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Meal Timing Debate

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Eating Multiple Meals Daily

[pro-player]http://youtube.com/watch?v=BSqEsFwfHWU[/pro-player]

Meal timing is back in the spotlight lately. I discuss this topic in today's video about nutrition.

The discussion revolves around the claim in the bodybuilding world that it is better for fat burning and metabolism boosting to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day separated by 3 hours. The idea behind this approach is that the metabolism will be revved up all day long as the body works hard to digest the food being given to it. There are still others who claim that just eating consistently 3 times a day will have the same benefits as eating 5 to 6 small meals each day. Who is right and why?

Rather than get into a huge debate on the topic (something I could do if I so desired), I approach this from the standpoint of who has the most to lose if they are wrong. If we say that the 3 meals a day camp is Option A and the 5 to 6 meals a day camp is Option B, what happens if Option A is wrong? Well, all those who adhere to Option A will not be experiencing maximum fat loss. However, if Option B is wrong, they will still gain the same benefits as those who adhere to Option A. Thus, it appears that Option A has the most to lose in this situation. I'd rather err on the side of caution in this instance.

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Strategic Changes for Improving Progress

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Strategic ChangesMaking strategic changes along the way will improve your progress if done correctly. As I move towards my goal of stepping on stage April 14, 2011 my trainer is making small changes to my nutrition plan to maximize the training we are doing. If you are unsure what this means please read on.

Strategic Changes Based Upon Feedback

At one point, as the weight training I was doing progressed to complexes (3 or more exercises performed in a row without rest focusing on one body part), my energy levels were extremely low. In fact, they simply fell off the chart. After giving that feedback to my trainer he made  a small adjustment to my program — eat fruit with the first 3 meals of the day when it is a weight training day.

Strategic Changes Based Upon Results

As I go along on this path towards competing my goal I am producing results each week. Some weeks I have great results and others I produce results that aren't as great. However, I am always producing some kind of results. Based upon these results we make strategic adjustments to my weight training and nutrition plans. For instance, my fat loss is still progressing, but has slowed significantly over the past 2 weeks. As a result, my trainer cut all my starchy carbs by 1/3. This means that if I was taking in 1/2 cup of brown rice at a given meal it is now a little less than 1/3 of a cup. The results produced will then be analyzed again and more adjustments made depending upon those results.

Strategic Changes Improve Progress

By making continual small strategic changes each week we avoid plateaus that cause frustration and delay the ultimate goal. We take pictures weekly and adjust according to the visual results, actual tested numbers and how I feel physically. None of the changes are drastic. In fact, the entire idea of this approach is to avoid drastic changes all at one time. This improves progress, but it also helps me to stay motivated as I avoid long plateau periods.

If you want to see some great progress in your fitness program, use this approach of making small strategic adjustments.

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Fitness Goals are Achieveable With the Right Strategy

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Fitness StrategyHave you ever wondered why people do not reach their fitness goals? If you've given this topic any thought at all there's no doubt that you can come up with numerous reasons. I am going to assume that people are doing what they are supposed to–eating right, exercising hard and tracking their progress–and yet still not reaching their fitness goals.

I believe that most people mean well, but they don't have the proper strategy to reach their goals. They do research and find things to do to continually change up their training. They eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. They take their body fat and circumfernce measurements weekly. They keep track of their results over time. They log down all of their training. So what is the problem?

Imagine that a person has decided that eating low-carb is the way to go for them. They set out eating on a low-carb program. They begin to see some immediate results on the scale. This is simply more conformation that they are going in the right direction. After a few weeks the weight loss slows down. They lower the carbs even more. Over time, they just stop losing weight.

How about the situation where the person is in the weight room lifting heavy. They've read that they need 2 to 3 minutes of rest between sets, so they take that time. They work very hard week in and week out, but just don't see the pounds coming off their frame. This causes them to lift even heavier. Still the results just don't seem to be what they'd like.

So what is wrong in both of those examples? If you've missed it, read the examples again. The answer is obvious–there is just no clear strategy for getting the fat off.

When entering into a program where you have goals you'd like to achieve, you have to come up with a strategy for eating and training that will compliment the goals you have. The strategy has to consider all the various angles like gaining muscle mass while burning fat.

A sample strategy for fat loss and muscle gain would involve changes to the weight training program being followed. By tweaking the rest periods and making them shorter there is a cardio component added to the training. Growth hormone release will be increased by increasing the intensity of the training sessions. Mixing up the training and adding in explosiveness will also increase your chances of hitting your goals. Since fat loss is part of the goal, add in cardio training on the days that you are not lifting weights. Be sure to add the cardio slowly, starting with 20 minutes each session at least 3 times a week. Only increase the cardio if your results slow down.

By following a strategy that is customized for your results you are sure to achieve any goal you set for yourself. A strategy will organize your efforts into a battle plan that will be unstoppable. Everyone can achieve goals when they add strategy to their thinking process. So, what's holding you back? Try adding some strategic thinking to your plan and watch your results skyrocket!

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The Showdown: Good Form vs. Heavy Weight

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The debate has raged on with many people for a long time. What is more important, heavy weight or proper form? Is there a way to merge both together?

The fact is that both items are important, but you need one before you can get to the other. That's right, I believe that form is essential for making progress with any lifting regimen.

In order to get good results with each muscle group there has to be the proper amount of contraction to recruit maximal muscle fibers. The only way to get here is to lighten up the weight and improve your form. Each exercise is designed to stimulate the targeted muscle group in a very specific way. Small changes to the form will change how the muscle group is hit.

Think about the shoulders for a moment. They consist of front, side and back delts. Depending upon the execution of an exercise for the side delts you may inadvertantly hit the rear delts. This is because your form is sloppy. If you want to insure tha tyou hit just your side delts you have to insure that your form is perfect. This takes practice and at times, a trainer to observe you as you do the lift.

Proper form also involves activating the right muscles during a particular movement. All movements you do involve keeping your core muscles tight. In addition, squats (for instance) involve recruiting the glutes and hamstrings during the movement. If the glutes are not activated during squats there can be major issues later (including the higher potential for injury).

It is true that heavy weights will increase your strength and the size of your muscles. At the same time, using proper form will eventually get you to the heavier weights. To some this is a humbling realization. It was for me.

I was the guy who threw 45 lb. dumbbells up for side laterals. My form was awful and my results showed this. When I began working with my trainer he took the weight down to 10 lbs., but insisted upon perfect form (elbows higher than wrists and pinky turned up at the end of the movvement). As a result, 10 reps with the 10 lb. dumbbells felt like 20 reps with the 45 lb. dumbbells. Additionally, my shoulders look better now than ever before as a result of this approach. Slowing down and using lighter weights with good form has really helped.

The bottomline is that both form and heavy weights are important, but you must have form before attempting heavy weights. Through the use of proper form your lifts will gradually increase and soon you will be back to the heavy weights you were accustomed to. Since you are trying to transform your body, I suggest that you check your ego at the door and work on your form.

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Training Strategies to Increase Growth Hormone Levels

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Growth Hormone IncreaseGrowth hormone, particularly testosterone, depletes in men after the age of 40. A man can get to work increasing growth hormones through training strategies. The approach used is sometimes very intense, but it can achieve the desired results — an increase in growth hormone levels in the body.

Men over the age of 40 are in a tough spot. On the one hand, their joints require that they take their training in a different direction. At the same time they must train harder in order to increase growth hormones in the body that has been depleted as a result of age.

It is a well-documented fact that testosterone in men decreases as men get older. Many men just accept this and move on. However, by increasing the intensity of their training, many men are seeing incredible results after the age of 40.

Intense resistance training will increase growth hormone levels naturally. One result of heavy resistance training is an increase in serum testosterone levels. Because testosterone is the primary hormone interacting with skeletal muscle tissue, it has both direct and indirect effects on muscle tissue. It has been shown that using a resistance of 85%-95% of your one-rep maximum will increase testosterone levels the most.

Drs. Marks and Kravitz have published a study on Hormones and Resistance Exercise. They conclude that intense resistance exercise will result in higher levels of growth hormone naturally. Their study shows that even women have the same results from intense resistance exercise–their growth hormone levels go up.

In addition to resistance exercise, intense cardio sessions can also increase the release of growth hormones. This is one of the reasons HIIT is such an effective method of cardio. Not only do sprints increase the length of time the body burns fat, but they also result in an increase in the release of growth hormones. Shorter intervals release more growth hormone while longer intervals burn more calories.

It appears that the key to successfully increasing growth hormone production naturally is to participate in intense exercise programs. The results have been proven and now it is time to put the principles into action. The next time you are at the gym, be it for cardio or weight training, increase the intensity of your training. Over the long term  you will see the results from the increased release of growth hormones.

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