Round 2: Rapid Fat Loss Week 4

Another week done and dusted and what a week, training solid all week and pushing the intensity as far as my pain threshold will allow. Over the past two weeks I’ve been training with a partner which has really helped with my motivation so even if I can’t be bothered to train I have to go as I don’t want to let him down. I think even the most enthusiastic fitness fanatic goes through a period where they think “I could just not go and stay at home” but you have to suck it up and get your arse in gear! I truly believe that the more you put in the more you get out, now I’m not saying you have to over train as you need plenty of time to recover after your workouts but when you think about it logically there are 168 hours in a week, if you train 5 times a week for an hour that’s not really a lot so we all could get out of the house and be more active, walking instead of driving etc.

With regards to my workouts the past week has involved a number of drop set routines just to mix things up and shock the body. The workouts are similar to the bicep workout I posted where you start on a certain weight do 10 reps drop the weight do another 10 etc, I can’t really describe the pain but it burns......a lot! I think the bicep session is the worst by far. It literally feels like this............................

Over the week my weight has fluctuated, I’m really trying to get out of the habit of weighing myself daily as you can become slightly obsessed. My diet has been fairly strict but I did have a cheat meal on Sunday as it was a family get together and I never turn down a free meal especially from my mum!

So Monday morning I hopped on the scales and to my surprise I’m 12st l0lb.........

I admit I was disappointed, I even thought “what’s the point of carrying on?” I regretted the cheat meal, thinking that it ruined my progress for the week but then I saw sense. I can’t get fat in a day; I can’t fat in a day I kept telling myself, I’m still looking leaner and my definition in my muscles are looking better than ever. So I went over my food log for the week and checked everything and it seems I was eating over 230g of protein a day so the few pounds I’ve put on could possibly be muscle and we all know that muscle weighs more than fat!

I still wasn’t 100% convinced so I decided to get my body fat percentage checked out, the last time I had it checked was just before the first fat loss cycle.

 

Stats	Before	After
Weight (lbs)	182	169
Lean Body Mass	150	144
Fat %	17.2	14.6
Upper Body	19	24
Torso	22	11
Legs	19	15

Once I seen these figures I felt a bit better as it clearly shows that I lost fat and not just weight! I’m still on the right track and it’s nice to have the results in black and white showing that my chest is bigger and my stomach is getting flatter. I had a friend run these stats through his super computer and it printed out an artist’s impression of what I will look like after the 2nd cycle, so here it is................................

Bicep Workout

This workout is and I quote “unpleasant” it drains every last bit of energy from you and lactic acid becomes your new best friend. As with training any body part you need a few warm up sets to prepare for the discomfort you’re about to experience.

I did this workout with a guy that I’m currently training to mix things up a bit and as he was half way through lifting he said “I’m really starting to hate you!” it’s all for the greater good as now and again you need to shock the muscles to activate and tear more fibres which in turn will lead to muscle growth etc.

Ideally it’s best to train with a partner as they will push you and spot you if you’re struggling.

So after you’ve warmed up do the following:

Preacher curls

The preacher curl isolates only the biceps so you can’t use your back for momentum to swing the weight up.

Start off with 40kg (4 10kg plates)

Lift the weight in an explosive movement and once at the top hold and squeeze for 3 seconds.

Then lower the weight as slowly as you can, making sure you keep perfect form at all time.

Your aim is to reach 10 reps!

Once completed take a plate off and repeat until you’re down to 10kg, at this point you should be feeling an extreme pump and your arms should be burning like crazy!

So in total your doing 40 reps with a maximum of 5 seconds rest in-between each 10 reps (if that makes sense?)

After all 40 reps it’s your partners turn, we did two sets of this and in all honesty that was enough but in my next bicep session I’ll be aiming for three sets.

21’s

Personally I love doing 21’s and if you’re not sure what they are basically incomplete movements ending in a full range of motion.

Start off standing with a barbell (again we used 40kg) and lift the weight half way so your elbows are at right angles and hold for a few seconds then lower the weight slowly in a controlled manner ensuring you have a full stretch at the bottom when you relax your arms.

Repeat for 7 reps

Once you’ve done 7 reps lift the weight from the elbows right angled position, once you’re at the top of the movement hold and squeeze for a few seconds then lower half way.

Repeat for 7 reps

Now complete 7 full reps keeping your form strict and making sure your arms straighten out at the bottom so you get a good stretch, the last 7 should be really difficult (if you’re doing them correctly)

Aim for 3 sets

Bicep finisher!

This only works if you have someone to train with. Pick a barbell which is fairly light but still heavy enough to test you.

The idea here is to drain the last bit of energy from you but it also acts as a competition to see who gives up first.

Stand facing your partner while holding the bar (you need to have enough space to curl the bar)

Complete a full rep and once you lower the weight completely your partner grabs it and does his rep and so on.

This just boils down to who lasts longest so don’t count reps just lift until you physically can’t do anymore!

I don’t do this routine every time it’s just something fun to throw in the mix once a week etc

Remember “weight for show, form for a pro”

Round 2: Rapid Fat Loss Week 3

This past week has been fun with all the celebrations and drinking but I did pay for it all. Even though I maintained my eating habits the calories from the alcohol tipped me over the edge for the majority of the week but in my defence it was my birthday and for that reason I'm writing week 3 off! 

I decided last night to get serious with this and cut out alcohol entirely until I reach my goal. I'm also doing cardio from now on even though I can’t stand it I think it will be beneficial with speeding up the fat loss. When doing cardio I keep it brief and do HIIT (High Intensity Interval training), this normally involves a 15-20 minute session where I sprint for 30 seconds then jog for 30 seconds and repeat until the times up. The idea behind this is when you sprint you mobilize the fat cells and then when you slow down that’s when you actually burn the fat. This sort of training when done correctly is a killer and 20 minutes is more than enough. I normally do this 3 times a week when I'm not lifting weights and after the session I’m normally dripping with sweat! (If you’re not then your intensity isn't high enough) 

On the weekend I trained with a friend and we hit the biceps hard by concentrating on form rather than weight. This involved explosive curling with a squeeze at the top then lowering the weight as slowly as you can. The pump was crazy and it hurt in a good way! 

After that we went for a run which I was dreading! I have one rule regards to running, only run if your being chased!

Once I got into it I was enjoying it and we ended up in a park doing pull-ups and leg raise’s on a bar which was about 5” thick which was difficult as the forearms took a hammering because of the grip! All in all it was a good workout and it just goes to show that even if you’re not a member of a gym you can still go outdoors and train to some degree. 

Regards to weight I'm 12st 10, I expected that in all honesty and now I’m raring to go to drop as much weight as I can. Last time I did this it was over a 4 week period but I think I’ll be aiming for around the 6-8 week mark as I have a lot more work to do. 

It’s a short one this week but I’ll post the bicep workout midweek to make up for it!

Round 2: Rapid Fat Loss Week 2

After the first cycle and the initial drop in weight I was raring to go with the second cycle, unfortunately your body will do everything it can to stop you from losing too much fat, especially in a short amount of time!
When I started again last week I thought I would be losing weight at the same rate as before but I’ve found out that I have no room for error and if I stray from my eating habits I’m punished for it!

My calories over the past week have been a little higher than normal; I’m probably hitting around 1500 a day. That’s still pretty low but if you compare that to the 800 calories a day on my last cycle I’m definitely seeing the difference.
For one I’m sleeping a lot better this time round, this could be because I’m consuming more calories or the fact that I’m taking a protein drink that is designed to be more effective at bed time and promote sleep.
This time round I’m also training at high intensity lifting heavy weights, it’s nice to get back in the gym but there have been some downsides. My appetite has increased a great deal and I always find myself grabbing a spoon and heading for the peanut butter to curb my cravings!

Also the DOMS (Delayed On-Set Muscle Soreness) has been crazy this week! This is my own fault as I’ve gone from no training to going all out lifting weights as if I’ve never stopped! The bicep pain is the worst by far, with back soreness coming in at a close 2nd! (Damn you wide-grip pull-ups). It’s been difficult walking around trying to stay chipper when it feels like you’ve been beaten all over!

Regards to food and drink I did go out for a friend’s birthday on the weekend which probably threw my calories way off but what could I do? I’m trying to do this while maintaining a social life, I knew from the start this wouldn’t be easy!

While I’m on the subject of drink I was asked during the week what I drink in general as I’ve never mentioned it before. Normally I drink water as often as I can; at a guess I’d say I consume around 6 litres a day (including the water I drink during training). I also drink a fair amount of diet Pepsi, I don’t know why but when I’m on low calories’ drinking this stuff keeps me sane. 

If I go out drinking I try to only drink spirits with diet coke but as the night goes on I often stray to other things depending on the company I’m with and end up knocking back a Jägerbomb or two!

So the scales tell me I’m still 12st 8 which is acceptable if you take into account the increase in calories and the odd drink!

The upcoming week should be challenging as tomorrow I’ll be 27 and already my week has filled up with events which always end up involving alcohol! I will remain focused and keep my food intake strict but I can’t promise the same with the drink, I am human after all!

My 3 day spilt!

As I’m working out this time around I thought it would be best if I posted my routine for the next 4 weeks.

It’s a simple 3 day spilt which looks like this:

Monday: Chest and Triceps

· Flat bench press

· Cable cross over

· Incline bench press

· Decline bench press 

· Rope pull downs

· E-Z bar push downs

· Reverse grip (thumbs behind bar) push downs

Wednesday: Shoulders and Leg

· Military press

· Lateral DB raises

· Bent over DB flyes

· Shrugs


· Leg press

· Leg extension

· Leg curls

· Calf raises

Friday: Back and Biceps

· Wide grip pull-ups

· Pull downs

· Low rows


· Standing barbell curls

· Hammer curls

· Alternating DB curls



I do 4 sets of 8 for everything to which I try and lift as heavy as I can or pick a weight so on the 8th rep I’m really struggling!

I also do abdominal work on these days which normally includes weight crunches and hanging knee raises, normally 3 sets of 20 does the trick and if your engaging your abs properly you will feel everyone you do!

I'm aware some people will look at the above and not have a clue what I’m about; I will try and post pictures when I get a chance so people will have a better idea!


Just a few tips now regarding lifting weights:

· Breathe! (Too many people hold their breath when they lift weights thinking it’s going to help them and it actually prevents you from lifting at your full potential. When you lift the weights exhale and when you lower them inhale! It’s as simple as that! Also if you holding your breath and your really pushing yourself something called blood pooling can happen which restricts the blood to your brain and can cause passing out etc)



· Maintain your form! (For example, if you’re doing a bicep curl and you start arching your back to lift the weight stop and drop the weight so you can curl the curl by only using your biceps! Isolate the muscle; don’t abuse the rest of your body trying to lift it!)



· Keep your wrists strong! (Whenever your lift weights you need to keep your wrists in align otherwise you will damage your joints)



· Engage your abs! (If you’re standing up or sitting down always engage your abs to help maintain your posture and to prevent your back from arching)



· Rest! (Whenever you lift weights you need a suitable rest period in-between sets, this gives you chance to catch your breath, have a drink and more importantly lets your muscles return to their normal size ready for the next set)



· Stay hydrated! (it’s better to drink too much than not enough)



· Know your limits! (Leave your ego at the door, don’t try and lift a weight that’s clearly too heavy for you just because the big guy next to you did.)



There is probably loads more I can write about regarding safety etc but I’m presuming that most of you out there have common sense!

Round 2: Rapid Fat Loss Week 1

First let me say the past week has been amazing, I’ve pretty much ate and drank whatever I wanted! I’ve literally done the exact opposite from what I normally eat, the one thing I did do though was keep my protein intake relatively high, around 140 grams a day. I should have been aiming for about 190 grams but this week has been about me taking a break and letting my hair down!

All I heard last week were people boasting that “crash diets” don’t work and as soon as you start eating properly the weight will fly back on! I nodded and smiled to be polite and happily carried on eating my pizza!

So I weighed myself today after breakfast..........I hope that Haterade tastes good because I’m still 12st 8lb!



 Yeah it’s only been a week but I’ve abused my body with junk food and alcohol to the point where I thought I’m undoing all my hard work, so staying the same weight seems like a bloody miracle!

I’m not a praying man but if you’re up there thank you Superman!

Apart from eating and drinking I have actually been doing some research regarding new diets to try and one of my friends recommended I do something different to keep people interested and I will do something different but for now I’m interested to see how far I can push myself over the next 4 weeks in terms of fat loss!

One thing I did notice about myself was that my strength had dropped a fair bit which I expected to happen to be honest as you can’t physically train hard without enough good carbs to fuel your workouts! Over the week I have been training just to get back into the swing of things and also to prepare my body for the forthcoming punishment I’m about to throw at it!



This time round I’m going to be doing things a little different and make some adjustments with my nutrition and supplement intake.

Last time I barely had any carbohydrates but like I said I suffered, so now I’m going to be limiting my carb intake to roughly 30 grams(give or take few) a day, these carbs will be coming from protein supplements.



So I’m calling it now! In 4 weeks I am going to be 12st and hopefully gain some lean muscle!



I am a bit concerned though as on the 16th August it’s my 27th birthday and I have to celebrate, there’s no getting out of it, so I’m preparing myself for a rough few days over that week! Apart from that I totally feel competent about the task at hand!

So what am I going to be eating?

Pretty much what I normally eat but with some modifications, I’ll be training on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday so I will adjust my nutrition around my workouts!

Training days:

Breakfast
Bacon (2 rashers) and eggs (2)

Pre workout
PhD Synergy-ISO-7

Lunch
Chicken or Ham salad with 300g cottage cheese

Dinner
Chicken/beef stir fry (or)
Grilled Chicken with steamed vegetables (or)
Tuna Steaks and vegetables

Before bed
USN Pure Protein IGF-1

Rest Days:

Breakfast
Phd Diet Whey

Lunch
Chicken or Ham salad with 300g cottage cheese

Dinner
Chicken/beef stir fry (or)
Grilled Chicken with steamed vegetables (or)
Tuna Steaks and vegetables

Before bed
USN Pure Protein IGF-1

Now like I’ve mentioned in previous posts the above foods I can eat all the time, it might be boring for some but it works for me and easy to prepare! You might be happy with these choices, if not swap things about but make sure you are aware of what you’re eating, read labels and track your calorie intake! Also during the week I will be having no free cheat meals but the carb refeed is still on the cards 5 hours on a Saturday morning!

You may have noticed I’m taking supplements this time around so I can get the best results possible! I should mention that no one should depend on supplements; they should complement your nutrition! You should be eating smart by now! (Hopefully)

So what am I taking?

First up is PhD Synergy-ISO-7, this is an all in one protein which is perfect for pre-workout nutrition giving me the energy to train at high intensity.
In each serving there is 37g of protein and 17g of carbs. The good thing about this product is that it has the following:

· Branch Chain Amino Acids (The BCAAs are among the nine essential amino acids for humans, accounting for 35% of the essential amino acids in muscle proteins)

· Creatine (used to increase high-intensity athletic performance and gain muscle mass)

· L-Glutamine (helps with protein synthesis and recovery)

USN Pure Protein IGF-1, this protein is pretty much perfect, in each serving there is 40g of protein and only 2g carbs which is perfect to take before bed. It also has added L-Glutamine which again helps with muscle recovery.

Finally PhD Diet Whey, this is a high protein meal replacement which I will only take on my rest days for breakfast. The beauty of this product that in each serving there is 35g of protein and only 8g of carbs. It also has the following fat burning properties thrown in:

· L Carnitine: An amino acid that is essential to the metabolising of body fat

· CLA: Used worldwide to support fat-loss and provide vital support to a restricted-calorie diet

· Green Tea Extract: A strong anti oxidant to assist with the thermogenic effect

· Essential Fatty Acids: For optimum health, vitality and weight-loss

With my food intake and supplements I am hitting roughly 210g of protein a day which is more than enough to build lean muscle. I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen regarding fat loss this time round, my aim is to be 12st but If in 4 weeks I’m over that weight but looking better in the mirror I’ll be happy!

Regards to my training routine I’ll be doing a 3 day split which I will post later in the training section! I will also be adding a Q & A section, you can leave a question in the comment box and I will try to answer it when I can!


This should be a fun 4 weeks!

Eating Clean 101

Over the past week or so I’ve had people approach me asking me to post my low carb diet, at first I said “yeah I’ll do it” but when I sat down to write it I had a change of heart! The reason I haven’t posted my meal plans is I believe people do not understand the concept of eating clean! Personally I’d love to tell the world eat this eat that etc but when people don’t get the results they want they don’t blame themselves, they blame the person who told them what to do! So instead I’m going to lay down the fundamentals regarding eating clean!

"Eating clean" means, basically, eating the right kinds of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

For those of you out there who just want to live a healthier lifestyle carbohydrates are still an important energy source for your body and brain, this is why when you do go on a low carb diet you find it extremely difficult to concentrate!


There are good and bad carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index shows you how quickly your body metabolizes foods into sugars.

High G.I foods turn into sugars quickly, causing an insulin spike! Now insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to detect increases in blood sugar. Insulin also controls glucose homeostasis (i.e., keeps blood glucose levels constant) by stimulating the uptake of glucose into skeletal muscle and, to a lesser extent, into liver (e.g. in the case of fructose) and adipose tissue.

I know it’s confusing but I’d rather give you too much information than not enough!

In laymen's terms - it is essentially responsible for storing away the latent energy in the calories you consume. Insulin drives glucose into your cells - it feeds your muscles.

Foods that are high on the glycemic index (e.g., dextrose, or other "simple" carbs) stimulate a strong spike in insulin - "spike" just means that insulin levels rise and fall rapidly (good for a quick burst of energy but not for sustained endurance). Foods lower on the glycemic index (complex carbs) stimulate a much slower insulin response allowing for a constant release of energy.

Generally speaking - bodybuilders desire an insulin spike only after a workout (they generally combine simple sugars with protein) because they want the insulin surge to "feed" their muscles as quickly as possible

Proteins are important as they are the building blocks of life; everything from muscle tissue to your hair is made up from protein in some shape or form! Proteins are pretty straight forward, you need it to grow, when you lift weights you tear muscle fibres (hence why you feel sore the day after etc) and without sufficient protein those muscles won’t repair properly and eat away at the protein already stored in your muscles to aid in recovery!

Examples of Good Protein Sources:
 

Lean Beef
Chicken
Turkey
Lean pork
Cottage cheese (it’s not the work of the devil I swear)
Whey protein
Fish, particularly tuna, salmon, and cod
Eggs, particularly egg whites (yolks in moderation)

Now fats aren’t bad for you regardless what you might have heard but there some to avoid. You need certain fats in your diet to keep you going and again I’ll just keep it simple for you. You need to get the Essential Fatty Acids into your body (Omega 3, Omega 6) you could take supplements for this or just get it from your food!

Examples of good fats:

Fish and fish oils - polyunsaturated, best source of Omega 3's - tuna, salmon, cod
Flaxseed oil - some Omega 3, good Omega 6
Olive Oil - monounsaturated fat
Avocados - monounsaturated fat
Nuts - mono, poly, and Omega 6s best are walnuts and almonds

Examples of Bad fats:

Baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, crackers, pies)
Margarines
Fried foods (chips)
Crisps
Salad dressing
Some breakfast cereals

I think that pretty much covers the basics of eating better, if you don’t already eat clean try it for a few weeks and see if you look or feel better about yourself!

It would have been so much easier for me to post my low carb diet but we are all different (body types, weight, goals etc) and things need tweaking before you try low carb diets. For now just try and lower your carb intake a little and see how you go, then if you feel comfortable go a bit lower etc. Some people get on fine with no carbs but others have no carbs for a few days then they raid the cupboards looking for anything to satisfy the craving, I’m pretty lucky in that sense as I have the discipline of a Shaolin monk!

I wasn’t always that way but over time you adapt and eventually you can freely change your eating patterns then go back to another without even thinking about it!

I hope you found this helpful..............until next time!

 

Choices!

I'll start by apologising upfront as this post may go a little off topic!

If you've been a regular follower of these posts you will know that I've made some inspiring changes over the duration of a month dropping over a stone in weight (mostly fat)! You may or may not believe my results and in hindsight I should have taken pictures but at the time I didn't think I'd still be writing due to lack of followers but with over 100 hits a day I have been proved wrong! 

So for the support I've had so far, Thank You!

Friday was the end of my 4 week cycle so I decided to indulge over the weekend and drink and eat whatever I wanted! Now normally the choices I make regarding nutrition is pretty easy for me as my cupboards, fridges and freezers are never full with junk food etc so eating healthy is my only option! 

My Friday afternoon started off with beer and Jägerbomb's, this pattern continued throughout the night and I can barely remember getting home, so if you're reading this! 

Thank you Beer fairies!

I woke up Saturday feeling like I just got aboard the pain train; I was suffering to say the least!

It was my choice to drink so I took it on the chin and showered ready for a boy's weekend in the fabulous English Rivera we all know as Torquay! 

Again we drank like champions all night and embraced everything life threw at us! 

On the way home we decided to stop in Weston-super-Mare as the sun was shining and we had some time to kill! While we were there I was chatting to a friend Alex who's also a trainer, we were talking about our clients and how we do our best to influence them! People pay between £25- £40 for an hour session with us and in that hour they are with us we make them hate us! If you want results, then you have to work for it! I think that relates to everything in life!

As soon as they leave the gym we can only hope that they are dedicated and make healthy choices throughout the week until the next time they see us! You see it all the time, people giving it their all in the gym then go home eat crap then wonder why they aren't getting stronger or looking better in the mirror!
As part of the service we provide we often design diet/meal plans for people which takes up a lot time as we have to consider everything, budget, what foods they like/don't like, if they have food allergies, the list goes on!

So after a lengthy conversation we concluded that people in general do not like making choices, big or small! How many times in your life up to now have you had to make a choice, regardless what it is you always seem to ask someone else "what would you do?"

The same could be said about food choices, I know it's not exactly the same as a life changing choice but bear with me! when we go shopping we are making choices all the time and I'd love to fill the basket with full fat coke, ice cream etc but I choose not to because I know it will hinder my results! I'll admit some of us have stronger will power than others and for me personally I find it easy as I've been making the same choices for a long time!

This is where I make my point..................

People in general would rather be led than make their own choices regarding nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle! 

Hence why people join slimming clubs! It's easier to go there once a week and buy everything on their shopping lists than making the right choices yourself!

Don't get me wrong this might not always be the case, sometimes people see or hear about a diet and think "if they can do it, so can I"

So do you have the will power to make the right choices regarding nutrition?

If you're unsure I'm happy to help, just send me an email and I'll do what I can do get you on track!

fitness4shaw@gmail.com