Lately, I’ve seen this picture floating around on facebook a lot:

"Which one weighs what? You have the option of 120 lbs. and 140 lbs.

I’m actually very happy that this is floating around, because it demonstrates what today’s blog is about, and something that is unbelievably important:

When most people talk about dieting and getting in shape, they only think about “losing weight.”  Well, what weight do you want to lose?  Most people only concern themselves with the number on the scale, and do obsessive amounts of cardio to “attain” their “goal.”  Without any focus on weight training, the body will catabolize (read: eat) muscle for energy rather than your fat stores, and while you will “lose weight,” you won’t look any more lean until you’re on the verge of looking emaciated from lack of muscle.  The high cardio approach only works for those who are excessively overweight, and only initially.  You need a balance of cardio and weight training, and they need to be done at optimal times.

We need to “Lose Fat,” rather than “Lose Weight.”

When are those optimal times?

Glycogen has everything to do with fat burning.  You want to weight train when you’re not hungry, and when your glycogen stores are stocked–  This will ensure a quality workout and will keep your muscle from being catabolized.  That’s simple enough–  Just eat a short while before going to the gym. . .  Now, when you’re doing Cardio, there are only two times you should really do it if you’re looking for it to be effective:  Immediately upon waking up, and immediately after weight training (Though, with this second option, you shouldn’t do more than 15 minutes).  Why is that?  At these points, your Glycogen stores are depleted and your body is chemically correct to separate the fat and burn it for energy.  If you do Cardio at other points throughout the day, you’re burning off food that you ate throughout the day, which will prevent it from being converted to fat, but it won’t burn the existing fat on your body.  A word on post workout Cardio:  If you’re going to do cardio and weight training together, be sure you do the cardio after–  This will cause your body to burn fat for fuel since weight training depleted your Glycogen stores.  If you do the cardio first, you’re going to burn muscle for fuel as your Glycogen stores were already depleted from the cardio, and you’re body can’t readily switch to fat for a fuel source during anaerobic activity (read: Weight Training).

Remember, muscle weighs more than fat (Something the picture above is pointing out), and there’s no such thing as “toning;”  If you want to look lean, you need to build muscle, then preserve muscle, while burning fat.

So, the next time you, or anyone else says “I need to lose weight,” just ask yourself what exactly you’re trying to lose.

In the coming few posts, we’re going to do some new progress pictures, and will have a Vlog soon!  Stay tuned!

*Obligatory Disclaimer: It’s worth noting, and is fairly obvious, that this is not our photo.*

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When you do a workout, do you know what muscles it works?  There are some obvious things out there, like how the bench press works your chest;  Crunches work your abs,  and squats work your legs. . .   This hardly scratches the surface, though.  For example, would you believe me if I told you that squats work your Obliques?

. . .  Well, they do.  We’re going to talk about the classifications for muscles trained during exercises, since this is where you can find out how effective your workout is.  By doing Isolation work, you only work small muscle groups and it will take you forever to work the same amount of muscles that Dead Lifts would. . .  My goal is to have you reevaluate your exercises when we’re through with this post.  Let’s start simple:

Target.  This is the primary muscle / groups intended for the exercise.  For the sake of this post, we’re going to look exclusively at my favorite exercise:  The Dead Lift.  The Target for this exercise is your Erector Spinae, also known as your lower back. Other examples would be: The target of the Bench Press is your Sternal Pectoralis Major (a.k.a. Your chest); The target of crunches if your Rectus Abdominis.

Synergist.  Official Definition:  A muscle that assists another muscle to accomplish a movement.   That’s pretty straightforward, right?  You could look at the “Target” as a primary, and the “Synergist” as a secondary group that is worked.  In the Dead Lift, you have quite a few synergists:  Your Gluteus Maximus (Your Rear), Adductor Magnus (Inner Thigh), Quadriceps (Thighs), and your Soleus (A muscle in your calf).  These all assist your lower back and are worked in the Dead Lift.  Another example is your Clavicular Pectoralis Major (“Upper Chest”), Triceps Brachii, and Anterior Deltoid (Shoulder) in the Bench Press.  That’s not all, though. . .

Stabilizer.  A muscle that contracts with no significant movement to maintain a posture or fixate a joint.  That seems pretty straightforward, right?  Basically, a muscle (or group)  that enhances your stability.  In the Dead Lift, it’s your Neck (Trapezius Upper, Middle, Levator Scapulae) and you Rhomboids.  These are mostly engaged by keeping your grip and rounding your shoulders at the top of the lift–  And this is why Dead Lifts work your entire body.

Dynamic Stabilizer.  This is a little more complicated, so I’ll give the definition, and then an explanation, and finally, an example: A biarticulate muscle that simultaneously shortens at the target joint and lengthens at the adjacent joint with no appreciable difference in length. Dynamic stabilization occurs during many compound movements. The dynamic stabilizer may assists in joint stabilization by countering the rotator force of an agonist.  In basic terms, the Dynamic Stabilizer keeps the joints that are in motion stable by supporting the “agonist” (The muscle causing the motion).  In the Dead Lift, your Hamstrings and Gastrocnemius (Calves) are keeping you stable and supporting your Synergist muscles during the movement.

Antagonist Stabilizer.  A muscle that contracts to maintain the tension potential of a biarticulate muscle at the adjacent joint. The antagonist stabilizer may be contracted throughout or at only one extreme of the movement. The Antagonist Stabilizer are activated during many isolated exercises when biarticulate muscles are utilized. The Antagonist Stabilizer may assist in joint stabilization by countering the rotator force of an agonist.  Antagonist Stabilizers also act to maintain postural alignment of joints, including the vertebral column and pelvis.  Similar to the Dynamic Stabilizer in function, but typically by the opposite muscle group.  During the Dead Lift, your abs and obliques are engaged for most of the lift, offering a counter force to your lower back, which is the target–  This prevents hyper extension of your back, which leads to proper form and less risk of an injury.

So. . .   When analyzing the exercises you do, how many muscles do you work?  How many different exercises do you do?  At the end of the day, a good rule of thumb is to work as many muscles in as few exercises as possible.  This is why the rookie workout is so effective, and why compound movements are the key to everything.  How does your workout add up?

Be sure to check back on Monday when we detail our new approach to achieving the body fat percentage that we have set as goals!

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In understanding health and fitness, one must understand many things.  You should be knowledgeable about weight lifting and cardiovascular training;  You should have a decent grasp on health, anatomy, and nutrition; And it will help immensely to understand some basic principles of Kinesiology, which is the study of human movement.  We aren’t experts in this field, but we can help you with the basics, such as today’s topic:  Understanding the classification of a workout.

The first is to understand the Utility: Is it “Basic,” or “Auxiliary.”  A good way to look at this is, are you training complete, basic muscle group or are you training a group of muscles that supplement the other.  Example:  Bench Press works the entirety of your Sternal Pectoralis Major (Your chest), and also works your Clavicular Pectoralis Major (“Upper Pecs”), Triceps and Deltoids.  This is considered a perfect “Basic” workout.  On the flip side, the Incline Press targets your Clavicular Pectoralis Major, and also works your Sternal Pectoralis Major, Triceps, and Deltoids.  This is generally considered an auxiliary workout, as a supplemental muscle group is the target.  For the scientific definition:

A principal exercise that can place greater absolute intensity on muscles exercised relative to auxiliary exercises. Basic exercises tend to have more of the following characteristics:

• Gravity Dependent.
• Inclusion or shift of resistance through multiple muscle group throughout the range of motion.
• Natural transfer of torsion force to compression force (e.g., lockout on squat, bench press, etc.) or tension force (e.g. extension of arm curl) to the bone(s) and joint(s) during full range of motion.

The scientific definition for an Auxiliary Workout is as follows:

An optional exercise that may supplement a basic exercise. Auxiliary exercises may place greater relative intensity on a specific muscle or a head of a muscle.

Next up in the classification is the “Mechanic” of the workout.  We have two options here, and it’s pretty straightforward.  A Compound Movement is one which involves two or more joint movements.  Examples include the Bench Press, Dead Lift, Squat, Bent Over Row, Military Press, etc.  The other mechanic is an “Isolation” workout.  An isolation workout is “an exercise that involves just one discernible joint movement.”  Examples include Bicep Curls, Wrist Curls, Dumbbell Fly, etc.

Now, you’ll notice that the examples given for the compound workouts are exercises that everyone talks about, and are also the exercises that determine your actual strength and physical prowess.  The reason for this is. . .  Well, that’s a whole post on it’s own.  Expect that soon!  All that you should know for now is that 90% of your workouts should be compound movements.

The last part to workout classification is the Force.

Not that “Force”. . .

The force of the movement is simple:  Push, or Pull.  Is the movement going away from, or toward the center of the body during the “Concentric Contraction”?  (An example of Concentric Contraction is when you push the barbell up during the Bench Press.)

We will continue to discuss Kinesiology over a few blog posts, but this is the start of it.  Tune in on Monday for our Special New Year post!

All quoted definitions are courtesy Exercise Prescription on the Net.  Star Wars is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd.

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I am constantly fielding questions at work about health, fitness, and nutrition–  The other day, while discussing these subjects, someone told me their workout routine.  I could immediately recognize the problems, and suggested they do the rookie workout, which is an unbelievably simple, full body workout that is the perfect place to start when it comes to workout programming.  The rookie workout is this:

Day 1

Squats 5 X 5 (Sets X Reps)
Bench Press 5 X 5
Bent Over Row 5 X 5
Ab Work (Can be anything effective.)
Chest Dips 3 X 12
Pull Ups / Chin Ups 3 X 8

Day 2

Dead Lift 1 X 5
Military Press 5 X 5
Front Squats 5 X 5
Ab Work
Chest Dips 3 X 12
Pull Ups / Chin Ups 3 X 8

Day 3

Squats 1 X 5
Bench Press 1 X 5
Bent Over Row 1 X 5
Ab Work
Chest Dips 3 X 12
Pull Ups / Chin Ups 3 X 8

It goes without saying that you must have at least a day of rest in between.  Anyway, regardless of your goals, if you’re struggling with a weight training routine, or are stuck doing a lot of isolation exercises, start here–  This will help you attain your goals regardless of what they are.

(Our longtime readers may recognize that my weight training routine is derived from day 1 of this workout.)

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So, in my most recent post outlining my current plan, I forgot to discuss what my plan revolves around:  Cardiovascular training.  While I’m still doing weights three days a week, I’m also doing Cardio three days a week–  More specifically, I’m doing High Intensity Interval Training three days a week.

In the post about the basics, I discussed what HIIT and why it’s great, but here I’ll talk about the different things that I am currently doing.

Sprints – These are what I do most often, and what I hate most.  I will go on the treadmill and start with a warm up: 1 minute of walking at 3 MPH at an incline of “4.”  The next minute, I’m walking at 4 MPH at an incline of “10.”  For the next two minutes, I will walk at about 4.2 MPH at the “10” incline until I feel warmed up–  That’s when the fun begins.  For the remainder of my time on the treadmill, I vary between walking at speeds between 3 and 4 MPH, and sprinting at speeds between 7 and 9 MPH, all while adjusting the incline constantly.  Also, my ratio of walk to run is 1 minute : 1 minute (During the sprints, not the warm up).  I do a minimum of 32 minutes of sprints–  5 minute “warm up,” and a 2 minute “cool down.”

Stairs – I will go to the dreaded stair master and do battle.  Again, I do a warm up, and then after about three minutes of warm up, I start in with my most varied cardio workout.  Every minute I alternate between one of the following:  A gentle pace of “6;”  A pace of “4” while kicking my legs behind me with each step; A fast pace of “10;”  A pace of “9” while doing it sideways (30 seconds on the left, 30 to the right); a faster pace of “12;” or my maximum pace of “15.”  This is the workout the leaves me the most exhausted, but it is very, very effective.

Elliptical – In a similar fashion to stairs, I adjust the resistance of the elliptical every minute and do a 3:2 minute ratio of forward to backward movement.

The Run – This is very straightforward.  I go for a run to the local grocery store and back, which is a bit over 2 miles, and I periodically sprint for bursts at a time–  Typically while crossing streets, or between light poles.  At some point, I always stop at an intersection and sprint across a road until the light turns.  Then I do the next one, and the next, until I’ve done sprints across all four roads;  I then rest for about a minute, and continue my run home.  This is workout I do least often.

Home Workout – This is for my lazier days, or when I’m really strapped for time.  I will jump rope for 3 minutes, and then sprint from one end of my apartment complex to the other.  I will then rest for 30 seconds, and do it again.  After the second and fourth rounds, in addition to the sprints and rest, I will do some push ups.  I do this until I’ve been at it for 20 minutes, and then I’m done.

I make sure that I don’t do any one workout more than two cardio days in a row, as I don’t want my body to even consider settling into a habit.  During all of them, at some point the speed (or resistance) goes really low for a moment so that my heart rate can plummet.   I will then step it up to a crazy level immediately after to shock my system.  What do you do for HIIT?

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Have you ever heard someone refer to a body type?  If not, I am sorry, because knowing your body type will help you identify various problems in your quest for goals.  To start, there are 3 somatypes (Body types):  Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph.  These were developed as part of the theory of constitutional psychology by William Sheldon (Though the study of Body Types goes as far back as B.C.E.).  While those familiar with the theory may know that this study is generally considered “dated,” it is still widely referenced in the worlds of fitness and bodybuilding.  It’s worth noting that you can be a mixture of two types, but some believe that this can’t be–  That you can only be a “pure” type.  Moving on!  By reading about each type, you’ll be able to determine which you are.

An Ectomorph (Ecto, for short) is someone who possesses the following characteristics:

• Narrow Hips and Shoulders
• Thin Legs and Arms
• Very Little (To None) body fat
• Thin and Narrow Chest and Abdomen
• Small Bone and Joint Structure
• Ultra Fast Metabolism

Ectos are those people who are naturally cut, even though they have very little muscle.  It is incredibly difficult for them to gain weight as their metabolism moves so quickly.

A Mesomorph (Meso, for short) is someone who possesses the following characteristics:

• Large Head, Broad Shoulders and a Narrow Waist
• Gains Muscle Easily
• Gains Fat More Easily Than Ectos
• Very Little Body Fat
• Naturally Muscular Body

Mesos are the envy of almost everyone at the gym.  They are typically very cut, very muscular people who have to exert very little effort to gain weight, lose fat, and stay within those goals. Mesos are considered genetically gifted as their body is naturally wired to be very lean and muscular.

On a tangent. . .  There’s a bit of advice that bodybuilders will often remind many people of:  “Never ask for advice from the really cut guy at the gym.” Chances are, he’s a mesomorph who has to work only 1/10th as hard as you to see more results than you.

An Endomorph (Endo, for short) is someone who possesses the following characteristics:

• Wide Hips and Narrow Shoulders
• Wide Bone Structure
• Slow Metabolism
• Gains Muscle and Fat Very Easily
• Difficult to Lose Fat
• Soft and Round Body
• Often Possess Slim Ankles and Wrists

An Endo is someone who has a very difficult time losing weight, and typically, is naturally overweight. While they have plenty of muscle naturally, they also have a lot of fat naturally, which hides this fact.

You can also be a mixture, but there are only two of these mixed types possible:  Ecto-Mesomorph, and Endo-Mesomorph.

Now, keep in mind that this is the very small role that genetics plays in this.  While you can’t change your type, anyone can change their appearance. . .   Knowing your body type just tells you whether or not you’ll have a difficult time or not.

Based on the information, I’m a Meso-Endomorph (Almost exclusively Endo), and Alissa is an Endomorph. . .  What are you?

Here is a great article on how to tailor your nutrition and workout plan to your body type.  This will also be put in the “Links” section.

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I realize that, while we’ve covered a variety of topics thus far, we haven’t gone over what I consider to be, “The Basics.”  We’re going to discuss the basics of Body Building, because regardless of your goals, you need to know this–  Whether you want to build muscle, lose weight, or “tone,” everything is grounded in these basic principles:

First, Body Building is split up into two distinct cycles for working out:  “Bulking,” and “Cutting.”  Bulking relies on a major basic fact that everyone should know. . .  You have to be eating a caloric surplus to gain weight.  If you’re trying to build muscle but aren’t eating enough, you won’t be building any mass.  Likewise, if you’re afraid of doing weights because you don’t want to get “bulky,” ask yourself if you’re eating an amount of calories that will cause this effect.  Now, typically while bulking, you will consume 10% – 500 Calories over your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE, which can be done with this post, followed by this post).  This will give your body the necessary fuel to build plenty of lean body mass, while minimizing fat gains.  While Bulking, cardio is kept to a minimum while the emphasis is on the weight training.

Now, notice how I said “minimizing” above? Anytime you bulk at all, you will gain fat along with it, it’s only a matter of what ratio of Lean Body Mass (LBM) to fat you gain.  This is why the second cycle is necessary. . .  “Cutting.”  While this is especially important for Body Builders, it is also crucial that anyone interested in losing weight follow these guidelines as well.

Cutting is when you eat 10% – 500 Calories below your TDEE, so that you will lose around a pound of fat per week.  Now, in order to maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss, there are a few very important factors that one must keep in mind:  You should continue your regular weight training while cutting in order to preserve your LBM, and you should also take part in “High Intensity Interval Training.”  (HIIT)  HIIT is just what it sounds like.  Rather than do steady state cardiovascular training, you do interval work.  As an example, rather than park yourself on an elliptical for 30 minutes, you can do sprints on the treadmill.  Don’t want to go to the gym?  Do intervals at the park or do my “I don’t want to go to the gym but need to do intervals” workout:  Jump rope for a few minutes, then do some sprints, very fast push ups, and repeat until 30 minutes have elapsed.  You can even do intervals on the elliptical by frequently adjusting the resistance.

The point behind all of this is the effectiveness of HIIT.  Steady state cardio can only lose so much weight for you before it is no longer effective.  (Fun fact:  Your body can adapt to a cardio routine within two weeks, as opposed to weight training which can take significantly longer for you to “plateau.”)  Have you ever heard of people talk about how difficult the “last 10 pounds” are?  That’s because your body will get to a point where it’s comfortable with steady state cardio, and it doesn’t feel like losing the last bit of fat on your body. . .  It thinks it’s necessary to maintain that fat, and will hold on to it while turning to alternative fuel sources if you up the amount of cardio you do.  By doing HIIT, your body can never fully adjust (Provided you change things up frequently and do it properly), and bursts of energy produce testosterone, which is necessary for muscle preservation and cutting away the last bit of fat.

With physical activity accounted for, we move on!  You will often hear body builders, nutritionists, and personal trainers say that only 10% of it is working out, the rest is nutrition.  Well, there’s a reason they all do. . .  You can see amazing results right away without going to the gym, if you’d only change your diet.  Eating properly, in the proportions you should, with your macro ratios in check, is far more effective than 1 hour of cardio 6 days a week.

And for the last bit about the basics, remember this. . .  The same people who will tell you that only 10% of it is working out will tell you that you should rest just as intensely as you workout, as this is when your body is actually making the changes that you crave.

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Once in a while (Read: Constantly), I go into a supplement store . . .  I usually know exactly what I’m getting based on exhaustive amounts of research, or simply because I ran out of something.

Not pictured: The other cabinet and the Colostrum in the fridge.

. . .  Once in a while, I go into a supplement store and run into an over eager employee that wants to sell me on an $80 bag of protein.  The title of this post is “Consider the Source,” and that’s because you must, at all times.  We’ll begin where it makes the most sense, and we’ll come back to the $80 bag of protein.

When I first became interested in bodybuilding, I read a beginner’s guide that had two very important tips:  1)  Don’t listen to the really cut guy at the gym, and 2) Don’t listen to supplement companies.

Why would I not want to listen to the guy at the gym with the body I want?  Well, the article went on to say that 9 times out of 10, that guy is a Mesomorph (A post about body types will come!), who is just naturally very muscular, tan and lean. . .  And natural mesomorphs typically did not have to work very hard, if at all, to get the body they want.  Case in point, the guy who was telling a lady that bench press would cause her breasts to go away  (You may remember him from a previous post);  Whom also said that you shouldn’t eat any fat.  (If you’re looking to gain muscle, a third of your diet should be fat to maintain testosterone production)  The reason people ask him questions, though?  He’s cut, and looks great, while doing exercises that don’t do anything. . .  So automatically, people see him as credible.

Now, this one may seem kind of straight forward, but let’s just get this out of the way:  Supplement companies are. . .  Companies.  They’re looking to make a profit, so of course they’re going to tell you that everything they sell is amazing, and they’re going to tell you how much you need all of it.

Well, this goes along with my trip to the supplement store.  I had run out of L-Glutamine, a supplement that I’m a big fan of (Which does have naysayers), and went to the store to get some.  I had no idea where this particular place kept it, so when I was approached at the door, I asked for it.  The salesperson began asking me questions:  “Are you taking any other supplements?”  “What kind of protein do you take?” “Are you looking to gain weight, or gain muscle?”  Who would want to just gain “weight.”  I digress. . .  After answering her questions as we slowly meandered to the section, I spotted the L-Glutamine;  Unfortunately, it was behind her, and I had to listen to her sales pitch on an $80 bag of protein.  “This one is high protein, but low calorie, so it’s perfect for muscle building.”

Excuse me?  Muscle building is all about a caloric surplus!  I could go on about the other strange things this lady was trying to tell me, and sell me, but that’s not the point.  She was trying to make a sale.

Consider the source:  Should you listen to someone who’s just trying to make a sale?  Or someone who has not had to deal with trying to gain muscle and / or lose fat?  If someone knows nothing about nutrition. . .  Should they be the one giving you advice?

Consider the source before shopping, or asking people for help.

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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!

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