More Muscle? More Work!

More Muscle? More Work!
If you want more muscle, plan on endless hours of dedication, commitment, and really hard training. Adding muscle to your physique requires hundreds of well thought out and consistent hours in the gym. If you are uncertain exactly how to go about this, hire someone who is successful AND educated.
But that isn't enough...

In order to achieve a muscular physique (especially naturally), you need to complement your hours of dedication in the gym with proper nutrition. Training and nutrition are two sides of the same coin, folks!

 I really can't emphasize this enough.

Getting fat is easy: anyone can do it, and most people do. Gaining muscle and staying attractively lean is the holy grail of bodybuilding. Do not just haphazardly increase your caloric intake. The goal is to increase your metabolism through both frequent, healthy feedings AND intense training. Again, if you are uncertain how to do this, hire someone who is educated AND successful at this.

ANOTHER DAY OF TRAINING AND NUTRITION - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2013:

4:15 a.m. 1/2 liter water and fat burner
5:00 a.m. - 6:45 a.m. work
6:50 a.m. 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 2 tbsp. chia seeds, 1/3 cup blackberries
7:00 a.m. 15 minutes heavy biking
7:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. work
11:30 a.m. 6 egg whites, 1 sweet potato, 2 cups roasted broccoli

TRAINING SESSION ONE: 12 noon
15 KB Swings (18 kg KB)
10 Burpee Box Jumps
5 Push-ups
5 Ring Pull-ups
20 minutes - 7 rounds + 15 KB Swings

12:30 p.m. 90 calorie protein supplement

TRAINING SESSION TWO: 1 p.m.
Seated Leg Curls: 10 reps heavy (80 lbs.) followed immediately by 15 reps moderate (60-70 lbs.) x 5
MAX RACK Sissy Squats: 2 sets of 20 reps (bar only); 2 sets of 10 reps (bar +20 lbs.); 2 sets of 10 reps (bar + 40 lbs.)
LEG EXTENSIONS: 10 x 50 lbs.; 15 x 50 lbs.; 20 x 50 lbs.; 25 x 50 lbs.; 30 x 50 lbs.
CALF RAISES (Seated): 4 sets of 25 reps
SINGLE LEG DEAD LIFTS: 20 (each leg) x 20 lbs.; 15 (each leg) x 30 lbs.; 10 (each leg) x 40 lbs.

20 minutes of moderate biking

2:00 p.m. 4 oz. tilapia, 2 cups broccoli, 1 peach, 4 strawberries, 1/4 cup brown rice

2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. work

5:30 p.m. 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cucumber, salsa, 1 cup steamed spinach

7:30 p.m. errands and get ready to be back at work tomorrow 5:30 a.m.!

Losing Body Fat While Staying Strong

I know. That's what everyone wants to hear, right? While it is possible, it takes quite a bit of work and discipline. You will need to time your nutrients to reduce exercise-induced cortisol release.

Sorry, you can't just "diet" and then haphazardly exercise like a maniac.

Eating nutrient-dense carbohydrates (e.g. sweet potatoes or plain oatmeal) prior to training (high intensity) can increase blood glucose levels; therefore reducing the amount of cortisol needed to meet energy demands. Additionally, including carbohydrates post-workout reduces the amount of cortisol needed to break down muscle tissue for gluconeogenesis to replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores.

If you do not eat nutrient-dense carbohydrates pre- and post-workout (high intensity training), cortisol levels will increase AND testosterone levels will decrease.

Not a nerd? What I am saying is: If you do not eat healthy carbs around the time you train (high intensity), you will end up sore, tired, injured and flabby. Get it?

High Cortisol Levels = muscle break down and stress (no recovery)

 

Low Testosterone Levels = no strength and no muscle building (no recovery/growth)

When you are not training, try to get your carbohydrates from broccoli, kale, spinach, green beans, apples, berries, etc.

Please do NOT give up healthy nutrient-dense carbohydrates. They are key to every athlete's success. Even if that athlete would like to get leaner.


SAMPLE TRAINING AND NUTRITION FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

7 a.m. 1 liter water with cucumbers, fat burner

Clean, do laundry and dishes

8 a.m. 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 2 tbsp. chia seeds, 1/2 cup blueberries

9:00 a.m. UXF with Stephanie Martin (Summah's Mom)

500 Meter Row for time (2:00)

20-minute challenge: (7 rounds + 9 KB Swings)
15 KB Swings (18 kg KB)
10 Burpee Box Jumps (28" Plyobox)
5 Lateral Push-ups (each side)
5 V-sit-ups on the minute every minute

10:00 a.m. 6 egg whites, 1 grapefruit, 10 almonds, 1/2 cup butternut squash, wheatgrass

10:20 a.m. Leg Training
RDL's: 2 warm-up sets, followed by 10 sets of 5 x 135 lbs.
Bulgarian Split Squats: 2 warm-up sets, followed by 8 sets of 5 x 35 lb. DB
Leg Press (wide, bottom-out): 8 sets of 15 x 140 lbs.
Ring Pull-ups supersetted with Cable Biceps Curls: 4 sets non-stop
Bike: 20 minutes Levels 15-20

1:30 p.m. 6 oz. tilapia, apple, 1 cup steamed spinach, 1/2 cup brown rice

Grocery shopping and errands

4:30 p.m. 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cucumber, 1 tbsp. salsa, 2 cups roasted broccoli

Work

6:30 p.m. 90 calorie protein supplement, 1 green beans

Get ready for work 5:30 a.m. Monday morning!

Work for What You Want

I have never heard an advertisement for a 12-week Ph.D. or M.D., nor for a "become a concert pianist in 12-weeks" program, yet for some reason my field is bombarded with such advertisements. Physical fitness is not cosmetic surgery, folks. There are no instant or easy results. Pick a goal and then...

 

WORK FOR WHAT YOU WANT!

 

I’d like to make the following non-PC statement: Most people train with no knowledge, fear hard work, and eat a diet that would not be fit for the common cockroach. Harsh? Get over it. It's true.

 

Terms such as hard gainer and slow metabolism are copouts. I am a 46 year old woman with scoliosis and a reconstructed right leg and I WIN strength and figure contests. No matter what it is you want in life, humility, education, hard work and determination in abundant quantities will get you there. Just be willing to spend years and years working towards your goal(s).

 

With that said, I post yet another day of training, but remember: It took me many years to get to this level.

 

SESSION ONE (11 a.m.)

 

Circuit 1a:

Curtsey Lunges with High Kicks - 6 sets of 20 reps each leg

Slow Chin-ups: 6 sets of 10 reps

Box Jumps (28") - 6 sets of 10 reps

Circuit 1b:

Wide (standard grip) Pull-ups: 4 sets of 5 reps

Box Jumps (28") - 4 sets of 5 reps

 

 

SESSION TWO (2 p.m.)

Circuit 2:

Treadmill Runs: .5 mile @ 6.5 mph; .25 mile @ 7.0 mph; .25 mile @ 7.5 mph; .25 mile @ 8.0 mph

Walking Lunges (body weight only): 50 each leg; 40 each leg; 30 each leg; 20 each leg

Ring Pull-ups - 4 sets of 5 reps

 

Bike Drill:

Every minute on the minute increase the resistance 1 level until the bike is on the highest level (level 25). Ouch!

 

Back Training:

Wide (neutral grip) Pull-ups: 6 sets of 5 reps
DB Bent-over Rows (single arm on bench): 12 x 40 lb. DB; 10 x 45 lb. DB; 8 x 50 lb. DB; 4 x 55 lb. DB; 5 x 55 lb. DB; 6 x 55 lb. DB; 7 x 55 lb. DB; 8 x 55 lb. DB; 9 x 55 lb. DB; 10 x 55 lb. DB

 

 

 

Sample Day of Training and Food

This post is fairly simple.

THIS WAS MY TRAINING AND FOOD FOR SUNDAY 9/22/13 (This is my only day off from full-time work; so, I make the most of it.):

6:50 a.m. after getting lots of sleep (!): fat burner and 1/2 liter water

7:30 a.m. 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 tbsp. chia seeds, 1/3 cup blueberries, cinnamon, splenda, wheat grass shot

9 a.m. UXF with Stephanie Martin (a.k.a. Summah's mom)

I. 15 minute warm-up

II. 1000 Meter Row for time (4:24)

III. THE CHALLENGE
KB Burpees
KB-loaded Squat Jumps
KB-loaded BOSU Get-ups

15 rounds. Round One: 1 rep each; Round Two: 2 reps each; Round Three: 3 reps each...and so on until you hit 15 reps for each exercise. I used a 12 kg KB and completed the rounds in 20:21.

10:10 a.m. 90 calorie MP Gel (protein supplement; no carbs; no fat)

10:15 a.m.  Leg Training

I. RDLs: 16 sets
20 x 55 lb. (warm-up) x 1 set
10 x 115 lbs. (working sets) x 10 sets
5 x 125 lbs. (working sets) x 5 sets

II. Bulgarian Split Squats (knee to floor, bitches!): 10 sets
10 x body weight; 10 x 10 lb. DB; 10 x 12.5 lb. DB; 10 x 15 lb. DB; 10 x 20 lb. DB; 10 x 25 lb. DB; 5 x 30 lb. DB; 4 x 35 lb. DB; 4 x 35 lb. DB; 10 x body weight

III. Leg Extensions Supersetted with Chin-ups: 8 sets of leg extensions; 5 sets of chin-ups
10 x 50 lbs; 12 x 50 lbs.; 15 x 50 lbs.; 18 x 50 lbs.; 20 x 50 lbs.; 22 x 40 lbs.; 25 x 40 lbs.; 28 x 40 lbs.
Chinups: 15x, 12x, 10x, 13x

12:30 p.m. 6 egg whites, 1 cup butternut squash, 2 cups broccoli

Cleaned entire house, did laundry, cooked, typed programs for clients; emailed, etc.

3:30 p.m. 1 cup cottage cheese with 1 tbsp. salsa, 2 cups broccoli, 1 cup mushrooms

Hosted football party

6:30 p.m. 6 oz. salmon, 1 cup broccoli, 1 sweet potato

8:40 p.m. Clean up and go to bed to be at work at 5 a.m.!

Recovery: Earn It!

Before I go on a week-long rampage about the intensity of my training, let's get one thing straight: IF I DO NOT P.R. (a.k.a. break a personal record at least 2x/week), THEN MY TRAINING IS GOING NOWHERE. The first thing I look to is my recovery protocol to correct this situation.

Recovery is made possible by food, sleep, and stretching.

Proper restorative measures make a huge difference in how fast you can attain your objectives by:

• enhancing the amount of progress made between each session
• greatly reducing the risk of injuries
• allowing you to train more intensely, more often, with more regularity

OK, just one rampage (I promise): The people that worry the most about recovery and overtraining are the ones that don't train hard enough and aren't strong enough to need to worry about it – while the athletes that train like maniacs on a regular basis don't give recovery the respect it warrants and often push themselves beyond their limits.

That's why I, at first, hesitated to discuss the topic of recovery: the wrong people pay attention.

When I first started training I was so anxious to get "bigger, faster, stronger" that I trained almost every day with marathon workouts that would have definitely qualified as "overtraining". Take a guess what happened?

Absolutely nothing.

I actually got a bit "bigger, faster, stronger" and it taught me the true meaning of hard work (or so I thought back then). At that point in my life, I was neither strong enough nor did I push myself hard enough to overtrain.

Let me say this: You must first train hard enough for any of this recovery information to matter for you.

#1 FOOD
Proper nutrition is the best tool to aid in the recovery process. Making poor food choices will result in fatigue, muscle and joint soreness, and injuries. Just because you spend a lot of money doesn't mean you are going to get a lot of return in your restoration budget. Try to do a basic cost to benefit analysis of your training, your lifestyle, and your needs. Do not waste money on expensive supplementation if you can not even follow the nutritional basics. Keep your nutritional plan simple: fish, egg whites, vegetables, berries, apples, grapefruits, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, raw almonds, etc.

In commercial gyms there is this crazy obsession with weightloss ABOVE health and strength. Stop obsessing about the way you look. NOTHING is more appealing than a beautiful squat, dead lift, pull-up, lunge, etc. Eat to be healthy and get stronger. End of story. If you want the results, eat to reach your goal(s). Stop whining. 

 

#2 SLEEP
This is pretty straight forward: Get eight (8) hours per day. No excuses. Get enough sleep. Just do it.

#3 STRETCHING
Here I go again: Go hire a massage therapist and a trainer. There are so many types of stretching to improve ROM (range of motion) and allow the body to move better and the muscles to recover. If words such as "proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation", "agonists and antagonists", and "myofascial release" are not in your vocabulary, you have no idea what you are doing. Go hire someone who does.

The Importance of Nutrition: That Isn't Mathematically Correct!

Training = 100%

Nutrition = 100%

Recovery = 100%

Really. I'm smarter than that (I promise). But I wanted to get a point across:

ALL THREE(3) REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BEFORE ANY PROGRESS WILL COME.

In this blog, I'm focusing on the optimal nutritional protocol for ME to reach MY goal. Do NOT follow this plan. Unless, of course, you are a 46 year old woman, who is a competitive athlete leaning out for a National Figure Show;-)~

Guess why you are not making the progress you so desire: Your diet sucks! Really, don't make me say it again: Hire a trainer with nutritional certifications or a degree.

No matter what, if your nutritional approach isn't optimal for your objective, you won't get the results you want.

Knowing the basics isn't nearly enough. So, find someone who is knowledgeable or get the certifications and/or degree(s) yourself. Committing to a nutritional plan is hard, really hard work. In some ways it's even harder than training. You can usually motivate yourself to train hard for an hour or so, 5 or 6 times a week. Nutrition is different. You have to stay committed and disciplined 24 hours a day, seven days a week. NO EXCUSES!

Controlling your cravings and urges can be painful. Believe me, I know. After a hard day, when you're tired and stressed out, that bag of oreo cookies starts to look really good. Proper nutrition has its rewards, but the psychological price can be high. If you are a foodie, this quest is not for you.

In an ideal world, muscle cells would be hypersensitive, and fat cells less sensitive, to insulin. Sorry, this is not the case, AND there are no magical foods, pills or quick solutions. Please read that again. This time believe it.

Here is my plan. I follow it exactly and never make excuses that would allow me to fail. Before you even ask, here's the answer: Yes, I have a full-time job and lots of responsibility. Remember, no excuses.

08/11/13-08/18/13: Get harder and fuller, fat burners, CLA, fish oil, vitamins

Meal 1: 6 egg whites; 1 cup oatmeal and Qia, ¼ cup berries, nuts

Meal 2: protein supplement, fruit, nuts

Meal 3: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; sweet potato or rice; vegetables

Meal 4: protein supplement, apple or peach, 1 slice Ezekiel bread w/ 1 tbsp. peanut butter

Meal 5: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; sweet potato or rice; vegetables

Meal 6: protein supplement or 1 cup cottage cheese and vegetables and fruit (optional carb)

 

08/19/13-09/08/13: Get stronger, keep muscle fullness, fat burners, CLA, fish oil, vitamins

Meal 1: 6 egg whites; 1 cup oatmeal and Qia, ¼ cup berries, nuts

Meal 2: protein supplement, apple, nuts

Meal 3: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; sweet potato or rice; vegetables

Meal 4: protein supplement, apple or peach, 1 slice Ezekiel bread

Meal 5: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; sweet potato or rice; vegetables

Meal 6: protein supplement or 1 cup cottage cheese and vegetables and fruit

 

09/09/13-10/02/13: fish oil, CLA, and fat burners, add oil when necessary, vitamins

Meal 1: 6 egg whites; 1 cup oatmeal and Qia, ¼ cup berries, walnuts

Meal 2: protein supplement, apple, 8 almonds

Meal 3: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; sweet potato or rice; vegetables

Meal 4: protein supplement, apple or peach

Meal 5: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; sweet potato or rice; vegetables

Meal 6: protein supplement or 1 cup cottage cheese and vegetables

 

10/03/13-10/25/13: fish oil, CLA, and fat burners, vitamins

Meal 1: 6 egg whites; ½ cup oatmeal and Qia, ¼ cup berries

Meal 2: protein supplement, apple or peach

Meal 3: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; sweet potato or rice; vegetables

Meal 4: protein supplement, apple or peach

Meal 5: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; sweet potato or rice; vegetables

Meal 6: protein supplement or 1 cup cottage cheese and vegetables

10/26/13 – 11/07/13: add cucumber and dandelion root to water, fat burners, vitamins

Meal 1: 6 egg whites; ¼ cup oatmeal and Qia

Meal 2: protein supplement

Meal 3: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; sweet potato; vegetables w/ cucumber

Meal 4: protein supplement

Meal 5: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; vegetables

Meal 6: 6-8 oz. fish or 6 egg whites; 6 asparagus spears

 

COMPETITION: PRO-CARD QUALIFIER! SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 IN LANCASTER, PA

Sample Workout: Do Not Try This At Home, Kids.

No, I am not posting this for you to do on your own. I simply want to be clear what is required for an individual to reach my particular goal(s).

A..M. Circuit: Repeat 15 times (yes, really)

19-20 Box Jumps to 28" Plyo-box (jump up and down in perfect form)
60 seconds Jump Rope (Mixed Patterns)
10 Wide Grip Chin ups

P.M. Training

Superset 1:
10 sets bench press (95-115 lbs.)
10 sets pull-ups (mixed grips)

Superset 2:
5 sets Incline Bench Press (65 lbs., high rep 20-30 reps)
5 sets Pull-ups (wide)

Superset 3:
4 sets DB Chest Presses (35lb. DBs - 55 lb. DBs)
4 sets plyo-push-ups (10-20 reps)

Cardio Drill:
.5 mile run for time (3:28)

Are You Insane?

Am I insane?

Of course I am. I want to win EVERY competition I enter. So, unlike the cheesey Muscle & Fiction magazine articles which mislead readers into believing that they can do 3 sets of 12 reps on a machine and then finish with 30-minutes of elliptical and look like a champion, I'm going to set you straight.

Soooooooo, NOT TRUE. Stop focusing soley on what you look like.

Must I really say it again? Hire a trainer.

It's time to expose your weaknesses and attack them.

Lifting novices often omit the more complex exercises that they don't understand how to perform or progress their way into performing. Instead of deadlifting and squatting, they stick to machine and isolation exercises that don't require much coordination/athletic ability.

Even experienced lifters make similar mistakes that slow or halt progress. Do not dismiss an exercise or new variation that reveals your weaknesses and forces you to use lighter loads. Be humble. Take as much time as needed to master an exercise before loading it. The reward will be worth the wait.

The first time I experimented with squats, I did the same thing. I couldn't load them heavily with perfect form; so, I dismissed them and avoided them. Come to think of it, I did the same thing with deadlifts, pistol squats, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, and Bulgarians when I first learned them.

Notice the pattern? If an exercise variation caused me to move down in weight or struggle with coordination, I kicked it to the curb rather than buckling down and sticking it out. Big mistake.These very exercises (and the pull-up!) are now my strengths (OK, 8 years later).

This is where progress is found: Assess your weaknesses, learn the skills, and master them: no matter how long it takes!

Are You Humble Enough?

OK, folks. I'm going to give away a HUGE secret here. Are you ready?

What is the single most important quality you need to reach a goal?

HUMILITY!

I took 2 years of my life to improve my movement patterns before I ever seriously competed in lifting and NABBA Figure/Fitness. Step back. Hire a trainer (or become a trainer). Trust me. Your movement patterns suck.

Movement: To be athletic, you need to be able to move well, without restrictions. If your body does not move well, you will never reach your goals. As a Master Trainer, I can tell you that a commercial gym provides a professional trainer with some of the ugliest movement patterns ever seen.

Coordination: To be athletic, you will need to develop incredible coordination. Can you jump rope in many patterns (180 jumps per minute minimum), do complex ladder drills, perform compound movements with ease, etc.? If not (here we go again): Hire a trainer. Trust me. Your coordination sucks.

Strength: Being fast and/or agile is pointless if you can't lift heavy things. The best choices for building strength are full-body movements like the deadlift or the squat. Think about your workout. If you think biceps curls and abs is lifting. Go home. NOW! Can you deadlift, squat, bench press, shoulder press, row, perform pull-ups and chin-ups, lunge? Do you know what a "the bear" is? Do you know what a "clean and press" is? Chart your lifting. Try to PR during your workouts.

Speed: You can't go wrong with uphill sprinting. Time yourself. Chart your progress. Success is not serendipitous; it takes exact planning. Try more complex lifts: power snatches, KB swings, box jumps, etc. Don't get cocky here. If you can't squat correctly with your own body weight, then you are not ready for any of this for many years to come.