Monday, December 31, 2007

New Year = New Plan

So it's the time of year when people put together a list of their new years resolutions. I for one think new years resolutions aren't all that valuable, because I'd imagine that more than 95% of these resolutions fail within the first few months. The reason for this weighs heavily on not the resolution itself but the lack of a plan to fulfill the resolution. How many people actually sit down and write out a plan to accomplish the resolution. I'd bet it's the leftover 5% that actually succeeded in accomplishing what they set out to do. Failure to plan, is planning to fail. Though writing out a plan won't guarantee success, it will surely make it more likely. So in short, be sure to plan, else your likely to fall flat on your face.

New Years Resolution: Get a Poncho!(I hope he has the right plan)

Wishing everyone all the best and all the success in the new year,

Gregg

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

New Bench PR

So I bonked an attempt at a 185lb bench, and again at 185, went to 175 and got it easily. Tried 180 and that didn't happen. I really felt close at both of the attempts at 185, so I don't think I'm too far off. Anyways, my new PR is up a 10lb increase over my last lift. We'll see where I end up in 2 more months.

Monday, December 10, 2007

New PR Number 1

Today was test day for my 1 Rep Max for the box squat. I put up 195x1, 225x1(my old PR) and then 245x1(+20). So from test day(9/27) until now I added 20lbs to my lift. Not too shabby. Tomorrow is 1RM testing for bench press, so I'm hoping to have a post for PR number 2. I'm looking to squash my previous effort of 165lbs.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

It's Official

According to the BMI (Body Mass Index) based on my latest weight and height (191lbs, 6'1") puts me at a BMI of 25.1 which according to the scale means I'm overweight! This is exciting news since I haven't been overweight in some 5 years. Fortunately the latest headlines show overweight people are less likely to die of certain diseases.

You can check out the article here

And no unfortunately this isn't your ticket to justify your unhealthy eating habits.



Anyway, don't worry I'm still chasing my goal which inevitably involves some weight gain and thus far slow and steady is winning the race. 16lbs in 4.5 months is awesome in my book. I mostly notice it in my legs, the tighter jeans I own are becoming more and more uncomfortable, but on the positive end of things my butt (glutes) are giving my belt a rest from holding up my pants...how lovely.

And in case it isn't apparent, I think the BMI is a poor measure of ones health. A more reasonable measure would be that of body fat percentage and unfortunately without getting a professional to take the measurements it's a little more difficult. It's time for bed. I'm going to go eat a cottage cheese concoction and pass out.

Monday, November 5, 2007

It's a Fat World...


All I can say is it's a sad day for America. Disney has to redesign the boats for the "It's A Small World" ride to accommodate for overweight people causing the boat to bottom out. What a cruel cruel world. The full post can be seen at wired.


http://blog.wired.com/cars/2007/11/its-a-fat-world.html

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Never Say Die

I don't care that this is Division 3 football. The never say die attitude is an inspiration to anyone. Sometimes it all comes together for one play.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Video Friday - Pumpkin

Pumpkin is one of those seasonal foods (yet I eat it all year round). It's full of nutrients and packed with fiber and some protein. So here is a great healthy pumpkin recipe from Mike Roussell, author of "Naked Nutrition Guide." If you like what you see check out his site at www.nakednutritionguide.com



I personally use canned pumpkin in my post workout meal. Combined with some vanilla protein powder, fat-free plain yogurt and pumpkin pie spice, it's like a crustless pumpkin pie. Mike's recipe is more of an anytime meal that is a bit more versatile. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 11, 2007

5 Quick Tips for Fat Loss and Overall Health

1. Take Fish Oil - The benefits of fish oil(Omega-3 fatty acids) are just piling up from studies showing a metabolic increase in nearly 300 calories a day, reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, metastasis of cancer(the real cancer killer), inflammation reduction, etc. So get a quality brand with a decent concentration of EPA/DHA (looking for better than 30% concentration) and try to get 1-2g of combined EPA/DHA per day. Note: This is not 1-2g of fish oil, rather 1-2g of EPA/DHA, which at 50% concentration would be roughly 4 capsules. You might want to consider eating 3 servings of wild fish every week as well.

2. Drink Green Tea - Loaded with Antioxidants and EGCG which has been shown to reduce abdominal fat, you might want to think about drinking a couple cups a day. It's a great way to break the 3pm crash with a cup of green tea and a fibrous snack.

3. Use Flax Seed - Yet another source of Omega-3s. Grind em up to get the full benefit and sprinkle a couple tablespoons on your salad. Tons of fiber, protein and omega-3 fats. How can you go wrong.

4. Trade steady state cardio for High Intensity Interval Training - Rather than riding a bike at a constant speed or running long distances try to do intervals. They burn more calories overall when you account for EPOC which is a fancy term which means more calories are burned after the exercise. It basically elevates your metabolism for a longer period and thus will have more of a long lasting calorie burning effect. This is why you'll typically find that sprinters are leaner than their long distance running counterparts, especially in the mid section.

5. Do compound movements and avoid the machines and isolation movements - Compound movements like deadlifts, squats, and bench pressing are more likely to build muscle that will lead to a higher metabolic rate that will eat up more calories. So ditch the smith machine, the leg press, and curls in favor of some real world movements. You'll be surprised how quickly you can transform your body with some strength training.

Note: Always check with your doctor before going on any exercise regimen or taking any supplement, especially if you are on medication or have other health related issues. Basically what I'm saying is don't be stupid. If you don't know what you are doing in the gym, spend a day or two with a trainer so you know the ropes.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Pop Quiz

I know I've been slacking lately with the blogging, so I'll spare you an apology but know that a series of tragic internet issues coupled with a really busy work load had all but eaten up all my free time. No worries though, I'm still training hard and eating like a champ.

So today was test day, and since I was unaware it was more like a pop quiz. I came in expecting a new program like every previous month, but instead I got to break some of my PRs instead. Did some jump testing for vertical and distance. Some triple single leg jumps, box squat, bench press and deadlift. Here's where I'm at after 3 months of training:

Vertical - Don't quote me but I believe it was 24"
Squat - 225lbs (might have been higher, I was so focused on just lifting the weight I don't remember what it was, it was at least 225, but I'll have to confirm this)
Bench - 165lbs
Deadlift - 315lbs (wasn't inspirational, sorry)

Still felt as though I could have done better on the bench, but I'm more than pleased with the other two. Looking forward to my next program. I'll keep you posted.

Gregg

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Comparing Oranges to Oranges

People often ask me what beverages I consume on a daily basis. The answer is simple, water(filtered or RO) and green tea. Then the next follow up will be something like...but what about fruit juice. And of course by fruit juice they mean the good stuff; either 100% real fruit juice or even freshly squeezed. Well lets analyze orange juice for instance. A 10oz. bottle of OJ(which is the size Tropicana sells) has 140 calories, 28 grams of sugar, and no fiber, and boasts it's 120% daily value of vitamin C. A normal sized orange (2-5/8" diameter fruit) has only 60 calories, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of fiber, and is humble about it's 116% Vitamin C concentration. So lets see... more fiber (i.e. better on the glycemic index, good for digestion) virtually the same vitamin C concentration, and less than half of the calories. And this mind you is a 10oz. serving of Orange Juice. At McDonalds or IHOP(my favorite health food joint!) a large orange juice is 20oz. This quantity of Orange juice has roughly 280 calories, and 56 grams of sugar, with no fiber. You'd have to eat nearly 5 oranges to get to that many calories. Nobody would probably think you were weird having 20oz. of OJ, but eating 5 oranges in one sitting would probably make people scream "THE JUICE IS LOOSE!" Freshly squeezed juice is only marginally better, unless you are consuming the majority of the pulp. As one of the leading causes of childhood obesity, it's becoming harder and harder to argue consuming juice regularly in ones diet. So eat the fruit, ditch the juice.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Progress!

So Thursday will wrap up my high volume week. Sorry for not posting up something sooner, didn't realize how many people were actually reading my blog, so again I apologize to those who frequent here. Anyways you'll be happy to hear of all the progress. My weight is up to 188lbs, that's approx up 13lbs and according to my lovely body fat measurement calipers I'm at the same body fat percentage. I'm a little below the 2lbs of week gain that I was experiencing initially so I've been eating more calories lately so hopefully that will help.

Markers of Progress,in addition to the body comp marker above, I can now do the following:
-5 unassisted chin-ups; Eric says watching the 5th was slower than the paint drying on his new walls, but hey, progress is progress.(2 months ago I could do 1)
-Put up 135lbs 6 times on bench press (when i started 135 was my 1Rep Max)
-Pull 225 8 times (when I started, I'd have to look, but I'm pretty sure I was pulling something just over 100lbs for less reps)
-I no longer get queazy after doing sets of sled drags (they're still not my favorite, but secretly somewhere deep down I think I love them)

Anyways, so thats where I'm at with just over 2 months of fairly strict dieting(90% compliance to the Precision Nutrition program) and hard training. I'm at a point where I think counting actual calories and macronutrient breakdowns might help, so I'm going to try and get a baseline next week and will be trying to hit 35% Protein - 40% Fat and 25% Carbs. Most would probably freak out eating that high fat of a diet. I don't, because it's what works consistantly for me. Olive Oil, Avocado, Nuts, Seeds and Fish Oil comprise the majority of that, and last I checked all of those foods are extremely healthy. My carbohydrate sources are fruits, veggies and my workout shakes(sugar!!). Now again people might freak out, why didn't he say whole grains. Well honestly, I think grains are overrated. I'm not saying I've completely eliminated them, but I've reduced them significantly. They don't offer anything that can't be provided by fruits and veggies and I feel as though veggies have more to offer in terms of nutrients per calorie. If you're looking for some quick carbs, sure grab a piece of bread, but rarely am I looking for quick carbs.

As summer is coming to a close, and labor day just around the corner, I hope everyone is acheiving their health and fitness goals. Just take it day by day and try to be a little better everyday and before you know it, you'll get there. It took however many years you are old to get to the body you have, don't try to erase it with quick fixes or band aid type approaches because failure will be inevitable. The only thing that works is better habits over time.

So what are you going to do tomorrow, that will be better than what you did today...

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

I hate my Dermatologist!

When I was a kid I went to the dermatologist for what many teens struggle with, acne. I had a pretty severe case, and all the social ramifications that go with it. So who better to go see than a skin doctor to help me out. Well with little help aside from some prescription drugs, all kinds of cleansers, etc, all I can say is the acne kept on chugging along, and in some cases got worse. I noticed that when I cleaned up my diet a bit or as I used to "go on a diet" my acne would clear up. So I wondered if it was a food allergy maybe. I asked my Dermatologist if diet affected acne and he assured me there was no link. Well here I am today to say I told you so! A new study in the Clinical Journal of Nutrition shows that by eliminating high glycemic foods (the ones I'd get rid of when dieting, white breads, sodas, etc.) actually reduces acne lesions. See doc, I was onto something, and you didn't want to hear it.

So anyway, I continue my healthy eating and discover this other product called fish oil. I start taking it by the recommendations of my favorite nutritionist and low and behold my acne clears up even further. I'd say fixing my diet got me about 70% of the way there and just when I started taking fish oil, the remainder cleared up to the point where I'm at today. So I ask my dermatologist if fish oil, or any omega 3 fat could help with acne. Again he assures me that can't be true. Well it's time to wake up! Studies(not so new) show that omega-3 fatty acids (the stuff found in fish oils) helps give you healthy skin. Go figure. Maybe since they can't make any money off the prescription, the derms won't tell you anything about it.

Seems funny that all the facial cleansers are now taking a lot of heat for premature aging of skin. Who knew putting abrasive chemicals on your face 2x a day for 10 years could cause so much damage...actually I figured out that in less than a year. I stopped using the cleansers, etc. and my face looked better than it did before.

Just Say No

So in short, if you want better skin, clean up your diet, and take your fish oil and stop washing it with harsh chemicals(yeah that fancy soap you spent $8 on, throw it out!). I'll have more on this topic later, including a new book that just came out regarding real methods of skin care that work.

Article 1
Article 2

1 more week down

Well the workouts have been pretty rough, but I just turned 24 last Friday and can honestly say I'm in the best shape of my life. Getting stronger everyday and watching those lifts climb is keeping me motivated. Was able to do more unassisted chin ups than I could have imagined. On deadlifts due to the increased number of reps I was expecting a decrease in weight...Eric had different plans. Weight was increased, and yet I still banged 'em all out. So all I can say is I'm seeing progress on all fronts.

I started doing interval type sprints on my off days. I walk to the local park near my place and just tear it up on the grass. It's nice to get outside once in a while and enjoy the green.

On Saturday I got to work with Tony again, and needless to say he kicked my ass. On the 3rd set of sled pulls I couldn't hold it back and I threw up. I did the last set with a little help from Tony yelling at me the whole way and finished up the workout. The volume seems extreme so I guess I'll just have to suck it up and get used to it. All otherwise is well, diet is on point, and I'm making sure to get enough sleep to recover.

All the best,

Gregg

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Next Month of Training

I updated my workout log for my next month of training. Let me tell you, after day 1 of this new plan, I was pretty beat. It felt like day 1 at the gym all over again. Looking forward to the next workout, to see how badly it'll hurt.

It has also been suggested that I talk about some off topic things other than training, so if you have any off topic suggestions feel free to email them to me, or post a comment to any entry with your suggestion.

New Workout Log

A new study was conducted on the affects of doing cardio(apparently steady state) in two separate 30 minute runs, with 20 minutes of rest in between the two runs. It took this and compared it with just a 60 minute run with no rest. The study showed that they both burned the same number of calories, but the interesting thing is that those that had the 20 minute gap in between burned more fat calories. So what does this mean? Who gives a shit. Stop wasting time with nonsense cardio, when you aren't doing strength training and interval training first. Honestly without the first two, steady state cardio is a complete waste of time. Use it to cap off your strength and interval training, but otherwise it's a lot of wasted effort(unless you genuinely like running). Also worth noting, when you do steady state activities like running, your orthopedic health is put at risk, not to mention shortness of breath, and queaziness, which mind you are common symptoms during a heart attack. As a tool for fat loss, it just isn't all that great of a solution.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

So between my last two workouts I've had 3 new exercises. Some more fun than others. The first of which was box squats. The bar felt pretty heavy on my back, but that is probably because I'm used to doing front squats only.

Another cool thing was the sled pushes and pulls. 3 sets of push/pulls was pretty brutal and I can see how these might crush some peoples ego. Loaded with 3-45lb plates and the weight of the sled itself, it was pretty tough.



The last new thing was bench pressing! I haven't done it since we tested my 1RM a while back. Did 5 sets of 5 at 115. I think just getting the form down alone will help my lift. Kinda funny to think just 2 years ago I would have put my 1RM at 100 and now i'm pushing 115 5 times. Gotta love progress.

In other news, a new study published was sweeping the health sections of the top papers. It's official, you can now blame your fat friends for being fat. The study suggests that if you hang out with obese people, you are more likely to be obese yourself. Sounds like eating crappy foods and being lazy is contagious. The full article can be found here. I'm honestly not one to be politcally correct about people who are overweight. Being overweight sucks to put it bluntly. You're always tired, it's hard on your joints, leads to all kinds of health problems. I think we all need to look around at our circle of friends and try and help one another out rather than placing blame and making excuses.

GT

Monday, July 23, 2007

Christened the Rack @ Cressey Performance



I know it has been over a week since my last post. I got my PN Challenge application in, so I'm good to go. Cressey Performance is pretty close to up and running. I got to christen the new rack with some front squats this weekend and got to train with Tony Gentilcore(a regular on the fitcast, articles on t-nation, etc) which was pretty cool. He pushed me pretty hard, and got a great workout in. I enjoyed having a couple days off, and will hit it hard on Tuesday again. The new facility is in Hudson, MA. The drive is a bit of a pain, but I'll have to suck it up for now.

GT

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Issues with Excel and PN Challenge

So on Friday I found out that I will no longer be training at Excel. My trainer is switching facilities due to a "conflict of interest" and for the time being I've just been doing some dumbbell stuff(single leg squats, rows) amongst some body weight exercises and isometric holds. Hopefully the regular training will continue midweek at a place that is now TBD.

I've decided to man up and sign up for the Precision Nutrition Challenge as well. I'll have some more details regarding that soon.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

3rd Week is a Charm

So I'm on my third week training at Excel and all I can say is wow. My back feels significantly better, I'm walking taller and putting on some pounds (good ones of course). I even sat through a lengthy movie (nearly 3 hours with previews) without my back bothering me the entire show.
I can't remember the last time I did that, and to that effect I wholeheartedly recommend everyone go see Transformers. IT was amazing!


Maybe the movie was just so good, back pain didn't stand a chance?


I've posted a link to my google spreadsheet which is documenting my training program progress, as well as a sample meal plan. Speaking of meal plans, I see all these people putting all this data into these daily food logs which honestly I think isn't proactive enough. You'd be better off planning your meals ahead of time, writing out what you are going to eat, and then eat what you planned on eating. This way you don't have to go oh crap! I shouldn't have eaten that thing on that day in my food journal, but rather be ahead of the curve in picking out what you should be eating in the first place. Don't get me wrong, food logs have their place, but I think they are being overdone at this point. Make a meal plan for the week, monitor your success at following your plan, and you'll be doing leaps and bounds better than those just cramming useless data into a food log. Logging in poor food choices won't make you lose weight.

GT

PS, Just because a 100 Calorie pack of cookies only has 100 calories, it still is 100 calories of crap! And similarly eating lean cuisine will not make you lean (it has trans fats in the ingredients, and lets just say that's not the only problem)

Hiding the Trans-Fat

So with all this talk about cities banning trans-fat I wondered how girl scout cookies, regular peanut butter, and margarine could survive being that they all have significant quantities of trans fat in them.



Well I was glad to see girl scout cookies flaunting a "0g Trans Fat per serving" statement on their website amongst margarine carrying a label of "0g of Trans-Fat per serving." I wondered how they did it, so a quick scan of the ingredients list and low and behold..."partially hydrogenated" oils on the ingredient list. I was a little confused at first because for years I had thought that was in fact trans-fats. I did some research to confirm and low and behold partially hydrogenated oils are in fact trans fats.

Trans Fat Free? Think Again


So how are companies able to advertise a food as 0g of trans fat when it in fact has trans fats. Simple, cut the serving size down and make sure the trans fats total out to less than .5g per serving and you can label it as zero. Pretty brilliant when you think about it. It's similar to how spray oils like Pam can call themselves fat free when in fact the whole can only contains fat. The serving size is 1/4sec spray, which mind you is impossible to deliver or useful when cooking.

All in all I guess banning trans fats is somewhat of a step in the right direction but the application of it falls short of my expectations. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Something to look for on packages is "No Trans Fat." When a claim like that is made that means it has none what so ever. I find it interesting that some of the "healthy" packaged snacks you might find have these trans fats in them. I find them in expensive protein bars all the time. So make sure you check those ingredient labels, and the next time a girl scout offers you some cookies, don't be afraid to buy a couple boxes, and give em to your friends. This way they get fat, and you look better when you hang around them, all while promoting scouting for our youth.

GT

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Why the North American Diet Sux

Sit and think about what the typical diet for your average guy is. Breakfast is probably a bowl of cereal, lunch a sandwich, and dinner may be your "good" meal where you have a portion of meat, a side of veggies, etc. Well, if you look at this diet it's obviously pretty flawed. Just take a look at the fruit and vegetable content. You maybe get some bit of a veggie serving from your lettuce and tomato on your sandwich, and maybe a serving for dinner. This is a huge problem. You have to have strategies to get these fruits and vegetables into your system.

"But Gregg, I have a salad for lunch everyday!" Well that's a step in the right direction, but we can all do better. Try adding some veggies to your breakfast meal. Maybe have an omelet with some veggies tossed inside. Skip the sandwich and make yourself a chicken salad with tons of your favorite veggies and add some olive oil and you've got yourself a solid lunch. You could even do the unthinkable and put some veggie snack bags together and them between meals.

One product I'm quite fond if is Greens+ which is great for filling in those gaps when we aren't getting our veggies. Keep in mind this is not a vegetable replacement, as vegetables should obviously be a staple in your diet. You can get this stuff at some local vitamin stores, but I've found it's pretty hard to come by, so I just order it online. I use this product at least once a day in my meal replacement shakes. And the berry flavor tastes a heck of a lot better than what I'll just call the lawn mulch flavor. If you're hardcore enough you can find some cooler flavors in Canada which is where the company is based out of. I order mine from there.



There are obviously more problems with this North American diet in that it's devoid of enough lean protein, there are a lack of good fats(Olive Oil, Nuts, Avocado), amongst the need for more fiber. I just want to get you average folk out of eating like the average north american, otherwise you'll end up looking like the average north american.

Gregg

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Intervals

So interval training was mixed in this week, with one day of elliptical sprints, and one day of slide board sprints.

Getting used to the slide board was pretty cool at first, but once the sprints started it was pretty rough and I almost busted my ass a couple times.

My posture is getting a lot better, and my lower back pain while sitting at my desk is virtually gone. Only issues now are my hamstrings tighten up whenever I sit down, so I'm forced to get up and move every so often(I'm blaming the Glute Ham raises).

Monday, June 25, 2007

Midnight Snack

This is what my meal looks like before I goto bed. It's out of John Williams/JB's book Gourmet Nutrition. I eat this every night about a half hour before I goto bed.

Cottage Cheese, 2 TBSP of flax, Some natural peanut butter, and some chocolate protein powder(milk protein blend with casein, not the straight whey stuff). Just mix it all together in a big bowl and eat it.

It actually tastes decent, has a good number of calories, a lot of protein, good fats, and digests slowly so you don't have that AM wake up call of your stomach telling you that you'd better eat something NOW. I like it because you can prepare it in a couple minutes as opposed to cooking something up late at night, which isn't going to happen.

GT

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Day 4

So on Saturday morning I got in early and did a bunch of extra mobility and foam rolling work and completed my workout in just over an hour. I feel like my limitations are mostly physical at this point because I'm finding the workouts are easier to get through mentally, which I'm happy about. Deadlift went up ~22lbs, so that was cool and the weight still didn't feel like I was tapping out(though it was no walk in the park either). I'm looking forward to Monday as the interval protocols will be starting in addition to the regular workouts. I figure by midweek I won't be walking again, but it'll be fun and I'm looking forward to it.

GT

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Training Day 3

So after waking up with the tightest hamstrings in the world 2 days after the workout, I've found it difficult to do the once simple task of walking. I just started my new job and I'm guessing everyone by now thinks I'm some sort of cripple, so I'm waiting for people to get comfortable enough to ask me what's up with my poor stride.

So I was pretty impressed that I was able to continue working out with such tight muscles. After the warmup you just get into it, the soreness and pain tends to just go to the wayside so you can just push the weight around. Performance still takes its toll, but hopefully this initial soreness will go away in the upcoming weeks and help keep the progress moving along.

I'll be praying that I can wake up tomorrow and walk a little better, but I know it's likely to be worse. Gotta keep moving.

GT

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Pain in the Glutes

Well apparently workout one wasn't all that bad, as workout 2 really kicked my ass...literally. Started with some Glute-Ham raises and as I was descending on the first rep I could feel the muscle fibers in my legs cry for help. The workout only got worse from there and I felt like yacking again fairly soon into the workout.

So I got through it, but wasn't too happy with my performance. I know I'm going to need be better prepared mentally for what is to come if I plan on accomplishing the workouts physically. I'll be incorporating intervals into off days beginning next week. Not doing them this week will help keep the soreness at bay, but I'll keep foam rolling in the meantime and getting lots of sleep to help aid in recovery(and of course eating absurd amounts of calories).

GT

Saturday, June 16, 2007

First Full Workout

So this morning I went to Excel for my first official workout. We started with a warm-up which included some foam rolling and some of the drills seen an Cressey's Magnificent Mobility DVD. The highlight of the workout were the trap bar deadlifts which coincidentally was the first exercise we did. It was something I'd never done before and I look forward to doing them again. The thing I liked most about the workout was there was no sit around and rest time between sets. I see alot of guys reading magazines or watching tv in between sets at the gym, and I always felt they were just trying to kill time. The closest thing to some true rest were some mobility drills done in between the sets to give the time needed to let the muscles recover to do the next set.

By the end I really was sweating like I'd never had before and at a point Eric asked if I was alright, afraid that I was about to lose my breakfast. I would have been pissed if I had lost my breakfast...all those precious calories put to waste, but fortunately I was able to keep it down. The intensity of the workout was much more than I had anticipated, and I think more calories earlier in the morning will be in order down the road.

The diet hasn't been too hard to stick to, and with these rough workouts, it's motivation to keep fueling the body with good stuff. I just gotta make sure I eat enough calories as I tend to overestimate how many calories I'm eating, while typically most people do the opposite.

Gonna go put some steel cut oats on the stove for tomorrow's breakfast.

Until next time,

GT

Friday, June 15, 2007

Making a True Meal Replacement

A great way to fill gaps in your diet is with a meal replacement shake. No I'm not talking about carnation instant breakfast, I'm talking about some real on the go nutrition. Many people nowadays can't stop and have a complete meal every 3 hours so here is a great way to put something together in 5 minutes in the morning and will save you later in the day. Here's my foundation for a good meal replacement shake:

Some Fruit - Frozen Blueberries work great here
Ground Flaxseed - Good source of Fiber and Omega-3 Fats, you gotta grind them to get the full effect.
Plain Yogurt - Gotta love those live and active cultures
Greens Powder - A greens supplement will give your veggie servings without the actual veggies, I prefer a wild berry flavor over the lawn mulch flavor
Vanilla Protein Powder - If it's a post workout shake 100% Whey is best here, otherwise a Milk-Protein blend will digest slower and as a result satiate hunger longer
Iced Green Tea - Antioxidants with a touch of caffeine amongst the numerous other positive effects make a great base for this shake

Potential adds: Earlier in the day you could add some Oats to the mix, or later in the day a handful of mixed nuts.

Now there are plenty of other shake ideas you can come up with like a chocolate peanut butter shake etc. Just throw all the ingredients in a blender adding your liquid to get the desired consistency. I like to use the shake to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner as it functions as a pick me up to get me through the rest of the workday.

GT

Thursday, June 14, 2007

My First Day at Excel

So I've decided to blog about my experience at Excel and if first impressions are indicative of what's to come, this is going to be one heck of a summer. So to give some back story, I had attended a G-Flux Seminar by Dr. John Berardi about a month ago (and if you don't know who Berardi is, you probably should familiarize yourself with his work on nutrition). The seminar was held at Excel in Waltham, MA. At the seminar I was pretty floored by the gym layout. It certainly wasn't your typical gym, and after meeting Eric Cressey, I knew this would be a place I could get used to.

So anyways, today I headed back to Excel to meet with Eric for my evaluation. We did some testing and he had me do some foam rolling and mobility work. Then we tested my bench, and vertical jump which resulted in a 135lb. bench, and 18" vertical jump. And in case you are wondering I am aware as to how sad those numbers are. I weighed in at 175lbs. There was more to this evaluation but I'm just giving the highlights. So basically I have some posture issues to deal with, but that's nothing I didn't know already. I'm hoping to strengthen my back up as well because sitting at a desk all day isn't really doing wonders for it (nevermind the ass time from the plane rides at my last job rotation).

Oh and Eric took some before pictures. I'll try and get my hands on them, but I'm probably not going to post those until I get some after results. I'll be training 3x a week starting on Saturday. I'll have to dial in my diet for sure in the next couple days, though it's not any drastic changes as I've been pretty good lately, sticking to Berardi's Precision Nutrition.

Until next time,

GT