I have to thank one of my best workout partners ever for introducing me to that and being consistent with it before running off to college (see ya in December, kid)!

Anyway, I started my normal, routine two a day sessions again yesterday, which is another reason why I took such a long break in between posts. My first workout of the day was simply a three mile run, a ten minute ab workout, with agility movements being performed after every quarter mile that I ran. Last evening was my shoulder workout, which looked like this:

5 sets/10-20 reps

Face Rows/Seated Machine Rear Delt Fly

4 sets/7-20 reps

Inverse Barbell Shoulder Press/Lateral Raise

4 sets/10-15 reps

Cable Upright Rows/Underhand Grip Dumbbell Front Raises

6 Single Sets/50 reps

Battling Ropes of all varieties, 20-30 second break in between

4 sets/12-15 reps

Bodyweight TRX Fly/Cable Pirate Ships

In total, this workout only took about forty-three minutes to complete, and my set total reached forty. Not a bad start to the next macrocycle.

Like I said, now’s the time to really take control in mastering every little aspect of the sport. Qualifying for the national level is big, but if I am unable to present myself then it just defeats the purpose of competing. In physique, it’s more than just having the best look, one needs to present themselves with that look, showing people why they should be the winner here. I can’t wait to improve on that, and as always, improve my current level of conditioning, which anyone and everyone can do. It’s time to take that next step, be it at the November show or at my next show that I am certain I’ll be at, the 2015 NPC Natural Ohio, at which I took eighth place last year in a class of fifteen. Let’s improve on that score. Shot from the pre-judging.

Leg, Workouts, Home Workouts, NBA and Week Five NFL Picks

Lift, lift, lift, lift, lift, I can’t get enough of it. After two weeks of staying true to my workout regimen of isolating muscle groups only six days out of the week and then dedicating one day to cardio only, I broke that promise to myself this past week, isolating chest last night when it was supposed to be a steady state cardio night. Hey, a few hours later at six this morning, I did get that cardio workout in, so no harm done, right? What am I looking to do tonight? Shoulders.

Honestly, I really just can’t wait until I do legs again. I’m guessing my return to the leg circuit is going to be Wednesday, October 15th, or at least that is in my initial plans. My ever so nagging knee will ultimately be the deciding factor in that. So, what does this ‘Return of the King’ workout going to look like? See my initial plans:

Barbell Squats: 4-5 sets/10-15 reps- Not going too heavy on these too soon.

Tactical Lunges with Kettlebells: 3 sets/12 reps per leg

super-set Single Leg Kettle Bell Squats: 3 sets/12 reps per leg plus 12 jumps per leg

Smith Machine Leg Presses (this destroys the leg press machine): 3 sets/15-20 reps

super-set Barbell Lateral Lunge (you can go really, really deep here, but stay balanced): 3 sets/Over length of gym/back)

Box Jumps: 4 sets/30 seconds

super-set: Explosive Step-Ups: 4 sets/30 seconds

When it comes to legs, I like to use all free weights while throwing in the leg extension and leg curl machines on a bi-weekly basis (when my knee is up to training). I also like to utilize the kettlebells. There are some really advanced movements here, so if you have to, substitute a few of these movements, such as the sled leg press for the smith machine leg press, lunge for tactical lunge, use lower boxes for the jumps and step-ups if needed or simply just do jump squats and standard step-ups.

Currently ten days out of my final show of the season, the NPC Natural Pennsylvania. This is by far the leanest I have looked all year, and in life. My secret is simple: consistency. Sure, I preach the importance of nutrition, but both training and nutrition go hand in hand. In this equation, these two elements equal consistency. Consistency is key. Consistency is everything.

I really cannot wait until this show has passed, so I can display progress pictures from the three previous shows of 2014 to everyone just to see what six and a half months can do for one’s physique. The secret is just to remain consistent. Now I don’t need everyone thinking that they have to mirror my own regimen, which on a typical day requires two workouts per day, a pre and post workout shake at each workout, and three solid meals on top of that. If one just does half of that, then they will be on their way to success in the fitness realm.

This brings me back to what consistency really is. Many of us can claim to not have enough time in the day to keep to a strict fitness regimen. We state that if we are parents, full time employees, college students, have additional commitments in addition to our already hectic lifestyles and so on and so forth, then it is just impossible to get into the gym to workout. We really have to look at ourselves if we do feel this way and really analyze on whether or not what is being said are excuses or not. Sure, at twenty-three years old, being single, childless, working in a gym, one would believe that I have all the time on the planet to reach my goals. Not so much. I don’t like to cram my workout in between client sessions, even if I have up to two hours. I like to make my workouts either during a long downtime stretch, or after my final client, most of the time, after my final client, at night. This is always my favorite time to get a workout in. Also, I am a full time college student in addition to training at least thirty-two hours worth of clients per week. This also limits my time. Hey, the sad thing is on Saturday and Sunday, I wish I would have seven to eight hours worth of clients to train. I wouldn’t mind putting forty-five to fifty hours in a week! That’s at any job.

For those of us that still believe that in no way, shape, or form it is possible for them to get to a gym no matter what I will say, I have good news for you. It’s not that hard to stay in shape, and don’t give me the “my kids won’t eat healthy foods” excuse. You’re the parent! You should control what your six year old puts in their mouth. Oh, and when they feel great and have a bunch of energy, they won’t even care for frozen foods anyway. Not only that, why not benefit the entire family by showing them a fit lifestyle. Oh, and by the way, your kids will be capable of doing this workout too, as it’s all bodyweight cardio:

50 Jumping Jacks

40 Crunches

40 Squats

40 Leg Raises

30 Jumping Jacks

20 Bicycles

20 Squats

30 Leg Raises

10 minute run

This workout seriously only takes about twenty-five minutes per circuit and it’s killer cardio! For those of you who want a bit of a challenge, you will need some light dumbbells or bands for this next home workout that I have in mind:

First, set the amount of reps that you wish to accomplish per movement: 30, 50, 75, or 100. This is in as many sets as it takes, and it doesn’t have to be all at once.

Dips

Decline Push-ups

Biceps Curl

Lateral Raise

Full Sit-up

Bodyweight Squats (Make hands touch ground)

Lunges

Band or Dumbbell Row

Leg Raise

Burpee

Now onto some sports predictions: I love October! This is the only month of the year where the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA play their games simultaneously. That rocks!

NBA Picks

Below, I have where I think each team will finish in their division. Also, the number in the parentheses represents where each team will be seeded come playoff time.

East

Atlantic: Toronto (4), Brooklyn (7), New York (8), Boston, Philadelphia

Central: Cleveland (1), Chicago (2), Indiana, Detroit, Milwaukee

Southeast: Washington (3), Charlotte (5), Miami (6), Atlanta, Orlando

West

Northwest: Oklahoma City (3), Portland (4), Denver, Utah, Minnesota

Pacific: LA Clippers (2), Golden State (5), Phoenix, LA Lakers, Sacramento

Southwest: San Antonio (1), Dallas (6), Memphis (7), Houston (8), New Orleans

Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland over Chicago

Western Conference Finals: San Antonio over Oklahoma City

NBA Finals: San Antonio over Cleveland

Already Played: Green Bay: 33 over Minnesota: 10- Hey, at least I got close to the right score here! This game had blowout written all over it in an Aaron Rodgers v. Christian Ponder duel.

Carolina: 24 over Chicago: 23- This might be a pretty good game featuring two equally talented teams, both sitting at 2-2. The Panther defense has had numerous problems over the last two weeks but Jay Cutler still can’t find any consistency with his receivers.

Dallas: 28 over Houston: 24- The Cowboys are on a hot streak and something tells me this isn’t the same old Cowboys. Why? Tony Romo just realized that there are ten other men on offense. The Houston defense is hot, especially with some of the best in the game, but the offense is either old, slow, or injured. Not a good combo. Cowboys take this one.

Detroit: 30 over Buffalo: 10- I can’t remember when Kyle Orton last won an NFL game. But a quarterback controversy this early in the season is not necessary. The Lions have so many weapons on offense that the Bills just won’t keep up this early in the year.

AFC Game of the Week: Indianapolis: 34 over Baltimore: 31- If you want shootouts this is the game to turn to. Andrew Luck has been red hot for the Colts as Steve Smith has for the Ravens. The difference here is that Luck has about ten other guys to throw the ball to, while Joe Flacco has one guy and a running game. Oh, and the Colts have that too with Ahmad Bradshaw.

Pittsburgh: 22 over Jacksonville: 17- Finally here! Ben Roethlisberger v. the future Ben (Blake Bortles). The only difference between Bortles and Roethlisberger in their rookies seasons is that Ben had a team and Blake has the Jaguars. I feel bad for the guy because I would put him right there with Ben, Andrew Luck, and Cam Newton if he played for someone else.

Upset of the Week: Tampa Bay: 28 over New Orleans: 24- The Saints are just struggling to make anything happen this year. After the Bucs upset last week, playing a demoralized Saints team may be the best momentum builder for the Bucs.

New York Giants: 35 over Atlanta: 21- As good as the Falcons are, and they are a great team, they just can’t get it done on the road. Meanwhile, Eli Manning has been red hot for two consecutive weeks. This is a guy on hot and cold streaks. The good news for Giants fans is that his streaks tend to last a while.

Lock of the Week: Philadelphia: 38 over St. Louis: 13- The Eagles are back in business after that debacle against the 49ers. Chip Kelly won’t likely lose like that two times over. Meanwhile, the Rams defense is usually on the field for an eternity. This won’t bode well.

Cleveland:27 over Tennessee: 24- The Browns are the most exciting team to watch in 2014. Not because they do anything flashy, more so because they like to keep the game close until the end. The Titans on the other hand are struggling to find a quarterback and if Charlie Whitehurst has to go again, Jesus himself will declare Whitehurst a false prophet because he’s not saving any franchise with his numbers.

NFL Inter-Conference Game of the Week: Denver: 31 over Arizona: 28- Wow, the Drew Stanton led Cardinals take their undefeated record into Denver to play Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Guess what? Stanton is going to give Manning and the Broncos defense a run for their money. In the end, the Broncos seal the deal with the home crowd. It took everything I had not to jump on the Cardinals (and Drew Stanton) bandwagon.

San Diego:33 over New York Jets: 16- The Chargers had a revival last season and it carried over into 2014. This team is legit, their only loss being by only a one point margin earlier in the year to Arizona. The Jets might have more problems than this after this game.

San Francisco: 24 over Kansas City: 14- The 49ers stopped one of the hottest offenses in the NFL last Sunday. Being at home against Kansas City shouldn’t provide too much of a task at hand. Be warned though, as Alex Smith finally gets his revenge shot on Sunday. Ultimately, he comes up a couple of scores short.

Cincinnati: 30 over New England: 24- As bad as the Patriots have looked, and as much as many would like to write this team off, they aren’t done by any means. While they don’t get the win here, they keep it close in Foxboro until the final drive, when Tom Brady either throws a crucial pick or turns the ball over on downs. Hey, still short term satisfaction among all non-Patriot fans, right?

Seattle: 28 over Washington: 17- The Seahawks steam past the Redskins in this one. Though I do believe the Redskins have a good core of players, and that last week was just one of those games, we have to remember the firepower shown in the Seahawks defense and running game, which, by the way, is still as powerful as ever.

NFL Picks for Week 4 and Fitness News

Week four of the NFL season is upon us! Let’s see what I have in store this week:

Already Played: Washington: 38; New York: 31- As you can see, I failed with this pick right here. Kirk Cousins had a rough outing, which at this point in his career, is a rarity. For Eli, it’s a rarity to see him rush for a touchdown.

Baltimore over Carolina: 24-17- Carolina struggled at home last week. It appears that their lack of talent on offense maybe catching up with them. This one may be even lower scoring here, with two very talented defenses taking the field.

NFL Rivalry of the Week: Chicago over Green Bay: 27-19- The Packers may very well be on their last chance at the division already, barring a complete meltdown by both Chicago and Detroit. If they lose here, then they sit at 0-2 in NFC North play. Not a good hole to be in.

Houston over Buffalo: 20-17- Houston has to take advantage of this situation. Buffalo is not as good as their record but Houston has the edge in talent, and the home crowd.

Indianapolis over Tennessee: 23-14- Just in, Charlie Whitehurst will get the gig in Tennessee. Like Houston, the Colts have to take advantage of this situation against the Titans. If they do that, they stand at 2-0 in the division. The problem? They’re already 0-2 against playoff teams.

Detroit over New York Jets: 21-16- The Lions Matt Stafford should have a field day here. Detroit’s offense hasn’t looked like what it should be, so look for a closer game. The Jets can score at any time but the offense is very inconsistent at times.

NFL Snoozer of the Week: Oakland over Miami: 13-9- Wow. Fans in London may see a touchdown scored in this one. Two teams with very laughable talent on the offensive side.

Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay: 31-10- The Steelers look to take their momentum in an upset win over Carolina over a struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. Shouldn’t be too hard.

Lock of the Week: San Diego over Jacksonville: 42-13- Blake Bortles era begins. Can he get a win this week? Not until he has more talent around him. He’s playing in real time now.

Atlanta over Minnesota: 20-19- Teddy Time begins in Minnesota. Can he hold it close? Recent history tells us that the Falcons might just be that very talented team to get upset this week, as their play on the road is meager.

Philadelphia over San Francisco: 34-21- The 49ers are struggling while the Eagles remain hot. Nick Foles and co. may not have much of a problem here.

NFC Game of the Week: Dallas over New Orleans: 34-28- The Cowboys and Saints have a little bit of animosity these days fueled by none other than Rob Ryan. In the end, the Cowboys put up just enough to upset the Saints.

AFC Game of the Week: New England over Kansas City: 21-13- The Patriots offense isn’t that hot this year but the defense is. That’s going to be big in this game.

Byes of the Week:

Seahawks- Still the number one team in the NFL according to most. I disagree (see below)

Bengals- The Bengals may be the only team in the NFL to have zero struggles on either side of the ball. Number one team.

Browns- Brian Hoyer has made it through three weeks as the starter. Don’t blame him for their 1-2 start.

Cardinals- My prediction in the pre-season was taking the NFC West. Through four weeks, they lead it.

Broncos- Still couldn’t beat the Seahawks. Maybe they just played a Super Bowl XLIX preview? Maybe one more shot.

Rams- The defense has to play up to their potential. If they do, they’re back in it.

Fitness news: Workouts

Cardio Sprint Workout:

Sprint workout coming up at six. I’ll call this upcoming workout The Go-To, since it’s becoming my recurring workout:

One Mile Run
10 Hill Sprints (jog back down the hill for rest)
10 20 yard Lunges
10 Ladder Sprints (going at least ten yards further with each set, jog back)
One Mile Run

Shoulder Centuries:

X amount of handstand push-ups (I’m on a wall, okay)
100 shoulder presses per arm
100 front plate raises
100 upright rows
100 shrugs per side (I rarely do these, but I’m in the mood)

Zero Cardio, 800 Reps, Fast As Possible:

100 Push-ups
100 Decline Push-ups
100 Two Point Rows per arm
100 Total Weighted Lunges (Weight on one side, this hits the obliques too)
100 Bicep Curls per arm
100 Suspended Dips
100 Upright Rows
100 Full Sit-ups plus about 20 straight minutes of ab work

By the way, use as little rest as possible, and get this done as fast as possible.

I sit two weeks out from the NPC Natural Pennsylvania. Time to take the carbs down just a little for these last two weeks, just a little. Still have a lot to do to get ready these days. Time to crush these final weeks.

My Next Event: Halloween Havoc! Nope, it’s not a show, it’s just Todd wanting to look good at Halloween. I’m dressing up as a Virant Knight, so I’ll def be posting some pics of that. Ordered yesterday, can’t wait to wear it.

Shoot Time: Hoping to get that last shoot of the year confirmed. If so, it’ll be around contest time too. Another event I can’t wait to get going with.

Hunt For October: In addition to the NFL and fitness, I love MLB. Prediction time, although my Rays (yes, the Rays) are missing out for the first time in a while:

Wildcard NL: Pittsburgh over San Francisco- Is anyone peaking at the right time more than the Pirates?

Wildcard AL: Kansas City over Oakland- The Royals? Yep, with the A’s faltering down the stretch, giving way to the Angels, it’s the Royals who get in.

ALCS: Los Angeles Angels over Baltimore Orioles- Hate to say it, but the O’s get eliminated here. LA is a big market but I’m a small market type. The Angels are just too good here. Hottest team in the AL.

NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers over St. Louis Cardinals- The City of Angels reps the entire MLB in 2014. 2014 belongs to Los Angeles.

World Series: Angels over Dodgers. The Angels are just way too hot to be stopped. If one team can keep it up for one more month, one team that wants it, it’s the Los Angeles Angels. For the first time since 2002, Los Angeles gets a World Series, and it’s the “other” Los Angeles team that takes it.

Week 3 NFL Picks and Nifty Workouts

Brought to you by the King of Shredz:

First things first, guys, I have to take care of business. Week Three in the NFL is upon us, being played by great players who have yet to be tried or convicted for child abuse, murder, bounties, domestic violence, substance abuse, or just merely violating personal conduct. Remember the movie ‘Playmakers?’ It was a television show televised by ESPN about a decade ago that basically went over all of the problems that went on in the NFL, in a fictional league of course. There’s a reason why the show was pulled after about one season, and I’ll leave it at that.

The good news is that there are some very classy and talented NFL players who actually appreciate their opportunities. So, without further ado, here are my picks for the week:

Already Played: Atlanta over Tampa Bay: 35-7. This game was a snoozer. It was actually 56-0, Atlanta’s favor before T.J. Yates entered the game. That pretty much tells you that Tampa’s defense is overrated and Josh McCown is a backup.

AFC Game of the Week: San Diego over Buffalo: 27-24- Two weeks ago I would never have guessed that the Buffalo Bills would be in the conversation for anything except due to the fact that they gave Cleveland their first round pick. Now, they are being given a shot at 3-0. I’m still not sold on them yet.

Cincinnati over Tennessee: 28-10- If Jake Locker can be the Jake Locker of Week One and not the one we saw last week, then the Titans may just have a chance here. Why will this not happen? Because the Bengals have one of the best defensive units in the NFL. They’re just too good.

Cleveland over Baltimore: 16-9- I honestly thought Brian Hoyer would be on the bench by now, but he’s done a good enough job to keep Cleveland In contention for the AFC North. As for the Ravens, they’re on the road. The Ravens don’t play well on the road.

Green Bay over Detroit: 31-28- Here’s a shootout…..potentially. The Lions have to score more than a touchdown to beat Green Bay. They just aren’t good enough……..they’re playing the same old Packers and they’re the same old Lions.

Indianapolis over Jacksonville: 20-15- The 0-2 Colts vs. the 0-2 Jaguars. It sounds like a snoozer, but the Colts played against two of the top three teams in the NFL, and lost by a combined total of ten points. Just a tough schedule. Now, it’s smooth sailing. Why isn’t this higher than 20 points? The Colts like to play to the level of their competition.

Lock of the Week: New England over Oakland: 38-6- The Patriots are one of the best in the league at virtually everything. The Raiders are one of the worst at virtually everything. Not a good combo.

New Orleans over Minnesota: 34-17- Maybe the Saints can finally win a game without blowing it. If they can’t beat Minnesota in the Super Dome, then they aren’t beating anyone. That being said, Rob Ryan has to go if this happens. He’s the worst defensive coordinator of all time.

Houston over New York Giants: 28-17- Houston is the luckiest team in the NFL. No offensive talent, or old talent, and they still put up a lot of points, and allow very few. Why? Look at what they’ve played so far. Now they play the Giants and a washed up Eli Manning.

NFC Game of the Week: Philadelphia over Washington: 44-38- Like offense? Here’s one for all of us. Two 2012 draft picks going head to head. Kirk Cousins……yes, Kirk Cousins, vs. Nick Foles. Two high powered offenses, one shootout. If the Redskins put thirty plus points up again, they may as well trade RG3 to the Rams……that’s ironic.

Snoozer of the Week: Dallas over St. Louis: 21-16- I’m not one to bash America’s Team but I also am a fair person and the Cowboys still aren’t on my watch yet as a contender. But, Tony Romo is still way better than Austin Davis. Heck, half of Dallas’s fanbase probably has never even heard of Austin Davis. Who is Austin Davis?

Upset of the Week: Arizona over San Francisco: 23-21- No matter who plays quarterback, the Cardinals are not only the second best team in the conference, they have the second best coach in the NFL in Bruce Arians. He can make something out of nothing.

Miami over Kansas City: 17-16- Close game, but the Chiefs are 2-8 since their 9-0 start last season. Different coach, different quarterback, same sorry-ass Chiefs. But, you have to mention the Dolphins in the same breath. End of the day, the Chiefs always, always, always wear down.

Revenge of the Week: Denver over Seattle: 30-13- Call me crazy? Have you ever seen a vengeful Peyton Manning play in an NFL game? The results speak for themselves.

Carolina over Pittsburgh: 20-13- The Steelers are in danger of falling to 1-2. Remember when the Steelers were one of the NFL’s elite? Remember when the Panthers were a laughingstock? I only hope no Pittsburgh fan will wake up from a four year coma, because they’re in for a rude awakening……..literally.

Chicago over New York Jets: 31-24- Jay Cutler looked like an all-pro last week. Geno Smith is still in his second season and is still mistake prone. Not a good combo.

Nifty Workouts: So, I had a few good ones this week. Let me begin with my One Hundred Rep Nightmare:

100 reps of everything, as many sets as it takes. Rest time is how many reps you have remaining in seconds.

Decline Push-ups

Dumbbell Rows

Lunges

Crunches

Upright Rows

Suspended Dips

Plate Curls

Try it.

Also, before isolating any muscle group, try these before you workout:

Chest: 100 dumbbell fly

Back: 100 pull-ups

Triceps: 100 suspended dips

Biceps: 100 dumbbell curl

Legs: 100 lunges

Shoulders: 100 lateral raise

Abs: 100 full crunches

Before you workout the target muscle group, shock those muscles early.

Give me a weekly shoulder, ab, and cardio attack:

1,000 jump ropes for warm-up
10 minute non-stop ab work

4 sets of each and every movement, 8-12 reps unless specified.
Dumbbell Clean to Press
super-set: Inverted Barbell Presses

Dumbbell Lateral Raise
tri-set: Dumbbell Front Raise
tri-set: Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

Battling Ropes for 50 reps
tri-set: Rope Face Pull
tri-set: Machine Rear Delt Fly

I’m out! Todd ‘King of Shredz’ Matthews.

The 100 Rep Method

Centuries, you know what they’re like. From the Middle Ages of the 1300’s to my noble ancestor Sir David Mathew rescuing his King in the mid 1400s (true story, look it up), to Columbus not necessarily discovering America (Amerigo Vespucci, again, look it up) but being credited for doing so, to Jamestown in 1607, to the good old colonial times, to the American Revolution of 1776 to 1783, to the birth of Lincoln in 1809, to the great Civil War from 1861 to 1865 to the first modern war, The Great War (World War I) in 1914, to the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, to the Obama presidency of present day. Centuries, one after another. And to make matters even cooler, I just gave a brief history of the world dating back to what I believe is the twelfth century, whenever Vespucci found America but for some strange reason saw no reason to assert his power for his own self gain (look up what Columbus was really after).

Now, if I gave a brief history of wellness and fitness, I’d bore you all because about eighty million things, often contradictory, have been discovered fairly recently, try the nineteenth century when people (in the West, that is) really began to care about their bodies. No, I don’t want to hear about ancient Greek Spartans, but I will say that sometimes I have dreams from a past life that would imply that I was indeed, a Spartan. This is probably why I love Greek food, too, but I haven’t had much in a while because I tend to consider most of it cheat food. Actually, I wouldn’t if I made it myself but now I’m going completely off of my intended topic, so without further ado, let’s get to the centuries.

Centuries, by my humble definition, means one hundred of something, anything, followed immediately by one hundred more of anything, followed again by one hundred more of anything. Centuries, be it every one hundred years, every one hundred yards, every one hundred reps, or every one hundred miles, centuries is basically one hundred of something followed immediately by one hundred of something else. Make sense?

Now, since I am talking about fitness and not about world history (I still get that itch every once in a while) we’re sticking with reps, in his case. Centuries are tough, brutal, not only psychologically, but emotionally challenging to the individual. It looks like an ultra tough hill to climb, but once the hill, or rather, mountain, is climbed, one feels the sense of accomplishment. This method of training isn’t meant for only one burnout set of one hundred reps. Each, and every, exercise is going to be just that: one hundred reps.

You can perform these in several ways. My favorite way is to simply get in as many reps as I can with a desired amount of weight, usually thirty to forty percent of what I would normally get for ten to fifteen reps, and get as many clean, solid reps as I can. So, say if I can get seventy reps before burning out, it means I have thirty reps to go. What I am going to do now is rest for thirty seconds, because I have thirty more reps to perform. Once I get the desired amount of reps in, then I’m going to go on to another exercise, targeting a different body part. On Monday, I did the following movements:

Crunches: 100 reps

Decline Push-ups: 100 reps

Dumbbell Rows: 100 reps per arm

Lunges: 100 reps total (not because it’s a leg movement, it’s because my right knee is currently in shambles and I probably shouldn’t be doing any legs to begin with, so give me some credit).

Upright Rows: 100 reps.

The above workout took me about thirty minutes to complete. Then I did my ten minute non-stop ab circuit, which I am notorious for, after I wrecked out a good five hundred reps. So, I completed five centuries here. Sometimes, I’ll up the ante and shoot for ten exercises of one hundred reps each. What I am doing here is mostly bodyweight exercises, two to three for larger muscle groups and only one for the smaller groups. With this, I like to do the following:

Pull-ups

Suspended Dips

Bodyweight Curl

Decline Push-ups

Chin-ups

Deep Bodyweight Squats on Plyo Box

Single Leg Speed Squats

Suspended Push-ups on TRX

Shoulder Presses with half of my current bodyweight on the bar.

TRX Bodyweight Rows

Sometimes, a 1,500 rep workout is in order. Assume that I have the above workout intact, but I’ll add in a cardio movement after some exercises:

Burpees: You can get really good at these after several weeks.

Step-ups with bodyweight only

Speed Box Jumps (much easier on the knees)

Battling Ropes (consider this movement a break)

Kettlebell Swings

Boom! A 1,500 rep workout is now in order. I think I did hit the 2,000 rep mark once, but that was because it was about zero degrees that day and there was snow on the ground from the night before and I had nothing better to do. It was a good two and a half hour workout! It rocked!

Here’s another fun thing to do to. Want some history lessons? Start with the first century. For us Christians out there, the significant aspect should be an easy one. Name a historical event, then do the movement. Why? It kind of takes your mind off of what’s at hand when you’re in the eighteenth century and the Battle of Yorktown is going through your mind. Or, you’re in the 2,100 rep range and the event in mind is the ISIS conflict, you really can take the mind elsewhere in the world while still crushing the workout. It’s seriously a psychological thing.

For instance, when doing workouts like this one that’s seriously taking your body to the absolute limit, why is it a good idea to have your favorite music blaring in your ears? Because certain music will create certain psychological responses in individuals. If I have Blink 182 in my head, then my workouts will always be harder and I’ll be more focused. If you don’t believe me then try it. Though I’m not a big fan of the TV on cardio machines, that’s usually annoying.

Getting It All In

Moderation is key, and to be completely honest I really don’t care how long your workout is, because being in the gym for two plus hours at a time (if you don’t work there) on a weekday where you are not having a day off from work is just not necessary. It’s either you’re wasting your time mixing in your social life with the gym, you’re underemployed (especially if you’re living off others trying to make the gym a reality), or you have no idea how to workout. Yesterday I trained clients for nine hours over a fifteen hour span, from 5:00am to 8:00pm. I also got to study for two hours and then workout twice, once in the morning between clients and then once in the evening after my last client. I still was able to get in a good six hours of sleep, which for me is a lot. 

My activity level these days is through the roof, and it’s going to be even more hectic come October, and then even more hectic come January. First off, I’ve come a very long way in my twenty three and a half years of experience on this Earth, and that’s a testament to God. I could have very well gone the other direction for those who know my story from 2009 to 2011. I won’t go there yet, but my followers will get to hear this tale in due time. It is a thriller indeed, but first I need to recollect from my memory bank. Second off, my activities range from the following: work, school, networking (such as this article, plus other outlets that allow me to draw a base of fans), competition prep (food prep, show prep, shoot prep), and then maintaining my share of duties at home. Oh, and I forgot my workouts! That’s a lot in one avenue, and this isn’t even counting hobbies and this time of the year, I probably spend at least twenty hours a week on my main hobby. 

So, if you’re a busy person, and most of America is, then as I stated in an above paragraph, I don’t care how long a workout takes. There’s only one element anyone and everyone should be concerned about, and that element is Time Under Tension (TUT). TUT is the amount of time the body is under tension during a workout, meaning that the workout itself is only as long as the body is under tension for. Breaks are not included in TUT. At work, I typically only have a half hour towards each one on one client, if it’s a class or a small group session, the time may be forty-five minutes to an hour. This means that the style of training must emphasize on TUT. This means limited breaks.

For those who need to consider time as part of their workouts, consider my morning workout:

10 minutes nonstop abs

Do as many reps as you can before taking a break. However many reps you have left is how long you get to rest for, so if you have thirty left, you get a thirty second break.
100 reps Dumbbell Curl
100 reps Skull Crushers with Dumbbells
100 reps Incline Dumbbell Curl
100 reps Dips

Finale: CTFletcher‬ style
10×10 (no rest in between) Cable Pressdowns, changing weight each time
10×10 (no rest in between) Cable Barbell Curl, change weight each time

How long did this thirty-six set workout take me? It lasted about forty minutes tops. TUT was probably around thirty-four to thirty-five minutes. Considering that the workout was thirty-six sets, that’s a very solid TUT. 

Now, having a limited amount of time to get a workout in has more benefits than one would think. If you only have a limited amount of time to get a workout in you are probably doing one of the following:

*Working instead of talking

*Burning fat more efficiently. Sound odd? Not really if you think about it. You have a limited time to workout, so a workout as little as only thirty minutes is going to burn fat better than one who has a longer amount of time to get a workout in. Why? You’re more likely than not going to keep moving as fast as possible throughout the workout instead of taking your time during the workout. 

*Working multiple muscle groups at once. Again, sound odd? And again, not really if you think about it. If I only had a half an hour per day to workout with my current lifestyle, which would probably be closer to the case if I weren’t single and owned a home my workouts would train drastically. For instance, instead of doing the above example I had set, I would utilize more total body movements, such as kettlebell swings, thrusters, one-arm TRX rows with a rotation, anti-rotation overhead presses, and squat-rows instead of my usual isolation movements. All of these moves incorporate many, many muscle groups. For instance, the squat row will target my legs, lats, and core. The thrusters target legs, shoulders, triceps, and obliques. Multiple muscle groups are still being worked multiple times per week.

*It’s also realistic to think that you will do more sets. When you only have a limited time to workout, you have to think outside of the box sometimes. This means that you can workout in a style that many simply won’t do because of the demands and tenacity of the style. For instance, on cardio day, you are more likely to do sprints than just run or incline walk at a leisurely pace. When you lift, you could incorporate what I had shown in the above example or you could do something like a top of the minute routine, which means thirty sets in thirty minutes. Do each exercise for fifteen to twenty reps, rest for the remainder of the minute, then do a second set at the beginning of the next minute. 

*In addition to cardio, one of my favorite workouts that Alloy Personal Training Solutions has distributed in recent years are the after-burn programs. After-burn speaks just as it sounds, you’re going to burn calories after a thirty minute workout. You’re going to burn calories up to forty-eight minutes after a thirty minute workout. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. This isn’t P90X, this isn’t Insanity, because it’s way better and a lot safer. For starters, there are three levels of difficulty for each exercise for the individual to choose from based on their current fitness level. In addition, the workout is very, very fast, resembling a crossfit style workout. As I had explained in the past, after-burn incorporates times such as thirty seconds on, ten seconds off, sixty seconds on, five seconds off, top of the minute, three sets of fifteen reps of full body movements as fast as possible and do as much as you can in a thirty minute time limit. It also incorporates a group or team style mentality, meaning that the individual is likely doing the workout with multiple individuals. This encourages competition between those participating in the workout. And for those who do have more time, if thirty minutes isn’t enough, then try two after-burn style workouts back to back.

This is coming from someone who uses the program and does not in any way, shape, or form receive compensation to endorse the program. I have been doing this for a year and here are my results from both afterburn and just quick burst workouts that utilize the TUT method over time actually spent in the gym:

August, 2013

September, 2014

One year of transformation right here. I thought I looked great in the above picture. I think I look good now, but I can’t wait to laugh at this latest progress picture one of these days. 

So, if you only have a very limited time to train, never fear. You won’t fail at fitness. You may even have plenty of advantages. You may have many more advantages than you would think. These advantages are plenty and motivating enough to keep to a strict, committed fitness life. And that’s the good news. 

 

 

Todd Matthews is currently an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer at an Anytime Fitness franchise. He has been employed at Anytime Fitness since 2012. In 2009, he earned his first CPT from the American Fitness Professionals & Associates three months after graduating from Edison High School. He is also currently a Wellness and Fitness student at California University of Pennsylvania. Todd also is a lifetime natural men’s physique competitor in the National Physique Committee and the National Gym Association. He has also participated in three fitness shoots on bbpics.com. 

 

More Useful Information and Saturday Workouts

Today I’m going to go over the social networking aspect of my fledgling empire. I do put a lot of good, useful stuff on this blog, including advice on fitness, nutrition, lifestyle, motivation, and pictures. However, there is much, much more that I have to offer you all in your journey to the top of the fitness realm. I use facebook and instagram as key outlets in addition to my personal page here. Here are my pages:

Instagram: toddmatthewsfitness. Follow me here and gain some awesome access to even more pictures, motivational quotes, short clips, and even more progress pictures.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toddmatthewsphysique?ref=hl . Follow the link posted for full workouts, workout tips, nutrition tips, lifestyle practices, and look at some secret workouts that only few of us know. I’ll be using my facebook page to post videos of exercises that not too many individuals know how to do by merely looking at the name of the exercise. Also, I’ll have videos of my personal style of training too, as well as some really cool nutrition videos coming up soon. So far, I have posted my latest shoulder workout onto the site. Feel free to scan my page and take a look at it. 

As always, I like posting my workouts onto the page as well. But, I do copy many of my main workouts onto this page. Getting my grind on early this morning, I did a really fast cardio workout, ten solid minutes of abs, and then the remainder of my workout was a chest workout. Here is what I did

Chest Workout:

5 Minutes on stair stepper, as fast as possible, climbing as many steps as possible.

10 minute abs

3 giant sets/25 reps: Push-up, Wide Grip Push-up, Close Grip Push-up, Reverse Push-up, Wide Grip Incline Push-up
4 sets/8-12 reps: Cable Crossover/Incline Barbell Bench Presses
4 sets/ X reps: Suspended Push-ups on Dip Machine/Incline Fly
4 sets/15-20 reps: Weighted Wide Grip Suspended Dips/Decline Crossovers

This workout typically takes between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes to complete. 

In a few hours time, I’ll get my cardio on. My right knee has been experiencing some issues over the last nine days but after two days of taking a really strong dose of glucosamine, the knee is ready for another test run. Here is what I plan to do:

One mile run for a warm-up

Circuit: 20 yard lunge, 40 yard sprint, jog down hill, sprint up hill. Repeat as many times as possible in a 20 minute time limit.

Circuit: 1/4 mile run as fast as possible, 50 mountain climbers, run another 1/4 mile except that this time the 1/4 mile is down the hill and back up the hill. Return to first exercise in this circuit.

10 minutes of abs in a giant set. 

Total time should not exceed one hour. 

These workouts are not for the weak hearted. Go ahead and modify them if need be, but the full workout requires a lot of clean calories, a decent warm-up, and your favorite music, which is usually a deciding factor that keeps people going. So go ahead, give it a whirl, and tell me what you think. 

Several Strange Things About Me…..As It Relates to Fitness

I love to workout, I love to eat right, I love to workout, I love to eat right, I love to workout, I love to eat right………….I love my strange rituals that I do during my workout to keep things interesting. I do a lot of rituals when it comes to fitness. Sure, some are spiritual in the good sense, and nothing is flighty or satanic or any of that kind of junk. Nope, but I do have several mannerisms that make me unique! Today, I’m going to share some of these. Why is this important? It keeps me going in my journey to the top of the fitness world. 

Weird Mannerism Number One: I relate my lifestyle to a Pokemon evolution. Growing up, I was usually the least athletic gifted of my friends. I wasn’t a strong guy. I was either a little overweight (until seventh grade) or a little too far on the slim side, but “skinny fat (eighth grade to ninth grade). I wasn’t very fast, I was never picked to be on any starting lineup on any sport. Funny how things change. I felt like the weakling Magikarp early on until my sophomore year of high school. Then, I evolved into the legendary bad ass Gyarados! Love ya, G!

Weird Mannerism Number Two: I have to listen to music from the 1980’s if I’m working out in Wintersville, Ohio. I like 1990’s alternative when killing the weights in Weirton, West Virginia. If I’m doing cardio or running like crazy, I love listening to DragonForce. Best yet, when running during a sixty degree overcast, my music of choice comes from the one group that would probably be the solution to international conflict: U2…..best. band. ever.

Weird Mannerism Number Three: I relate my life to my Harry Potter House: Slytherin. Don’t worry, I’m more Merlin and less Tom Riddle (Lord Voldemort), meaning that I’m like most Slytherins; most of us are actually pretty nice people. We just go after what we want. When we want something, we do anything and everything in our power to get that want. We are cunning, so we thrive at biding our time in order to wait until the correct moment to strike. We are ambitious, and we want ambitious things. Not necessarily material possessions, but we want to showcase what we have to offer. That also means that we enjoy putting those in Gryffindor in their place, because all Gryffindors need that.

Weird Mannerism Number Four: I relate my year of fitness to an NFL season. The playoffs begin in July. For every big accomplishment I get in July (as long as I get ten or more earlier from January to June) I win in the playoffs. Four big wins equals a Super Bowl. Oh, and I can’t have any setbacks and then wins down the road, because it only takes one loss in the NFL playoffs. This isn’t baseball, basketball, or hockey.

Weird Mannerism Number Five: I like to make up music videos in my head while listening to music while doing cardio. That means a lot of sweet DragonForce vids. The only problem is, I don’t really know how to film them, but I can make them in the head. It passes time.

I don’t really know if these mannerisms are common in fitness or if I’m just plain and utterly weird. Though I do know that these crazy and weird things tend to work for me. Better yet, my version of weird is more of a fun version that gets me though my workouts, having fun the entire time! Oh, and if you look at the featured image, that IS me wearing a Winnipeg Jets hoodie. Love ya, blue! Let’s not embarrass ourselves too badly this year. No, seriously, take it from a fan in Pens country, the Jets are awful! 

Fat Loss and How to Curb Cravings

Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. I preach this gospel daily. Just as a pastor tells the sermon that Jesus is literally the one way ticket to the Promised Land, nutrition is the one hundred percent guarantee that will make or break fitness goals. The sad part is that even powerlifters will perform better with the right nutrition. Those hallowed few who are genetically blessed with an ultra lean physique even benefit better from sound nutrition, as it affects health and peak performance. There is one universal rule when it comes to success in fitness goals, and that universal rule is that if ones nutrition plan is not at least ninety percent spot on (even more for us physique competitors). If the nutrition lifestyle misses it’s mark, even if by only a little, in many cases it can and will make or break success.

Tips for sound nutrition:

One) Eat at least three whole food meals per day, with Quest Bars (or something similar in nutritional value) and protein shakes in between, preferably before and after workouts.

Two) Keep pre and post workout meals liquid. This is why: when you eat whole foods before a workout, as in within an hour and a half before hand, the body must break this food down and it needs time to do so. If the body cannot break the whole food meals down by the time of the workout, the food is not going to be converted into energy. Worse yet, the body is compromising its energy that could be geared entirely towards the workout, but it is actually using energy, up to eighty-five percent of its output, towards digestion. That leaves only fifteen percent for the workout at hand.

Post workout works in a similar fashion. The glycogen stores are starved of energy after a solid workout (about an hour or longer). This means that something simple must be ingested in order to replenish glycogen stores. A simple carb that is low in fat and dietary fiber is best. Yes, I’m saying that table sugar is actually okay to eat post workout. The muscles are also damaged and must be repaired as soon as possible. This is where the fast burning whey isolate comes into play. Whey isolate is protein that is isolated from carbs and fats during processing, therefore up to ninety percent of the product being protein, and the rest is made up of traces of fats and carbs. Getting a fast digesting protein, such as whey, immediately begins protein synthesis in the muscles. This explains why whey isolate is the most popular post workout supplement on the market.

Three) Cycle carbs and nutrients for best results. Gone are the days where eating the same thing day after day, week after week, was the status quo. We now know that cycling nutrients, especially carbs and fats, are the way to go. Think about it for a second. When the body adapts to any change, it will stop changing. In other words, if we refuse to allow our bodies to adapt, they will never stop changing. When we lift weights, our bodies are being pushed to failure, and they will naturally get stronger and increase their endurance in order to respond to the stimulus. The same element goes into nutrition. If we confuse our bodies, they will never stop changing. We do this by switching our carb count from a low day, to a moderate day, to a high day. When carbs are low, increase fats and proteins. When carbs are high, decrease fats and proteins. The macro nutrient count is ever changing. A good rule of thumb is to keep your carbs at one half gram per pound of bodyweight on low days, one gram per pound on moderate days, and one and a half grams per pound on high days. If you play a sport or train for two hours a day or longer, double the count. 

Four) Never decrease calories by too much. That’s right, in order to lose you have to eat. It’s all in the macros. If the macro nutrient count is there, then change occurs. This is why: our bodies need a certain amount of calories to function each and every day. This is known as Base Metabolic Rate (BMR). If you’re a male, take your lean bodyweight (fat free weight) and multiply that number by eleven. This is the amount of calories your body needs on a daily basis. Females, take your fat free weight and multiply that number by ten. This is your BMR. 

Now, take the amount of calories you burn doing anything extra (working, working out, walking) and tally up that number. There are several calculators on the internet that can give a general idea on what this number can look like. Also, it may be good to invest in a fit bit or a fit app, which will also help accurately determine your activity level. Add this number to your BMR. 

Now that we have the total number of calories set, it’s time to customize this number to your goal. If you want to lose bodyfat, subtract five hundred calories, as there is three thousand five hundred calories in a gram of fat. If you’re looking to gain, increase this number by three hundred (for those more prone to storing fat) to five hundred (for those naturally lean few). This is the total amount of calories you will eat a week. 

You also want to adjust this number based upon what the scale is saying. It’s good to have one official weigh in each week at the same time, on the same day. Keep reducing calories in increments until the body ceases to lose any more weight. At this time, slowly begin to add calories back into your nutrition plan. Trust me, once the lifestyle change in nutrition and fitness becomes a habit, this will work in your favor. 

Five) So, all fat loss diets are miserable and temporary? Actually that’s not the case. I have had one really bad cheat meal since the beginning of July. I’ve only eaten two cheat meals since the beginning of June. My nutritional habits will never strand me on low carb or low fat island. The key is the cycling. This is the hidden gem, the secret, the way, the short cut that every single individual has been looking for. Without it, a nutrition plan DOES become a long and miserable fat loss diet. Here is what I like to do in order to curb cravings:

1) Protein pancakes AND protein cookies. Easy to assemble. You’ll need egg whites (one whole egg), oatmeal or cream of wheat, and some protein powder. Mix into a batter and throw on a skillet if you’re going with pancakes, baking sheet if you’re making the cookies. It is good to invest in baking powder if you are making the cookies. Top with sugar-free syrup, jelly, or Smuckers natural peanut butter.

2) Sweet potato french fries, chips, or potato wedges. Simply take a sweet potato, cut into either french fries, chips, or wedges. Throw some cooking oil, seasonings, or whatever else calorie free you can think of and bake in the oven for twenty to thirty minutes. Do this on moderate or high carb days.

3) Tacos- I like tacos, plain and simple. Tacos rock. Tacos really rock. Tacos might just be the best food on the planet. Grab some lean ground turkey, low carb, high fiber tortillas, iceberg lettuce, Greek yogurt if you like sour cream, red hot sauce (tastes better than mild) if you like sauces. You can also put on here any kind of vegetable. If it is a high carb day, then quinoa or brown rice mixed in is also awesome. Fat free cheese is also a good option too. Make this as if you were cooking real tacos.

4) Quest Bars are my personal favorites. They are my desserts for my lunch and for my dinner. You can do several things to these. You can open them and eat them. You can throw them into the fridge and let them harden up. You can freeze them. You can microwave them or bake them. Take your pick.

5) Quest Chips are chips that are high in protein, and low in fat. They taste amazing and the texture resembles Lays baked potato chips.

6) Milkshakes- For a post-workout meal, they’re the best. Take one cup water, three ice cubes, your simple carb of choice (if post-workout), blend together with one to two scoops of protein powder. Tell me if there’s a difference between these and milkshakes. 

7) Protein pudding- When it gets cooler outside, I usually shift to this post workout. Again, you’re putting the simple carb in here if post workout. Simply take one to two scoops protein powder, insert the carb, insert a quarter to a third cup of water, and eat with a spoon.

8) Burgers- That lean ground turkey rocks, doesn’t it? Put these inside a wrap, or brown rice bread, which tastes amazing. Put on lettuce, mustard, hot sauce, even turkey bacon and egg whites or a whole egg. Honestly, there is no difference between this and the “real” thing. 

So, take my advice, follow my ways, and cease to cheat. There are many, many ways to curb cravings, but only one true way to truly lose fat and no, hours of cardio or thousands of crunches are not going to help. Nutrition helps, and it helps a lot. 

Fat Loss and How to Curb Cravings

Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. I preach this gospel daily. Just as a pastor tells the sermon that Jesus is literally the one way ticket to the Promised Land, nutrition is the one hundred percent guarantee that will make or break fitness goals. The sad part is that even powerlifters will perform better with the right nutrition. Those hallowed few who are genetically blessed with an ultra lean physique even benefit better from sound nutrition, as it affects health and peak performance. There is one universal rule when it comes to success in fitness goals, and that universal rule is that if ones nutrition plan is not at least ninety percent spot on (even more for us physique competitors). If the nutrition lifestyle misses it’s mark, even if by only a little, in many cases it can and will make or break success.

Tips for sound nutrition:

One) Eat at least three whole food meals per day, with Quest Bars (or something similar in nutritional value) and protein shakes in between, preferably before and after workouts.

Two) Keep pre and post workout meals liquid. This is why: when you eat whole foods before a workout, as in within an hour and a half before hand, the body must break this food down and it needs time to do so. If the body cannot break the whole food meals down by the time of the workout, the food is not going to be converted into energy. Worse yet, the body is compromising its energy that could be geared entirely towards the workout, but it is actually using energy, up to eighty-five percent of its output, towards digestion. That leaves only fifteen percent for the workout at hand.

Post workout works in a similar fashion. The glycogen stores are starved of energy after a solid workout (about an hour or longer). This means that something simple must be ingested in order to replenish glycogen stores. A simple carb that is low in fat and dietary fiber is best. Yes, I’m saying that table sugar is actually okay to eat post workout. The muscles are also damaged and must be repaired as soon as possible. This is where the fast burning whey isolate comes into play. Whey isolate is protein that is isolated from carbs and fats during processing, therefore up to ninety percent of the product being protein, and the rest is made up of traces of fats and carbs. Getting a fast digesting protein, such as whey, immediately begins protein synthesis in the muscles. This explains why whey isolate is the most popular post workout supplement on the market.

Three) Cycle carbs and nutrients for best results. Gone are the days where eating the same thing day after day, week after week, was the status quo. We now know that cycling nutrients, especially carbs and fats, are the way to go. Think about it for a second. When the body adapts to any change, it will stop changing. In other words, if we refuse to allow our bodies to adapt, they will never stop changing. When we lift weights, our bodies are being pushed to failure, and they will naturally get stronger and increase their endurance in order to respond to the stimulus. The same element goes into nutrition. If we confuse our bodies, they will never stop changing. We do this by switching our carb count from a low day, to a moderate day, to a high day. When carbs are low, increase fats and proteins. When carbs are high, decrease fats and proteins. The macro nutrient count is ever changing. A good rule of thumb is to keep your carbs at one half gram per pound of bodyweight on low days, one gram per pound on moderate days, and one and a half grams per pound on high days. If you play a sport or train for two hours a day or longer, double the count. 

Four) Never decrease calories by too much. That’s right, in order to lose you have to eat. It’s all in the macros. If the macro nutrient count is there, then change occurs. This is why: our bodies need a certain amount of calories to function each and every day. This is known as Base Metabolic Rate (BMR). If you’re a male, take your lean bodyweight (fat free weight) and multiply that number by eleven. This is the amount of calories your body needs on a daily basis. Females, take your fat free weight and multiply that number by ten. This is your BMR. 

Now, take the amount of calories you burn doing anything extra (working, working out, walking) and tally up that number. There are several calculators on the internet that can give a general idea on what this number can look like. Also, it may be good to invest in a fit bit or a fit app, which will also help accurately determine your activity level. Add this number to your BMR. 

Now that we have the total number of calories set, it’s time to customize this number to your goal. If you want to lose bodyfat, subtract five hundred calories, as there is three thousand five hundred calories in a gram of fat. If you’re looking to gain, increase this number by three hundred (for those more prone to storing fat) to five hundred (for those naturally lean few). This is the total amount of calories you will eat a week. 

You also want to adjust this number based upon what the scale is saying. It’s good to have one official weigh in each week at the same time, on the same day. Keep reducing calories in increments until the body ceases to lose any more weight. At this time, slowly begin to add calories back into your nutrition plan. Trust me, once the lifestyle change in nutrition and fitness becomes a habit, this will work in your favor. 

Five) So, all fat loss diets are miserable and temporary? Actually that’s not the case. I have had one really bad cheat meal since the beginning of July. I’ve only eaten two cheat meals since the beginning of June. My nutritional habits will never strand me on low carb or low fat island. The key is the cycling. This is the hidden gem, the secret, the way, the short cut that every single individual has been looking for. Without it, a nutrition plan DOES become a long and miserable fat loss diet. Here is what I like to do in order to curb cravings:

1) Protein pancakes AND protein cookies. Easy to assemble. You’ll need egg whites (one whole egg), oatmeal or cream of wheat, and some protein powder. Mix into a batter and throw on a skillet if you’re going with pancakes, baking sheet if you’re making the cookies. It is good to invest in baking powder if you are making the cookies. Top with sugar-free syrup, jelly, or Smuckers natural peanut butter.

2) Sweet potato french fries, chips, or potato wedges. Simply take a sweet potato, cut into either french fries, chips, or wedges. Throw some cooking oil, seasonings, or whatever else calorie free you can think of and bake in the oven for twenty to thirty minutes. Do this on moderate or high carb days.

3) Tacos- I like tacos, plain and simple. Tacos rock. Tacos really rock. Tacos might just be the best food on the planet. Grab some lean ground turkey, low carb, high fiber tortillas, iceberg lettuce, Greek yogurt if you like sour cream, red hot sauce (tastes better than mild) if you like sauces. You can also put on here any kind of vegetable. If it is a high carb day, then quinoa or brown rice mixed in is also awesome. Fat free cheese is also a good option too. Make this as if you were cooking real tacos.

4) Quest Bars are my personal favorites. They are my desserts for my lunch and for my dinner. You can do several things to these. You can open them and eat them. You can throw them into the fridge and let them harden up. You can freeze them. You can microwave them or bake them. Take your pick.

5) Quest Chips are chips that are high in protein, and low in fat. They taste amazing and the texture resembles Lays baked potato chips.

6) Milkshakes- For a post-workout meal, they’re the best. Take one cup water, three ice cubes, your simple carb of choice (if post-workout), blend together with one to two scoops of protein powder. Tell me if there’s a difference between these and milkshakes. 

7) Protein pudding- When it gets cooler outside, I usually shift to this post workout. Again, you’re putting the simple carb in here if post workout. Simply take one to two scoops protein powder, insert the carb, insert a quarter to a third cup of water, and eat with a spoon.

8) Burgers- That lean ground turkey rocks, doesn’t it? Put these inside a wrap, or brown rice bread, which tastes amazing. Put on lettuce, mustard, hot sauce, even turkey bacon and egg whites or a whole egg. Honestly, there is no difference between this and the “real” thing. 

So, take my advice, follow my ways, and cease to cheat. There are many, many ways to curb cravings, but only one true way to truly lose fat and no, hours of cardio or thousands of crunches are not going to help. Nutrition helps, and it helps a lot.