Fitness Exposé

Bodybuilding Secrets Exposed

You are here: Home / Archives for Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT

Posts written by Michael J. Mahony

The following posts have all been authored by Michael Mahony

How to Break Your Goals into Manageable Pieces

By 2 Comments

manageable-goals

Goal setting is a process. I have been attempting to teach that to you over the past month with my articles on Setting Goals for Fitness and Bodybuilding, My Goal Planning Analyzed Step-by-Step, and How to Set Long Term Goals. Today I want to discuss how to break your goal into manageable pieces and why that matters.

Long Term Goal = Daunting Task

As discussed in a previous segment in this series, I have spoken to many people who want to lose 100 pounds or more. They all think they are just going to change some things and they will start dropping the pounds. Well, goals like this are definitely long term and they take so much time to accomplish. I estimate most people would take more than a year to lose 100 pounds (though some could do it slightly sooner). How do you stay motivated that entire time? A long term goal needs to be broken down into manageable pieces because that will give you baby steps to celebrate along the way.

When I travel long distance in a car I always pay attention to milestones. These milestones make the trip go by faster. Goals are no different. Setting some milestone goals will help you achieve the bigger goal by keeping you focused on the daunting task you've undertaken.

A Goal is a Project

I follow the time management system called Getting Things Done. No, that's not some kind of joke, it is an actual system designed by David Allen. In that system anything that takes more than 2 steps to complete is a project. Think of a goal as a project and come up with a project plan. That project plan is going to involve breaking the goal down into smaller chunks and setting due dates for those smaller chunks. It is important for your continued motivation that you do this. Treat a goal like a project that must get done and you will get it done.

A Goal Has Consequences

All goals have consequences. Either you accomplish them or not. However, how much more likely would it be that you complete the goal if you were to have a positive consequence for accomplishing it and a negative one for not accomplishing it? I did this when I wanted to drop weight. I entered a bodybuilding competition and told every single person I knew that I would be up on stage fat or in shape. Clearly being fat and in front of a couple thousand people wasn't my idea of fun, so I worked harder than I ever have before and I made my goal happen.

Conclusion

Goal setting is sort of an art, but accomplishing them doesn't have to be. Break your goal into more manageable pieces and treat it like a project and you will see the results. Good luck!

Related Posts:

Expose Podcast Episode #1: Let’s Talk About IIFYM

By 2 Comments

podcast-iifym

Listen to Expose Podcast #1: Let's Talk About IIFYM

Today our topic is IIFYM — If It Fits Your Macros. What is IIFYM? IIFYM is an eating strategy designed to keep you in your best possible shape year round. It has recently gained in popularity among physique competitors who don't want to constantly live on a restrictive diet plan. While IIFYM has some major names backing it there are also many in the industry who are picking it apart. Let's have a look at this and see what we conclude about IIFYM.

As I did my research for this episode I came across a lot of things I know do not define IIFYM, yet they attempt to do so over and over. It is definitely a heated topic and one that probably will be for quite some time. This approach requires a change in thinking and so many people are not ready to change their thinking, especially when it comes to their way of eating.

On one side of this discussion is the clean eating crowd. This group claims you need to focus on what you eat and to some extent, how much of it you eat. They claim their way works because the food they eat is “clean” and that by watching their caloric intake they are able to take the fat off and keep it off. The clean eating crowd looks at IIFYM and claims it is about how much you eat with no regard to food quality.

On the other side of this discussion is the IIFYM crowd. They claim you need to pay attention to calories and macronutrient ratios and the rest will follow. To them it is more important to hit your macros than pretty much anything else. They see the clean crowd as being far too restrictive. In fact, it seems they believe most people will fall off the wagon with the clean crowd's approach because it is too restrictive. To me, the best term to fit this is “flexible dieting.”

So what really is the story with IIFYM? Basically it isn't much different from the clean eating crowd at all. It is a way of counting calories because it actually tracks your macronutrients which translates directly into calories. Confused by that? Don't be! One gram of protein or one gram of carbohydrates is 4 calories. One gram of fat is 9 calories. Thus, via the macronutrients, IIFYM counts your calories automatically. You might now be wondering where the controversy is. If both crowds seemingly believe the same thing where is the problem?

The part of IIFYM that throws people for a loop involves what they say you can eat. The IIFYM crowd says that as long as you hit your macronutrient numbers every day what you eat to get there won't affect your body composition in a negative way. Thus, you could get your protein from 99% lean turkey or you could get it from fatty ground beef, as long as you hit your protein macronutrient target it won't matter. The question on everyone's mind should now be “Does this really work?”

The short answer is that it definitely works. But why does it work? When you are trying to lose weight and/or fat the calories  you take in must be less than the calories you put out. In the strictest sense, while trying to lose weight and/or fat, a calorie is a calorie. The source of the calorie truly is irrelevant. However, in terms of body composition, macronutrients begin to matter a great deal. You will need to take in an ample amount of protein to maintain muscle. You will need an ample amount of carbohydrates to maintain training intensity. The right amount of healthy fats plays a huge role in hormone synthesis. It is at this point that we can understand why tracking your macronutrients is the key.

If you hit your macronutrient numbers you are going to hit your calorie goal as well. It is just that simple. So the clean eating crowd is completely wrong, right? You can eat whatever you want and as long as you hit your macronutrient numbers you're going to lose weight, right? We just said that, didn't we? Well hold on just a second because I am about to throw you a curve ball.

Eating junk food to get shredded is idiotic. The food we put into our bodies provides us with many vitamins and minerals that assist the physiological functions of the body itself. Candy and junk food are very deficient when it comes to micronutrients. These are essential to a healthy functioning body. So, this is where the clean eating crowd has it right. Health is more important than how you look. I will now suggest that merging the mindset of the two crowds is the correct answer in the long run.

I would like to suggest that you can implement the principles of IIFYM in the following manner and be very happy in the end with your results from both an aesthetic and health standpoint.

  • Get 80% of your calories from a healthy source that you actually like. By “healthy” I mean micronutrient dense. This addresses one problem people have when trying to stick to the clean eating group's approach–they get tired of chicken and vegetables all the time and one taste of something savory sends them off the wagon. If you want steak instead of chicken, merely adjust for the fat content. If you want whole fat Greek yogurt, adjust the other fats you intake that day.
  • Don't be afraid to eat some small indulgences. As long as those indulgences work into your macros for the day you will not derail your progress. You want some chocolate? That's great! Just fit it into your macronutrient numbers for the day and all is good.
  • Adjust your meal timing if necessary. So many people love food that is calorie dense. If that is you, don't be afraid to eat less meals. Your body won't slow its metabolism down by eating 3 meals instead of 5. I personally prefer smaller, more frequent meals, but that's me. Follow the Experiment of One when it comes to this and you are going to be just fine.

Like everything else in physique transformation, the Experiment of One is an essential tool. Don't try to force the approach of others to fit your own needs. It just isn't going to happen. Your body will tell you (or perhaps show you) what works best for it. Follow along and you will have great success.

Hopefully I have taken away some of the confusion surrounding this debate. Simply put, focus on your health before all other things. Don't use IIFYM as an excuse to eat horrible junk food non-stop. At the same time, use the flexibility built in to eat something savory every so often. It will keep you on track.

Thanks for your time and I look forward to the next episode of Expose Podcast.

Related Posts:

5 More Ways to Build Better Biceps

By 1 Comment

better biceps

Better biceps is something everyone seems to want. I previously presented you with 5 Ways to Build Better Biceps and today I am going to offer you 5 more ways to build better biceps.

  • Dedicate a training day to the arms. I personally mix this up in my training. I train my biceps with my back and my triceps with my chest, but I also have one day where I go all out heavy weights and hit the arms only. It helps because you are fresh and can work the arms with much more intensity.
  • Use a thick bar or Fat Gripz. Using a thick bar or some sort of device (ie. Fat Gripz) that thickens the bar when training arms will give you a brutal all out attack on the arms.
  • Extend your pinky or your thumb to touch the barbell itself. This changes the way the curls feel and makes your arms work even harder. The variety is good for the muscle as well.
  • Use 21s in your biceps training. You will find that 21s increase the time under tension. What are 21s? They involve working the 3 areas of the movement with 7 reps each. Start with partial curls for 7 reps. Move on to the mid-range of the curl for 7 reps and then do full range of curls for 7 reps.
  • Squeeze like mad. One thing I notice at the gym is people swinging the weight and letting it drop. They are not training as hard as they should be. Try getting a good squeeze in the muscle at the top of each movement. As you bring the dumbbell to the top, rotate your hand so that your thumb moves away from your body. Squeeze the muscle in that position and then slowly lower the weight back down. Repeat this for the required number of repetitions.

Arms look impressive when developed properly. They also help with upper body strength. Follow the above tips and you will see some major changes in your arms in no time at all.

Related Posts:

Monday Madness: Tabata for Fat Loss

By Leave a Comment

tabata training protocol

Tabata is an extremely intense training protocol that does wonders for fitness and fat loss. Tabata sessions are extremely short in duration. This makes them very attractive to many people.

Dr. Izumi Tabata – Inventor

Dr. Izumi Tabata is the inventor of the Tabata protocol. He conducted a study on the best way to incorporate an interval training model. His objective was to see if athletes would benefit from a 20/10 session repeated eight times. 20/10 means 20 seconds of all-out exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. This adds up to four minutes total.

Dr. Tabata selected two groups of people and put them on an exercise program for six weeks. His control group did one hour of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week. The other group did the high-intensity Tabata-style training. That adds up to 1,800 minutes of training for the control group versus 120 minutes of training for the Tabata group over the six-week period. The results speak for themselves. The Tabata group improved both its aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels. The anaerobic fitness level increased 28%.

Tabata Workout Examples

You can incorporate tabata into your training very easily. It is a 20 second work interval followed by a 10 second rest interval repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes of training. Some example programs follow.

Tabata Example 1:

Sprint for 20 seconds
Walk for 10 seconds

Repeat the above 8 times

Tabata Example 2:

20 seconds of push ups
10 seconds rest
20 seconds of squats
10 seconds rest
20 seconds of medicine ball slams
10 seconds of rest
20 seconds jumping rope
10 seconds of rest

Cautions About Tabata Training:

  1. Tabata training is not for beginners. Tabata training is best for advanced exercisers who are comfortable with high-intensity exercise. The intensity accumulates, peaking near the end. It's easy for the intensity to become too challenging if you're not used to this type of training.
  2. If you go all out during the high intensity intervals, the 4-minute cycle will feel like the longest, most uncomfortable 4 minutes of your life. It may be too intense for some people.
  3. There is always a greater risk of injury when you're doing high-impact, high-intensity exercise. Minimize that risk by ensuring you're fit enough for this type of training. This would include working your way up to the intensity and duration. Also make sure you completely warm up before you start into your Tabata routine.
  4. Four minutes of the same exercise, even with rests in between, can get monotonous and quickly fatigue your muscles. This can cause your form (and motivation) to suffer if you aren’t mentally prepared!

Some Exercises to Use with Tabata

Mountain Climbers
Burpees
Squats
Sit ups
Sprints
Stairs
Leg raises
Calf raises
Bench press
Deadlift

Always pick exercises that utilize larger muscle groups.

Related Posts:

Holiday Tips – 2014 Edition

By 1 Comment

holiday-tips-2014

This is the time of the year where most people get concerned about weight gain. Many people get depressed because they fail to achieve unrealistic holiday goals. They eat their way through the holidays, planning to lose it all after the New Year holiday. Many New Years resolutions have their origins in what happens during the holiday season. What follows are seven awesome holiday tips that will help you get through the holidays as though there was no challenge at all.

  1. Create a training schedule for the entire holiday period. The holidays are a very busy time of year. For many, this is the only time all year they meet up with extended family members. As a result, many training sessions get missed. Instead of succumbing to this, sit down now and plan every workout for the rest of this holiday period. Make them unbreakable appointments. Take into account the holiday pressures you are facing so that your plan will be bullet proof. As holiday tips go, this one is a must do. Put that shield up and get to work!
  2. When time is an issue, emphasize weight training. The holidays cause a time crunch like no other time of the year. As you create your training schedule, be cognizant of this fact. Be sure that you emphasize weight training over cardio. Muscle keeps the metabolism running at a higher rate. It is very important that you keep all of your hard earned muscle during this time of the year. It will help offset the eating that you do during the holidays by giving your body a better chance at burning off the calories. Weight training is going to be your holiday friend. Most holiday tips lists avoid this one.
  3. Limit alcohol consumption. Most people don’t realize how many calories alcoholic beverages add to their diet. In addition, the carbohydrates that exist in alcohol can lead to massively increased fat storage. Alcohol calories count too. You can combat the ill effects by limiting your alcohol consumption. Set limits and then stick to them. By doing so you will limit the fat gain that can occur as the result of alcohol consumption.
  4. Don’t keep “trigger” foods around. We all have them—“trigger” foods that send us into binge mode. For some it is something seemingly healthy like nuts. For others it is chocolate. Whatever the food, by making sure that “trigger” foods are not kept in your home you will avoid the binging that usually accompanies them.
  5. Plan your cheat days. Most experts will tell you that the road to long term nutritional compliance is paved with cheat days. We need cheat days so that we have something to look forward to. A planned cheat meal will help you get through even the toughest nutritional challenges because you will know you have something great to eat in front of you. Take advantage of this fact during the holidays. Plan your cheat days for the actual holiday itself. Don’t drastically change your plans because of the holidays, simply insert cheat days strategically. Knowing you can partake in holiday cheat meals will keep you focused on your goals.
  6. Change Your Workout Time. The holiday season makes most of us extremely busy. If you normally workout in the middle of the day consider moving that to the start or end of the day to insure you get the workout in. Missing workouts can cause you to “fall off the wagon” and that is not something any of us wants.
  7. Know Your Gym's Schedule. An easy holiday tip is to make sure you know your gym's holiday hours. This is how you can avoid missing any workouts due to your own mistakes. Gym's routinely change their schedule during the holidays, even the 24 hour variety.

The holiday season is no excuse to skip workouts and eat terrible food. These holiday tips will keep you focused and on track. By putting these tips into your program you will find that your focus increases and you power through your goals even during the holiday season.

Related Posts:

New eBook!