Tag training

Stuck in A Workout Rut? Try Pyramid Training – REPOST

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heavy_weight_liffting_image_title_rpy1c

I figured that this article which I wrote a while back deserved a repost. I hope you enjoy!

If you have hit a training plateau or are just bored with your current training regimen, you might want to mix it up by incorporating pyramid training into your routine. Pyramid training is an extremely effective way of increasing strength and muscle mass and is easy to incorporate. There are different types of pyramid training designs which exist, but the ascending type is the best for individuals who are relatively new to weight training, as it provides a warm-up for the body before the weight used increases.

Types of Pyramid Training:
ASCENDING: You will start out with a light weight and perform 12 to 20 repetitions in the first set, then increase the weight used while decreasing the number of repetitions in subsequent sets.
1st set – 15 to 20 repetitions with a light weight
2nd set – 12 to 15 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
3rd set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
4th set – 8 to 10 repetitions with a moderate to heavy weight
5th set – 6 to 8 repetitions with a heavy weight

DESCENDING: You will start out with a heavy weight and perform 6 to 8 repetitions in the first set, then decrease the weight used while increasing the number of repetitions in subsequent sets.
1st set – 6 to 8 repetitions with a heavy weight
2nd set – 8 to 10 repetitions with a moderate to heavy weight
3rd set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
4th set – 12 to 15 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
5th set – 15 to 20 repetitions with a light weight

DOUBLE PYRAMID: You will start out with a heavy weight and perform 12 to 20 repetitions in the first set, then increase the weight used while decreasing the number of repetitions in subsequent sets. On your fifth set, you will decrease the weight used while increasing the rep range. When you are on the descending portion of this pyramid, you will not be able to perform as many repetitions due to the muscle fibers being closer to failure.
1st set – 15 to 20 repetitions with a light weight
2nd set – 12 to 15 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
3rd set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
4th set – 8 to 10 repetitions with a moderate to heavy weight
5th set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
6th set – 12 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
7th set – 15 repetitions with a light weight

Yes, I Really DO Eat Clean Year-Round

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A couple of my fitness friends have recently noticed that I continue to eat clean, almost as if I was in prep for a contest. One of those friends IS in prep, so I guess she expected a stark contrast between what she has been consuming and what I eat on a regular basis. Basically, I continue to eat seven meals each day, and my protein intake these days is around 150-170 grams per day. I don’t pig out on forbidden foods, but I am not fanatical about eliminating all fat and carbs. On low carb days, I allow myself a bit of healthy fat, usually in the form of avocado, olive oil, or nuts. I have two high carb days, and I make sure that my weekly cheat meal falls on one of those days. Every once in a while (perhaps every three weeks) I may indulge in something like a nonfat mocha from Starbucks, a slice of gluten free zucchini bread, or a bowl of chicken pho.

Out of the 49 meals I eat each week, only ONE meal is a dirty cheat meal. Because I follow clean eating the majority of the time, I have been able to maintain a reasonable off-season weight. I compete at 117-119 pounds, and my weight has hovered between 119 and 122 pounds for quite a while now without even trying. I know I could always pack on more muscle, and my body fat is up a bit (around 15-16% right now), but I am happy with where I am at. My abs come out to play every now and then too, which is something I always welcome. They aren’t super chiseled and ripped, but I don’t need to walk around like that.

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This 94-Year-Old Grandmother Is A Champion Powerlifter

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I am utterly shocked and completely impressed by this lady! Read on to find out how she got started at the age of 91. This totally proves that you are NEVER too old to lift weights!

Original post can be found at:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-22172/this-94-year-old-grandmother-is-a-champion-powerlifter.html

by Emi Boscamp, MBG Editorial – October 16, 2015 5:25 PM

A 94-year-old woman can dead lift 135 pounds. What did you do today? (Yeah, I didn’t do much of anything either.)

Floridian Edith Traina is a grandmother — and that’s an accomplishment in itself — but she’s also a champion powerlifter. She started doing it at the tender age of 91 and has since become addicted to the competition, reports FOX13 Tampa.
“(My friend) dragged me kicking and screaming to the gym, and I figured I’d keep her happy for a while and get her off my back, but I got hooked,” Traina (which, by the way, is the most fitting last name possible) told FOX13 Tampa.

Since then, the self-described “champion” has competed in more than a dozen competitions, is the only person in her age group, and hopes to be able to lift 200 pounds by the time she hits 100. Though it may be good for her health, she does it because of how it makes her feel emotionally.

“With this, I just walk up, lift it, put it down. I get all these applause — great for the ego,” she said.

Watch her do her thing below (and prepare to feel like a bum). Keep on trainin’, Traina — we’re rooting for you!

So Excited For Everyone Competing At NPC Nationals This Weekend!

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The NPC Nationals will be taking place this weekend, with over 1,000 competitors! This is the largest NPC National event in history. The best way to get a glimpse of what is occurring in Miami this weekend, I have included a video introduction here from J.M Manion. For those of you who don’t know who this awesome man is, here is his Twitter profile description, which I absolutely love:

Professional Photographer & Journalist for NPC News for 30 years. Owner of multi-media company J.M. Manion Productions, Inc. & Jedi Master

Yes, indeed! He IS a Jedi Master! Or wait, isn’t he Batman? Those of you in the loop will get the reference!

Best of luck to everyone competing!

Getting Back On The Horse: Returning To The Gym

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Please check out my latest article for Sports Nutrition Supplement Guide! Please read original post and see the site here:

http://www.sportsnutritionsupplementguide.com/training/training-tips/item/1549-getting-back-on-the-horse-returning-to-the-gym#.Vkpn9RCrSi5

Horse_Gym_310x250

Perhaps the ebb and flow of life has thrown you off your fitness routine, and you are ready to return to the gym. It might be that you are post-partum, or had to nurse an injury or illness. Or it could be that you have been moving at such a frenetic pace in your life that you got sidetracked from your “every damned day” gym schedule, and need to get back into the groove. Whatever the reason is for putting consistent gym visits on the back burner, the good news is that you can re-establish a consistent fitness regimen. In order to ensure the greatest success with your efforts, here are some suggestions which will motivate you and keep you on track.

Set Goals

I bet some of you may have forgotten about the power of setting specific goals for yourself. It may be that you have been away from the iron den for a long time, so you might want to set strength gain goals in which you move up in your 1 rep max every two weeks, increase the number of free dips or pullups you can perform every few weeks, or even increase the amount of time you hold a plank.

Another type of goal you can set for yourself is to increase muscle mass in a measurable way, perhaps a one inch increase in your calf girth over a 6 week period, for example. Instead of meandering back into the gym and having a general objective, like just getting back in there, make sure to hang a carrot in front of you so that you are even more motivated to stick to the program.

Be Realistic

Thank goodness for muscle memory, because it enables those who are at a high level of fitness to regain their muscle mass and strength rather quickly after a period of inactivity. However, those who were at a lower level of fitness at their baseline will lose muscle and strength pretty rapidly, after even as little as two weeks of not lifting weights. Depending on what your degree of muscularity or strength was before your setback, you will have to give yourself some time to build back up to previous levels of muscle mass and strength. If you find yourself with more padding around the midsection, glutes, or thighs than what you had when you were hitting the weights consistently, make sure that you target fat loss with your training and food intake.

Eat Properly

You can’t expect to achieve stellar results just by hitting the weights like a fiend, while putting junk food in your body, so make sure to establish healthy eating habits to support your return to lifting weights. If your eating habits have gone by the wayside, incorporate a consistent meal plan which provides your body with clean macronutrients and supports your weight training. Throw out the forbidden foods which may be lurking in your kitchen, such as sweets, crackers, chips, and ice cream. Stock your kitchen with whole foods like lean turkey, chicken breast, salmon, eggs, green vegetables, sweet potatoes, brown rice, almonds, walnuts, and avocado. Confine cheat meals to one evening on the weekends.

Don’t Overtrain

Make sure to give yourself time to get back into the swing of things, especially if you are returning after an injury or illness. You MUST take it easy, otherwise you run the risk of injuring or re-injuring yourself, causing an even bigger setback. If you were very fit before you took your break, your muscle mass and strength should both return to their previous levels within a couple of weeks.

Pushing Through – Dealing With Troubling Times

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Life is not about how hard you can hit, but how much you can get hit & still keep moving forward. -Rocky Balboa
bull
It is commonplace these days to hear people say that times are tough, and indeed they are. Truth is, there will ALWAYS be something we will be forced to contend with. At times those challenges can be so trying that they threaten to break our spirit and obscure the light at the end of the tunnel. However, it is imperative to push through those trials and tribulations while remembering what our goals are.

Your goals may be long term and centered around a career aspiration or the pursuit of an avocation for which you have great passion. Perhaps you have a weight loss goal or want to improve your general health. Or maybe you compete and are chasing after that elusive Pro Card or Olympia qualification. Chances are that any challenges which hit unexpectedly have no direct correlation to these goals, so why allow them to push you off course? You may get knocked around a bit, but the important thing is to get back in line with that prize you have set before you.

It always amazes me to hear patients and clients describe how they abandoned their meal plans and exercise regimens, and thus their fitness and health goals, when they were forced to deal with stressful life events such as divorce, legal issues, job loss, or family illness. What goes through my mind when I hear such things is that these people are doing themselves a disservice by dropping a regular regimen which has immense long term payoffs. A thread of stability is established when there is consistency with food intake and exercise which can actually lessen the impact of life stressors. Energy levels are boosted, depression is minimized, and an individual can assert his or her own personal needs in the face of adversity.

So if tough times are getting you down, remember to put the oxygen mask on your own face and take care of your own needs. Those who persevere will be rewarded after the storm passes. Hang in there!

Staying Lean Through The Holidays – REPOST

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thanksgiving-turkey-dinner

Here is a repost of an article I wrote last November. It’s that time of the year again for holiday foods, so beware!

It seems that I will continue to uphold my yearly tradition of making my incredible (and incredibly UNclean) fudge for the holidays, as well as my signature turkey stuffing. Since the holidays come only once a year, it seems reasonable to indulge a bit, right? Well, if you’re a fitness fanatic and you have competitions coming up like several of my friends do, you can’t exactly throw caution to the wind and consume whatever you want. However, you CAN still indulge in small amounts of rich foods which are not considered clean as long as your other foods are healthy and clean. This means that your abs don’t have to hibernate during the holidays!

There are a few tricks to minimize the amount of bad foods which you may be tempted to devour.  You can consume a small amount of lean protein right before you have a carb cheat.  This will slow down digestion so that the carbs aren’t stored as readily.  Another trick is to drink at least eight ounces of water before you indulge in a decadent treat.  This will help to fill you up so you consume less food afterward.  When you are aware that you will be at a function in which tempting foods will be around, make sure your meals beforehand are kept clean and that you you eat every 2-1/2 to 3 hours to ensure that you won’t be ravenous come party time.

A newer tactic which can often work wonders for some people is to practice an intermittent fast the day before in which you consume a small number of calories, say 400-500, then go to town on turkey day, consuming your maintenance calories then. This seems to work better if you ramp up the week before with a series of intermittent fasts in which you consume your food (maintenance calories +10-20% on training days, then drop to -20% of maintenance on rest days) within a 4 to 8 hour window, then fasting the rest of the time. If you do this, crank up your protein intake so that it is at least 1 gram per pound of body weight. I personally love this diet approach and my body responds well to it, plus I can enjoy all the goodies on Thanksgiving without remorse.
turkey leg
There are food choices which are cleaner than others during the holidays. Though common holiday foods are rather calorie dense, here are a few food items which are lower in calories and fat:

  • Roast turkey breast
  • Green beans without butter
  • Mashed potatoes made with whipped butter and Greek yogurt instead of milk and regular butter
  • Pumpkin Pie

I know some of you are assuming that my cats join in with holiday feasts, but I always put them in my bedroom and lock the door. There are several reasons why I keep my felines away from the holiday table:

1. People food can often be hazardous for animals
2. My cats will run underfoot and probably trip people
3. My cats will suddenly forget the rule about not jumping onto tables and will create an unsanitary environment for guests
4. My cats will turn into pesky little beggars
Holiday-treats

Some of you may also be wondering what I am planning on cooking and eating, so here is my Thanksgiving menu:

  •  16-18 pound turkey
  • my secret stuffing recipe which has lots of goodies in it, but is relatively low in fat and calories compared to other exotic stuffing recipes
  • mashed potatoes made with light butter and sour cream
  • green bean casserole
  • my homemade fudge
  • whole cranberry sauce
  • turkey gravy
  • wine
  • store-bought pumpkin pie

Obviously there are some items on my menu that fall outside of my “clean food guidelines”, but since the holidays only come once a year, I have no qualms about it.   This is the time during which we should count our blessings and spend quality time with the people we love without getting anxious about what we are eating.  However, this does not mean you have free license to go nuts on bad foods for the next month!  If you end up indulging in other foods, don’t beat yourself up.  Instead, enjoy the feast and resume healthy eating the next day. 

Happy holidays!