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Menu Planning Strategies

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Menu planning strategies are plentiful, but not many break things down into simple steps. I intend to break the mold on that. Whether you want to lose weight, lose fat or get into competition shape, menu planning strategies are what you need to accomplish your goals.

Before I begin I want you to understand that menu planning isn't what you might think. In fact, I am going to explode the myths you've been holding on to. This is important because if is the key to all of your success with physique transformation.

Counting Calories

So many people have come to believe that menu planning involves counting calories. To an extent they are correct, but the key is that they don't seem to grasp the right way to count calories. Counting up the calories of your meals as you go along is not what I am referring to. I advocate planning your meals at least the day before and counting the calories and macronutrients as you do so. This makes the job easy because you don't have to track as you go along, you just have to stick to the menu planning you already did.

Picking a Strategy

I used to follow the “bro” mentality for eating. I would minimize the number of foods I could eat and stick to it. Now I follow a flexible diet. I can eat what I want and when I want as long as it fits my macros and my calories. I plan ahead each day for the next day's meals. I cook the food and pack it in containers that can travel easily. This takes away a lot of the problems I used to face. If I know that I am going to have lunch with my co-workers tomorrow, I plan all other meals accordingly. The goal is to hit my macros consistently.

Using a Meal Tracker

Again, like the calorie counting, I don't enter my food as I go, I simply enter my menu planning ahead of time into the app (My Macros+) and edit it during the day. If I miss a meal, I edit it out of the app. If I eat something unplanned I edit the app. In this way, tracking what I eat becomes easy.

Being Consistent

Nothing works overnight. You have to be consistent over the long haul. It takes time to see results, but the results are worth the wait.

How to Execute Menu Planning

The steps for menu planning are quite easy.

  1. Decide on a methodology. Will it be “bro” eating or will it be flexible dieting? Whatever you choose, be prepared to stick with it for some time.
  2. Plan your menu at least one day in advance. Do more if you have time, but the bare minimum is 1 day in advance.
  3. Enter your plan into an app for tracking food consumption. Check the numbers and adjust your plan so that you meet your goals.
  4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 daily.

By doing this type of menu planning you increase your likelihood of success greatly.

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The Best Shape of My Life!

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One of the stated goals of Fitness Exposé is to help people get into the best shape of their lives. I have developed a program that does just that and I am going to be the guinea pig over the next 90 days. I started Mission Best Ever on  October 17, 2015 and it will end on January 16, 2015, my 51st birthday. At that point I will be in the best shape I have ever been in. It is the start of something big for me and for Fitness Exposé.

Mission Best Ever: Starting Point

I started out this journey at 261.4 lbs and 25% body fat. I let myself go after my last mission and I am upset with myself for it, but this time I am going to get into even better shape than the last time. I am going to show off the hard work I have done to gain muscle. Below is my starting set of photos. I will be updating this weekly.

Mission Best Ever - Day 7

Mission Best Ever: The Goals

I am not making a body weight goal because I don't really feel that it matters. I am making a fat percentage goal because I want to be as lean as possible.

Goal Description
Body Fat Percentage 10%
Workouts I have trained every single day of the 90 day mission
Nutrition Plan IIFYM with carb-cycling – 3500 calories

Mission Best Ever: The Training Plan

I am going to be using Y3T for the first 9 weeks and then a full body HIT routine for the final 27 days.  I have used Y3T in the past with great success. When handled properly it really leans me out and builds muscle.

I will use the off days to get some cardio in, so that means 3 days per week of cardio. I am planning to do some of this in the gym and some of it outside (if weather permits). I have found that I need cardio in order to get into the shape I want. My body doesn't do well with just weight training alone. I am a little impatient, so I will do the cardio, but keep an eye on myself so that I am not overdoing it.

Mission Best Ever: Supplementation

I am going to start out using the Commander Go Pack from 1stPhorm as a test. I am very interested in seeing how well it works in the first 30 days and will review the product for you on this site at the end of those 30 days. I will also be using a multi-vitamin from Kirkland and protein powder in addition to all the solid food I can stuff down my throat.

Mission Best Ever: Motivation

I have reconnected with a group of people over on Facebook and will be participating on a daily basis. I find that helping encourage others really also motivates me. It is something I both enjoy and need. I am looking forward to seeing the results these people achieve and will be cheering them on the entire way.

Mission Best Ever: Blogging

I thought about creating a separate blog to chronicle my results, but decided this was going to be the place. You can follow my progress by bookmarking https://fitnessexpose.com/category/mission-best-ever. Visit that link regularly and you will see my progress.

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Monday Madness: Mix It Up for Top Results

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We have all been there. We make some great gains for a period of time and then they just stop. Even worse, we begin to get bored with our program. If this describes you even a little, it is time to mix it up for top results.

The body is an amazing thing. At first it has a hard time with things, but over time it adapts. It finds ways to get past its own limitations. Suddenly something that was difficult for it previously is simple. However, this adaptation also throws a monkey wrench into our plans for growing. This is where you need to learn to mix it up.

I have achieved the best results when I mix things up on a very regular basis. All the top programs do this. Y3T was one of the most effective “mass appeal” programs I have ever done. It involves 3 completely different cycles of lifting–one new one each week. I built some nice mass on that program.

My suggestion is to change things up every 3 to 4 weeks. This can involve repetition ranges, weights, exercises, splits, etc. Just mix it up. Sticking to one plan for too long is going to slow your gains. Mess with all the variables, just not at the same time. If you have not been seeing progress on a certain lift, change it up. Insert a new exercise to take its place.

Mixing it up is going to require that you are logging your workouts. The feedback a log gives is invaluable. Get in that habit so you can properly mix things up.

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Start Your Week With Explosiveness

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I have written many articles about lifting techniques. I have also been asked a lot of questions about my “inconsistencies” as a result. The fact is that I am a student of the game. I feel that trying things and determining what works is the n best approach anyone can possibly use. Today i want to examine lifting an explosive way.

3 Second Cadence Works

I have preached about the 3 second cadence–3 seconds down and 3 seconds up–and how much it works your muscles. I am here to say that it definitely works, but it isn't the only way. I have used the 3 second cadence during full body workouts. It is one great way to stress the muscles and cause growth. At the same time, I find it is best with a program like HIT where you are hitting the body really hard all at once.

Explosive Lifting Described

The best way to explain explosive lifting is to paint a picture. Imagine you are under the bar doing a bench press. You unrack the weight. You lower it to your chest under complete control. As soon as the bar reaches the bottom you push as hard as you can to the top of the motion. You then repeat this motion. You keep it going at a constant pace like that. There are no pauses or rests involved.

Benefits of Explosive Lifting

This is yet another tool for your lifting tool belt. you will find your body adapting to the other things you are doing. Add in explosive lifting and it is suddenly a game changer, getting your body back on the growth track. I admit that many other methods will put on muscle, but explosiveness will also build some major strength and fast. I recently spent 8 weeks lifting this way exclusively and I set PRs each and every week.

Get Started

Don't put this off. You know you are tired of your old method. The next time you are under a bar use the explosive lifting technique and watch things change for you immediately.

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Saturday Sharing: Do What It Takes

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Hey you! Yeah you…the one sitting on the couch. Or how about you? The one who hasn't been to the gym in weeks or even months. What is wrong with you? Get up and do the job already.

Living a sedentary lifestyle is not a good decision for anyone. Everyone needs some kind of activity in their life. I am not saying you have to be a hardcore gym rat, but do what it takes to get that body moving and sweating on a regula rbasis. If you don't you are going to regret it. The longer you wait the harder it all becomes.

I can't say it enough–you have to do what it takes. Excuses don't need to apply.  Justifications won't work for me. Doing what it takes is the only thing I am going to accept. it is OK to start slowly. There is nothing wrong with one workout a week when you start. However,, that isn't what it takes.

Get up and do the work. It really isn't that difficult. Trust me when I say that putting it off isn't the right idea. Set one small goal around fitness and then set to work achieving it. That one goal will snowball. You will find yourself doing more and more. Before long you will wonder how you lived without it.

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