L.E., Peoria, IL writes:
What up playa? (A friend) and I have been talking about working to drop some lbs. I wanted to talk to an expert, so I tried several other people and they were unavailable. I thought I would ask you. I am looking to tone up, maybe try and see my six pack, and still maintain my mass. Since you are taking every supplement, I wanted to see what your advice would be. If you could let me know I would appreciate it.
Dear L.E.,
Before delving into my recommendations, I’d like to clear something up. While I do supplement my diet (something I’ll later discuss in further detail), I stick to natural, non-hormonal proteins, nutrients and molecules to stimulate muscle growth and repair. Anything else is just cheating and ultimately wreaking havoc on your body.
Furthermore, I am far from being an expert in anything. I have been lifting weights since my senior year of high school, when I was 6’1” and about 140lbs (now ten years later I can curl more than that!). So the advice that I dole out comes from learning along the way what has and has not worked for me. I give no guarantees that what has proven successful for me and my body type will work for all others.
With those disclaimers out of the way, here are my Top Keys to physical success:
1. Diet. I know that’s probably not what you wanted to hear. But I’m not talking about cutting your food intake. When most people want to drop pounds, they stop eating. Bad idea. This signals your body that you are in “famine mode.” You’ll actually begin metabolizing muscle cells in the absence of other calories to burn. The key is to replace any high-calorie, low-value “food” (fast food hardly qualifies as nutrition) with high-protein, low-fat items. You should be consuming at least 1 gram of protein for every 1 pound of body weight. The big guys are eating at least 2-3gm for every pound of body weight! I drink an energy-boosting Shaklee soy protein shake before each workout and use a Shaklee Physique shake after each workout for muscle cell repair.
Eat your vegetables-especially green ones. Vegetables contain essential nutrients for building and repairing muscle cells after a workout. I also take Shaklee multivitamins, herbal energy supplements, and alfalfa. All work together during and after an intense session in the gym to rebuild muscle (notice a theme here?).
Good sources of carbs are fruits and natural fruit juices. Skip on the big ticket sugary items-like brownies and beer. Sorry.
The bottom line is that your goal is to build muscle. Muscle burns calories. If you’re goal is to loose some weight, make sure you’re burning more calories than you are consuming-but don’t skimp on your food consumption. Just make good choices.
2. Training. There are thousands of routines out there that fitness gurus (or salespeople) will swear by. As previously stated, there is no guarantee that what works for me will work for you with the same results. So I’m not going to give you a day-to-day, set-to-set list of exercises to abide by. But consider your workout frequency, duration, and intensity. I hit the gym 5 or 6 days a week, workout for an average of 1.5 hours per session, and use a pre-workout supplement to give an added kick in energy and stamina.
I find it very beneficial to mix up the routine every month or so. Otherwise your body-and more importantly, your mind-gets bored. You’ll plateau physically and mentally and it will be harder to convince yourself to perform or even make the drive to the gym. Switch the muscle groups you work on any given day and/or the number of times you work each muscle group in a week. For instance, work opposing muscle groups (chest/back, biceps/triceps) for awhile and then mix it up (chest/triceps, back/biceps, etc.). Some people have had great results combining circuit training routines in with weight lifting. If you need some new ideas or techniques, check out websites like www.bodybuilding.com, where you can customize a workout plan or get descriptions of exercises with pictures for proper form. If you’re really crazy (like myself), you can check out a DVD of the Mr. Olympia competitors getting ready for competition. It provides some added motivation and you’ll see lifts that will cause your fellow gym-goers to ask what the heck you are doing!
3. Timing. For years, I worked out in the evening. I honestly didn’t know that 5 o’clock came around twice a day. But when I started working two jobs a couple years ago my evenings were too busy to allow for gym time. And that was unacceptable. My only real option was a morning workout. It was difficult at first-maybe for a week or two. But then it just became normal. And I started seeing results-better results than my prior evening routines. As a biologist, I could tell you that it’s because of the circadian rhythm of certain hormones that peak in the wee hours of the morning that prepare the body for an optimal thrashing. But I think it’s simpler than that. I’ve not yet been drained physically and mentally by a day at the office. I’m fresh. I’m ready. And afterwards, there’s a feeling of euphoria that even a day of auditing is hard to quench. But again, it’s up to you to obey that alarm clock for the first week until you’ve adjusted.
4. Accountability. This can make or break you in many areas of life and it comes in many forms. I’ve had workout partners in the past. Some were good, others less than beneficial, and some were just annoying. So choose wisely. Your partner should be someone that shares the same goal. So if you’re there to work, they shouldn’t be a gawker and a talker. As I mentioned in our conversation last night, success in the gym takes focus. I believe you jokingly replied, “I don’t know the definition of focus.” To which I responded, “Without focus, you’ll have no definition!” But I’m serious.
Find someone who will push your limits and be sure to do the same for them.
However, I prefer to workout on my own. I just seem to get more done in the limited time I have in the morning. And my accountability partner in the gym is the mirror. I’m not trying to be vain. Seriously. But personally, building a strong physique is about physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. It’s a discipline. It’s something I dedicate time, thought and a whole lot of energy to. So if I’m not pushing myself, I notice. And that is enough to kick it up a notch or two.
I met a guy at the gym this morning named Buzz. He stopped me between sets on the leg curl machine to comment on how empty the gym was on a Friday morning (maybe a lack of accountability in the general population). Buzz noted in our conversation that he’s been lifting weights for 62 years and is currently an octogenarian! The man doesn’t look a day over 68! His commitment to fitness allows him to be an avid scuba diver, pick up his grandkids, and generally enjoy life. Great testimony.
So there you have it. I don’t know what its worth. Maybe nothing. But for the past ten years, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that what you do outside the gym walls is just as important as what you do within them. Eat well, rest well. And then work harder than your mind tells you your body is capable when you’re under that barbell or pulling those plates against gravity. One last thing: if a big sweaty guy with a mullet and a Mickey Mouse tanktop asks you to watch his gym bag while he takes a potty break, do it. It may save your life.
See you out there!
