Essentials for fitness

Hello again. I had a couple of questions posed to me over the weekend by some friends of mine. One question was about gaining weight. My friend is an ectomorph.

In a nutshell, ectomorphs (left) are individuals who have a naturally skinnier build. They don't store fat as easily and generally possess a smaller bone structure as compared to their mesomorph and endomorph counterparts. 


Endomorphs (right) are those imparted with a... thicker build. They store fat more easily (no ladies, you're not all endomorphs) and gain weight faster than their ectomorph and mesomorphcompadres. On the bright side, endomorphs are naturally predisposed for fast muscle gains... and uh... make great WWE Superstars? 

Mesomorphs (middle) are the genetically gifted bastards everybody loves to hate - a lighting quick metabolism and a genetic predisposition to accelerate the growth of lean muscle. In short, mesomorphs are lean, mean, ripped athletic machines. 


My friend wants to become more mesomorhpic, but due to his natural slim build and lightning metabolism, he's having a hard time putting on weight. For anyone with this problem, I recommend a weight gainer and a heavy lifting circuit such as the strong lifts 5x5 program. . 



The StrongLifts 5×5 Program. StrongLifts 5×5 is a full body strength training program that includes weight lifting & body-weight exercises. These will work each muscle of your body and build a strong, proportionate physique.


Workout A                                  Workout B
Squat 5x5                                    Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5                      Overhead Press 5x5
Inverted Rows 3xF                 Deadlift 1x5
Push-ups 3xF                            Pull-ups/Chin-ups 3xF
Reverse Crunch 3x12           Prone Bridges 3x30sec


Alternate workout A & B each session. Most people train Mo/We/Fr or Tu/Th/Su or Sa/Tu/Th. Always take at least 48 hours rest between 2 workouts. Alternate Pull-ups & Chin-ups each workout B. Do 5 sets of 5 reps with the same weight on all exercises. Deadlifts is only 1 set of 5 reps. Do 3 sets until failure on body-weight exercises: 3 sets of as many reps as you can do with good technique.


Also buy this stuff and have it daily...seriously it will help with putting on muscle like no other.

Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass, Rich Chocolate, 12 Pound


Another friend had trouble maintaining energy levels, for him, I would try to avoid any crazy substances such as Jack3d and instead just take a multivitamin. If you are doing intense cardio workouts such as HIIT, you will want to make sure that any vitamins and minerals depleted during your exercise are replenished. Additionally a multivitamin has general health benefits such as clear skin, natural energy, greater immune response, etc... Just try to avoid vitamins with excessive amounts of iron, and vitamin A unless its in Beta Carotine form. These minerals are not water soluble and will build up in excessive amounts in your muscular tissue leading to things such as jaundice or even sepsis if the amounts are too great. Additionally, take a zinc pill and omega 3 fish oil. All increase energy and will leave you healthy and lean.
Nature Made Maximum Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil 1200 mg - 375 Softgels
Spring Valley Zinc
Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men Multivitamins, 180-Count


Finally, another friend of mine has told me that his gains have been relatively slow in terms of muscluar development. When asked about his diet he told me he loved white breads, pasta, and other processed simple carbohydrates. It sounds like he's not getting enough protein, so if you are in fact not getting enough, I would recommend the following protein powder. There are various flavors out there so pick your fancy, but in terms of value, Optimum Nutrition Protein CANNOT be beat.
Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound

Day 7

Stats

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 216.6lbs 

BF%: 12.2%

Workout: 4:00pm

Lifting Circuit:

-DB Bench Press: 3x8 @90lbs

-Suppinated Bent over Row: 3x10 @ 145lbs

-Upright Row: 3x8 @ 105lbs

-Dips 3x10(failure): @ bodyweight

-Lat Pulldowns 3x8 @ 165lbs

-Wrist flexions: 2x25 @ 75lbs

-Hammer Curls 3x10 @ 40lbs

-Inverted Broomstick Twists: 3x35(failure) @ bodyweight

-Ab Circuit

Cardio:

N/A

Music

Mastodon - Remission

Food Consumed

Breakfast: Multivitamin, slice whole wheat bread, 2tbsp natural peanut butter, and banana. (280cal, 17.5g fat, 47g carbs, 20g sugar, 16g protein)

Snack: Whey Protein Shake, 8oz milk, 2 scoops ON Whey powder (300cal, 5g fat, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, 52g protein) 

Lunch: Subway Flatbread Sandwich with Flatbread, Turkey Breast & Black Forest Ham, Sweet Onion Sauce, Fat Free, Banana Peppers (3 rings), Cucumbers (3 slices), Tomatoes (3 wheels), Onions,  lettuce, Jalapeno Peppers (3 rings) (740cal, 14g fat, 112g carbs, 22g sugar, 38g protein)

Snack: Whey Protein Shake, 8oz milk, 2 scoops ON Whey powder (300cal, 5g fat, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, 52g protein)

Dinner: 10oz romaine lettuce, 8oz grilled chicken, 6oz broccoli, 3oz tomatoes, 1oz extra virgin olive oil, 1oz balsamic vinegar. (480cal, 17g fat, 26g carbs, 5g sugar, 34g protein)

Before Bed: Casein Protein Shake, 8oz milk, 2 scoops ON Whey powder (300cal, 5g fat, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, 52g protein)

Total Nutrients Consumed: 2400cal, 63.5g fat, 210g carbs, 68g sugar, 244g protein.

Goals

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 199

BF%: >10%

I realized that I’ve been under utilizing my middle back muscles due to the nature of my previous workout. Whereas my deltoids, trapezius muscles, splenius capitis, rhomboid major, and terres minor and major have become strong and well developed, I’m lacking strength in my latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, posterior, inferior, external intercostal, and my iliocostalis lumborum (supporting middle back muscles, lats are the most major muscle used by the middle back). Since adding in the lat pulldowns however, I’ve realized just how under powered they are, I’m getting the rookie lifter muscle burn sensation again, and it feels awesome. I may be a glutton for punishment, but I love knowing that I’ve put in good hard work at the gym and coming home absolutely drained. I’m also noticing the hypertrophy benefits of my HIIT training. My quads, biceps femoris, glutes, and abductor muscles are becoming much stronger and leaner. I’ve also noticed that my heart rate returns to normal after intense exercise about twice as fast as before I started my HIIT. That coupled with an increased lactic threshold are helping to push me harder to reach my goals. I love HIIT, it’s like grinding in an RPG, and leveling up your body is sweet.

Day 6

Stats

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 217lbs 

BF%: 12.3%

Workout: 6:00am

Lifting Circuit:

N/A

Cardio:

-HIIT Circuit on stationary bike reps x13

-20 sec max intensity and resistance
-60 sec low intensity and resistance

Music

Isis - Celestial

Food Consumed

Breakfast: 1 1/2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats, 1 cup milk (295cal, 2.5g fat, 38g carbs, 18g sugar, 10g protein)

Snack: Whey Protein Shake, 8oz milk, 2 scoops ON Whey powder (300cal, 5g fat, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, 52g protein) 

Lunch: 2 Slices whole wheat bread, 2tbsp natural peanut butter,  whole banana. (400cal, 17.5g fat, 58g carbs, 20g sugar, 20g protein)

Snack: Whey Protein Shake, 8oz milk, 2 scoops ON Whey powder (300cal, 5g fat, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, 52g protein)

Dinner: 4oz brown rice, 8oz chicken, 6oz broccoli (680cal, 14g fat, 22g carbs, 8g sugar, 34g protein)

Before Bed: Casein Protein Shake, 8oz milk, 2 scoops ON Whey powder (300cal, 5g fat, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, 52g protein)

Total Nutrients Consumed: 2275cal, 49g fat, 148g carbs, 67g sugar, 210g protein.

Goals

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 199

BF%: >10%

Been a while since my last update. I’ve been pretty busy applying to law schools and with work so my blog postings have been suffering a little bit. Workouts have continued unabated however. I’m really committed to this, I’ve never been in shape my entire life, and I’ll be damned if I’m not by the summer. More posts coming. 

Day 5

Stats

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 218lbs 

BF%: 12.3%

Workout

Lifting Circuit:

-DB Bench Press: 3x8 @90lbs

-Lat Pulldowns 3x8 @ 160lbs

-Suppinated Bent Over Row: 3x10 @ 145lbs

-Upright Row: 3x8 @ 105lbs

-Dips 3x10(failure): @ bodyweight

-Preacher Curls: 3x10 @ 70lbs

-Wrist flexions: 2x25 @ 75lbs

-Inverted Broomstick Twists: 3x35(failure) @ bodyweight

-Ab Circuit until failure

Cardio:

N/A

Music

Gorod - Process of a new Decline

Food Consumed

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 2 stips of bacon, half cup feta cheese, 1 piece of whole wheat toast (510cal, 22g fat, 26g carbs, 3g sugar, 32g protein)

Snack: Protein Shake, 8oz milk, 2 scoops ON Whey powder (300cal, 5g fat, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, 52g protein) 

Lunch: Panda Express Panda Bowl with Chow Mein and Broccoli Beef (730cal, 16g fat, 74g carbs, 13g sugar, 22g protein). 

Snack: Protein Shake, 8oz milk, 2 scoops ON Whey powder (300cal, 5g fat, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, 52g protein)

Dinner: Chinese Food, 4oz brown rice, 8oz orange breaded chicken, 4 dumplings (1050cal, 32g fat, 80g carbs, 19g sugar, 51g protein)

Total Nutrients Consumed: 2890cal, 80g fat, 242g carbs, 49g sugar, 209g protein.

Goals

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 199

BF%: >10%

Hard to believe that I can eat this much and still be almost 400 calories under my maintenance level. Life has been very carefree lately due to the lack of LSAT prep, so I've been letting myself go a little bit. Time to get back on track and hit the running even harder tomorrow. Finally getting all of the protein I need though after buying more Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein from the store. I'm going to have to be drinking more of those to ensure my protein levels remain high for the next 90 days. 

Day 5 - The Weight Losers Starting Kit

I recently was asked by a few friends how to go about setting a schedule and finding a workout program that works best for them.

Most people usually resign themselves to going to the gym, running, and doing whatever weight machines are currently open, but if you aren't working a comprehensive set of complex exercises, your body will begin to develop musculature in uneven or mismatched placed. Examples are the frat boys you see at the gym who usually only do curls and bench press, leaving their trapezius, deltoids, latissimus dorsi, and forearm flexors and extensors, relatively unworked. Not only does this promote poor posture, but the added bone tension from mismatched muscular torsion can also increase the risk of injury, loss of balance, and an improper "body build."

Building Muscle to Lose Fat
The best way to start going about losing weight is to learn a few basic lifts that work the body comprehensively. Focus on: rows, squats, bench variants, and dealifts. These all work a multitude of muscles and if performed in one day, will provide you with a total body workout that if extrapolated over time, will yield fantastic muscular growth and a great body. Additionally, every added pound of muscle takes more energy for the body to maintain and upkeep than a pound of fat. Every pound of your muscle is widely regarded to burn up to about 100 calories in a given week, just by doing nothing. This is why people with moderate diets and a good lifting routine can maintain such a good body fat percentage, because this muscle raises their minimum rate of calories burned, almost like getting a decent cardio workout in by the end of the week.

Fat
Additionally, many people want to lose their guts and the fat that builds up in embarrassing places such as the inside of the thigh, the back, and on the back of the arms. There is a distinction between types of fat however. The classic beer gut is considered visceral fat. Visceral fat is located in between your internal organs and the abdominal muscles protecting your abdominal cavity. This fat is mostly White Adipose Tissue, think of it as fat you get from inactivity, specifically the kind the body stores for energy. The unsightly fat that builds up in awkward places is called subcutaneous fat, or under the skin fat. When you grab that malleable fatty skin on your gut, thats your subcutaneous fat.

How to lose the Fat
The single best way to lose both visceral and subcutaneous fat is High Intensity Interval Training. This form of cardio is quite intense and differs from the steady state workouts that people are usually seen performing at the gym. A typical workout involving HIIT usually is a sprinting session on a treadmill or a stationary bike. The sprinter will alternate between walking or biking at a moderate intensity, about 50% of maximum exertion, for about a minute; then he will increase the intensity to maximum, sprinting or biking as hard as he/she is able to for about 20 seconds. This will be repeated about 8-10 times, elapsing about 10-15 minutes in total. Try not to exceed 10-15 minutes per HIIT session as too much intensity over a period of time can force the body into a catabloic state, or the breaking down of muscles and other lean tissues. Perform HIIT sessions on the days that you do not lift, and you will be able to maintain this schedule for 7 days a week to really kick your weight loss into high gear. Go get em'

Day 4

Stats

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 222lbs (wtf)

BF%: 13%

Workout

Lifting Circuit:

N/A

Cardio:

N/A

Music

Mastodon - I am Ahab

Food Consumed

Breakfast: 2 pieces of whole wheat toast, 2 tbsp of natural peanut butter (380cal, 16g fat, 52g carbs, 3g sugar, 20g protein)

Snack: Luna Bar (180cal, 5g fat, 27g carbs, 13g sugar, 9g protein)

Lunch: Big ass burger, 8oz ground beef, 1 oz lettuce, 1 oz tomato, 2oz Cheddar Cheese, 2oz bacon, 3oz onion rings, 6oz fries (870cal, 49g fat, 58g carbs, 13g sugar, 43g protein). 

Snack: Slice whole wheat bread, 2tbsp natural peanut butter, banana. (280cal, 17.5g fat, 47g carbs, 20g sugar, 16g protein)

Dinner: Portillos Big Beef (650cal, 27g fat, 58g carbs, 5g sugar, 45g protein)

Total Nutrients Consumed: 2360cal, 114.5g fat, 242g carbs, 54g sugar, 176g protein.

Goals

Height: 6'1''

Weight: 199

BF%: >10%

The LSAT was today, so I'm using this day as a rest/calorie refeed day. LSAT was rough, always is. Hopefully I've done well enough to get into a few of the law schools I've chosen. Anyway, tonight is going to be fun, I'll post the nutrients consumed from my rampant alcohol binge in the pre-breakfast section of my log tomorrow. Here's to a righteous hangover. See you again tomorrow. 

Day 4

The LSAT is today...

T-2 hours...

Time to kick some ass.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again. Because there is no effort without error and shortcomings, he who knows the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place shall never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither victory nor defeat".
                          ~T. Roosevelt