My wiser, broader perspective made me realize that  comparing myself to others is a losing game. While competing can be a good thing to keep us pushing harder, comparing  feeds insecurities that are already too powerful. At this point I simply don’t have time to pay attention to my insecurities; I’m too busy enjoying what I like about myself and my life. But  it can be a good thing to air them out on occasion; when exposed to the light of day we might just see that our own insecurities are strengths, not weaknesses.

So on this third anniversary of WorkoutNirvana.com, a time when I feel so much gratitude to you for reading and following this blog, for being my clients, and for connecting with me here and elsewhere on the interwebz, I expose my own sometime-self-doubts for what they are: strengths disguised as weaknesses:

I’m not particularly “young” according to cultural standards and I got into the fitness industry relatively late in the game. But I’ve been lifting weights for over 15 years and I’ve never had as much energy, good health, or a more beautiful body.

I may not deadlift or bench press as much as others and I have tiny, injury-prone joints. But I’ve developed full-body conditioning and strength that most people will, unfortunately, only ponder having during their lives because they’re not willing or they’ve given up.

I’ve never been part of an “in crowd” and have never been one to follow a leader. But I’m authentic with everyone I meet, strive to be a good friend, and give help those who ask for it the best I can.

I’m a YouTube newbie and have aspirations I haven’t even come close to attaining yet. But in the last year I’ve started my own business, launched a whole new look on my site, and mapped out solid goals for helping as many people as I can in coming months and years. (And I just recorded my first YouTube video last week!)

_______

In the end, all that matters is being authentic to yourself. You can choose: Do I follow the beaten path, listening to people who have a completely different body and background than me, or do I forge my own way, navigating sometimes unwieldy undergrowth yet knowing this is the path I’m creating for myself? 

I started WorkoutNirvana three years ago not knowing it would lead to my becoming a certified personal trainer and virtual coach, meeting hundreds of new people, and helping many others find their footing and ideal physique through strength training. I started out only wanting to share my passion for the iron and the transformations weightlifting could offer to one’s body. I’ve carved my own path with my body and my life that now allows me to help others do the same, but I couldn’t have done it without hard-earned self-confidence and people like you.

Thank you.

Keep your eye on your goals and never stop believing you can reach them.

See you in Nirvana.

I assure you that even most guys aren’t doing the hip thrust, and when they see you crushing it they’ll be intrigued as they try not to look. Rest assured that this exercise is not as involved as it looks so there’s no need to feel intimidated.

When you get down to it, the hip thrust is a close cousin of the glute bridge, a bodyweight exercise you’ve probably done yourself. I use the glute bridge with almost all my new clients as a way to wake up the glutes and teach proper hip extension. People are usually surprised at how deceptively difficult this exercise is. It requires a lot of lumbopelvic stability and core strength to raise your hips while keeping your upper body on the floor, and this is a good thing. Your body is learning to keep your torso and pelvis in optimal alignment, which will help protect your spine during sports or any physical activity.

Once a client is able to knock out three sets of 12-15 reps with ease, they’ll move on to single-leg floor bridges or elevating the shoulders, which provides more range of motion and core activation. From there we can raise both the shoulders and feet, engaging the hamstrings a bit more, and finally to single-leg thrusts with shoulders elevated and one foot raised. A client is usually ready to move on to barbell hip thrusts after this progression. Starting barbell hip thrusts on the floor is also an option if a client doesn’t have the core strength to perform them with elevated shoulders just yet.

Check out this video showing the basic progression:

Glute Bridge

1. Lie on the floor with your knees bent. Lift your hips off the floor until your knees, hips, and shoulders are in a straight line.
2. Hold for 2 -3 seconds, contracting your glutes at the top and engaging your core muscles. Do not let your back hyperextend.
3. Lower your hips until they’re almost to the floor and repeat.

Barbell Hip Thrust

1. Begin seated on the ground with a bench directly behind you. Have a loaded barbell over your legs. Use a pad to take the pressure off your pelvis during the exercise. If needed, stack plates under each end so the barbell can roll over your legs (pictured above).
2. Roll the bar so that it is directly above your hips, and lean back against the bench so that your shoulder blades are near the top of it. Be sure the bench is anchored and won’t move. (Leaning against a chest press bench can be a good option; just make sure your bench isn’t so high that you can’t stabilize yourself safely.)
3. Drive through your feet, extending your hips vertically through the bar. Your weight should be supported by your shoulder blades and your feet. Extend your hips as far as possible, contracting your glutes at the top and without hyperextending your low back. Return to the starting position.
   When using bigger plates you may touch the plates to the floor between reps to get more range of motion.

Women who learn the barbell hip thrust not only see great results in their glutes, but they love the feeling of strength and power this exercise provides. Start progressing today and I guarantee you’ll be hooked.

Shoulder injuries are ridiculously common, and those of us who lift weights should be focused not only building strength and size but on keeping our shoulders healthy. It’s a relatively delicate joint that we punish repetitively by doing pressing exercises, participating in sports, and sitting hunched over a keyboard. Even you’re currently pain-free, your shoulders have most likely been stressed at some points in your life, resulting in dysfunctional movement patterns you’re not even aware of.

The point of shoulder prehab is to prevent shoulder problems; thus, we do them even if our shoulders are pain-free. If you’re already in pain I suggest a doctor’s visit to rule out any serious issues.

Shoulder Prehab Plan

Your scapula, its surrounding muscles, and your serratus anterior are central to supporting your shoulders. Your game plan should include the following.

Watch your Posture

Maintain stability and range of motion in your scapulae (shoulder blades) with proper posture: keep your scapulae pulled down (depressed) and back (retracted) while strength training or sitting at the computer. (However, we also need to train for healthy scapular protraction, as Eric Cresseydiscusses here).

Stretch your Pectoral Muscles

Hunching over a keyboard and doing a lot of pressing exercises can cause tight pectoral muscles, which can restrict the upward motion of the scapula. Keep things loose by regularly stretching and using a softball, tennis ball, or lacrosse ball to work out tightness in your pectorals, as shown here.

Do Strengthening and Mobility Exercises

Commit to doing exercises like the ones below even if you’re not having pain. Stop including them in your routine and your shoulders will most likely return to moving in restricted, dysfunctional patterns.

You can do shoulder prehab during your full-body dynamic warm up, as part of your workout, or on your off days. These exercises should be done with light resistance; the point is to increase blood flow and mobility while strengthening your rhomboids, which don’t need heavy resistance. Be sure to integrate these exercises:

• Band dislocates
• Band pull aparts
• Rope or band face pulls
• YTWL’s
• Yoga pushups

You should also foam roll your entire body regularly to increase flexibility and straighten balled up muscle adhesions that can cause you to dysfunctional movements.

I credit JC Deen for introducing me to the religion of shoulder prehab and now use it with my clients and myself. JC wrote a good article about fixing shoulder woes here. Also check out Eric Cressey’s Shoulder Savers series and the DieselCrew.com.

Practice Proper Strength-training Form

If you frequently train your chest and shoulders without also strengthening your rhomboids, you’re in for muscle imbalances. You need to balance these pushing movements with a strong upper back.
Cressey’s shoulder saver series is one of the best resources so check it out. At a high level:

1. Learn proper bench press form (a good explanation can be found here).
2. Minimize or avoid straight-bar pressing.
3. Use a neutral grip when possible (chest press, dumbbell press, rows, pull ups, etc.)
4. Balance pushing with pulling. Don’t train for the mirror – train your back muscles more often than front to avoid overusing your anterior delts.

Shoulder health isn’t a topic we want to think about if we have healthy, pain-free shoulders. But I challenge you to start thinking of shoulder prehab as required part of your workouts – starting now.

Seriously – I thought this kind of misinformation was just legend at this point.

But then I realized that it makes perfect sense. The vast majority of models, actresses, etc.  are very thin, with no visible muscle definition. That “workout” will not produce any muscle to speak of, and that’s actually by design. In Celebrity Land, muscle is bad.

The paradox is that, in my experience, most women want muscle definition. They want to look lean and fit. They want to have delts that pop, calves that beg for a skirt, and triceps that stand out. So why do women follow workouts that don’t build any muscle?

Because the messages the media sends to women about strength training and muscle are wrong.

How to REALLY Get Ripped

Like I said, I believe women aspire to be lean and have a hard body. Ripped. Fit. Feminine. They don’t want to look like a bodybuilder, but they’d love some definition in their arms, shoulders, legs, and butt. Unfortunately, the images and messages we’re fed in the media don’t support these goals.

But maybe you’re already following celebrities who have athletic physiques, such as Jamie Eason or another Oxygen Magazine model. These women, along with Crossfit games competitors, are excellent examples of athletic physiques who work full time at their sport/profession. You don’t have to train full time or be as shredded as an athlete to attain your ideal body. You simply need to follow a few principles in your workouts.

Women have been lied to about how to get buff. Here are the facts:

• You need to lift heavy weights. Lifting heavy does not make you look bulky like a man; women have only a tiny fraction of the hormone testosterone, which contributes to guys getting big. Women who have huge muscles have been using steroids. We’re just not naturally capable of getting that big.To put it in perspective: I am 5’3” and weigh 111 pounds. I’ve been lifting weights for over 15 years and lift as heavy as I can. Yet I’m still a very petite woman and think I look badass – feminine looking and athletic. It’s the difference between being thin without muscle and having muscle definition. There are many, many women who can lift much more weight than me and look equally petite. The mantra, “light weights, high reps” is a farce. If you use three- or five-pound weights you’ll stop seeing results almost immediately. That’s because your muscles have adapted to the stimulus – they know what’s coming and don’t have to work hard to repair themselves. To continue seeing progress – to get ripped – you must keep increasing the weight. And the more years your strength train the harder you must try to stimulate growth. This basic principle of weightlifting is called progressive overload. The same principle applies to a skinny-ass resistance band that looks like a pencil. Feel the burn? Great! After a couple weeks you’d better get yourself a heavier band or you’re just wasting your time.

• You cannot spot reduce with strength training. If you see claims of banishing belly fat with an ab exercise, that’s misleading. You need to eat clean in order to lose body fat. And you won’t see muscle definition until you lose excess fat.

• Doing only high reps every workout wastes time. This might be the most common mistake women make. You should integrate low reps (3-6), moderate reps (8-12), and high reps (15-20) into your workouts or you’ll find your progress at a standstill. This is not complicated, and if you keep a training journal you’ll know what to do every session. You can either integrate different reps each session or you can change it up every few weeks. If you are unsure of how to design a strength-training program then let’s chat – I provide virtual coaching.

• Being thin isn’t the end-all-be-all. If you’re thin without enough lean muscle mass (a.k.a skinny fat) then you’re at risk for some surprising and scary health risks. I’m betting that many of the models and celebrities out there today are skinny fat, and they’re missing out: Not only is muscle definition beautiful, but it increases your metabolism and burns fat. Being strong protects you from injury too and has been shown to be a factor in longevity.

If you’re not seeing progress, take a look at the advice you’re following. Are you relying on celebrity trainers, paid to make their clients look thin on camera, or knowledgeable, real-world pros who help people like you build lean muscle mass?

I’ve been writing this blog for three years – I’ve got your back. Very soon I’ll be making videos, with the Workout Nirvana stamp of approval, for both my clients and my readers. I spend a big chunk of my time studying the latest exercise science and research, so you can feel confident that I’ll show you how to get results the right way.

After some research, I decided to give creatine a try to see just how far it could take me with my muscle-building goals. Plus as a personal trainer, I wanted to know if I should recommend creatine to my clients. If you’re a woman who wants to ratchet up your strength-training game to the next level, here’s what you need to know about this muscle-building tool.

The Scoop on Creatine

Creatine is a naturally occurring substance – a combination of three amino acids – found in high-protein foods such as red meat and some fish. However, most people only get about 1g of creatine per day from their diet, and cooking food tends to destroy the substance. Creatine is also produced in the human body in very small amounts. This brings us to creatine monohydrate, which is a natural, inexpensive supplement used to enhance physical performance.

Creatine has been studied widely; it’s accepted that it’s one of the safest supplements you can buy for most people. Research has shown that heavy strength training and regular creatine use can increase the body’s ability to produce energy rapidly, enabling you to eke out more reps and contract the muscle more powerfully with the same amount of weight. Both strength and performance have been shown to improve (and even concentration, among other benefits), but creatine also has been shown to benefit high-intensity sprinting and endurance activities (the benefits diminish the longer an exercise session continues). But creatine is most commonly used to increase strength and energy during workouts and enhance muscle growth.

My Experience

It was about three weeks after I started using creatine that I noticed an extra push during my workouts (I even noted it in my training log – “Feelin it!”). I was clearly able to push harder – I felt more rested after each set and had more energy than usual.

In the following three months, I gained half an inch in my glutes, shoulders, and biceps. This may not seem like much, but when you’ve been training for many years the gains come much more slowly. I also went from three unassisted pull ups to seven and had overall strength gains in my lifts.

Now I don’t pretend that creatine was the cause of all these gains; I implemented a number of changes during the last three months. I started using pull-up bands, changed my shoulder program, and became more structured about my workouts. In effect, I started applying some of the principles I use with my personal training clients to myself.

Would I have progressed to seven pull ups without creatine? I’m not sure. I definitely have more energy during my workouts and can push harder. This is bound to translate into strength and muscle gains. And I love the feeling of tighter shirt sleeves and seeing those measurable changes.

How to Take Creatine

There is a great deal of misinformation out there about creatine. Here are the facts!

How much
You only need around 5g of creatine per day. You might hear that you should “load” creatine for the first week by taking 20g per day to saturate your muscles, but most experts say this is not necessary. I personally took about 4g from day one. I felt an improvement in my performance after three weeks.

What kind
Powdered creatine has been shown to be more effective than liquid. Some say to buy micronized creatine (a commercially manufactured form of creatine that may absorb faster). I didn’t use micronized creatine but I did buy a brand featuring Creapure®, which guarantees the product’s purity and quality. Buy plain creatine monohydrate without added sugar or other ingredients.

How to mix
Mix creatine with water, chocolate milk, a protein shake, or whatever you want. It doesn’t have to be a high-sugar drink as some claim.

When to take
The time of day you take creatine doesn’t matter, according to most experts. I’ve seen claims that taking creatine post-workout may be beneficial, but I don’t know of any evidence to support it. There is conflicting advice out there about whether to cycle creatine – that is, giving it a rest because your body has adapted. Personally, I plan on taking a break only because my winter building push is coming to an end and I’m more focused on leaning out for summer.

What to expect
- Look for an increase in performance in three to four weeks, if you aren’t loading.

- While creatine may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some people, it did not cause water retention/weight gain/stomach issues for me (and I have a sensitive stomach). Some say micronized creatine causes more water retention; I didn’t use this type.

- When you feel crazy energized and want to go hard, there’s the potential to injure yourself. Do push hard but allow your body to recover sufficiently, too.

Creatine may be just what you need if you’ve hit a plateau or want to go hard and improve your results. Have you thought about taking creatine, or have you already? Share your thoughts below.

Resources:

• Is Creatine Right for You? Oxygenmag.com
• Creatine is for Girls (too), JCDFitness.com
• Creatine Truths & Myths, Bodybuilding.com
• Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance, jssn.com

You can improve your workouts – and your body composition– by changing an almost endless array of variables. Here are just three ways to start seeing better progress immediately.

Avoid Ineffective Machines

In the gym where I train the row of ab-crunching machines is on fire during peak hours. Everyone lies face up in pseudo reclining chairs while they chat and crunch like crazy. Up-down, up-down, up-down…

Interestingly, the hip adductor/abductor machines are located nearby and also enjoy heavy traffic. Just push your inner or outer thighs against the pads  to “tone” your thighs and even burn away fat!

The truth is if you’re interested in maximizing your workouts, you should avoid using isolation machines such as these. Sitting or lying passively on a machine while you exercise a single muscle doesn’t train your body to move in a coordinated, functional way and also does not “spot reduce” your torso, inner thighs, or any other part of your body.

Instead of using an ab machine that allows you to cheat by recruiting your hips, back, and upper body, do exercises that require you to stabilize your entire body, such as plank variations, cable lifts, and pushups. Your inner/outer thighs will get stronger and more defined by doing squats, lunges, and deadlifts as your muscles work hard to stabilize your entire body.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t use isolation exercises at all; I use certain isolation movements for aesthetic and muscle-balancing purposes. Take the bent-over lateral raise, for example, which hits the rear deltoid. This exercise provides not only a pleasing, balanced look in the back but also helps prevent a muscle imbalance with the oft-overused anterior delts and pectoral muscles. But I use dumbbells for this exercise, not the rear delt machine, so that I can engage my core and activate smaller stabilizer muscles. Using dumbbells also allows me to move in a more natural range of motion.

As a rule, use isolation machines sparingly and rely more on free weights, barbells, cables, bands, and generally more compound movements.

Tighten Up Your Training Frequency

When new clients tell me they typically hit each muscle group once a week or train for 90 minutes five days a week, it’s almost always one reason why they haven’t been seeing progress.

Training frequency has a big impact on your results. If your goal is to build muscle mass, hitting each muscle group once a week isn’t exactly maximizing your workouts; it’s tough to see optimal growth with such a low frequency. Oftentimes clients see immediate progress when they switch from a body-part split to a twice-a-week upper/lower split. Likewise, training too frequently or for too long each session can result in running out of fuel and hampering recovery, both of which affect performance.

How often you should train is highly individual and can depend on your age, sleep patterns, diet, stress level, and goals. But most people get the best results by training each muscle group somewhere between twice a week to once every 5^th day.

Take the time to experiment with different training frequencies and splits. If you’re not seeing gains, it might be time to re-evaluate and try training more frequently or cutting back.

Vary Your Rep Ranges

Probably the biggest mistake I see is using the same repetition range every session. No matter if it’s 3-5, 10-12, or 15-20 reps, no one should always use the same range if they want to build muscle and/or strength.

Rep ranges are one of the best ways to manipulate – or stymy – your results. When you use the same rep range for every workout your body is no longer being placed under enough stress to cause muscle growth – it’s adapted to the stimulus and most likely plateaued.

A common fear is that cycling in lower or higher reps will stop you from progressing (even though you’ve probably already stopped growing). Not only will different rep ranges help prevent gnawing boredom from setting in, but you’ll get to your goals faster. When you train in lower rep ranges you get stronger. When you get stronger, you can lift more weight and thus build more muscle. And when you lift in the higher rep range regularly you get an entirely different stimulus and help your body recover.

How you cycle in different rep ranges will depend on your goals. If you’re training for mass you should include both moderate and low reps each week. You can also cycle in high reps every few weeks to aid in recovery.

Train with a purpose – know the reason you’re doing a movement and ask yourself whether it’s the best way to achieve your goals. Questions about maximizing your workout? Just leave a comment below or drop me a line.

Ever have a moment when your mouth dropped open involuntarily as you process incoming data? Sometimes it’s that moment when you know you must take action, whether it’s outside your comfort zone or not.

My third-grader goes to a good school with teachers who really care. But good schools can have policies that are behind the times, especially when it comes to what we’re teaching kids about nutrition. If you’ve ever been uncomfortable with the candy/food policy in your child’s school but thought it was useless to speak out, read on.

Candy as a “Tool?”

When the bell rang on the second day of third grade, my daughter came out of school complaining of a stomachache.

“I just ate 49 Skittles in math,” she said, rubbing her stomach.

That’s when my mouth dropped.

As it turns out, third-graders play a math game early in the year in which teachers use Skittles as a “motivational tool.” Students are given the option to eat the candy or not – and of course, my eight-year-old with the major sweet tooth opted in.

I was already aware that in some classes, candy was handed out liberally throughout the year as a reward for good behavior. I remembered my daughter’s “treasure box” rewards and of course class parties hosted with plates of sweet treats. Sugary donuts are used for school fundraisers, and on birthdays every child is allowed to bring in cupcakes or another sweet treat.

But the sheer excessiveness of the math candy prompted me to pin down gnawing thoughts: Should schools be handing out sugar to kids when parents are trying to teach them healthy attitudes about nutrition and dental care at home? What kind of message does it send to kids when schools endorse sweets? And what about those of us who are concerned about dyes and other harmful ingredients found in many processed, refined sweets?

Sweets Undermine Kids’ Health

After emailing the teacher about my concerns it became clear that my daughter could be excluded from treats and given “fruit snacks” instead. But I declined, saying fruit snacks are merely candy in disguise and I didn’t want my child singled out. To me, the answer was simply less candy (or none) handed out in school.

When my daughter walked out of school with more candy – rewards for taking a required test – I met with the principal, along with a friend who shared my concerns. The principal was sympathetic and suggested we attend PTA meetings to address the issue.

Little did I know that for the next six months we would be attending sometimes contentious PTA meetings working to get a food-as-rewards policy implemented at the school. Contentious, you say? Yes – there are plenty of parents who believe that children should be rewarded with candy, despite these negatives:

• With 17 percent [1] of children aged 2 to 19 in the United States being overweight or obese, we need to think about what we’re teaching kids about their relationship with food. Using food to satisfy an emotional need is clearly a major American past time which leads to weight gain and health problems.Sure, food is a legitimate way to celebrate, gather together, and enjoy life. But what about the times when you’re having a bad day and stop for a double-decker ice cream? Or you’re all alone on the couch feeling lonely and decide a bag of chips is in order? Or the times when you’ve worked hard all day and “deserve” a candy bar (or two)? Is handing out candy for good behavior teaching kids they should reward themselves the same way?
• Using treats as rewards (and certainly in math) is poor modeling and can compromise classroom learning [2]. My daughter’s school sends home a list of “healthy snacks” parents are supposed to abide by, so it’s hypocritical to also encourage unhealthy behavior and food associations along with a sugar high that can distract kids from learning.
• Obviously there are negative health effects that can result from consuming sweets. Sweets are associated with weight gain, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, gallstones, certain cancers, and more [3]. (Check out the American Heart Association’s stand on sugar consumption.) Not only that but there are dyes and artificial ingredients in candy that are a far cry from clean eating.
• Rewarding children with food and sweets undermines what we’re trying to teach our kids at home. I expect my daughter to do her homework without a reward, but the school is rewarding her for doing something she was supposed to do!

Practicing Mindfulness in Schools

Six months later, after heated discussions with teachers, principals, and parents about the need (or lack of need) to control what the school hands out as rewards, we have a policy in place that:

• Requires teachers to inform parents of their intent to give out candy and give parents the chance to opt out;
• Encourages teachers not to use candy (or food) as a reward or as part of the curriculum and educates teachers about why; and
• Encourages parents bring in healthy food or nonfood items for holiday parties and birthdays.

This isn’t a policy that forbids the school from handing out candy or food; political changes involve compromise and can be slow. But the school now knows that it will be held accountable and mindful for what it gives kids.

Victories often come in small bursts. One teacher, who originally was part of a team using candy in math, now has the best ideas ways for rewarding students without food.

If you’re concerned about sweets (or food) given out in your child’s school, I encourage you to take action. Even if you provoke thought and discussion only, you’ve helped your school move in the right direction. And who knows – maybe your child’s school simply hasn’t thought through their policy yet, and you can be the impetus to make that happen.

Resources

• 5 Times You Should Never Want to Feed Your Kids
• How Much Sugar Should Kids Get Vs. What They Really Get
• Scientific Statement on Dietary Sugar Intake from American Heart Association
• No More Skittles: School Snacks May Get Healthy Update
• Constructive Classroom Rewards: Promoting Good Habits While Protecting Children’s Health
• Alternatives to Food as a Reward: Promoting a Healthy School Environment

- Lose 10 to 12 pounds (or 3 percent body fat)
- Gain muscle definition in your arms, legs, chest, or butt

The secret is to have a fitness plan, so take a look at how you can spend the next 12 weeks accomplishing these goals.

Your 12-Week Plan

Can you imagine being 10 pounds lighter by summer or losing enough fat to feel “cut?” This is totally doable. Sure, you could lose weight more quickly on a diet of shakes and carrots, but your goal is to maintain/build muscle mass and practice new habits that will not only help you achieve your goal but stay there.

If want more muscle definition, there is no reason why you can’t be lean and cut in 12 weeks IF you only have a few pounds of excess body fat. The keys to muscle definition are heavy strength training, proper caloric intake, and liberal protein consumption. Body fat covers up muscle, so if you need to lose more than 10 pounds focus on reducing body fat first.

On your mark, get set, wait! Before you start, set an exact goal for next 12 weeks:

• For body fat reduction, commit to the number of pounds or percentage of body fat you want to lose. It’s realistic to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week or 1 percent of your body fat per month. Or if you hate tracking numbers, decide on a certain pair of pants you want to fit into, for example, or a specific dress size.
• For muscle definition, decide what you want to see in the mirror in 12 weeks: more shoulder and arm definition? Defined inner thighs and firmer butt?

—> Write these goals down on your calendar today. Now you’re ready to start.

Week 1

When I work with personal training clients, I encourage them to strive for small, incremental changes to avoid feeling overwhelmed. So in week 1, focus on nutrition and clean eating only. Here’s your checklist:

1. Find out where you stand. If your goal is to lose “x” number of pounds, weigh yourself today. Now write it on your calendar to check your weight in two weeks. If you so desire, take circumference measurements as an extra tracking tool. OR, if you prefer to track percentage of body fat, measure your body fat today using body fat calipers (or have a fitness pro do it for you). Write it on your calendar to check it again in one month. Of course, you can always use clothing as a gauge too.
2. Find your proper calorie intake. I encourage you to track your calories for a period of time to gain an awareness of what you’re eating. Calculate your recommended calorie intake here. Now subtract 500 kcals to lose 1 pound per week or subtract 1,000 to lose 2 pounds per week (remember your goal?). How long you track is up to you, but I suggest at least 2 to 3 weeks.
3. Start eating clean. Eating whole, natural foods in a structured fashion will help you lose weight (and is healthier too). Check out my clean-eating articles for tips, recipes, and valuable nutrition information. Also commit to getting enough protein (aim for about 25 to 30 percent of your daily calories).
4. Plan your exercise program. If you plan it this week, you can start it next week. Plan, you say? Yes, plan out what your strength training workouts and how many days of cardio (and what type) you’ll do.

For reducing body fat, your goal should be some type of exercise every day. Continue doing things you love (such as a sport or activity) and, depending on your fitness level, add high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training (2 to 3 days of each). Your individual training program should be based on many factors; that’s why I provide online coaching instead of one-size-fits-all workouts.

For muscle definition, you need to lift heavy stuff, too, without wasting away your muscle with too much cardio. There are a whole lot of ways to build muscle. The most important factor is having an effective, long-term program and sticking to it.

Week 2

1. Begin your exercise program. Boom! You’re in the routine.
2. Get into the groove of preparing food ahead. Again, start small. Grill and freeze a package of chicken breasts, buy frozen vegetables, and commit to taking your lunch to work a few times. Bring a snack with you. Eliminate one or two restaurant meals.

Weeks 3-12

1. Keep up your exercise routine every week.
2. Continue to eat clean. Decrease eating out a little every week and prepare more of your own food. Slowly replace processed foods with natural ones.
3. Check your progress. Recheck your body fat and/or measurements once a month and your weight every week (keeping in mind that it fluctuates widely in the short term). If you haven’t made any progress, reduce your caloric intake a bit and increase activity. Always weigh yourself in the morning, before breakfast, and sans clothes.
4. Revisit your calorie intake to make sure you’re still on track. If you’re not making progress, adjust your calories and/or activity level.
5. New habits take time! Remember that even if you don’t hit your goal, you know you can do this.

That’s it! You’re on your way. I absolutely love seeing people reach their goals – what are YOURS?

Sticking to a Program

Probably the biggest mistake we all make is switching workouts or exercises too often. Most people just don’t have the knowledge to build their own effective, high-quality training program. Obviously I’m a personal trainer and have the know-how, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally took the time to use this knowledge for my own workouts. I’m better about changing my program regularly now too, instead of using the same one for six months or a year.

A good program lasts four to six weeks – that means the same exercises. You can rotate several workouts and that is desirable to avoid adaptation. But you also need to change other variables in a structured manner, such as reps, sets, and resistance. Keep a training log so you can keep track of what you’re doing.

Creatine

When I decided to take creatine two months ago, a supplement that can increase performance and thus muscle gains, I decided to track my progress (I should have been doing this all along and so should you).

It was at about three weeks after starting creatine that I noticed an extra push during my workouts. (I didn’t load as some do – I’ve been taking about 4 grams per day from the start.). My energy level was higher after resting between sets and I found that I could push harder. Good stuff! Incidentally, haven’t had any side effects (such as bloating) from creatine.

By tracking my circumference measurements, I can see that I’ve gained a quarter of an inch in my biceps, shoulders, hips (butt), and chest (possibly back muscles). My shirts are tighter in the sleeves and I notice a visible difference in my backside.

I recommend creatine, but please don’t use it if you aren’t following a structured training program. Having that extra energy means you can potentially push too hard and end up overtraining or injuring yourself.

Compound Movements

I used to have a flat butt and that is a fact! Now I love my backside and know I’m not wasting my time in the weight room. I’ve also gained definition and mass in my thighs and adductors.

These gains have resulted from ditching random exercises and training in a structured manner. I do the same big, compound movements (and slight variations) on a rotation that includes both low and moderate repetition ranges. I do four to five sets instead of always doing three, and I vary my rest periods. And of course, I lift heavy.

Compound exercises are those that use multiple joints, such as squats, deadlifts, barbell hip thrusts, kettle bell swings, leg presses, bench presses, dips, and pull ups. I still do a few isolation movements but only after the big ones.

For a long time I avoided deadlifts and squats because I strained my low back one day (at home, not at the gym). But I could have resumed a long time ago; deadlifts and squats won’t hurt your back if you use proper form. I just got into a rut of doing random workouts instead of sticking with a program, and I bet you might be doing the same. Just realize that building muscle takes time; you’ll start seeing visible results after about 8 to 12 weeks.

Pull-up Bands

Up until this winter I did chin ups using a skinny bar with palms facing in – the easiest kind. But I decided to switch to a neutral, fat grip because (1) a neutral grip is easier on the shoulders, and (2) a fat grip activates more muscle fibers. Unfortunately, when I made the switch I was instantly set back from six or seven to two or three pull ups.

So I started using a pull-up band two months ago and my neutral-grip pull ups have increased as a result. (You simply loop the band around the bar, step in, and let the band “assist” you.) Progress is slow, but now I can do 11 pull ups with the red band and 4 sets of 4 unassisted (when I first started with the band I could only do 8 band-assisted pull ups).

Sure, I could have used the assisted pull-up machine instead of the band. But I never pushed myself as hard on the machine and never made any progress, either. Incidentally, I tried eccentric pull ups for several weeks without much progress.

I’m going to continue mixing in assisted and unassisted pull ups until I can do many more unassisted pull ups. It’s great fun!

Improvements to Come

There is always room for improvement and that’s one of the most fun aspects of weightlifting. I want to integrate more full-body exercises into my program, such as overhead squats and dumbbell snatches. I avoid these currently because it always conflicts with my body part split. I also want to focus on getting enough high-quality calories and work on my balance.

What are you going to work on next?

While every fitness expert seems to recommend using protein powder, it’s worthwhile to question whether it’s really necessary to supplement, and if so, whether protein powder is the best way. Studies do show that exercising individuals need more protein than the non-exercising population. Protein has proven, highly relevant benefits, such as a greater metabolic rate, enhanced performance and/or muscle growth, and improved body composition.

But is the need to supplement overblown? It seems to me that what you do while you’re training is more important than what you do after. Sure, you need to be sufficiently recovered for your next workout and it helps when your muscles are synthesizing protein as efficiently as possible. But unless you’re a bodybuilder, do you really need to worry so much about protein supplementation or is this a “manufactured” need?

It’s common knowledge that the best ways to recover from strength training are not training to failure every set and resting adequately between workouts (allowing at least 48 hours between training muscle groups). And to build muscle, lifting heavy-ass weights and getting enough calories are what you should focus on. Clearly post-workout nutrition plays an important role in training, but it may be overemphasized by media and “experts.”

How Much Protein Do You Really Need?

I tracked my protein intake recently and found that I get enough without supplementing (my goals is about 25 percent of my daily calories). According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine:

People who regularly engage in low-intensity exercise do not need additional protein above the RDA of 0.8 gram per kilogram per day; however, studies suggest that endurance athletes involved in heavy training require 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Resistance-trained athletes may need as much as 1.6 to 1.7 grams per kg body weight. Protein intake of 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram per day for physically active individuals is not only safe, but also may improve adaptations to exercise training [1].”

The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends this range as well.

However, let’s be realistic and understand that most of us are not athletes or competitive bodybuilders. Recreationally active individuals – those who work out regularly – are probably fine on the lower end of the spectrum at 1 to 1.2 g/kg/day. By most accounts Americans get more than enough protein, so most Americans should not need to supplement. In fact, the National Academy of Sports Medicine also states:

If you are a weekend athlete, there’s no need to increase the protein in your diet, and no reason to expect that doing so will help your performance. If you are a competitive athlete, choosing adequate calories from a wide variety of foods will ensure an adequate protein intake. Supplements are unnecessary and expensive, and they may disrupt normal protein balance in the body. Play it safe; choose a healthful diet to fuel your exercise.” [2]

In case you missed it: NASM, a nationally respected fitness organization, does not recommend that most Americans augment their protein intake with supplements. If you are an athlete – meaning you compete or exercise very intensely on a regular basis – use the intake guidelines first listed above.

The Whole Food Advantage

No matter what your athletic level, the main reasons for using protein powder are convenience and insurance. Find out how much protein you’re getting and if it’s not enough, it’s time to be creative with whole protein sources, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy, quinoa, and beans and legumes.

No one should get most of their protein from powder. Whether you supplement or not, lean, solid protein sources are preferable to a processed, refined drink. Whole protein sources such as chicken, beef, eggs, milk, cheese, fish contain nutrients. Everyone agrees on this:

The recommendation of the International Society of Sport Nutrition is that individuals engaging in exercise attempt to obtain their protein requirements through whole foods.” [3]

Even experts like John Berardi, who write copiously and lovingly of the benefits of protein, end up saying the same thing:

It’s important to recognize that we don’t just eat protein and amino acids — we eat food. Therefore, high protein diets often provide auxiliary nutrients that could enhance performance and/or muscle growth. These nutrients include creatine, branched chain amino acids, conjugated linoleic acids, and/or additional nutrients that are important but remain to be discovered. And don’t forget the vitamins and minerals we get from protein rich foods. (And lest anyone think I’m a shill for the protein powder industry, this last point clearly illustrates the need to get most of your protein from food, rather than supplements <emphasis mine>.)” [4]

Whole non-dairy protein sources are also less likely to cause digestive upset due to added chemicals and lactose.

Thoughts?

References

[1] [2] Insel, Paul,  Don Ross,  Kimberley McMahon,  Melissa Bernstein. Nutrition: Custom Edition, 4th Edition. Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 04/2010 page 246.