“Don’t give in to peer pressure.”

I’m sure we have all heard about peer pressure growing up, but the secret that adults never tell you is that peer pressure exists in adulthood too.  Being healthy, or attaining the physique you want can be a very demanding task that requires an immense amount of self discipline.  To take the time to plan out your food every day, keeping your calories within the range that you need for your goals, and keeping your macronutrient ratios in the optimal ranges;  To spend all of the time at the gym required to build (or maintain) muscle and cut away fat;  To spend all of the time reading and doing research to find a health and nutrition plan that works for you, not to mention all of the experimenting with plans and the months that could go into that–  All of this, and more, is necessary to achieve your goals.

Yet, some people will try and derail your progress for whatever reason they see fit, and to that I must remind you to not give in to peer pressure.

“You said you did weight training earlier– Now you need carbs!”

A lot of hard work can go to waste over giving in, but if you can maintain the same level of self discipline, you will never set yourself back.

Plus, the option exists to plan your workouts and meals around those who may influence you.  This past weekend we were visiting family, and I knew we would be going out for dinner one night.  So earlier in the week, while planning my workouts, I planned to do weights before that dinner so I could eat whatever I wanted, as I’m “Carb Backloading.”

Filed under: Health, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
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Have you ever give much thought to what type of shoe you’re wearing while working out?  For weight lifting, you have a lot of different options for footwear.  Actually, you could wear almost any style of shoe, with one huge exception:  Running shoes.

Fantastic for running. . . Slightly dangerous for lifting.

Running shoes are built to give support while cushioning the impact of your stride, and this cushioning is horrible for weight lifting;  Also, running shoes typically contour to your foot, and thus aren’t flat–  Most of the time, this is to keep your feet from pronating, or under pronating.  This creates an unstable base for your lift, which could potentially be hazardous.  I experienced this first hand when doing “Good Mornings” in running shoes–  I kept shifting about while trying to keep steady.  (I immediately went out and bought what I currently wear for weight lifting.)  Just think about it–  Running shoes are meant to help while you run, not stand in place holding a lot of weight.  (We’ll get into running footwear in a separate post.)

So, if you shouldn’t wear running shoes for weight lifting, what do you wear?  Literally, almost anything else.  There is only one distinction:  If you’re doing Olympic style lifts, you will want an actual weight lifting shoe, as these have a moderate heel built in that forces your body into a more engaging starting position.  They run anywhere from $80 to $300.

If you’re not training for the Olympics, then most shoes fall into one of three categories:  Training, Flat, and Barefoot.  I use a training shoe now because I was in need of stability while squatting and doing good mornings.  A training shoe is typically all leather (or synthetic leather), which helps keep your foot steady as there’s no mesh in it that flexes.  There’s also a very solid, mostly flat sole with a slight heel which will help to keep your feet planted and stable during dead lifts, squats, and good mornings.

An excellent option for a training shoe.

And then there is the “flat shoe” option.  If stability is not an issue for you, or you’ve developed stability and proper form through the use of training shoes, you should optimally weight lift in a flat shoe.  The most famous weight lifting shoe in this category, of course, is the Chuck Taylor All Star.  You will see this shoe often in old photos of bodybuilders.  To get maximum engagement from your muscles, you should have a completely flat base that you’re lifting off of, and flat shoes offer just that as all the shoe is doing is keeping your foot safe from the ground.  Other examples of these shoes would be indoor soccer shoes, wrestling shoes, skate shoes, and many varieties of tennis court shoes.

And last, but not least, is the barefoot option.

I wish my gym would allow this.

Barefoot is the best way to lift, but most gyms won’t allow that.  For that reason, we have the new line of barefoot shoes that most manufacturers are now making.  Now that I’ve gained stability with my training shoes, I plan on switching to a pair of barefoot shoes.  There is one thing to make sure of, though. . .  When selecting a barefoot shoe, do not pick out the running variety.  A perfect example would be with Fila Skeletoes:  There is a normal option, and then there is the running variety, and the running variety has the same drawbacks as a normal running shoe.

Filed under: Body Building, Fitness by DeVinePhysiques
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Are you someone who checks the packaging of an item to see if there is gluten in what you’re eating?  If so, why are you checking?  Let’s say you’re not one of these people that checks. . .  Do you know people who do?

These logos are popping up everywhere, and it’s not necessary. . .

Lately, a lot of people have been preaching about gluten free foods, but most people don’t understand why this is rather silly.  Gluten is not your enemy–  When it comes down to it, the only thing that should be your enemy is sugar unless you are actually allergic to gluten or have Celiac Disease.  I digress. . .

To put it very simply, gluten is a protein composite derived from grain and grain products.  It’s found in foods containing those ingredients, and is also used as a supplemental source of protein in some foods.  The only people that need to watch their gluten intake are those who suffer from Celiac Disease, a digestive tract autoimmune disease;  The only treatment for Celiac Disease is a lifelong gluten free diet–  And if you suffer from Celiac Disease, go ahead and skip this post.

So, how common is Celiac Disease?  It affects between 0.5% and 1% of the American population, and experts say that there are similar rates worldwide.  For us in the U.S., that means there are 3 million people nationwide that suffer from this.

So, if this disease is so rare, why do people think that gluten is their enemy?  I can’t figure it out when the movement started, honestly, but people do it as a way to be “healthier” and to “lose weight.”  This movement has gained fuel from celebrity endorsement and food packaging, which helps people believe they should choose gluten free foods.

So if celebrities say it helps them, and food packages tout “Gluten Free,” then it has to be healthier, right?  Wrong.  The fact remains that any food that normally has gluten, but has had it replaced with something is less healthy.  The reason for that?  Typically speaking, these foods have fewer calories, but that gluten was replaced by sugar, which raises your blood sugar.  As we’ve discussed countless times here, raising your blood sugar leads to an insulin response from your body, which leads to fat storage.  So even if all you care about is calories, the weight you lose will be muscle–  You won’t appear any more “toned.”

EDIT:  A reader pointed out that it is entirely possible for sausage and fruit gummies to contain gluten, so we’ve removed this section.

Do what is healthy for you and your body–  Don’t fall into a fad that will actually harm your results.

Filed under: Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
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I always say that nutrition is 80% and exercise is only 20%. This may lead people to believe that exercise is not that imperative to a great body.  While you can achieve a relatively small body without much exercise, this body will be lacking in tone and definition.  Exercise may be the smaller part of the equation, but it’s still a part of the equation.

In our current society, it is so easy not to move really at all in a day.  We get in our cars to drive everywhere, we sit in front of a computer all day at work, and then we get home and sit down in front of the TV. Our ancestors had to move so much more than we do just to survive;  Perhaps this, combined with no processed foods, is why obesity didn’t exist in caveman days.

Our bodies are made to move.  I can’t tell you how great I feel after an amazing workout, weights or cardio.  My body has all of these muscles for a reason and loves to use them.

Don’t forget how important it is for your health to exercise.  If we don’t move our bodies can get weighed down with all the food we are eating, it can cause health problems beyond even obesity.  Plus, without exercise we couldn’t build strength, nor could we compete against each other–  And we all need that.

Next week, we’ll be discussing carbohydrate back loading, a controversial, yet amazing technique that combines strict nutrition with exercise to create incredible results.

Filed under: Health by DeVinePhysiques
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Have you ever thought of your body as a machine?  Have you ever thought about your body as a car?

I hope this is not you.

I’m a big fan of the car analogies with our body, so let’s just imagine that your body is a car;  But not just any car.  Your body is a race car.

Yeah. That about sums up my body.

Now, what do you think food is?  Alissa and I are often told that we focus too much energy on what we eat, but I usually tell people that we focus the right amount on what we eat.  When a race team is filling up the tank before a race, are they just throwing any fuel in there?  When they’re building that racing engine, do they throw cheap 30W oil into the motor, or do they carefully build the engine to use the best quality racing oil to keep it lubricated?

The disadvantage we have, is that we only have one shot to use the best fuel possible–  If a race team doesn’t know what they’re doing and blow a motor, they can get a new motor. . .  What do you do when you don’t use the best fuel possible and your “race car” breaks down?

Too often, people focus on what is pleasing to the taste buds, but don’t realize that what goes into your mouth is the fuel for your body.  If you give it poor fuel, you will get poor performance as an outcome.  Would you ever put 87 octane “regular gas” in your race car?

Sorry McDonalds, it’s not just you. . . It’s all fast food.

Filed under: Health, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
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“Your body can only digest 30 grams of protein.”

How many times have you heard this?  Better yet, how many times have you said this to someone?  Now the interesting thing is how often it changes;  I’ve heard that you can only process 30 grams per day–  More often, though, it’s 30 grams at one time.

So, where did this thought come from?  No one knows, and when you ask someone for evidence to support this, everyone will point to something that a bodybuilder said, or that a mesomorphic gym rat said.  The simple truth is. . .   This is completely untrue, and has led to people not getting enough protein.  So, where does this idea stem from?

My guess would be it comes from how much protein is needed to boost amino acid levels in the blood to kick start muscle building.  30 grams is all that’s needed, and by having more, you can’t increase the efficiency of muscle building.  At some point, I’m sure someone was trying to convey this to someone who was consuming an obscene amount of protein post workout, and since no one would listen, they decided to add some invalid arguments that somehow stuck.

Is that how this myth came to be?  Who knows, but I can speculate.  Either way, this is one of the most widespread myths in health and fitness;  Don’t listen to me though.  You can read countless essays and articles from Dr. Mike Roussell, who got his Ph.D. in Nutrition from Penn State University.  In one such article that discusses amino acid levels in blood for muscle building, Mike says:

“For whatever reason, people have long assumed that you can only digest 30 grams of protein at a time. Perhaps people thought our intestines contain a magical sensor that stopped absorbing protein once it registered 30 grams. Whatever the logic, your body can certainly digest much more than 30 grams of protein in one sitting.”

Think about it. . .  There are sweeteners that your body does not digest, which is why they are both zero carb and zero calorie.  If your body wouldn’t absorb the protein at a certain point, that would mean that there are less calories than you are tracking.  Today, I’m going to eat a 12 oz. chicken breast, which contains 330 calories and 75 grams of protein.  If my body could only absorb 30 grams of the protein (40% of the protein content), that would mean only 132 of those calories would count.  Another question I would ask is, there are only 3 macro nutrients that make up calories  (Unless you count alcohol, which are empty, non nutritive calories)–  If your body isn’t digesting that protein, and there are no carbohydrates nor fat in that chicken. . .  Where are those calories coming from?  Nothing?

Simply put, your body can digest all of the protein you give it, and you should never use a myth to dictate your diet.

Filed under: Fitness Myths, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
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I love deadlifts.  It is no secret. . .  When I talk to people about lifting weights or bodybuilding, at some point, I will start talking about deadlifts.  There’s a reason why I love them–  It’s not just because it is my most impressive lift, though that certainly helps.  Before I give my thoughts, here are some quotes relating to Deadlifts:

“There is no easy way to do a deadlift – no way to cheat, which explains their lack or popularity in most gyms around the world.” – Mark Rippetoe

I really enjoy this quote, because it’s true.  I was squatting 365 lbs., but had to take most of it off because I found out that not all of my reps were parallel.  Now, I started them “ATG,” and I’m down to 245 lbs.  That’s a big difference when you’re not cheating, and luckily, I can’t cheat with my deads.

“Half the movements you see people doing in gyms these days are movements you’d never do in the “real world”. Deadlifting has a basic, straight forward, real world application… picking heavy things up off the ground!”

This is a fun one just because you’ll often hear the phrase, “Just pick up some heavy weights and put them down” in the bodybuilding world.

“Your back doesn’t hurt because of deadlifting. Your back hurts because you DO NOT deadlift.” – Mark Bell (Here’s the Article this is from)

Someone told me recently that, after my suggestion, they tried deadlifting but didn’t like it because it hurt their back.  I responded with this quote.

Anyway!  I have been struggling with my goal for a while now.  My goal is to accomplish a “four plate deadlift,” (The amount of plates, when referenced like this, speak only of 45 lb. Olympic plates on one side. . .  This is 8 plates total, or 405 lbs.) I don’t just want my one rep maximum to be four plates–  I’m looking for a working weight, where I can do 1 set of 5 repetitions.  I’ve been steadily working my way toward this goal, until I got to 375 lbs.  It was supremely difficult to complete 375 lbs., and when I moved up to 380, I could barely do two reps.  But last Monday, I hammered out 3 strong reps, and the fourth was one of the greatest physical struggles I’ve encountered.  I eventually locked it out, but it was so taxing.  Until you do this, you can’t explain how this feels. . .   This feeling of complete exhaustion with the euphoria of lifting two times your body weight off the ground multiple times.  It goes along with another quote regarding deadlifts:

“Our bodies are designed to work this way, and when you lock out a heavy deadlift, there is some kind of primal satisfaction you feel because of this.”

The ultimate struggle, and the ultimate satisfaction that comes with it.  On top of that, it’s an exercise that works almost your entire body in one movement;  It’s so effective, that most bodybuilders agree that all you need is 1 set of 5 reps for it to be most effective.  Anything more and you’re not lifting enough weight.  Above all, though, it’s the ultimate judge of how strong you are.  I’ve had people ask me how much I can bicep curl, and I laugh, because it’s a useless exercise practiced by vanity muscle warriors.

“[Everybody] dies, but not [everybody] really deadlifts.”

Filed under: Body Building, Fitness by DeVinePhysiques
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How many times have you been up late at night and saw an ad for some “body shaping” product?  How about an ad during the middle of the day?  Have you seen one of these while on the treadmill at the gym and considered buying one to accelerate your progress?  Just be careful of what you’re looking into.  Here’s a list of common issues with “As Seen on TV” products, and other gimmicks:

• The advertisers use a careful choice of words that make you believe in the results that will never come.  (Deceptive Wording)
• They don’t work at all.
• They don’t work in the way that you think they will.
• “As Seen on TV” products rely on consumer’s ignorance in regard to the “Spot Reduction Myth.”
• They’re a very useful product that would be worth having, but you will never look like the bodybuilder hired for the commercial with the product since the model used compound lifts and diet to achieve their body.

At work, I watch people buy these “As Seen on TV” products constantly–  Case in point, we will examine one of those hot selling “Belly Fat Burners.”  People purchase this item because they believe in the myth of spot reduction–  Slap this on your stomach and suddenly you will lose fat!  Who wouldn’t want that?  Except that your body does not work that way. . .  You can’t isolate a body part to burn fat in just that area.  So how do they get away with advertising this?  Let’s take a look at the box of a popular product:  (In the interest of keeping away from the law, the product name is blurred, and we will not mention which one this is.)

Lose inches around my waist instantly!? I’ll take two!

So right off the bat, they’re telling you that you will lose inches from around your waist by using this product.  This falls under the “deceptive wording” issue by using the word “inches” instead of “fat.” Let’s read more of this box:

So, the line where it says “Become a Fat Burning Machine” does not reference the product at all, so this can be on the box, and they’re relying on the consumer to assume the product will do this.  Psychological advertising. . .  They just put some words on the box, and you connect it to the product.  Next line–  We have the word “inches” again.  Continue on, and there’s more mention of the “inches” you can burn.  So why do they talk about “inches” instead of “fat”?

Here’s what these products do:  By strapping a neoprene sleeve around your stomach, what you do is raise the temperature on that part of your body, which leads to more sweating from that area of the body;  Hence the picture showing the highly scientific “Thermagraphic Test.”  What does the additional sweating produce?  A dehydration in the skin which will in fact cause you to lose inches in your waist.

. . .  Until you drink water and your body re hydrates those cells.  You can achieve the same effect by wrapping a trash bag around your waist;  Or cling wrap.  It’s a technique that is sometimes seen in the pageant and bodybuilding worlds the day before a competition.  Have you ever seen a video of someone dabbing a moist sponge on their tongue?  It’s because they used a dehydration technique to tighten their body.

At the end of the day, this product does nothing to help you achieve your goals, and is a bit of a waste of money.  Of the five issues with “As Seen on TV” products we listed above, this satisfies 3 of the issues.

This is a continuation of our series of posts under the “Stuff You Don’t Need” category, and is the start of a series of posts where we review and / or debunk fitness equipment and products.

Filed under: Stuff You Don't Need by DeVinePhysiques
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Before really getting into this blog I would like to say that I realize many of you may not like what I have to say.  I also realize that the environment does lead to health and obesity problems, I just don’t believe that it is the full cause of the obesity epidemic in our country.

Recently I was talking with a co-worker, who is morbidly obese, about weight.  She was telling me how she grew up eating fast food and that all of her family is overweight… This story sounds pretty similar to my own.  The difference is that I decided to change my body, she let her “circumstances” dictate hers.  She is now suffering from many health ailments including hair loss at only the age of 33.   She said she doesn’t know what to eat to help lose weight, but as soon as I started giving her suggestions her response was “that sounds too hard” or “that is too time consuming.”

Come on people… We have to be responsible for ourselves.  We will not be able to change our bodies, our health, or our minds until we can hold ourselves accountable.  So much of our society likes to blame everyone but themselves.  They also tend to forget that we are in control of what we eat, no one is forcing us to eat anything.  Do fast food restaurants make it easier to eat thousands of unhealthy calories? Yes.  Are junk foods cheaper and easier to find than the healthier options? Yes;  But if you truly want a healthy body, a body that works the way it is meant to, a body that will be strong for many many more years to come, then you will make the sacrifices necessary.  Society may make empty, non nutritive calories cheaper and more accessible, but at the end of the day, we are the people that choose to eat the doughnut instead of the banana.

It doesn’t mean you have to eat all organic, or even 100% natural; It means that you find ways (like buying at Costco) to afford the foods that will be good for your body.  It means you cut out as much processed food and sugars as you can.  In a lot of situations, a healthy alternative is very close–  It just takes a little willpower and knowledge to choose the correct option.

We only get one body, a healthy body not only makes us feel more attractive and healthier but it helps us to live a fuller life.

Let’s learn to take responsibility. Let’s chose to make healthier choices. . .  And let’s not forget what most bodybuilders and fitness experts will tell you:  Genetics don’t determine your health or body composition–  They only determine how easy or difficult it will be to stay healthy and achieve your fitness goals.  You are the master of your own destiny.

Filed under: Health by DeVinePhysiques
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When you are pushing yourself during cardio, do you ever find yourself hunching over on the machine?  Do you know what you are doing to your workout?

Here’s a different question:  Why do you burn so few calories while doing the stationary bike at the gym?  Give up?  It’s because cardiovascular activity requires your largest muscles in order to be effective, and the more muscles you engage, the more calories you will burn.  So with the stationary bike, the only muscles engaged are those in your lower body–  Typically just your quadriceps and hamstrings, with some minor involvement from other muscles.

So, the elliptical is more effective because it engages more muscles in your body–  Specifically, doing the elliptical right is more effective.

At this point, you might as well be on the stationary bike.

When you do the elliptical, or stairmaster correctly, you’re keeping your body upright, which engages your core to keep you this way.  Your lower body is obviously working, and not just your legs;  Your glutes are also targeted when you do the elliptical, which is another large muscle group.  Whatever you choose to do with your arms will engage them somehow.  If you hold on and keep them still, they’re working (slightly) to keep you steady; or, if you have them assist you, this engages your entire upper body.  As soon as you hunch over, however, you isolate your lower body and make the work easier. . .  And then you’re back to a low intensity workout that burns a significantly lower amount of calories.

It’s more effective to do a lower resistance on a cardio machine than it is to sacrifice your form, since the lower intensity will keep the maximum amount of muscles engaged to burn calories.

Filed under: Fitness by DeVinePhysiques
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