Stuck? Can't get the scale to move? The information in this blog might help you. These are also excellent techniques to apply even if you aren't plateaued- This information is good for everyone to know. I'm a firm believer that knowledge is power!
The very first thing you want to do is be honest with yourself about what you are eating. Are you slipping extra food in there you don't acknowledge? Pretending that cookies are 25 calories a piece? Drinking sugary drinks with the theory that since they slide down so quick the calories don't count? If this is the case get real with yourself, then read.
The next thing you want to do is determine your BMR. I used to do this by an actual mathematical formula, but then I found this web site (there are other BMR calculators online, but this one is my fav because it has other numbers you need on there, too): http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm Simply enter in your information and then select "Basal Metabolic Rate" (that's what BMR stands for, by the way) in the drop-down menu. BMR is approximately the number of calories that you would burn if you were to just lie around all day. This is a number you do NOT want to go under very often.
Next, choose the drop-down option in the box that has the amount of days/intensity you exercise. The numbers that come up below will give you maintenance, weight loss, and extreme weight loss. Here's one place where I have a beef with this site: The "extreme weight loss" number is almost always less than your BMR. Forget that! For max weight loss, simply bring your caloric intake down to your BMR number. The biggest..... no.... scratch that.... The SOLE cause I've seen of stalled weight loss in a reduced-calorie diet is people eating less than their BMR. When you eat too little, your body slows down it's metabolism in an act of self-preservation in case you should suddenly become comatose. If you raise it to just above your BMR you will actually burn more calories than the added number you are consuming. People have a hard time believing me on this one, until they actually start DOING it. Then they are simply amazed!
The next thing you want to do to maximize your weight loss AND preserve muscle is be careful to get enough protein. I've found a fairly safe and effective ratio for someone is a split of about 40% of calories from each protein and carbs and 20% from fats, most of which you want to be healthy fats. This is pretty easy to figure out if you remember the following things:
- Both Protein and Carbs have 4 calories per gram
- Fat has 9 calories per gram.
(By the way, I cover this information in my blog "Carbs, Fat, Protein" here: http://itallmakesadifference.blogspot.com/2010/03/carbs-fat-and-protein.html)
So, let's say your BMR is 1450 calories and you decide that, to be safe, you want to come in at around 1500 calories a day. (Trust me, the extra 50 calories won't matter to a hill of beans in the big picture of weight loss, and since everyone is an individual and the BMR calculator is approximate I always advise to raise the amount slightly just to make sure you are getting enough.)
All you have to do is multiply 1500 by .4 to know how much 40% is of your calories- in this case it is 600. Divide this by 4 (the amount of calories in a gram of both carbs and protein), and you come up with 150. So on a 1500 calorie diet, you want to get about 150 grams of each carbs and protein.
The remaining calories, then, will of course come from fat. (Or you can multiply 1500 by .2 for 20%, but I find it's easier to just work with the remaining calories.) At any rate, by either method the answer for a 1500 calorie diet is 300 calories from fat. Simply divide 300 by 9 (the amount of calories in a gram of fat), and you get the grams of fat you want to shoot for in a day. In this case, it's 33.33. For simplicity's sake, lets round this up to 35. (Yeah, I know that's about 15 more calories a day, but it's no big deal!)
So we have determined that someone on a 1500 calorie diet is going to aim to get in a day:
- 150g protein
- 150g carbs
- 35g fat
Try as much as possible to get an even amount of carbs and protein within each meal, and try to make as much of your fats as possible from healthy/natural sources (the fats in your meats, olive & canola oils, avocados, nuts, etc.). This will, of course, require tracking your foods. There is a pretty good free on-line tracker on sparkpeople.com that breaks down the macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat). You have to make an account to use it, but I've found it invaluable.
It's an interesting way to eat that requires some adjustment. You will find that things like french fries will very quickly throw your numbers way out of whack. You will start to determine if eating something like chocolate cake is worth it to you to feel bloated and see a rise on the scale the next day (it's the carbs, and they'll burn off quick enough once you go back to your exercise and the 40/40/20 way of eating- I cover this in my blog here: http://itallmakesadifference.blogspot.com/2010/05/unexplained-gain-is-nothing-to-sweat.html). You won't look at food the same after eating like this for a while, and in my opinion that's a good thing.
I'll be honest: Most people have an easier time raising their calories than they do raising their protein and lowering their fat. Why? Because it requires truly changing the way they eat, and folks love their carbs. But if you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep looking like you've been looking.
It's your body. It's your choice. But now at least you have the tools to make a difference.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Are You a Lone Wolf, or a Pack Animal?
What works best for you? Going it alone, or being part of a team? For your best success you really need to figure out which you are and be true to yourself.
I've tried to lose weight as part of a partnership before. I failed miserably. Why? Probably for the same exact reason I am not fond of team sports: I'm afraid of screwing up the team. And, worse yet, when one of my partners falls down I feel like the team is down, so therefore I am down. I stop trying.
Also, when I am in a state of focus on self-improvement, I've found I'm kinda wobbly- I'm focused like a laser beam in an attempt to get solid footing on a new venture. Consequently, I'm easy to tip over! While a lot would look at a partner as a source of support, I look at another person as someone who threatens my balance. To me, it's sorta like two people trying to walk on a tightrope at the same time.
The truth is, all that trying to be part of a weight loss partnership has ever done for me is set me farther back than I was when I started. I finally reached the conclusion that I really am better off on my own.
On the other hand, I can be great in a workout partnership, but it takes a particular kind of person for this to work for me: He has to be male (women don't tend to push me hard enough), knowlegable about lifting so that I don't have to be a trainer while I'm trying to get a good workout, pretty danged muscular (if I'm going to be lifting heavy with you, I need to be able to relax enough to know you can keep the 150 pound weight from crushing me), very dependable, and ON TIME! I'm prompt- A lifting partner who is not also prompt tends to cause me a great amount of stress. It's very hard to find all of these things in one person, BTW. My current lifting partner even leaves a little something to be desired in the promptness department.
On the pack animal side, there are three guys in my gym who work out together cross-fit style with amazing regularity. I think the camaraderie is what keeps them coming back and pushing themselves harder. They continue to do what works for them, day after day after day. They have my respect.
I also know ladies who would rather go to their weight loss meetings in packs. They cheer one aother on and meet regularly, encouraging each other to make smart choices. In some ways I very much envy them and the compatibility. As a naturally social person I very want to be a part of the group!
I remember one particular instance about 6 months ago when I was sitting in a restaurant after my Weight Watchers meeting. At a table nearby there was a group of gals who not only went to the same meeting, but also had gone to church with me. One of them spokekindly to me when she passed by to use the restroom, but I was most certainly not invited to join them. Did I feel a little self-conscience sitting there alone eating my grilled steak and sweet potato without butter while they laughed and had a good time together nearby? Yes. But eventually all of them stopped going to the meeting- One of them dropped off and then the rest quit in quick succession (this further proves to me that my "If one falls, the rest aren't far behind" theory). It might also be worth noting that I reached my goal weight and am STILL going to the meetings to help maintain my weight loss. Alone.
This isn't to say I don't believe in supporting others: I do! I sincerely desire to support and encourage others to lay claim to their own health and be the very best that they can be. I truly feel this is part of my calling, and I enjoy it. I'm a big encourager at my Weight Watchers meetings, I'll spot anyone who asks me in the gym, and on-line I try to help as many people as possible. Sometimes I will also seek out support and encouragement. These things energize me! But for the actual work of getting the job done for myself personally, I need to think of myself as a one-woman team.
I know I'm not making a very good case here for the pack-animal mindset, but the point is that I thought it through, found my reasons for choosing to go about my weight loss the way I did, and then DID it. I'm hoping that by relaying my personal experiences you will start to think about what will work best for you.
You also need to be very honest with yourself about not only what style works best for you, but also your circumstances: You can be as convinced as anything that you'd do better with buddies, but if you live on an isolated island and want to be healthy, you'd better accept the fact that if it's going to happen you're going to have to develop the determination to do it by yourself.
Lone Wolf or Pack Animal? Which are you?
I've tried to lose weight as part of a partnership before. I failed miserably. Why? Probably for the same exact reason I am not fond of team sports: I'm afraid of screwing up the team. And, worse yet, when one of my partners falls down I feel like the team is down, so therefore I am down. I stop trying.
Also, when I am in a state of focus on self-improvement, I've found I'm kinda wobbly- I'm focused like a laser beam in an attempt to get solid footing on a new venture. Consequently, I'm easy to tip over! While a lot would look at a partner as a source of support, I look at another person as someone who threatens my balance. To me, it's sorta like two people trying to walk on a tightrope at the same time.
The truth is, all that trying to be part of a weight loss partnership has ever done for me is set me farther back than I was when I started. I finally reached the conclusion that I really am better off on my own.
On the other hand, I can be great in a workout partnership, but it takes a particular kind of person for this to work for me: He has to be male (women don't tend to push me hard enough), knowlegable about lifting so that I don't have to be a trainer while I'm trying to get a good workout, pretty danged muscular (if I'm going to be lifting heavy with you, I need to be able to relax enough to know you can keep the 150 pound weight from crushing me), very dependable, and ON TIME! I'm prompt- A lifting partner who is not also prompt tends to cause me a great amount of stress. It's very hard to find all of these things in one person, BTW. My current lifting partner even leaves a little something to be desired in the promptness department.
On the pack animal side, there are three guys in my gym who work out together cross-fit style with amazing regularity. I think the camaraderie is what keeps them coming back and pushing themselves harder. They continue to do what works for them, day after day after day. They have my respect.
I also know ladies who would rather go to their weight loss meetings in packs. They cheer one aother on and meet regularly, encouraging each other to make smart choices. In some ways I very much envy them and the compatibility. As a naturally social person I very want to be a part of the group!
I remember one particular instance about 6 months ago when I was sitting in a restaurant after my Weight Watchers meeting. At a table nearby there was a group of gals who not only went to the same meeting, but also had gone to church with me. One of them spokekindly to me when she passed by to use the restroom, but I was most certainly not invited to join them. Did I feel a little self-conscience sitting there alone eating my grilled steak and sweet potato without butter while they laughed and had a good time together nearby? Yes. But eventually all of them stopped going to the meeting- One of them dropped off and then the rest quit in quick succession (this further proves to me that my "If one falls, the rest aren't far behind" theory). It might also be worth noting that I reached my goal weight and am STILL going to the meetings to help maintain my weight loss. Alone.
This isn't to say I don't believe in supporting others: I do! I sincerely desire to support and encourage others to lay claim to their own health and be the very best that they can be. I truly feel this is part of my calling, and I enjoy it. I'm a big encourager at my Weight Watchers meetings, I'll spot anyone who asks me in the gym, and on-line I try to help as many people as possible. Sometimes I will also seek out support and encouragement. These things energize me! But for the actual work of getting the job done for myself personally, I need to think of myself as a one-woman team.
I know I'm not making a very good case here for the pack-animal mindset, but the point is that I thought it through, found my reasons for choosing to go about my weight loss the way I did, and then DID it. I'm hoping that by relaying my personal experiences you will start to think about what will work best for you.
You also need to be very honest with yourself about not only what style works best for you, but also your circumstances: You can be as convinced as anything that you'd do better with buddies, but if you live on an isolated island and want to be healthy, you'd better accept the fact that if it's going to happen you're going to have to develop the determination to do it by yourself.
Lone Wolf or Pack Animal? Which are you?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Abs Are NOT Made in the Kitchen!
I've heard the phrase "Abs are made in the kitchen" quoted lately by a lot of people I greatly respect. I've given it a lot of thought and have finally decided that, while I think I understand the intention behind this statement, I don't agree with it. At least, not entirely.
You can eat right all you want to and reduce the fat on your body, but the muscle that makes abs is not made in the kitchen. Mine were made mostly flat on my back on the floor doing ab exercises. And since my kitchen has a hard tile floor, I can say with utmost certainty that my abs were NEVER made in the kitchen. Uncovered in the kitchen? Yes! Made there? NO!
I guess I don't like the phrase "Abs were made in the kitchen", because it gives the false impression that if folks just eat well enough, they'll have abs of steel. Tight, muscular abs come from the hard work of exercise. Getting them hard, however, requires dedication to reducing fat through diet. Becuase let's face it: Fat isn't hard, it's soft. So if you have hard ab muscles but they are covered up by soft fat, you're still gonna have soft abs.
I've said before and will say again that you can build all the lean, strong, beautiful muscle you want to, but if it's covered up by fat no one is gonna see it. It doesn't mean the muscle you are building isn't doing you any good, because it certainly is! It's benefiting your health in a myriad of ways I won't take the time to go into here. But the fact is that you won't be able to actually visibly SEE the muscular fruits of your labor if you are over-fat.
It's always a two-part equation to building ANY muscle, not just abs: Fat reduction and weight bearing exercises. You can't leave one out and expect to see big results.
Abs are built in the gym and unveiled in the kitchen.
You can eat right all you want to and reduce the fat on your body, but the muscle that makes abs is not made in the kitchen. Mine were made mostly flat on my back on the floor doing ab exercises. And since my kitchen has a hard tile floor, I can say with utmost certainty that my abs were NEVER made in the kitchen. Uncovered in the kitchen? Yes! Made there? NO!
I guess I don't like the phrase "Abs were made in the kitchen", because it gives the false impression that if folks just eat well enough, they'll have abs of steel. Tight, muscular abs come from the hard work of exercise. Getting them hard, however, requires dedication to reducing fat through diet. Becuase let's face it: Fat isn't hard, it's soft. So if you have hard ab muscles but they are covered up by soft fat, you're still gonna have soft abs.
I've said before and will say again that you can build all the lean, strong, beautiful muscle you want to, but if it's covered up by fat no one is gonna see it. It doesn't mean the muscle you are building isn't doing you any good, because it certainly is! It's benefiting your health in a myriad of ways I won't take the time to go into here. But the fact is that you won't be able to actually visibly SEE the muscular fruits of your labor if you are over-fat.
It's always a two-part equation to building ANY muscle, not just abs: Fat reduction and weight bearing exercises. You can't leave one out and expect to see big results.
Abs are built in the gym and unveiled in the kitchen.
Forget Making Fitness Your New Years Resolution!
The term "New Years Resolution" sounds temporary- Like it is only supposed to last through the in new part of the year. Instead, make your fitness goals a "Life Time Resolution".
The problem with making weight loss and being more fit sound like temporary goals, even if you reach those goals, is that they aren't temporary at all! Who wants to lose the weight just to gain it back? Or get fit just to lose all of the progress they have made and go back to what they were before they set the goal? "Not I!", said the cat! These are goals that we want to be permanent, and to make them permanent you have to start patterns and habits that you will employ for the rest of your life. Otherwise, you are going to find yourself right back where you started.
So save your New Years Resolution for one-time good deals, like buying a new house or re-doing the spare room. Your health-related resolutions should have nothing to do with the New Year and have everything to do with being resolved to live a healthier life from this point on out.
The problem with making weight loss and being more fit sound like temporary goals, even if you reach those goals, is that they aren't temporary at all! Who wants to lose the weight just to gain it back? Or get fit just to lose all of the progress they have made and go back to what they were before they set the goal? "Not I!", said the cat! These are goals that we want to be permanent, and to make them permanent you have to start patterns and habits that you will employ for the rest of your life. Otherwise, you are going to find yourself right back where you started.
So save your New Years Resolution for one-time good deals, like buying a new house or re-doing the spare room. Your health-related resolutions should have nothing to do with the New Year and have everything to do with being resolved to live a healthier life from this point on out.
Friday, December 3, 2010
A Little Holiday Tough Love
Remember: It's a Holiday Season, not an Eating Season.
If you don't want to derail your own weight loss efforts, you are going to have to take ownership of your eating for the next month. Scratch that..... You are going to have to take ownership of your eating for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!
Yeah.... I know this reality sucks, but it's where we are- We didn't get fat by being careful throughout the Holiday Seasons prior, so we sure as heck aren't going to get (or stay) skinny by eating whatever the devil we please until January 2nd. Plus, if you DO eat whatever you desire for the next month it's going to be even harder to lose the cravings for the simple carbs when the four-week binge is over.
I have so many tempting food thingys coming up I can't even tell you. But I don't need to, because you can identify- You have them, too! Look folks, we can't make the tempting foods or fancy schmancy occasions with butter and sugar dripping from them go away. We are going to have to deal. And most of the time we are going to have to say "It looks marvelous! So tempting, but NO, and thank you very much for your efforts"- sometimes over and over. We're going to be confronted with food pushers. But if we cave it isn't their fault, it's our own: WE are responsible for the bodies God has entrusted us with, not them.
The fact is that we are going to have to develop backbones if we aren't going to seriously derail our own efforts by January second, and potentially longer if we have a hard time getting back on track. It's tough to say "No" when faced with yummy food you only get once a year. But what do you want more? The yummy food, or the yummy body? It's your choice, but personally, I'll take the bod, thank you.
So I'm allowing myself a few MEALS this month where I am allowed to eat and not count macro nutrients. But the rest of the time I am going to practice complete avoidance.
I seriously doubt any of us will look back a few months from now and say "I so regret not eating more garbage this past Holiday season".
So if you've been binging, knock it off! Stop! Today! Right now! Go back to the basics! Claim whole, clean foods as your friend, and treat the next minute like a new chapter in life.
The year is too short to spend more than a full month of it destroying your health.
If you don't want to derail your own weight loss efforts, you are going to have to take ownership of your eating for the next month. Scratch that..... You are going to have to take ownership of your eating for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!
Yeah.... I know this reality sucks, but it's where we are- We didn't get fat by being careful throughout the Holiday Seasons prior, so we sure as heck aren't going to get (or stay) skinny by eating whatever the devil we please until January 2nd. Plus, if you DO eat whatever you desire for the next month it's going to be even harder to lose the cravings for the simple carbs when the four-week binge is over.
I have so many tempting food thingys coming up I can't even tell you. But I don't need to, because you can identify- You have them, too! Look folks, we can't make the tempting foods or fancy schmancy occasions with butter and sugar dripping from them go away. We are going to have to deal. And most of the time we are going to have to say "It looks marvelous! So tempting, but NO, and thank you very much for your efforts"- sometimes over and over. We're going to be confronted with food pushers. But if we cave it isn't their fault, it's our own: WE are responsible for the bodies God has entrusted us with, not them.
The fact is that we are going to have to develop backbones if we aren't going to seriously derail our own efforts by January second, and potentially longer if we have a hard time getting back on track. It's tough to say "No" when faced with yummy food you only get once a year. But what do you want more? The yummy food, or the yummy body? It's your choice, but personally, I'll take the bod, thank you.
So I'm allowing myself a few MEALS this month where I am allowed to eat and not count macro nutrients. But the rest of the time I am going to practice complete avoidance.
I seriously doubt any of us will look back a few months from now and say "I so regret not eating more garbage this past Holiday season".
So if you've been binging, knock it off! Stop! Today! Right now! Go back to the basics! Claim whole, clean foods as your friend, and treat the next minute like a new chapter in life.
The year is too short to spend more than a full month of it destroying your health.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Enjoy Your Weight Loss Journey
This may sound ridiculous, but try to enjoy the process of losing your weight and obtaining fitness.
No, I have not lost my mind. :-D
Celebrate the little victories: Relish being in the next size down, at the 5-pound mark you were waiting to get to, being in the 190's and 180's and 170's (or whatever numbers you need to get through). Gloat a little about the scale going down. Look at your emerging waistline or trimmer arms or thinner face with admiration. Enjoy the process! Because if you don't, that's going to be a lot of time you spend half-living, and I can't think of one good reason to do that willingly. Can you?
This is a journey that is uniquely yours. No one else can travel it for you. Enjoy it.
It took me about a year to lose about 45 pounds of excess weight, and although there were some moments of angst ("Why can't I get down below 166???"), I am glad that overall I enjoyed the process and celebrated little victories along the way. Otherwise, it would have been a year of wasted negativity.
No matter how much weight you have to lose, chances are you aren't going to lose it quickly. Life is too short to be waiting for "When I lose this weight". Live life RIGHT NOW, at your current weight, to it's fullest potential. Don't wait to have nice hair, wear stylish clothes, learn to do your makeup, or anything else that you think could make you feel better about yourself. Regardless of your weight, you have every right to feel good about yourself right where you are. And besides, it's good for you! Like I said in my blog "Love Yourself In Your Current Condition", posted back in April, the better you feel about yourself right now, the more likely you will be to see your weight loss efforts through.
How much of your life are you willing to live miserable?
No, I have not lost my mind. :-D
Celebrate the little victories: Relish being in the next size down, at the 5-pound mark you were waiting to get to, being in the 190's and 180's and 170's (or whatever numbers you need to get through). Gloat a little about the scale going down. Look at your emerging waistline or trimmer arms or thinner face with admiration. Enjoy the process! Because if you don't, that's going to be a lot of time you spend half-living, and I can't think of one good reason to do that willingly. Can you?
This is a journey that is uniquely yours. No one else can travel it for you. Enjoy it.
It took me about a year to lose about 45 pounds of excess weight, and although there were some moments of angst ("Why can't I get down below 166???"), I am glad that overall I enjoyed the process and celebrated little victories along the way. Otherwise, it would have been a year of wasted negativity.
No matter how much weight you have to lose, chances are you aren't going to lose it quickly. Life is too short to be waiting for "When I lose this weight". Live life RIGHT NOW, at your current weight, to it's fullest potential. Don't wait to have nice hair, wear stylish clothes, learn to do your makeup, or anything else that you think could make you feel better about yourself. Regardless of your weight, you have every right to feel good about yourself right where you are. And besides, it's good for you! Like I said in my blog "Love Yourself In Your Current Condition", posted back in April, the better you feel about yourself right now, the more likely you will be to see your weight loss efforts through.
How much of your life are you willing to live miserable?
Monday, November 15, 2010
Rules Are Sometimes Meant To Be Broken
I love rules and find contentment in knowing I am following them. I think it's the German in me. At any rate, even I believe that there are times it's beneficial to break the rules, particularly when it comes to exercise. So, as promised in my last blog, here are some general rules of weight lifting and why I like to break them sometimes.
Rule:
Work specific body parts together. (Back with biceps, Chest with shoulders and delts, etc)
When you work the bigger muscle groups (Quads, Hams, Chest, and Back), the smaller muscle groups assist you in the motion. So, it stands to reason that working the Quads and Hamstrings with the Calves and Abs is a wise idea (calves get pulled into most thigh exercises, and abs are used to stabilize heavily on them, as well). Similarly, the "pushing" motion of chest exercises engages the triceps and shoulders, and the "pulling" motion of back exercises engages the biceps, so working those muscle groups together can thoroughly exhaust the smaller muscle groups and require less exercises to finish them off, therefore saving time. This rule of thumb is terrific, but sometimes you may want to break the body parts up differently based on your goals and objectives.
For instance, I am always working to thicken my shoulders, which are naturally very slight, so I keep my shoulders as far away in my weekly split as possible from chest day (shoulders are now Monday and Friday with my thighs, and chest is Wednesday). This not only gives me two days to work shoulders (most of my body parts get hit once a week), but it also give them a "mini" workout between my two "big" shoulder days, with ample time to recover between all of them.
Rule:
Work the big body parts first, then work the smaller ones.
For instance, when working the chest and triceps, always work the chest first. The reasoning here is that if you work the triceps first, they will be too tired to fully assist in your chest and you won't get as good a chest workout. Breaking this rule makes sense when the assisting muscle is the one that you want to build up more than the bigger muscle group. So if you are someone with underdeveloped triceps but your chest is coming along pretty good, I'd advise working triceps first, while they are fresh, to get maximum muscle stimulation in them.
I did something similar this morning: Generally it is advised to work quadriceps before hamstrings, but I hit hamstrings first so that they could give lift the most weight with the best form possible on an exercise isolating them away from quads (hyperextensions). I couldn't have given the effort I did on hyperextensions had I done the hack squats and plie squats that came later on in the workout first.
Rule:
Work each body part at least 2 times per week.
For a beginner, this is a fine rule. But once you start really pushing your muscles this one doesn't work out very well for a couple of reasons: The first one is that its hard to find time to work every muscle group to the point where it will reach peak growth twice a week. The second reason is that often, after a grueling workout session, it takes a full week to recover the muscle group enough to hammer it again.
The fact is that most body builders and figure gals work most body parts once a week. This is proof that you can achieve muscle growth by breaking the minimum-twice-weekly rule. Like I mentioned above, my thighs and shoulders get hit twice a week, but everything else just once.
There are more, but this blog is long enough............
It might be worth noting that my weight lifting partner, the most muscular man I have ever known personally, breaks just about all of these rules routinely. He works legs together, but chest, back, and shoulders each get their own day. Abs get tossed in at will, and he does arms by themselves. When he works his arms, he usually works biceps (the smaller muscle group) before triceps. (And his horseshoe is the size of a Clydesdale's!) He never warms up with cardio (another weight lifting "rule") and he frequently goes more than a week between body parts, since they are broken down into just one or two muscle groups for each workout session (However, I have never seen him do less than 5 exercises per body part, and multiple sets per exercise). He might work his legs every two weeks, and they are the size of tree trunks! He spends a majority of time on his chest and shoulders and (this makes me nutz!), he has virtually no weight lifting schedule. I'm walking around with my training notebook that has my pre-planned routine, and he struts into the gym and says "I think I'll work back today!". He's doesn't care about the rules because he's been doing this long enough that he knows what works for him.
The point of this blog is this: When you hear a rule or general guideline for exercise, ask yourself if it is conducive to your own goals and objectives for exercise. As long as it does not compromise your safety, you may find you need to adjust accordingly. And sometimes it's nice to change the rules simply to break the monotony and keep things interesting. Even my lifting partner will take a routine out of Flex magazine and do it for several weeks, just to change things up.
Any other rules you've heard that you'd like me to address in this blog? Please ask- I'm sure I'll have something to say about it. :-D
Rule:
Work specific body parts together. (Back with biceps, Chest with shoulders and delts, etc)
When you work the bigger muscle groups (Quads, Hams, Chest, and Back), the smaller muscle groups assist you in the motion. So, it stands to reason that working the Quads and Hamstrings with the Calves and Abs is a wise idea (calves get pulled into most thigh exercises, and abs are used to stabilize heavily on them, as well). Similarly, the "pushing" motion of chest exercises engages the triceps and shoulders, and the "pulling" motion of back exercises engages the biceps, so working those muscle groups together can thoroughly exhaust the smaller muscle groups and require less exercises to finish them off, therefore saving time. This rule of thumb is terrific, but sometimes you may want to break the body parts up differently based on your goals and objectives.
For instance, I am always working to thicken my shoulders, which are naturally very slight, so I keep my shoulders as far away in my weekly split as possible from chest day (shoulders are now Monday and Friday with my thighs, and chest is Wednesday). This not only gives me two days to work shoulders (most of my body parts get hit once a week), but it also give them a "mini" workout between my two "big" shoulder days, with ample time to recover between all of them.
Rule:
Work the big body parts first, then work the smaller ones.
For instance, when working the chest and triceps, always work the chest first. The reasoning here is that if you work the triceps first, they will be too tired to fully assist in your chest and you won't get as good a chest workout. Breaking this rule makes sense when the assisting muscle is the one that you want to build up more than the bigger muscle group. So if you are someone with underdeveloped triceps but your chest is coming along pretty good, I'd advise working triceps first, while they are fresh, to get maximum muscle stimulation in them.
I did something similar this morning: Generally it is advised to work quadriceps before hamstrings, but I hit hamstrings first so that they could give lift the most weight with the best form possible on an exercise isolating them away from quads (hyperextensions). I couldn't have given the effort I did on hyperextensions had I done the hack squats and plie squats that came later on in the workout first.
Rule:
Work each body part at least 2 times per week.
For a beginner, this is a fine rule. But once you start really pushing your muscles this one doesn't work out very well for a couple of reasons: The first one is that its hard to find time to work every muscle group to the point where it will reach peak growth twice a week. The second reason is that often, after a grueling workout session, it takes a full week to recover the muscle group enough to hammer it again.
The fact is that most body builders and figure gals work most body parts once a week. This is proof that you can achieve muscle growth by breaking the minimum-twice-weekly rule. Like I mentioned above, my thighs and shoulders get hit twice a week, but everything else just once.
There are more, but this blog is long enough............
It might be worth noting that my weight lifting partner, the most muscular man I have ever known personally, breaks just about all of these rules routinely. He works legs together, but chest, back, and shoulders each get their own day. Abs get tossed in at will, and he does arms by themselves. When he works his arms, he usually works biceps (the smaller muscle group) before triceps. (And his horseshoe is the size of a Clydesdale's!) He never warms up with cardio (another weight lifting "rule") and he frequently goes more than a week between body parts, since they are broken down into just one or two muscle groups for each workout session (However, I have never seen him do less than 5 exercises per body part, and multiple sets per exercise). He might work his legs every two weeks, and they are the size of tree trunks! He spends a majority of time on his chest and shoulders and (this makes me nutz!), he has virtually no weight lifting schedule. I'm walking around with my training notebook that has my pre-planned routine, and he struts into the gym and says "I think I'll work back today!". He's doesn't care about the rules because he's been doing this long enough that he knows what works for him.
The point of this blog is this: When you hear a rule or general guideline for exercise, ask yourself if it is conducive to your own goals and objectives for exercise. As long as it does not compromise your safety, you may find you need to adjust accordingly. And sometimes it's nice to change the rules simply to break the monotony and keep things interesting. Even my lifting partner will take a routine out of Flex magazine and do it for several weeks, just to change things up.
Any other rules you've heard that you'd like me to address in this blog? Please ask- I'm sure I'll have something to say about it. :-D
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