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.

Filed under: Fitness, Health by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

Going out to eat is an adventure for Alissa and I, as we only eat at certain places, and will only order certain foods, so it should come as no surprise that many of our meal guests make comments on our nutrition plans. A relative was quick to point out that we should enjoy what we eat.

Well, I can tell you this much.  I enjoy what I eat, and I’m sure Alissa does.  The thing about it is, most people have forgotten something very important:

The first role of food is to provide nourishment, while the second is for it to please our taste buds.  I don’t eat any food that I don’t like, I eat healthier and cleaner than anyone I know, and it’s the strangest thing–  I enjoy the taste of what I eat.

. . .  Just try and remember the purpose of food.

We hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and normal updates will resume Thursday!

Filed under: Health, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

Thought this article was great and wanted to share! Click Here to Read!

Filed under: Health, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

One of the most important foods in our diet. Helps to keep us on track and not go crazy for sweets! Watch the video to find out what it is!

Filed under: Nutrition, Things We Can't Live Without by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

We have in various posts gone over some of the ways to determine your body fat percentage and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which are essential things to know when changing your body.  All of my “working out” life I kept hearing how hydrostatic (Under water) testing is the most accurate for these specific things.  When Gabe’s brother found a truck that drove around and did this testing up in San Jose I took on the task of finding a truck locally to get tested at.  I found a truck and made my appointment.    I was very nervous / excited to get the test done.  I wanted to see how closely the numbers matched the numbers that we had figured out.

When I got there I was told to change into a bathing suit (Which I was never told to bring) and sit in the tank.  Luckily the lady running the whole thing had an extra swimsuit for me to wear–  That could have been awkward, otherwise!.  She then weighed me and took my height.  This is where it gets tricky for me.  She said that I weighed 5 pounds more than the last time I weighed myself, which was only 3 days earlier.  This could be explained by saying that the scale I use is off, but I weigh 10 pound weight every time before weighing to see if it is off… Then she said I was almost an inch shorter than I am…which I had Gabe measure the next morning to verify that she was in fact wrong. I digress… She explained the process, where I would lean back in the water completely emerging myself while holding my nose and blowing all the air out of my lungs.  We did this about 5 times and I was done.  I changed back into my clothes while she printed out the results.

Her results were only about 100 calories off from what I had figured on my own, but the body fat percentage was about 3% higher…which is a lot.  I am torn as to how I feel about it.  I think that because the weight and height were off all the numbers are off.  It is frustrating to me to pay all that money and test with the most “accurate” technology only to feel that she gave me the wrong info.  I can’t be sure she is wrong, but it just doesn’t make sense that for one morning only I would weigh 5 pounds more and be almost an inch shorter than normal.

I do realize for some people it is amazing and really helps them.  Please tell me your thoughts on this process and your experience!

Filed under: Health by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

Someone asked me whether or not I drink, and I replied, “I enjoy it, and I used to, but now it just impedes on my goals, so I don’t currently.”  I gave them a brief explanation, and they didn’t really pay attention.  That’s okay, though, as they don’t have the same goals as I do, or as you may have.  There’s a running theme on this blog, and that is, if you’re trying to lose weight and / or build muscle, you should pay attention to this post–  To the perils of drinking.  Now, it’s worth noting that this is more important for those interested in muscle mass, but there’s information here for everyone.

Most importantly, alcohol halts the production of testosterone, and instead, promotes the flow of estrogen.  If you don’t know this already, it is impossible to build lean body mass without testosterone–  The reason why men are naturally more muscular is because we naturally have more testosterone flowing through us, and it’s easier for us to keep those levels high–  Those levels will plummet though, if you drink excessively, or on workout days.

Not interested in building mass?  Well, maybe you’re interested in developing muscle definition, or muscular endurance (Which is similar to cardiovascular endurance)?  It’s going to be rather difficult to build up your muscles in any way, whether it be for mass, strength, or endurance, when your body can’t synthesize protein.  What does that mean?  Protein synthesis is when your body takes all of the amino acids floating around in your body, and turns them into complete chains of protein, which are used to repair your muscles.  Alcohol consumption slows this process by as much as 20%.

Do you only care about losing weight?  Well, alcohol disrupts the TCA cycle (A.k.a. Citric Acid Cycle, Krebs Cycle, etc.), which is your body’s natural energy burning mechanism.  (A very, very long post about this will come some day.)

Another slightly indirect effect is that of your body’s natural growth hormones (nHGH), which are at their highest levels early in your sleep cycle.  While alcohol does not directly affect your nHGH, it does effect your body’s sleep cycle, which can lead to the disruption of the secretion of nHGH.

Do you know what an “empty” calorie is?  It is one with no nutritional value.  While beer and wine may have carbs, distilled spirits do not, so they add calories, but no carbs, fat, or protein to your day.  This will cause your macro-nutrient ratios to be off if you’re staying within your caloric goals, and will leave you lacking nutrients.

On top of all of this, alcohol drains your body of vitamins, minerals, and severely dehydrates you, which will leave your body lacking the nutrients it needs and not feeling as it should.  Keep in mind, as well, that your body does not recover in a day.  If you think that alcohol’s effect on protein synthesis won’t matter because you worked out yesterday, remember this:  It takes almost a week for a muscle to fully recover from an intense workout, and in that time, it is still repairing itself.

And one last bit of information. . .  Your body treats alcoholic calories with preference, which means, if you consume any carbs at all while you’re drinking, they are immediately stored as fat because they can’t be burned up until all of the alcohol you’ve consumed has been metabolized.

Now, I’m not telling you to stop drinking. . .   Just consider how much you’re drinking  (As some of these effects only occur with excessive consumption), how your body reacts, how you feel, and what your goals are.  There’s evidence to suggest that a single glass of wine will have no effect on Testosterone levels (And may be healthy for you), yet, I refuse to drink at all because I am so focused on my goals.

(It’s worth noting that, there are many other effects that drinking has on your overall health and goals, but these are the major issues.)

Filed under: Health by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

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.

Filed under: Body Building, Fitness, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

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.

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

Ok ladies, I have heard this so many times.  “I don’t want to bulk up so I don’t do weights.”  Wrong wrong wrong!  Let’s start by saying that without the proper nutrition to bulk you will not bulk regardless of how much/how often you are lifting–  Whether or not you gain or lose weight is simple math.  My TDEE is 2,283 calories–  The only way that I would “bulk up” is if I were eating more calories than that while weight training.

. . .  It goes to show, you can’t accidentally “bulk up.”

Anyway.  Men bulk a lot easier than women because they naturally have a lot more testosterone.  This hormone is essential in muscle building.  Therefore, if you, as a woman, want to gain mass amounts of muscle it would probably require some form of steroid, or a ridiculously regimented workout plan that will halt estrogen production long enough for your body to create testosterone.

There are also tricks when lifting that will help you to build long, strong, and lean muscles.  Do lower amounts of weights but more reps. . .  This helps your muscular endurance so that you stimulate your muscles while burning calories.  Full range of motion is important too!  (A post on this will come eventually.)

I heard a couple talking in the gym the other day and the lady said she didn’t ever do weights for her chest because she didn’t want to lose her breast size.  Well, weight lifting won’t do that. She seems to think spot training exists, because this is flat out wrong–  The only thing, fitness-wise, that will affect your cup size is your body fat percentage, which is typically something that will go down if you’re working out excessively. . .  It has nothing to do with your weight training.

Filed under: Fitness Myths by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »

The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.

-Thomas Edison, 1902

We apologize for the interruption of service–  Regularly scheduled blogs will return on Thursday.

Filed under: Quotes by DeVinePhysiques
No Comments »