Ever Wonder the Daily Habits of the Most Muscular Guy in the Gym?

Last year I did a blog titled Ever Wondered How the Most Muscular Guy in the Gym Lifts? on SparkPeople.com.  I did it there and not here because my following here appears to be mostly female, and a lot of guys follow me on Spark.  I've always felt a follow-up blog about some of his daily habits would perhaps help someone else looking to make the most of their physique.  While the weight lifting is obviously what has put all of that muscle on Ivory, what he does day-in and day-out contributes heavily to his health and appearance, as well.  It really is a whole package if you want to get results as impressive as his:

*********NOTE***** I am not implying that anyone else should adopt ALL of these habits!  Even Ivory didn't take them all on at once.  Like anyone else who has made lasting lifestyle changes, he implement these bit by bit over the course of years.

So here, in no particular order, are some of the things I have observed and/or wrangled out of Ivory about what it is he does on a day-to-day basis:

Dietary:
- Never drinks soda.  Unsweet tea?   Yes.  The occasional sugar-free Rock Star before a workout? Unfortunately, yes. (This makes me batty!)  But carbonated beverages?  In three years I've never seen him ingest one.
- Never drinks alcohol.  No kidding.
- Drinks a LOT of water, although, surprisingly, he does not keep a bottle with him when he works out.  He either goes to the drinking fountain, or swipes some of mine.  (He's nice, though, and refills it for me if it is low.)
- Rarely ingests sugar.  I mean, hardly ever.  Around the holidays he may have a piece of sweet potato pie or banana pudding, but sugar for the most part is not in his diet.
- Keeps white flour to a bare minimum.  Maybe once every week or two he'll have pancakes (with sugar-free syrup) right after a workout, but almost every other starch Ivory eats is either potatoes or whole grain.
- Not afraid of carbs, but eats plenty of protein.  Protein is the center of most of his meals, but he always has some kind of a starch and usually either veggies or fruit along with it.
- Loves his veggies!
- Keeps fruit consumption fairly low- perhaps a piece of fruit a day.
- Eats an extremely wide variety of foods.
- Stops eating when he is full.  He'll leave half a plate of food because "I'm full"
- And, because everyone wonders this:  Doesn't go anywhere near steroids or other stuff purported to help you gain muscle.  Tried Creatine once, but it dehydrated him so bad that he wound up in the ER.  About the only thing supplemental he takes is the occasional scoop of protein powder and a multivitamin when he remembers it.  Really.  (I made him pinky swear on this one.)

Exercise:
- Cardio is short (usually 20-30 minutes) but very intense.  I'm tellin' ya, the guy is positively raining sweat when he gets done with a cardio session.
- Changes set/rep scheme and the exercises he does frequently. 
-  Hits every muscle group once a week.
- Takes more time to train shoulders than any other body part.
- Takes 1 day a week as rest day from gym.  He typically lifts weights Mon-Fri and does cardio Mon, Fri, and Sat.  Sometimes Tuesday.
- Gives full rest between sets.  This way, he's able to put maximum effort into all of his lifting.
- Asks for a spotter when he goes super-heavy.  If there is no one around to spot, he doesn't go heavy that day and does more reps.
- Does abbreviated movements on big lifts- stays in the tension. 
- Always keeps good form.  If he can't keep proper form, he lowers the weight.

Life in General:
- Keeps a relaxed attitude- What some would call stressful, he just accepts as life and rolls with it.
- Is hardly ever in a hurry.  For as fast as this guy moves during cardio, he kinda ambles around the rest of the time.
- Prioritizes taking time to do things he enjoys (coaching football, playing softball, going to his kids sporting events, fishing)
- Invests time in friendships.
- Keeps current on fitness information and is always willing to learn and try new things.
- Makes an effort to stand up strait- excellent posture.
- Lost weight when he needed to. Ivory told me that at 6'2" he weighed 330, if I remember correctly, for quite a while. It was affecting his health.  The doctor gave him what-for, Ivory listened and started eating better and adding cardio to his exercise routine (he'd been lifting all along).  He lost 50 pounds and the weight has stayed off.  Gotta respect that.


Lastly, I feel compelled to point out that it has taken years of doing these same things, day in and day out, to get to where he is now.  Genetically Ivory is indeed gifted, but the mounds of thick and well-defined muscle would not be there if he didn't work hard and stay consistent in his habits.  So if you aren't getting the results you want in a few weeks or months, remember that it takes sticking to doing the right things over and over for many years on end to be able to carry this kind of a look well into your 40's (Ivory is 45), and beyond.

Accept Your Body Type

"I want your abs!".

I get this comment a lot.  While I know it's meant as a compliment, some of the people who say this are seriously trying to get abs just like mine.  They will write me telling me they've eaten what I eat, exercised like I exercise, and done their level best to emulate me.  And still they don't have my abs.  They want to know what they are doing wrong.

And here is my answer: Nothing.  They are doing nothing wrong.

See, other people doing what I do to get my abs is the equivalent of me doing what Figure Pro Erin Stern does to get her legs.  Try as I might, I'll never have Erin's legs, because I am not Erin.

My lower half will always be my weak point, the place where I will always wish I could improve.  There are broken veins and even at 10% body fat, when they are looking the best they can, there is always at least a little cellulite.  To add insult to injury, at body fat that low there's also saggy skin right under my glutes.

So what's a bottom-heavy girl to do?  I capitalize on my abs, arms, shoulders, and back (I have awesome back muscles!).  I show these parts off.  I hide my legs as much as I need to so that they don't take away from the beauty of my upper body.

This doesn't mean I don't work on my lower body, because I do.  I work REALLY hard on it, because not only do I want to see improvement there, but also because those big muscles burn the most fat.  And I need to keep my fat levels low for the sake of my health.  So for me, it's about more way more than appearance- It's about being healthy and balanced.

But I have accepted that my legs and glutes will never be my strong suit.  And you may need to accept that your abs will never be yours. Or whatever body part makes you crazy.

There are parts of your physique you can reshape:  My shoulders are naturally very slight.  I have worked to build muscle on them to help balance my wide hips. I've built up my back for the same reason.  I've added muscle, and therefore definition, to my arms.

But some things (like wide waists, big calves, and bubble butts) can't be changed with diet and exercise.  You might be very lean and still have a waist measurement almost the same as your hips, a bust line that is more than generous, or muscular calves that will never fit into a pair of skinny jeans.  Like me, you might have to get down to an unsustainable and unhealthy body fat level to get true symmetry to your physique.  The sooner you accept that the healthiest thing may for you may not be the most asthetically pleasing, the sooner you will be content with your body.

Change what you can, accept what you can't, aim for health over all, and celebrate the uniqueness of YOU!

Spot On....... Or, How To Be A Good Workout Partner

So..... You are one of the lucky ones who has found a compatible workout partner with the same workout style, who respects your boundaries, and who has the same time availability.  Blessed indeed you are!  Here are some things I have observed and experienced that will help you be a workout partner they will appreciate and respect:

1.  Firmly establish at the beginning what your partnership will look like.  Are you doing the same program and taking turns doing sets so that you can assist and encourage one another?  Doing the same program and working out NEXT to each other, in cadence?  Simply going to be at the gym at the same time to support each other in your separate programs and spot the other when you need it?  A combination of these?  Make sure you know what his or her definition of "partner" is.

2. Show up on time.  If you are going to be late, text or call and tell your partner.  That way they can get in a little extra warm-up cardio while they wait for you.  Nothing is worse than sitting in your car or on a bench in the gym thinking "Where is she?  Is she Okay?  Did she get in a car wreck?  Oversleep?  Should I get started working out, or wait?"

3.  Let your partner know ASAP if you aren't going to be there one day.  My partner tells me often a week or more in advance.  I appreciate it.  It lets me know I don't have to be there if I want to sleep in a little longer (we usually work out in the early AM), and also lets me mentally prepare for a workout alone- It's not going to be a heavy day if I'm flying solo!

4. If you are going to change your program, discuss it with your partner.  This might seem like a no-brainer, but I've actually heard of people walking into the gym and informing their partner that they are starting something different that very day.  This means the partner either has to change gears on the fly to accommodate or finds they are left out completely and in a very abrupt fashion.  That's not fair. You are a team.  Let your teammate know if you want to switch things up.  Which leads to......

5. If you are going to implement a program that requires you to go solo, or you want to stop working out with your partner either permanently or for a period of time, let them know about this well in advance.  This will give your counterpart time to adjust and regroup.  You had time to think about the change you are going to make, now he or she needs time to think of what changes they will need to make in turn to adjust to not having you around.

6. Leave your phone in the car.  If you must bring it in for emergency reasons, explain what is going on to your partner.  This way they'll be supportive when you have to answer or call mid-workout. Plus, they'll be looking out for your phone and are less likely to step on it!

7. Ask how they prefer to be spotted.  A lot of guys lifting heavy weights want to be spotted right above the elbow.   Women often want to feel a set of hands more mid-upper arm.  Others like to be spotted at the wrist.  Some people want to hear "It's all you!" when lifting a heavy load, while others want you to lie and say "I've got it!", when really you are applying minimal pressure to help them. You will get to know their needs and preferences in detail as you continue to work out together, but at the beginning you really need to ask.

8. For Pete's sake, pay attention  (and I mean rapt attention) when spotting your partner.  This means no talking to your pals, looking at the hot member of the opposite sex saunter by, admiring yourself in the mirror, or anything else that is not staring right at your partner.  And  put the music in your headset on pause so you can hear your partners signal (often difficult breathing) that it's time for you to kick into action and spot them.  Texting and calling shouldn't be an issue, because you left your phone in the car, remember?  And even if you brought it in for an emergency per #6, talking and texting should wait until your partner is NOT mid-set.  They are depending on you for safety.  Don't let them down.

9. Help them switch out weights, even if you are using different lifting apparatus'.  It's considerate and besides, lifting with a partner already takes longer than lifting alone- this will help you both get out of the gym a little quicker.

10. Encourage, but not to the point of urging them to do something that could hurt them.  It takes time to figure out when your partner is not pushing themselves hard enough and when they are stopping because their body truly can't take anymore.  But until you get to know each other a little better, here's a clue:  Phrases that are doubtful, like "I am not sure if I should move up to the 45's for the next set", usually mean they are simply unsure of their own strength.  If you feel they can do more, tell them to go pick up the 45's and you will help if it's too much. On the other hand, if they are making a definitive statement like "My elbow can't take that weight", respect it.  You don't want to be responsible for your partner getting injured.

11.  If you decide you aren't compatible as partners after all and find it in your best interest to "break up", it's best to be up front about it.  Are their feelings going to be hurt?  Probably a little, at least.  But it's a lot kinder to let them know they are free to find someone else to work out with than to let them stumble awkwardly around the gym wondering if they have a partner or not.   Saying something along the lines of "I am finding that our lifting partnership isn't working out the way I had hoped.  I'm so sorry, and I do appreciate what I have learned from working out with you.  I think it's time we looked for other lifting partners.  In the meantime, if you need a spot, please don't hesitate to ask!" should suffice.  If they ask for specifics, tell them.  It might help them in future lifting-partner relationships.  Otherwise, keep specific reasons to yourself.  It could wind up adding insult to the injury.

12. Above all, treasure your partner.  Often we have to look years for someone that has that magic combination that works in the gym.  Treat them with respect, and expect to be treated with respect in return.  Who knows? You might find yourself with a life-long friend.

Video Blog Link: The thinking behind my latest workout split.

Just a warning- This is a lot of info!  And longer than I would have liked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzJU7_YFTnk&feature=g-upl&context=G21953c4AUAAAAAAAAAA

Video Blog: Printed Rescources I Use!

Click here for a link to my video blog where I talk about the printed rescources I use to help me in my fitness journey!

Video Blog: Organizational Tools I Have Used in my Quest for Fitness

Here is a link to my very first video blog.  It's pretty self-explanatory! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKSEWgllqDs

Weight Lifting for the Very Heavy

Weight lifting is beneficial for just about everyone, but if you have a lot of weight to lose there are some special precautions you need to take.

First of all, bear in mind that your body is lifting weights every day just by moving around. Think about it: If you are 100 pounds overweight, that's literally lifting 100 pounds of weight every time you walk.  For this reason, you need to start out with very light weights, if any at all, because your bones can only take so much.  As your strength goes up, of course, you will be able to lift more.  But you will probably also notice that as your body fat goes down you will be able to lift heavier weights, also. This is because your body is used to lifting that much already, so adding more to your weights is simply asking it to do what it is used to because it has been doing it all along.  You will surprise and astound your weight lifting friends with your quickly increasing strength while you shrink before their very eyes!

Also, proceed with caution before raising the amount of weight you are lifting until your body weight starts moving down, and increase the amounts gradually when you do.  Because bigger bodies have more tissue to get oxygen and nutrients to, the heart already has quite the job.  Adding weights to this increases the load to the heart and internal organs.  You want to get the heart used to the added demand before you ask even more of it: We don't want you passing out with heavy stuff in your hands!

This should not discourage you from lifting weights if you have quite a lot of weight to lose, though.  There are added benefits that make it still very beneficial to you.  Two of the biggest benefits are: 1.) Muscle burns more calories at rest then fat, so you will lose weight quicker if you make some of that scale weight muscle instead of fat. And 2.) You will have a much more attractive body under there when you DO lose weight if there is some muscle to it, regardless of whether you are a man or a women. Ever see someone who loses a lot of weight but looks like a bag of bones?  Nor exactly the look most people are going for.  Don't let that person be you!

So start with no weights (particularly for arms).  You will still be getting an excellent workout!  Then increase the resistance slowly.  Before you know it, you will be a bonafide weight lifter well on your way to that shapely, fit body you've always dreamed about.  It really CAN happen, and the cool thing is that the power is all in YOUR hands!