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My Path to Fitness: An Update

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My Update

My path to having a body that looks good has been a long one, but I am on a path that leads to the promised land at the current time. I predicted this a month or so ago when I told you about a change in my training and nutrition. I am no longer just confident that things are going in the right direction, I am 100% certain of my ultimate success. It is an awesome feeling to know you are going to reach your goals.

Always Be Aware of Potential Changes

One thing I've learned is that help is always in places you least expect. For me it all began at the Los Angeles Fitness Expo in January of 2011. It was there that I met Chris Albert, owner of Metroflex Gym – Long Beach. I took the time to talk to Chris and really enjoyed our conversation. I was one of the very first people to join the gym when they opened up membership. Eventually, Chris agreed to handle my nutrition program. He now handles all aspects of my fitness life–training and nutrition–and has given me the confidence that I now have.

Teamwork Brings Success

Don't get me wrong here. I am not saying that Chris is the only reason I am going to be successful. The reality is that Chris is part of a team that includes him, me and my wife, Alison. It takes the active involvement of the three of us for this to work. Chris is there to give me the professional, unbiased advice on my progress. He tweaks my nutrition and runs all of my workouts. My wife, Alison, is there to support me and hold me accountable for eating on time, etc. My job is to implement the suggestions that Chris gives me, train hard and eat right.

Teamwork brings success. Don't try to do this all by yourself. If you are having a hard time getting in shape, give a personal trainer a try. Make sure they understand your goals and that they have experience doing this for other people. If you are interested in the kind of nutrition plan I have, Chris has an online nutrition counseling service. Get in touch with him and you will find your success is within your grasp.

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My Experience With Metabolism

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Lately I have had some interesting experiences with manipulating my metabolism. The things I have gone through have taught me that there are many factors that will change up your metabolism. Some of these things are obvious, but many of them are far from obvious.

Metabolism

Obvious Things Having an Effect on Metaboblism

There are some fairly obvious changes that cause a change in your metabolism. Below is just a small list of those things:

  • Eating 5 or 6 small meals a day. By eating a bunch of small meals you keep your body working on digesting the food all day long. This, in turn, revs up your metabolism.
  • HIIT Cardio Sessions. Standard cardio where you run for long periods of time will burn alot of calories while doing the work, but will do little to nothing after you stop. Replace that with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) cardio sessions and it is an entirely different story. Your body continues to burn calories long after the training has stopped.
  • Standard Weight Training. Lifting weights builds muscle and muscle revs up your metabolism. The larger the engine the more calories you will burn at rest.

Not So Obvious Things Having an Effect on Metabolism

In addition to the list of obvious things, there are some not so obvious things that will have an effect on your metabolism. The following is  a list of these items:

  • Supersetting. Supersetting will rev up your metabolism by pushing your body beyond its normal limits. You will work much harder and that will kick your metabolism up a notch.
  • Training in an Oxygen Deprived State. When training hard enough that you are gasping for air, one reaction that would seem unlikely, but isn't, is that your metabolism will speed up. You will stay in that sped up state for a long time as well.
  • Timing of Your Training Sessions. By training earlier in the day you will receive a longer lasting benefit from the training. Your metabolism will rage all day long.

Conclusion

Pay attention to your body's signals. This is the key to manipulation of your metabolism. Without feedback you won't know what to do next. The feedback your body gives you is going to tell you what is working and what is not working. That will be the key to your successful metabolic manipulation.

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Do Personal Trainers Make a Difference?

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Do Personal Trainers Make a DifferencePersonal trainers are generally a controversial topic amongst gym goers. There are some who swear by them and others who do not want anything to do with them. Do personal trainers make a difference? Let me tell you my thoughts on the topic.

The Right Way to Train

I have been training on my own for about 5 years. I have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) when it comes to things I am interested in. I own 2 shelves of books on training and nutrition. I've spent alot of time learning the right way to train. I thought that I was doing things the right way until I met Chris Albert from Metroflex Gym Long Beach. It was then that I learned more than I had in the entire previous 5 years combined.

Through working with Chris I have learned the importance of the synergy between diet and training. He has taught me how to train for specific goals. He has shown me how important it is to activate all the muscle groups. It isn't about just blasting the muscles with alot of weight, it is about hitting the muscles the right way each and every time. It is about not losing your form even as you get tired from your training. These are things that a good trainer will teach you.

Dig Deeper

I am a strong believer in leaving everything on the gym floor. I always give it everything I have. At times, however, I knew (in my heart) that I could have given just a little bit more and it would bother me. Sometimes I would be so bothered that I would wind up having a series of very bad workouts as a result. I would be obsessed with getting that last ounce of effort, so much so that I would not do well during my workout.

Once again, Chris has solved that problem for me. For some reason I don't want to fail in front of Chris. Just yesterday he was training me and said those fateful words “take this set to complete failure”. I immediately thought “crap, I don't like failing in front of him.” The first time I went as far as I could and had to drop the weight. I started to feel like a failure until Chris immediately said “that's how to work” and I realized something very important. Going to failure has always been part of my training regimen. Failing in front of Chris on a set that is supposed to go to failure is not a bad thing. I am doing exactly what he instructed me to do.

At the same time, he got me to dig deep and pull out some repetitions I would not have gotten on my own. I tend to just push that much harder when Chris is training me. I am also learning the right and wrong things to do. Thus, when I have a session on my own, I am going to be just fine.

Expert Advice

Chris has given me advice on how to merge my training and diet into one program that accomplishes my goals. He has shown me the importance of timing my before and after workout meals so that I maximize the benefits of my training. He has shown me how important the synergy between my training and diet is. I have had results in just 2 weeks with Chris that I've never seen before. I have concluded that personal trainers make a difference.

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The Elements of Training: Progression

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Progressive Overload PrincipleOne of the essential elements of training is progression. The principle of progression states that there is an optimum level of overload that must be accomplished in an optimum period of time. This principle is also known as progressive overload.

The idea is simple. As you train you should be able to slowly, but surely increase the load you are pushing. If you are bench pressing 155 lbs. for 10 reps today, the next time you bench press you should do 160 lbs. for 10 reps. It can also mean that you do the same weight, but more reps. Either way there is progress being made.

Progression is the principle that brings to light the need for rest and recovery. Constantly pushing the body harder and harder takes its toll. This can result in exhaustion and potential injury. With proper recovery and the right level of rest you reduce the potential for problems. At the same time, you avoid plateaus by allowing your lifts to continually progress.

I find that if you go too slow with progression you risk not making any gains and if you go too fast with progression you risk injury. Neither way is optimal. For me, small, 5 lbs. increases tend to work the best. I find that I am able to push the weight, avoid plateaus and avoid injuries. Those are key things if you are going to be consistent with your training.

One important factor in progression is that you must keep a training log. How can you possibly progress if you have no record of the weight you lifted in your previous session? Be sure to write down each set separately. Make sure that you log down your weight and the number of repetitions on each set. I also put an arrow next to the exercise to indicate that I need to raise the weights on my next workout.

Utilizing the principle of progression along with the other principles we've discussed will push your results to the extreme.

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Planning to Cheat

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Reward MealPlanning to cheat is something that everyone should do. I have been working very hard on maintaining strict nutrition so that I can burn off maximum fat. However, my adviser tells me that I need to have one planned reward meal every week. He has explained the numerous benefits that occur as a result.

The fact is that reward meals tend to make me feel guilty. It is a mental thing that I need to get past because the science behind the reward meal is definitely strong. The periodic increase in calories increases your leptin levels, which enables you to be more efficient with burning fat. The concept is sound, but it is hard on me mentally.

I need to get past the mental hurdle because I know I need the reward meals in alot of ways. When you spend weeks at a time eating the same thing, the reward meal enables a small amount of variety to creep into your diet. The reward meal also allows you to eat a meal with your family that matches what they are eating. Additionally, having the planned reward meal on the horizon makes it easier to stick to the healthier meal plan all week long. Thus, the benefits clearly outweigh anything else. Time for me to just get over it!

This week was my first planned reward meal. I prefer to call it a reward meal while others call it a cheat meal. To me, the more positive approach is better mentally. I wondered if I would wind up craving all sorts of bad things, but honestly I just ate my meal and felt satisfied afterwards.

If you are not currently including regularly scheduled reward meals in your plan you should definitely think it over. There are scientific benefits as well as mental benefits to the planned reward meal. You won't be sorry that you've included one on a weekly basis and will likely see your results skyrocket.

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