Evening Up Your Weak Side

Almost all of us have one side that isn't as strong as the other.  Usually this is our dominant (writing) side for the upper body and, interestingly enough, the opposite side for your lower body.  This is because we tend to cross-brace with our opposite leg for our working arm.

At any rate, it's not usually much of an issue until you start working out in the gym.  Then, the difference can be frustrating, particularly when you look in the mirror as you progress and see more developed muscles on one side.  It can also be confusing as far as how to go about dealing with this in terms of weight lifting.

I have employed a method that, while not exactly rocket science, works. And it works safely.

There are two plans of attack, here, and they depend on if you are working both limbs unilaterally (individually) or bilaterally (together).

Let's take unilaterally, or individual, moves first.  This is a pretty strait-forward approach:  Do whatever the intended move is with the weaker side first, then match it on your stronger side.  So, for instance,  if you are able to do 15 reps of bicep curls with 10 pounds, you would move that same 10 pound weight to your weaker arm (in my case, this would be the left) and do exactly 15 reps- no more, no less.  Even sets where you fall short of your desired number of reps, you keep it the same.  For instance, if I were targeting 15 reps in my set but only got 13 reps out with my left arm, I would move that same weight over to my right arm and do the exact same number of reps I did with my left arm.  To help me remember how many I did on the first arm, I would count from 13 down to 1. (Yes, my memory can be that bad!)  Eventually you will get to where the left arm is about equal with the right.  Sometimes, you can even get it stronger.

In the case of bilateral moves, there are two different approaches depending on whether you are lifting two different weights with both arms at the same time (like a dumbbell press), or a single weight with both limbs (like a leg press).  In the former case (the dumbbell press), you would apply the same principle you did with the unilateral move and simply work both arms until the weaker arm gets as tired as you are targeting.  In the latter case (the leg press), you would do what my former trainer Ruben Sandoval of Fit To Be in Your Kitchen advised: "Pay attention to the weak side and your strong side will take care of itself".  So since my right side is weaker than my left on the leg press, I'm going to put ALL of my concentration into pushing with my right leg.  The left leg instinctively presses on it's own.  If it's a barbell bent row, I'm going to concentrate on pulling up with my weaker left side.  The right side doesn't need me to think about it, since it's been my dominant side my whole life.

Simple little strategies that can make a BIG difference in making your body symmetrical.  Tell me what you think!

Mental Prep for Weight Loss: Get Rid of Clothes That Don't Fit

With the New Year approaching and all of us beginning to think of our fitness goals for 2014, many are targeting weight loss.  I have a simple suggestion to get your mind in the right place to finally get smaller:  Get rid of your clothes that are too small you've been keeping around as "motivation".

I know this seems counter-productive.  Get rid of a motivator?  Ummm.......... How's it worked for you, so far?  In my experience, clothes that are too small just add to my guilt.  And when I feel guilty, I want to eat.  And when I over eat I don't lose weight.

If you can't bring yourself to get rid of them all together, pack them in a box and put them somewhere out of sight.  Like a top shelf in your closet or the attic.  I did this with a few pieces that I really loved and eight years later when I finally lost the weight (yeah, it took that long!) I got them out of storage and you know what?  They were embarrassingly out of style.  I was shocked at how tacky what I had idolized as "cute" was in present day.  I was able to shorten hemlines to make three garments more current, but everything else went into the donation box.

You might want to keep one thing, tucked away where you can't see it, for comparison to your former small size once you get to goal.  But everything else?  Buh-bye.

Another, closely related tip: Buy clothes that fit NOW.  I mean, truly fit.  Not that are just a skoesh tight because this time you are finally lose the weight.  But clothes that fit you right and make you feel as good about yourself as possible toDAY.  Why?  Because you'll be more likely to lose weight if you feel good about yourself, and it's hard to feel good about yourself when you also feel like a sausage.

So now you are thinking "If I buy clothes that fit and lose weight, I won't fit in them very long!"  I hope you are right!  It's not wasted money if it gets you moving in the right direction, is it? Plus, it's exciting to see the clothes you that used to fit get big.   Really.

Likewise, get rid of your clothes that are way too big as you lose weight.  I've found that people who keep their fat clothes around "just in case" always, and I mean ALWAYS, gain the weight back.  It's like they have given themselves mental permission to regain and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Again, maybe keep one really ugly thing in your biggest size that you would NEVER want to wear again to compare your new, smaller frame to.  But the cute stuff?  Yep- donation box.

Consider it an investment.  Why not give yourself every advantage to get into the best shape possible?

Non-Meat Eaters and Muscle Gain

This blog is simply about my personal experience and opinion. I realize there are people who aren't going to agree with me, and that's Okay. 

I have been lifting weights for 28 years now and a personal trainer for 9.  I've helped a LOT of people get fit.  And from what I have witnessed with my own two eyes right in front of me, non-meat eaters don't gain muscle or get shapely as well or as quickly as meat eaters.

I've read the scientific explanation for this and, quite frankly, I don't remember it specifically.  It has something to do with animal proteins versus non-animal proteins and the way the body utilizes them.  The only thing that matters to me is the nitty gritty, and that is that my meat-eating clients see more progress, in both muscle growth and weight loss, than my non-meat eating ones.

Meat eaters see physical improvements fastest, Vegetarians who still eat animal products but not animal flesh are behind them, and Vegans come in at a distant third.  Sad, but true, because from what I've seen a Vegan lifestyle is very self-disciplined.

So why do I post a blog about this?  Well, it helps me to mentally accept where I am if I know why I am there. So if you are a Vegan or Vegetarian and not seeing the progress you'd like to, now you at least might have a potential reason why. 

I am not trying convince anyone to eat meat.  I assume that would be as intrusive and downright rude to a Vegan as it is it is to me when someone tries to convince me to STOP eating animal products.  How you choose to eat and your reasons for it are your business.  But on the other hand, don't expect me or any other trainer to be able to design a program that will have you making the same changes as your meat-eating peers.  We can't change the way your body processes nutrients.

A More Practial Approach to Batch Cooking

It seems that everyone who is in really good shape recommends batch cooking, which means cooking up a whole lot of healthy stuff at once for meals in the upcoming week. This usually happens on Sunday.

This simply isn't practical for my life. While I do have hours available, I don't want to spend them in the kitchen. Sunday is my down day and I like to keep it that way if I can. So instead, I have an alternative method that isn't brilliant, but works for me: I cook a lot at once when I DO cook. (This is a method also known as "Leftovers").  An advantage to this method is that since I am adding new foods to my precooked supply throughout the week I have a continual, rotating supply of quick healthy food to turn into a simple and healthy meal.

I'm a cooker, anyhow. I make several dinners, at least, at home each week. And breakfast on Saturdays. And lunches for myself most days. I never have a lot of time for lunch, so having stuff to toss together in a hurry is crucial to me getting a nutritious lunch. Otherwise, I am likely to reach for something crummy to eat.

So here is what I do: If one night we have grilled or baked chicken for dinner, I grill or bake more than we need. Often three times as much. This means we can have it for leftovers another night (either as-is or in a stir-fry or some other method), and I have plenty to chop for salads or slice for sandwiches or whatever I'm fancying that day.

If I make a green salad for one meal, I make extra and put it in the fridge, ready to add some of the above chicken and cheese to for a meal, or as a side for lunch.

Same for steamed vegetables.

Steel-Cut oats take much longer to cook than regular oats. But three servings of steel-cut oats take as long to cook as one and I can put the other two in the fridge so that breakfast is ready for the next two mornings. I make mine in my rice cooker, which is quicker than the stove top method, but the cooker is kinda a pain to clean so cooking them all at once cuts down on my dish-washing.

Same goes for brown rice, but with it I make it to the capacity of my rice cooker. Brown rice keeps longer in the fridge than oats and can literally be used for all three meals (hot with cinnamon and coconut oil is delicious for breakfast!), so we go through it a lot faster.

When I brown beef for a meal, I brown more than I need. Gives me anther option for my meats for future meals on the fly.

On Saturday morning it takes as long to cook a pound of turkey bacon as it does 3 slices. I put the rest in a gallon-sized storage bag with paper towels and stick it in the fridge. Takes 5 seconds to heat 3 slices up in the microwave to go with my breakfasts and is a very nice treat during the week.

So there are some ideas. Again, this isn't rocket science- It's just making use of my resources and time to the best of my abilities.

The easier and more convenient you make it for yourself to eat healthy, the more likely you are to do so.

I would love to hear any ideas YOU might have about making eating healthy more convenient!