STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT

I have been inspired to write this post from a person I don’t even know who told me I was wrong in my thinking on myths.  There is no way I am wrong because if you notice at the bottom Joe D. is the author.  Occasionally I will use other sources to add other reliable information to my blog.  However, I always acknowledge where these articles come from.  I will start out by saying that not only is Joe D. correct, I am also correct or I would have never posted his myth. 

Let me first explain that in order to do any type of aerobic conditioning (plyometrics) you have to have some sort of muscle development.  For example, think of the time you or a person you know broke a leg and had a cast put on it.  What happens to the muscle?  The muscle begins to atrophy (loses muscle), right!  Depending on how long the cast was on or how long a person has gone without using this damaged limb, will determine what a person can or cannot do after the removal of this cast.  Let’s say the cast was on for 8-weeks.  Who does a doctor send you to after the removal of this cast?  A physical therapist right! (Which most people fail to follow through on).  Does a physical therapist have you go out and jog (plyometrics) a mile before they have you do resistance training to rebuild the muscle.  Of course not, even though the bone is healed (and in most cases stronger than before, due to the calcification around the break area), you must develop a level of strength to engage in any high impact plyometrics (running).  We have all seen the knees buckle on a baby that is learing to walk and using the coffee table to hold themselves up? 

Knee pain, joint pain, and lower leg muscle tension is a common concern for most runners, especially if you haven’t developed any level of strength (not in all cases).  Now, take into consideration that both legs have been inactive for a prolonged period of time and are weak in comparison to a person’s overall bodyweight.  Please consider, if you’re overweight or just beginning a fitness program, beware of any type of high impact plyometrics (especially running off/on concrete) before building a solid foundation of strength.   

 LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD!

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OREO COOKIE ICE CREAM

Well, yesterday I managed to figure out a recipe to accomplish my daily 4200+ calories.  With my son’s baseball game last night I was forced to train later than I normally do, therefore, my post-training meal would have to be later than normal.  

During the time I was training, my wife went to the grocery and for whatever reason decided to buy two half-gallons of ice-cream.  Naturally, I wasn’t happy because I knew I would eat some and because I have a sweet tooth, I might not be able to stop.  On the other hand, I knew I needed more calories and because she buys natural ice-cream (no additives or high fructose corn syrup),  I began to rationalize and justify why eating this ice-cream wouldn’t hurt.  Boom, here’s my bright idea. 

About 30 minutes after training I always take a protein supplement, glutamine, and my BCAA’s.  At this point I knew I was way under my caloric requirements and because I had a three hour window of opportunity post-workout to consume about 1/3 of my calories, I was going to take full advantage.  This is when I looked at my protein, looked at this ice-cream, then looked in the cupboard to see if the blender was still there (you never where anything might be around here).  My last ditch efforts to consume these calories were between 8:30 and 11:30 pm.  During this time frame I managed to mix 96 grams of protein with 2 cups of Oreo cookie ice-cream, in two separate shakes.  :)  With milk added that’s a grand total of 1340 calories in a 2 hour period of time.  I’m pretty sure I got my 4200, but the problem came when I went to mix a protein shake today, I almost got nauseated. 

If you have read my MENTAL TOUGHNESS post, it explains that I am on a mission to gain 15 or more lbs. by eating like a pig, training hard, and eliminating all cardio so that I can build muscle then lean back down to around 8% LBM.  It’s not a matter of gaining that worries me, it’s a matter of hating cardio and seeing if I have the mental toughness that it requires to attain my goals.    

LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD!

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MYTHS

Myth #7: It’s important to build an aerobic base of conditioning before getting into more intense anaerobic work.

There’s no physiological basis for this statement. Having an aerobic base doesn’t help you perform or recover from anaerobic work. Think about this, do you think a marathon runner would be able to withstand the demands of an intense football game? On the other hand, do you think that one of the NFL’s superstars would be able to complete a marathon?

Of course not! This is because the physiological demands of both sports have about as much in common as Howard Stern and Kathie Lee Gifford. Yet athletes who participate in anaerobic sports still tend to associate getting in shape with long, slow, distance training. Nothing can be further from the truth.

A more productive alternative to jogging or cycling a couple of miles would be to perform multiple anaerobic activities with short rest intervals over a prolonged period of time. For example, performing a GPP (general physical preparedness) workout that consists of bodyweight calisthenics (jumping jacks, bodyweight squats, squat thrusts, etc.), movement skills (power skipping, side shuffling, backpedaling, etc.) and mobility drills, is far superior to linear, slow, long-distance running.

By performing exercises that challenge an athlete’s relative strength, balance and coordination in a continuous fashion, we’re able to improve their endurance without the loss in muscle mass, strength and speed that’s associated with the slow distance method.

Joe Defranco’s            # 7 of Top Ten Training Myths

 

LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD!

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MENTAL TOUGHNESS

It seems like my goals change on a monthly basis.  I’m sitting here early this morning wondering how I will manage to consume 4200 calories every day until I reach my goal.  If my math is correct that’s six meals per day at 700 calories per meal.  Consuming these many calories for any length of time, seems totally impossible.  I do realize that eating this many calories is a gradual process, however, I cannot think of a healthy way to consume them.  How much oatmeal or salad can a person eat in a day?  What about egg whites or plain chicken breasts?  I could do it the lazy way by ordering out and eating a ton of empty, unhealthy calories then pay for it in the gym.  I could also eat high fat chemically laced fast food, but I know that’s counterproductive.  The crux I’m at right now is a classic example of not having a clear cut goal.  Do I really want to build this size?  I’m 204 right now and at 6′2 I look skinny in comparison to others.  (What has motivated this entire thought process is a bodybuilding show coming up).  So, once again I ask myself, “do I really want to get up to 220″  Regardless of what I want, I realize that I have to make a commitment that requires courage, self-discipline, motivation, and complete mental toughness.  

Since I’ve had all day to ponder these thoughts I realized that it is no different when it comes to losing weight for some people, especially when a person doesn’t know if they want to put forth the effort and commitment that losing weight requires.  I also realize that once I gain this size and muscle I will have to lean back down by eating less and participating in some type of aerobic exercise.  Right their is the problem, I literally hate doing any type of aerobic activity for an extended period of time.  For myself, twenty minutes on a treadmill is too long.  I do it now, however, I need to do 40 minutes or more to burn a significant amount of fat.  I guess I’m afraid that if I do gain that much weight (15lbs.) I will not have the motivation to lean back down.  In other words, will I stick to the program. 

It really does take a conscious effort and commitment for people to accomplish their goals.  The easier softer way is my natural response to anything that requires hard work.  Some people may be reading this saying, ” I wish I had the problem of having a hard time consuming 4200 calories”.  I’m not writing this to say “look at me” I am writing this to say ”wow, what a commitment and a self-discipline it requires to realize your goals”.  I give credit where credit is due and I honestly don’t know if I had to lose a mere 15 lbs, I could do it.  I know how to do it, however, everything that gaining/losing weight entails, is quite difficult.  I guess what it boils down to is commitment, courage, motivation, self discipline, and mental toughness. 

Champions aren’t made in gyms, champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.- 

                                                                                                                                  Muhammad Ali 

LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD!

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FIRST SESSION

Marathon runners are definitely a different breed.  The amount of mental and physical preparation is unparalleled.  How does anyone run that far for that long, and never seem to show any signs of pain or weakness.  Maybe runners experiece these symptoms but they have no idea how to physically express them.  I guess it’s like that for all elite athletes, however, running seems especially ” freakish” to me because I hate it so much.  LOL! 

I’ll be honest, I know how to get a football player bigger, stronger, and faster.  I can also improve an athletes explosiveness and vertical jump that’s required on the basketball court.  I definitely know how to strength-train, and I can also help an everyday person lose-weight and shed body fat.  Alternatively, do I really know how to train a marathon runner?

To my knowledge the first session of training “my” marathon runner went well.  I know he experienced some minor soreness, but that’s easy, I can make anyone sore.  The true goal here is to make him better by increasing his times.  Soreness does not equate to making a person better or developing true overall strength.  He went through the movements, sets, and reps with no problem, and I know he was pleased with what I have him doing, however, I am not 100% sure that I can improve his running.  On the other hand, I guess it’s not my job to improve his running, my goal is to decrease his LBM, practice sound nutritional advice, and develop overall body strength.  With that in mind I am postive that his running will improve.  I’ll keep you all posted.   

LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD!

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THE LAST TEN

I often hear how losing the last ten or fifteen pounds of any exercise or diet program are always the most challenging.  I do not have any personal experience when it comes to losing 50-60 or even 100+ pounds.  However, I have trained people, and I know people that have complained of this common problem.  How frustrating is it when you have worked so hard and so long only to find it extremely difficult to reach your final goal. 

There are several reasons why these elusive pounds are difficult to attain.  One of the main reasons is most people feel as if they are “ending” something that has required a lot of time, frustration, tremendous effort, and self-control.  It amazes me that people work so hard at losing this weight only to throw it away at the “end”.  People, there is no such thing as an “end”.  You have already adopted the nutrition and fitness lifestyle, so why would there be an end.  Think about some of these professional athletes, you can always tell which players will have mediocre careers.  They don’t work hard with there strength coaches, they don’t improve their game, and they begin a lifestyle that they are unaccustomed to living.  Once they become comfortable, all the hard-work they put in, becomes null and void.  Soon thereafter, they are out of the league and as a result, they forfeit millions of dollars in future earnings.  They rest on their laurels.   

The second reason is losing weight from this point is somewhat difficult so you struggle to continue to produce results.  You don’t know how to lose those last few pounds.  If you have already adopted excellent eating, exercise, and lifestyle habits, why are the last ten pounds so difficult?  Simply put, you have hit a wall, your same training routines and eating habits are no longer effective.  You do not continue to see or feel any sort of improvement, so you become discouraged and revert to old habits.  Why do you think actors and professional athletes pay $200 or more per session for help from a personal trainer?  It is not because they don’t know how to train.  It’s because they simply do not know how to get to the next-level, therefore, they remain confused at their lack of continued progress.  

My point:  It is never a good idea to try to be the exception to the rule.  Instead, continue to follow accepted methods of nutrition and strength training by working on many different aspects.  Your diet and training habits cannot be the same when you become 50-110 pounds lighter than when you started. 

 

PROPAGANDA

“Permanent weight-loss is elusive for most fat people”. 

I read this somewhere on the internet and immediately closed my mind.  Are you kidding me?  Is that what the diet industry wants people to believe?  Is that why there is so much misinformation out there and why headlines lead people to believe that they are hopeless without some ”magical” weight-loss formula?  Listen, most overweight people are overweight because they may actually believe this BS.  I cannot remember a time where someone mentioned that they received great results from a weight-loss pill or fad diet.  (By the way I thought testimonials were illegal).  The media said it so it has to be true, therefore, immediately after they influence us with this propaganda, they go directly into a Pizza Hut, McDonalds, or Dorito commercial. 

I got one for you, it’s called Lap-Band.  I just saw this advertisement last night and I was utterly digusted.  Everyone keep your eyes open for this commercial, but make sure to pay close attention to the side effects, that is, if you can listen fast enough.  This is why I need TIVO! 

Kudos go out to everyone that is not looking for an easier softer way towards permanent weight-loss. 

LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD!

 

MYTHS

Myth #1: Lifting light weights for high reps will “shape and tone” your muscles.

This is the grand daddy of all training myths! Somehow the aerobics, yoga and Pilate’s community have convinced us that when we perform bodyweight exercises or light resistance training for high reps, our muscles magically take on a beautiful shape without growing or bulging. On the other hand, if you challenge yourself with moderately heavy weights, your body will take on a bulky, unflattering appearance. If you believe this, you probably still believe in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus!

Here are the facts. The main difference between a “lean and toned” physique and a “bulky” physique is the amount of body fat that surrounds your muscles! Basically, the “lean and toned” look that most people desire is a result of having muscle that isn’t hidden under fat. And let’s not forget that the best way to build muscle is through strength training.

Generally speaking, this means challenging yourself with moderately heavy weights in the 6 to 15 rep range. It doesn’t mean using an insignificant resistance for a countless number of reps. This will do little to change your appearance. Remember, it’s the muscle on your frame which gives you your shape. Muscle also increases your metabolism which helps your body burn extra calories throughout the day.

Joe Defranco’s       #1 of Top Ten Training Myths

 

 

MORE MISINFORMATION

I have to post this because early this morning I read a magazine article that drove me absolutely bananas.  Lactic acid is not the cause of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)  Lactic acid is the buildup during exercise.  You know, that intolerable burn you get that makes you want to throw the weights across the room.  (Tolerating this pain is the key to training).  Once that feeling passes so has the lactic acid.  If that were not the case you would experience this pain from the minute you did your first full set, to the minute you left the gym.  Not the day after, and especially not the 2nd day, (Which is worse than day one).  DOMS has not been explained in the medical profession.  It’s all theory and the #1 theory is trauma caused by the tearing down (TRAUMA) and rebuilding (HEALING) of muscle tissue.  There are a few supplements that will help with DOMS,  L-glutamine, BCAA’s (Branched Chain Amino Acids), a healthy diet, rest, hot/cold, and H2O.  These supplements are natural and not only do they help in repairing the muscle, they also aid in protein synthesis.  The quicker you recover the quicker you can train. 

Oh, by the way, if you want visible abs you have to reduce bodyfat.  Spot training is ineffective.  Do 1000 sit-ups, crunches, reverse crunches, v-ups, etc, then eat a 500 calorie surplus diet each day, then tell me differently. 

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LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD!

 

SMALL MEALS

Multiple sources advise us to eat 5-6 small meals per day, but they never define how many calories is in a small meal.  That’s where most people become confused. My small meal may consist of 500 calories, whereas, someone elses small meal may consist of 300-650 calories per meal. 

For example, John is 6′2 and 204 lbs. (athletic looking build) and 11% bodyfat.  Bill is 5′9 and 204 lbs. obviously out of shape, (chubby, round build, looks out of shape) and 23% body fat.  (Both engage in moderate activity) 

John has exactly 22 lbs of fat and 182 lbs. of lean muscle, whereas, Bill has a total of 47 lbs of fat and only 157 lbs. of lean muscle.  Based on lean body mass, their caloric needs are completely different.  (Having your bodyfat tested is the only way to determine your daily caloric requirements)

 John’s caloric requirements are exactly 3672 per day, if he wants to stay the same bodyweight.  These requirements are based on moderate activity.

Bill’s caloric requirements are 3304 per day to stay the same weight. 

Now let’s say Bill wants to lose 20 lbs.  (2-3 lbs. per week is a healthy approach to weight-loss)

One lb. of fat is exactly 3500 calories.  Bill has a total caloric intake of 23,128 per week.  His goal is to lose 2 lbs. per week.  Which means I have to subtract 7000 calories per week from Bill’s diet to get to 16,128 (total calories)  divided by 7  (days per week), now we are at 2304 calories per day spread over 5 meals.  Let’s not forget, Bill is at a moderate activity level.  460 calories per meal for five meals.  Not difficult to do once you eliminate empty calories. 

Once you build lean muscle and lose fat, your caloric requirements go up.  Basically, you have to eat more food to sustain your hard earned muscle.  HA!  Once you build this hard earned muscle you can manipulate your calories down and engage in some form of fat burning aerobic activitiy to lose any extra body fat. 

Be patient, stay away from the scale, and add nutritional foods into your diet.  Remember it’s not how much you eat, it’s what you eat and how often you eat.

 Not intended as medical advice.

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LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD! 

 

“I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THAT”

One of the most common responses I hear when people find out what I do is, “I’ve been thinking about that”.  My favorite response is “okay, great”!  “Here is my card”!  Equipped with phone number, website, and now I even write down my blog address so they can visit that whenever they get bored.  It’s funny because it never fails they are always thinking about it.  Then they try to hit you with a ton of questions as if my answers are going to help them make a decision.  “Let’s schedule an appointment”.  “Okay, I’ll give you a call”.   

People, what are you thinking about?  Do you think about me when you are shoving an extra cheese pizza down your throat?  Do you think about me when you cannot walk a full flight of stairs without wanting to pass out?  Do you think about me when your kids want you to shoot hoops and you can only last 5-10 minutes, or when you cannot comfortably carry the car seat in from the car (hopefully, the men are carrying the car seat)?  Do you think about me when you visit the doctor’s office and he says you have high cholesterol and you need to start exercising?  Or, do you just blow smoke up my butt because you know that I know that you could use my help.  Do you bombarde me with these unnecessary questions to distract me from discussing the topic at hand?  Is that sort of like beating me to the punch? 

Do you know what most people are doing while you’re thinking about training?  They’re having a great time picking out bathing suits at the mall.  They are enjoying themselves at the amusment park or the swimming park without getting exhausted.  They are looking in the mirror with pride and accomplishment.  I have to be honest people.  I do not want to hear anything about what you’ve been “thinking” in regards to training.  I have been thinking about hitting the lottery my entire adult life.  You know the problem with that?   I do not play the lottery.  Don’t think about it, be about it.

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LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD!  

 

LOWER INTESITY FOR FAT BURN

While low intensity work will burn a higher percentage of calories from fat, higher intensity work will burn MORE overall calories. The goal is to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories below your weekly caloric intake to facilitate a 1 pound reduction in bodyfat per week. Consider the following. If you walk at 3 MPH it will take you 20 minutes to complete a mile burning approximately 4 calories per minute or 80 overall calories (at an average weight of 150 lbs). At the same weight, if you trained at a higher intensity at 8 MPH you would complete the mile 7.5 minutes burining approximately 16 calories per minute or 120 calories. During the same 20 minute period walking at 3 MPH where you would burn only 80 calories if you ran for 20 minutes at 8 MPH you would burn 320 calories during the same 20 minute period. At the lower intensity (3 MPH) you would burn about 80% fat/20% carbohydrates in general or 64 calories from fat and 16 calories from carbohydrates at 3MPH for 20 minutes. At the higher intensity (8 MPH) you would burn about 80% carbohydrates/20% fat in general or 256 calories from carbohydrates and 64 calories from fat. As you can see you will burn an equal amount of calories from fat given the same 20 minute period.  I believe most people’s weight-loss goals are bodyfat reduction.   

Q & A  ISSA (P. Gamboa)

More on this later…      

TRAIN HARD!  TRAIN SMART!

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MYTH

Myth: Aerobic exercise is all the exercise you need to effectively control your weight.

Fact: A review of the available data strongly indicates that, in general, combining a conventional aerobic exercise program with a calorically restricted diet does little (IF ANYTHING) to help you preserve lean body mass during your weight-reduction efforts. It is important to keep in mind that the lower your lean body mass is, the lower your resting metabolic rate (i.e., the calories expended by the body to maintain life and normal bodily functions such as respiration and circulation) will be. As a result, it is more likely that you will regain some or all of the weight you lost. On the other hand, if you engage in an exercise program that is designed to improve your level of muscular fitness and weight loss, you enhance the likelihood that you will be able to maintain your level of lean body mass. Accordingly, the optimal exercise prescription for sound weight management is one that combines aerobic conditioning and strength training. Such a prescription will allow you to expend a relatively large number of calories, while simultaneously preserving or increasing your level of lean body mass.

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) 8th Edition Text

LIFT HARD!  TRAIN HARD!

 

“TWO-SEVENTY”?

That was the number I was supposed to reach if I wanted to compete in any bodybuilding competitions.  “TWO-SEVENTY”?  I don’t think I heard that right.  “Will you please repeat that”?  The most I could reach was 235.  ”Will you PLEASE repeat that”? 

When I went to my first bodybuilding show (all natural) all I could think was, “there is no way these guys will compete with me by next year”.  But, “TWO-SEVENTY” was just way too much.  Maybe I just didn’t hear it right.  Maybe he was talking about bench press.  I could already do that, however at that time I knew my pecs and triceps couldn’t compare to these dudes.  Or, maybe he was talking about squatting.  Well, there are fourteen year old kids that can do that, and there is no way that they could compete.  Deadlifting maybe, but that is not a relative amount of weight for the type of size these people have.  “TWO-SEVENTY”?  Leg press?  “TWO-SEVENTY”?  Did I hear that correctly? He couldn’t have said curl “TWO-SEVENTY”.  What about shoulder presses?  Okay, I could envision reaching ”TWO-SEVENTY” over the course of twelve months. 

This is all going through my mind as I was talking to a friend of mine who bodybuilds competitively.  “TWO-SEVENTY” what?  I’m 6′2 204 lbs. and knew that he couldn’t have meant two-hundred seventy pounds.  The most I could get up to was about 235 lbs. by eating right (1g protein per lb. of bodyweight), training hard, and avoiding all cardio.  I was thinking get up to 235, then I could lean down to a ripped 210.  LOL!  Well I guessed wrong ”TWO-HUNDRED SEVENTY POUNDS” is what he meant.  I had to get to 270 lbs. before I could even think about competing on stage.  Get to 270, then lean down to a ripped 235-240.  My bodybuilding days ended before they started.

See, what these guys do is bulk, bulk, bulk, eat, eat, eat, diet, diet, diet, then add in cardio.  They lean out over a period of time by getting their lean body mass (bodyfat percentage) down to the 7% range, then they can compete at a high level.  

My point is, lift, get strong, build muscle, eat right, cut calories, add longer cardio, and then watch the bodyfat melt away.  Once you build the muscle you can do just about anything you want.  Build the foundation, add the flooring, the plumbing, the drywall, etc.  Then, pretty it all up.  

 LIFT HARD, TRAIN HARD!

 

MYTH

MYTH: Muscles will turn to fat when you stop exercising regularly. 

 FACT:  Muscles cannot turn to fat.  Muscle and fat (adipose) are two separate and distinct tissues.  They simply do not have the physical capability to change from one type of tissue to another.  In reality, muscles have the unique property of “use it or lose it.”  If you do not use a muscle, it will literally waste away (atrophy).  This process is perhaps best illustrated when someone has to wear a cast on a broken leg.  When the cast is removed, the relatively unused leg muscles are considerably smaller than they were prior to the injury. If muscle could turn into fat, you should see a veritable “fat ball” when you take the cast off of an injured limb, not a significantly atrophied set of leg muscles.  International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) 8th Edition Text

On the other hand, fat cannot turn into muscle.  The cellular structures are completely different. 

LIFT HARD, TRAIN HARD!