Gabriel:  My brother once said something to me that was incredibly true, and is something I still impart on people today:

“Abs are made in the kitchen–  Not in the gym.”

How true this is, this statement about spot reduction / spot training.  Here’s the question:  How often have you seen an infomercial for a product claiming to give you rock hard abs?  How many times have you yourself done more crunches in the name of getting a six pack “faster”?  Would you be shocked to hear that this is impossible?  For those veteran gym rats, you won’t be shocked at all, but for others, this will become a revelation of sorts.

All of those products that claim to give you insane results with minimal effort (Or a six pack in just days) come with a nutrition plan, and they do because the manufacturers know the true key to getting a six pack–  Body fat percentage, not spot training.  No matter how much you train a particular muscle, whether it be your quadriceps, rectus abdominis, or your triceps brachii, if you’re looking for the chiseled look, you will need to adjust your diet and lower your body fat percentage.

But why, you may ask?  Well, simply put, if you’re doing crunches, you’re not burning fat around your waist.  If you’re doing the preacher curl, you’re not burning fat in your upper arms.  If you’re bench pressing, you’re not burning fat in any part of your body–  What you’re doing is training the muscle beneath the fat, which won’t allow the muscle to show through any better;  Rather, it’s going lead to a potentially bulkier appearance, as the fat atop the muscle will bulge more with more mass beneath it.

Pictured: A good ab workout, but not the key to a six pack.

So. . .  You want a six pack?  Spend more time in the kitchen, because adding a second routine for abs to your workout is not going to cut it alone.

Alissa:  Also, remember the importance of cardio in losing body fat.  Nutrition is key, but cardio is a close second.  With the right combo of nutrition and cardio you will have a six pack in no time!

Filed under: Fitness, Fitness Myths, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

This is the most important question you must ask yourself when it comes to starting any health / fitness routine, and is an important number to know regardless of your lifestyle. How many calories do you need?  Well, there are many different answers to this single question, and it all starts with two formulas that calculate you BMR.  “What’s a BMR,” you ask? Well, BMR stands for “Basal Metabolic Rate,” and it is the amount of calories your body burns simply by existing over a 24 hour period.  After you’ve figured out your BMR, you then multiply that number by an “Activity Multiplier,” which will tell you how many calories your body burns in a given day.  More on this later, though. . .  On with the formulas:

The Harris – Benedict Formula

This is the most widely used equation for calculating BMR, as it relies on information that people typically know.  While it is very accurate, it can be completely inaccurate for the overly muscular, and the overly obese.  The equation is:

Men: 66 + 13.7x + 5y -6.8z | Women: 655 + 9.6x +2.8y – 4.7z

Where “x” is your weight in kilograms, “y” is your height in centimeters, and “z” is your age. As an example, let’s say you’re a 24 year old, 6 foot tall male weighing 180 pounds;  The equation would read as follows: 66 + 13.7(81.81) + 5(182.88) – 6.8(24) | After you’ve run the equation, you’re left with 1,938 calories.  Remember that number–  We’ll be back.

The Katch – McArdle Formula

This is a lesser known formula for calculating your BMR, but it also happens to be the most accurate, because it only relies on your lean body mass (LBM), which is what requires fuel in your body. This equation is not used as often because most people are completely unaware of their body fat percentage, and thus, they do not know their LBM.  So, how do you find out your LBM?  Buy some calipers, or ask a personal trainer to find out your body fat percentage (In the case of our hypothetical 180 lb. man, 11%);  Multiply your weight by the percentage (180*.11), and you will know how many pounds of fat are on your body.  Then, subtract that from your weight, and you have an LBM.  Covert that to metric, and then plug it into the following formula:

Men & Women:  370 + 21.6w, where “w” is your LBM in kilograms.  According to this, our 180 lb. man has a BMR of 1,943 calories.

Now, comparing the two, 1,938 to 1,943, you can see that they’re both similar, which is why the Harris – Benedict Formula is a perfectly acceptable for you to start–  But now, we need an activity multiplier. . .  After all, a BMR is the amount of calories your body burns existing, not moving.

By default, you have to multiply your BMR by 1.2 to get your “Total Daily Energy Expenditure” (TDEE), because getting out of bed, using the restroom, and eating all require calories.  If you’re more active than a couch potato, though, you use the following guideline to determine your activity multiplier:

Default / Sedentary = BMR * 1.2 (Little to no exercise, nor activity)

Lightly Active = BMR * 1.375 (Light exercise 1 – 3 days per week; Active job)

Moderately Active = BMR * 1.55 (Moderate exercise / sports 3 – 5 days per week)

Very Active = BMR * 1.725 (Hard exercise / sports 6 – 7 days per week)

Extremely Active = BMR * 1.9 (You’ll know if this is you.)

Our 180 lb. man that we have been using in this experiment works out 6 days per week, doing 3 days of hard weight lifting and 3 days of light cardio–  This would put him in the “Moderately Active” group, which brings his TDEE to 3,012 calories.

So why do we use an activity multiplier?  This is done to take the guess work out of your calorie counting–  Rather than guess how many calories you burned weight lifting, and the calories burned standing on your feet at work, this tried and true method does the work for you.  From there, you determine how many calories you need in relation to your goals, which will come in part 2 of this blog!

Filed under: Health, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

Hello!!  Hope you are all smiling today and feeling great!  Make sure to continue drinking a lot of water. As the weather starts to get cooler you may think you don’t need as much water, but hydration is one of the biggest factors in staying healthy and energetic!

Filed under: Health by DeVinePhysiques
1 Comment »

“Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than before.”
-Polybius

Filed under: Quotes by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

“With our thoughts we make the world”
-Buddhist quote

Filed under: Quotes by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

Failures do what is tension relieving,
while winners do what is goal achieving.
-Dennis Waitley

Filed under: Quotes by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

Born and raised in Utah, a state known for its plethora of outdoor activities and family dinners, you might expect me to have grown up with healthy habits;  You would be wrong.  The youngest of 4, and the only left at home, I grew up primarily eating fast food.  My family is heavy, and I have struggled with weight for many years.

I have always had the dream to pursue acting, and at the age of 15 decided if I wanted to make it far in that industry I would need to get in shape.  I started going to the gym, but had no clue what I needed to do to actually see progress.   My real journey to fitness and health started in college when I joined the cross-country team and started eating healthier.  My diet ranged from “normal” to vegan at some points.  I came to love being physically active and healthy.  I realized that the body is an instrument that we need to treat properly–  We only have this body for a limited time and with proper care we can be healthy for a long long time.

Now, almost 5 years out of college, with some ups and downs, I am back to my college weight.  Nice part is, I don’t have to run 5-7 miles a day to stay here.  With proper nutrition and activity I am able to stay in shape and not spend hours upon hours working out every day. Along the way, I tried so many different methods to lose weight to no avail.  At one point I was only eating 1200 calories, working out 2 hours daily and didn’t lose any weight. I tried almost every diet known to man, and it wasn’t until I really did some research that I figured out the right way for my body to slim down and tone up.  Gabe and I realized through our journey into health and fitness that a lot of the necessary information and resources to help ourselves and others reach their goals were not easily accessible.

That is where this blog comes in.  We want to help you to reach your goals too, in a healthy way.  We, having opposite goals (He wants to bulk while I want to lose weight) will be able to give advice in both areas, so no matter what you are looking for you should be able to find it here. We will be sharing our thoughts on fitness routines, diets, recipes, and many other areas to give you the tools for success.  You can be healthy and happy– Trust me. . .  It takes work, but is worth it in the end.

Filed under: Personal by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

A long time ago, in a city not so far away, I grew up a “healthy” individual.  By “healthy,” I mean I had a more than healthy appetite, and had some of the most unhealthy habits imaginable.  I would sometimes wonder why it was I was overweight, but this was usually pondered over a 2800 calorie meal with an alcoholic beverage on the side.

And then, I watched Rocky Balboa, and that changed everything–  I had decided that, if Sylvester Stallone could get into shape, I can too!  After getting in shape through a combination of extreme caloric restriction and exercise, I would eventually gain all of the weight back.  Uncomfortable at 6 feet tall, 235 pounds, and (at the time) recently unemployed, I decided to permanently change my life.  I began working out 6 days a week, and at this point in my life (2.25 years ago), had no idea about proper nutrition or training habits.  With no regard to my LBM (Lean Body Mass, a.k.a. Muscle), I began the unhealthy process of only eating 1500 calories a day while working out for more than an hour a day.  Through this less than healthy process, I was able to lose enough weight to get to a physique I was more comfortable with, and which I felt would do better for me in my future career in Hollywood.  Weighing a light 175, I eventually began an attempt at building muscle mass while still eating and training at a caloric deficit–  This was to no avail.  Over time, I amassed more knowledge and became healthier, but I was still far too slender.  While I will spare all of the minute details, we came to a point where I was 167 pounds, and only 8% body fat.  I was happy with the way I looked, but not happy enough. . .

And that is where bodybuilding entered the picture for me.  Currently at 180 and about to start my next bulk, I have studied health and fitness to the point of expertise, and would love to impart this knowledge on anyone wishing to learn.  I have come a long way, and will attain the statuesque physique that I have been chasing.

More information about me can be found on my website, as well.

Filed under: Personal by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »