Tag: fitness

whytheheLeave a comment

Wanna Get Ripped For Summer?? Here’s How!

I no longer use steroids and have the Testosterone levels of a man 20 years my senior.  Cutting up for the summer is now a much more difficult process for me.  Two years ago I would clean up my diet a little, bump up my weekly Test dose by 150-200 mg,  throw in a little bit of Anavar or Winstrol and boom, I was in beach shape without losing appreciable muscle mass.  Those supplements are no longer options for me.  I have to be much more careful about how I cut or I’ll end up looking like Justin Bieber without all of his money or fame.

Here’s some tips that I’m using to get lean while retaining or even gaining the most amount of muscle possible.

  1. Eat your Greens – Kale, spinach and broccoli are your friends.  Eat one of them at every meal.  Not only will they help fill you up and keep your from gorging on empty calories, but they also can help increase testosterone levels.
  2. Take Magnesium and Zinc – Take 30 mg of zinc and 750 mg of magnesium daily.  You need to be careful not to consume too much of these minerals as there could be issues with toxicity.  I like to take these post-workout and before bed as magnesium has a calming effect on the body. Studies have shown that taking 750 mg a day of magnesium boosted Testosterone levels in men who suffer from Low T by up to 26%.
  3. Earn your carbs – Eat the majority of you carbs (65-75%) when you body needs them the most; around the time you train.  I am a big proponent of intra-workout carbs.  My intra-workout shake has anywhere from 40-60 grams of Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrins to fuel my workout and restore glycogen levels.  Post workout I have a whole food meal where I consume anywhere from 50-70 grams of carbs in the form of a sweet potato or rice.  I prefer using sweet potatoes lately as my body seems to react better to them – less inflammation and water retention as compared to rice.
  4. Time your carbs – I eat the majority of my carbs at two key times during the day.  Around my training (which I explained above) and during the last meal of the day, which is roughly two hours before I go to sleep.  I eat a half cup of oatmeal with a tablespoon of raw honey.  Your body tends to be more insulin sensitive later in the day.   Plus the carbs produce serotonin that can help make you sleepy.  Stay away from processed carbs and sugars as much as possible as they will wreak havoc on your diet.
  5. Keep your protein up – I aim for 250-270 grams of protein a day.  I weigh 210 pounds now that I have cut.  As a general rule I like to keep protein intake around 1.2-1.3 grams per pound of bodyweight during this phase.
  6. Eat your good Fats – I increase my fat intake when I am cutting carbs.  I eat at least 15 grams of good fats per meal.  My favorite fat sources are coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, raw nuts, eggs, grass fed beef and grass fed butter.  Adding these to my meals keeps me satiated.  MCT’s help with energy and research shows they increase testosterone levels.
  7. L-Leucine – Supplementing with Leucine has greatly enhanced my ability to retain muscle mass while stripping body fat.  I take 5 grams of Leucine with 3-4 of my meals, as well as my intra-workout shake.  Leucine regulate’s muscle protein synthesis.  If it’s present the body will synthesize protein.  If not, the body will break down muscle tissue to find the leucine and BCAA it needs.
  8. HIIT –  I limit my HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sessions to 3 times per week.  I warm up on the treadmill for 3-5 minutes.  After the warm-up I sprint for 20-30 seconds and then walk for 30-40 seconds.  I repeat this interval for 7-10 minutes.  I end my HIIT session by walking for 3-5 minutes to cool down.  HIIT training is anabolic and continues to burn fat hours after you have finished training.

 

whythehe2 Comments

Get in Shape Anywhere in Less than 20 Minutes – Bodyweight Complex Training on the Go

Anti-Gym

If you can’t make it to the gym, or you just aren’t a “gym person,” but you want a killer total body workout check out what I have created below.  These are exercises you will perform one after the other in sequence.  Taking 10-20 seconds rest between each exercise.  One full round of this exercise complex is call a “wave”.  After one full complex wave take 45-75 seconds rest and repeat the complex 1-3 more times.

Once you are done with your sets of Complex 1 then perform Complex 2.  Do this program 3 times per week.  It should take you less than 20 minutes to complete.  These exercises should all be performed in a slow, controlled manner in order to really engage and feel the muscle being worked (Unless it’s noted to explode and work on speed as some exercise are below).  I added Youtube links for the different exercises to show you how the exercises should be performed if you are unfamiliar with them.

Complex 1

  1. Plyo-Push up – 6-15 reps depending on your strength level http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYU5MeZ1Xco
  2. Pull ups – reps to failure
  3. Lunges – 10 reps on each leg Get a nice deep and controlled lunge.  Slowly drop yourself down and squeeze your glutes way thighs on the way up to fully engage the muscles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ZeWaJwmg0
  4. Pike Push- ups – 10-15 reps. Depending on the angle you can work with more or less of your bodyweight.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sposDXWEB0A
  5. Planks – hold for 30-45 seconds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSHjTRCQxIw
  6. V-ups – 15-25 reps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP2fjvG0g3w

Complex 2

  1. Jump Squats – 10-15 reps.  Really explode of the bottom and jump as high as possible do not pause at the bottom you want to work on exploding and working on the Stretch Reflex.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utQShuge6Vk
  2. Inverted rows – 10-12 reps. Depending on the angle you can work with more or less of your bodyweight.  You would set up the pull up bar lower to the ground to perform this exercise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnXBP1bUSU
  3. Close Grip Push Ups – 10-15 reps. Really focus on contracting and squeezing your chest and triceps at the top of the movement.  Hold the contraction at the top of the movement on every rep for 2 seconds to really activate the muscles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4lnOrykocg
  4. YTI’s – 10-12 reps. This may not look like much of an exercise but if you really squeeze and contract your shoulders at each level of the movement (the Y, the T, the L) it really burns http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvLm_llzkCE  Do them the way she does them at 54 seconds into the clip in progression Y,T, I that’s one rep
  5. Glute bridges – Excellent core and glute exercise. Make sure you keep your weight on your heels and Really squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement and hold for 2 seconds each rep http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwNP1Ure28Q  You should feel this in your core and your glutes NOT in your back.
  6. Mountain Climbers – 30-45 seconds . I want you to really dig hard on these and get as many reps in as you can in that 30-45 second timeframe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA9Xhv2ktgw
whytheheLeave a comment

That Feeling In Your Gut When You Just Know

There are very few things quite as powerful as your gut instinct.  It’s amazing how intuitive we really are as humans. How much our body gives us so many signs and clues as to what we should and shouldn’t be doing if we truly pay attention.

The obvious things that hold us back from truly following our gut are fear and doubt.  Those two things are a son-of-a-bitch.  They can wreak havoc on your outlook and life.  We all can very easily persuade ourselves to think that gut feeling is just a pipe dream.  Perhaps we started to late for it to work, or its too difficult a task for us.  Those things may all very well be true.  However, no one ever truly knows unless they try.

Wayne Gretzky said “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” I am a firm believer in this affirmation. There are so many points in my life that I look back on with regret saying “fuck I should have done this back then.”  The reality is that some of these things I still want to do and can do with my time.

I REALLY like the excuse of “Im too old” or “I missed the wave.”  Those two thoughts allow me to be a giant pussy from time to time.  Never attacking the passions and goals I have.  I hate the thought of starting over. Not making money and having to worry about finances makes me cringe.  The sad reality is that I AM starting over now at 35 anyway.  I quit my previous career over a year ago.  I’ll get into that whole bag of shit at another time.  Time is passing anyway so I should just start over doing something I love and have a passion to do.

An hour ago a friend texted me asking me about working out.  She was talking about how she wanted to tone up and and she needed help.  She lives near me so I just offered to train her a couple times a week.  I got so excited when she said yes.  I love training people.  In general, I have a passion to help anyone reach any goal they may have.  It’s a fucking amazing feeling.  Plus, I figured it will force me to go a couple more times a week.  It will be great way to get in summer shape for me as well.

All of the sudden I got that feeling of fire in my gut.  That feeling of excitement to use my gifts and knowledge to help someone else.  By helping others I get back such an amazing amount of fulfillment internally.  This was gods way of giving me another kick in the ass saying “hey dumby this is what you should be doing with your time”

I started making some goals in my head.  Get my training certifications.  Write more.  Start helping people reach their goals mentally and physically.  Train people. Start a meal prep company like a friend of mine has in Baltimore (If you are down in the Baltimore area check him out https://www.facebook.com/fitfoods2you).  Then the reasons started pouring in of why I cant do this.

  • I already committed to business last year and spent a lot of time and effort working on it
  • I have to get my training certificate and that’s hard and time consuming
  • I should have done this 10 years ago when I first had the idea
  • Im not good enough
  • And most of all IM JUST PLAIN, OLD AFRAID TO LOOK STUPID AND FAIL

All those excuses for the most part are just bullshit.  Yes, there is some truth and failing is a possibility.  But I can fail doing shit I hate doing.  Which has happened to me on several occasions.  The reality is its easy too dream and hard to create.  It takes a huge leap of faith into the unknown.  It takes facing the fears of what could be the treacherous reality in the future.  It takes courage, confidence and hard work ethic.  I have lacked these three things in many aspects of my life over the years.

I fear putting myself out there and how others will receive me. I fear taking risks because I could fail and look less than to others and myself.  I fear that I don’t have the capacity to handle the turmoil and hurt of failure. The funniest thing about this ridiculous fear is that for the vast majority of my life I took huge risks with my freedom to make a living.  Its strange how that fear never stopped me even though it was always on my mind.

I keep reminding myself that all the things that made me safe and successful on the other side of the law can be applicable on the legit side.  I need to develop the work ethic and courage to fall on my face a couple times and keep picking myself up.  I need to be firm, but fair with myself and my abilities.

I have been out of the legitimate business world for such a long time.  Many of the skills that made me successful 8-10 years ago in corporate America have rust on them.  It will take time to polish them up and get them up to a speed that I feel is acceptable and truly produce results.  Until that time I need to keep making mistakes and learning from them.  Once my skills are at that level I will need to strive to keep getting better.  Progressing by pumping out more and more reps and continuing to learn. Complacency is one of the most evil and dangerous character defects out there.

I see SO MANY people out there that have started out with much less of a cushion financially than I have and done SO MUCH more.  Many of these same people also lacked many of the skills and abilities I have.  They know much less about how a business is run and the inner workings of day to day operations.  Very few have tasted the type of financial success I have and don’t fear living with less the way I do.

WHAT THESE PEOPLE DO NOT LACK IS CONFIDENCE, DRIVE, AND THE UNCANNY ABILITY TO CHASE THEIR DREAMS AND MAKE THEM A REALITY.  They do not fear what others think.  In their minds they are already successful.  These types of attributes can’t be bought or faked.  However, they can be learned. Every time you face your fears and take it head on, no matter what the outcome is you learn invaluable lessons about yourself and life.  Those lessons are the building blocks to a happy, successful and fulfilling life.  Just like reps in the gym.  You build the muscles to change your life.  You wont always come out on top but if you can keep pushing forward you will grow an amazing confidence in your abilities.  You will be able to create the world around you that you always dreamed of.  I have seen this happen to others around me in many different aspects of their lives, not just financially.  It is something to truly revel

 

 

–