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Meal Preparation Techniques

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Meal preparation

Meal preparation is the key to any successful physique transformation. It is a discipline that must be developed. In this article I am going to present you with my own approach. Feel free to use it exactly as is or modify it for your own use.

I use 5 steps for my meal preparation. The first step is only done as necessary while the other steps are part of a process that repeats over and over. I will be discussing the following meal preparation steps:

  1. Purchase the appropriate meal preparation containers.
  2. Analyze past results to create macro and calorie targets.
  3. Plan the menu for the week
  4. Create a meal preparation shopping list
  5. Complete the meal preparation

Purchase the appropriate meal preparation containers

containersWhen it comes to meal preparation you need a way to conveniently store and carry what you've prepared. You can go with one of those fancy bags made for this purpose or you can get containers. I personally prefer to get containers. It is far cheaper. This is one of those steps that only need to be completed when containers are required. For me that's about one time a year. I have found that ChefLand Microwavable Food Container with Lid Bento Box, Black, 10-Pack from Amazon are the best containers for me. They are capable of going into the microwave, clean up easily and hold plenty of food. The tops are very secure and do not leak easily.

Analyze past results to create macro and calorie targets

Meal preparation by itself isn't enough to achieve the results you want. You have to couple meal preparation with results analysis. I track things like body fat percentage, scale weight and body part circumference measurements to determine how my plan is going. I use this weekly analysis to make changes to my macro and calorie targets. If I am not losing fat like I want I simply make adjustments. Once I have settled on my macro and calorie targets for the week I can move on to the next step.

Plan the menu for the week

Planning is a key component of meal preparation. Armed with my macro and calorie targets from the previous meal preparation step I can plan my menu for the week. I like to keep it simple. At most I will have two different daily meal plans. I usually stick to one daily meal plan repeated seven times for a week. I look to vary my protein sources. I make sure I am getting the appropriate carbohydrates at the appropriate times. Along with this menu planning comes workout planning as well because I feel what I eat before and after a workout makes a difference

Create a meal preparation shopping list

Once I know what foods I will be eating I create a shopping list (being sure to include the spices I might need). I tend to shop at the same store over and over, so I try to plan my list in an order that will take me straight through the store. I use an iPhone and the built-in Reminders app to create my shopping list. This enables me to check off the items as they are completed. Two other amazing apps for this purpose are Clear and Evernote.

Complete the meal preparation

Once all ingredients have been compiled it is time to cook. I cook up my meals on Sunday and Thursday each week. It is like an assembly line. I am going to describe the process to you using some of the common foods involved. I will cook up a large batch of brown rice. Because my meals on Sunday are for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I calculate how many of my meals involve brown rice and portion that out into the containers. I then take my chicken that has been cooked and portion it out into the containers. I do the same thing with my beef. I then add a healthy portion of vegetables to all containers. I then attach the lids and place the containers into my fridge.

Meal preparation is the key to getting the results you want. Take the time to complete the steps as outlined and you will begin seeing some amazing results. If you have any meal preparation tips that I didn't share please leave them in a comment below.

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Monday Madness: Full Body Training Revisited

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full body workout

A little more than a year ago I did an article called Monday Madness: Full Body Assault. In that article I discussed the logistics of full body training. I also laid out a great workout plan that assaults the entire body. This type of full body training is something everyone should experiment with to see if it works well for them. Today I would like to teach you about ways to modify your full body training to give it more of a push.

Full Body Training HIT Style

In my previous article (Monday Madness: Full Body Assault) I presented you with the HIT approach to full body training. It works quite well because you are able to use maximum intensity to get through an amazing workout. HIT style involves 1 set per exercise with minimal rest between sets. Many people scoff at this method, but it works.

Full Body Training Heavy Style

Mike Mentzer did what he called Heavy training. His style was slightly different from HIT. While this Heavy style is derived from HIT, it involves higher volume than a normal HIT workout.

The Full Body Training Workout Plan

We are going to use the exact plan from Monday Madness: Full Body Assault, but modify it for the higher volume.

Exercise Repetition Range
BB Bench Press 4 to 6 (3 sets)
Lat Pull Down 4 to 6 (4 sets)
DB Pullover 8 to 10 (3 sets)
Pec Dec Flyes 4 to 6 (4 sets)
Arnold Press 4 to 6 (3 sets)
Seated Cable Rows 4 to 6 (4 sets)
Leg Extensions 4 to 6 (3 sets)
Standing Calf Raise 4 to 6 (3 sets)
Seated Calf Raise 4 to 6 (4 sets)
Chin ups 12 to 15 (2 sets)
BB Curls 4 to 6 (2 sets)
Tricep Pushdown 6 to 8 (2 sets)
Back Squats 10 to 12 (2 sets)
Deadlift 4 to 6 (2 sets)

This style of full body training is performed 3 times a week. You would generally have an “A” workout (like the above) and a “B” workout. The “B” workout would follow the same exercise pattern as the “A” workout, but with different exercise choices. I really think this is part of why it works so well–you are keeping your body from adapting too quickly.

Give this a try for 12 weeks and you are going to see the gains you've been looking for.

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Cardio is a Necessity

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cardio workouts

If you want to lose fat then cardio is going to be a necessity. Yes, there are those who just lift and eat right and drop fat, but for the majority of us that isn't possible. For the majority of us, cardio is a necessary evil.

Cardio Improves Your Heart

Do you get winded doing simple things like going up stairs? If so, you are neglecting your heart. By getting your heart beating faster on a regular basis you are improving its function. You are making your heart healthier. Cardio helps with this a great deal. Get up and get moving and your heart rate will rise.

Cardio Increases Your Metabolism

The more intense your cardio the more you pump up your metabolism. By keeping your metabolism revved up you help yourself maintain your body weight and fat percentage levels.

Cardio Helps Out Your Hormones

Performing cardiovascular exercise also changes the hormonal profile in your body considerably. It releases ‘feel good' hormones that will help ease symptoms of depression and fatigue as well as releasing hormones that decrease the appetite. Individuals who engage in regular cardio exercise often have a much more positive outlook on life simply because they are getting the stress-relief benefits from these hormones.

Cardio Aides in Recovery

Certain types of cardio exercise, usually lower, more moderately paced forms, can decrease your recovery time too. If you have just performed a hard session in the gym, hopping on the treadmill for a walk or light jog will help to remove some of the by-products that were created during the lifting session.

This will help to reduce your DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) and help bring more oxygen rich blood to the muscle tissue improving in the repair and rebuilding process. To you, this translates to your being able to get back into the gym quicker and work the muscles again.

Management of Diabetes

Cardio exercise will help those with diabetes manage their condition. It helps improve your body's use of glucose.

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Saturday Sharing: 2015 in Review

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Bodybuilding Year in Review

The 2015 bodybuilding year in review is one that I had fun thinking through. So many things went on this year that it was hard to pick just a few to focus on. Here are my key events for review from the 2015 bodybuilding season.

  1. Arnold demands a change in the way competitions are judged. He said, “We have to make sure we are rewarding the right guys because if you reward the right guys then everyone will start training to have a beautiful physique.” What do you think? Is Arnold correct?
  2. Kai Greene doesn't compete at Mr. Olympia. Apparently he didn't sign the contract and thus, was barred from competing. What was going on in Kai's head? I think it was a huge mistake. What is your take on it?
  3. Phil Heath wins his 5th consecutive Sandow. Do you think he deserved it this year? He seemed off as compared to previous years, but was his competition also off? This is why #2 above is so huge!
  4. Ashley Kaltwasser wins both the Arnold and the Olympia in the bikini division! She seems to have nailed it. She brings in a nice tight package every single time.
  5. Dexter Jackson wins the Arnold and places second at the Olympia. This guy is a work horse. He always comes in at his best. What an amazing year for an amazing guy.

Bodybuilding is an exciting sport, but the politics do tend to get in the way of enjoying it. I love how different people can see the same person in different ways. Nobody ever seems to completely agree on who the real winner should be. This is why I love the sport. It is about being the best version of you that you've ever been. 2015 saw some amazing things and 2016 is bound to be just as exciting.

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Baby Steps are the Way

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Baby steps

Why baby steps? It is that time of year where people plan large changes in their lives. I am here to tell you today that baby steps are the way to go if you want to achieve maximum success. Please remember that you will always produce results. The problem is that some of the results you produce will be bad. You may have a goal to lose 70 lbs in the next 6 months, but will you be able to do it? I have approached this topic before, but here are some up to the minute thoughts on the matter.

SMART Goals

We all see the articles around this time of year about setting SMART goals — Specific Measurable Achieveable Realistic Time-sensitive. We then sit down and start writing some SMART goals for the coming year. These goals tend to be some really important things we want to accomplish. This is all very good, but it is missing one component–how do you stay motivated long enough to achieve your goal of losing 70 lbs in the next 6 months?

Eat the Frog

If you were presented with a giant frog and were told you had to eat it or die, how would you approach it? Would you try to fit the entire frog in your mouth? I don't think so! I think you would take bites out of the frog until your goal of eating the entire thing had been accomplished. How does this apply to accomplishing your goal to lose 70 lbs in the next 6 months?

Baby Steps are the Way

Have a look at your goals. They may be set to be accomplished in 30 days, 60 days or 90 days or any longer term. Try staying motivated for that length of time. It gets very hard. You labor away at keeping your nutrition in place. One day you are invited to a birthday party and you eat a piece of birthday cake. It wasn't on your plan. To you it is a stumble. The problem is that stumbles tend to lead to a complete fall. You then fail to hit your goals.

To me the more effective approach is to use baby steps. Set goals as normal. Once those goals are set you break them down into daily goals, hourly if necessary. I have had people who struggle to drink enough water even though they have a daily goal of 128 ounces. I tell them to break that down into 4 segments. They are awake for 16 hours, so every 4 hours they need to have 32 ounces of water. That can be further broken down into every hour they have 8 ounces of water. With this approach you can not only do a better job of monitoring your goals, but you can make slight adjustments when you stumble.

Don't Beat Yourself Up

With the baby steps approach you have to be careful not to beat yourself up when you stumble. Just accept it and move on with your plan. In the grand scheme stumbles are not going to derail you. Stick to the plan and you will achieve your goals.

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