Back Off Break to Go Right Back On

So I went on vacation for a few weeks. Spent my time enjoying great food and drinking different ales. While I was away, I made sure to do some activity. I put together all in one dynamic warmup exercises, I did a bunch of pushups and luckily my folks own a crosstrainer cable machine, so I took full advantage of that (not to sound like I am that disciplined... because I am not). My daily caloric intake blew away my daily activity. As one coach put it, " I was doing a 5 mile workout and taking in 10 miles worth of calories". I did enough to keep the mobility up to par. I was hoping to get back to the island and hit the gym hard. Repent for my disturbing fetish with food. Well, that did not happen. I even bought some snazzy new Under Armour shoes to tackle hardcore trail running.

Here is a look at these things. I'll keep you posted on how well they handle the trails:




My reason for not going all out just yet... I really need a break from training. At least in the gym. I sense my body is not ready to kick arse on the barbells and my mind is focused on too many other things. Now usually I would raise the bullshit flag on anyone else who came up with this, but this is one of those moments when I have scratched a bit deeper into the confusing and thick surface of exercise science. I need a week before slamming the weights around to recover and (excuse the wacky voodoo talk) unify and balance mind, body and CNS - central nervous system (or spirit). So this is now my plan and hopes. I will not lift weights yet. I will continue to train outdoors and do active patterns of mobility drills such as those used in yoga and pilates. I'll give it a week or possibly longer. I am sure the results will be far greater than the short loss of gym time. Will have to see though.

My New Diet Results

Well here we are just about four weeks after I started this new diet of mine. In case you do not remember the premise was to consume 3200 k/cal on off days and 3800 k/cal on training days but the kicker was to load up with carbs around training times.

Funny thing, this did not go as well as planned. I found myself fighting to maintain 3200 k/cal and many times slipping well below that. On the training days I was able to get 3800 k/cal into me with the help of ice cream, cheeseburgers and fries and good old beer. Unfortunately the results are very much sub par.

I started at 204lb and 13.5% BF
I am now at 205-206lb and 13.5% BF (2nd week I jumped up to 14.5% but came right back down)

So I gained approx. 1lb of ffm (fat free mass). Truly not as I wanted or expected. The big trouble came with attempting to maintain clean calories on the non training days. The good news is I believe I have a decent diet to put to work when I want to maintain my body composition.

Calories In : Calories Out Disorder

I hear it from every nutritional pro, "It's all about calories you take in versus calories you expend."

I can't lie... I KNOW they are absolutely right. HOWEVER, the major problem translating this short phrase is folks will try to shorten it even more! So instead of calories in and calories out I hear people speak of just the calories in portion. People wanting to lose fat, maintain muscle and reap the benefits of looking damn good naked (which is the definition of "toning") end up screwing this simple formula up by eating too little.

Why?

Simply they are ignorant to the second part of the phrase "calories out". I know, you are already typing away to get off my blog, but just hold on and allow me to explain. We all know it takes some fuel (calories) to make our human body machines function properly on a daily basis. However, we do not all understand how much fuel a person will need and what effects this caloric number. Understanding this is KEY to being able to apply calories in versus calories out. Now, I'm not going to get overly complicated here, I will quickly explain the basics behind the madness.

First and foremost your caloric intake must ALWAYS stay above your RMR (resting metabolic rate). This is the amount of calories you need to function optimally. Your body already expends a good deal of calories without a mind-numbing treadmill or 100 useless crunches. Typically a healthy non-obese person will need to eat their weight x 10. So if you weigh 150lb, you will need to eat at least 1500 calories. Simple "ballpark" formula.

Next, you need quality calories. IHOP for breakfast and Pizza Hut for dinner ain't gonna cut it. Get lean proteins, plenty of vegatables and keep off the extra carbs and starches. Unless you run around the block 24 hours a day, carbing up is not too smart. Stay lean you need to go easy on the carbs.

Third, if you want to drop the fat you need to raise your calories out above your COA (cost of activities) which includes daily stuff and adding the gym in. You to do enough to stay above your calories you are taking in. Word to the wise choose your activities wisely. Specifically jogging miles and miles and spending several hours stretching in a class....is a joke. I have written many articles to aid in the calorie burning agenda. Just check out thefitnessroad.com for more info.

Okay that is it for the basic look in clearing up the calories in versus calories out disorder I see time and time again.

Eat What You Want on Thanksgiving!!!

I am sick and tired of all the half-wit health crap on TV and the internet. Warning people to eat "light" and count calories while trying to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. I say, enjoy yourself. Enjoyment of life is healthy. Being around family is healthy. Over-feeding every once in a while is ANABOLIC. That's right, scarfing down a heaping of turkey laced with tryptophan will help protein synthesis along. Add in the sugar and you just boosted your insulin. Now, your body is working overtime trying to use all the macronutrients it is being given. It works over time -- your METABOLISM raises. You burn more calories just sitting there and laughing up a storm with uncle Jed because Grandma Martha let out a noise she said came from a "barking ghost".

For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, this is just a time to really enjoy ourselves and screw all the rules of health for a day.

Over eat and enjoy Thanksgiving.

In good health,
Ty