nutrition
Doin’ Work on Labor Day!…
…Well sort of!
After hitting it crazy hard the last three week, blasting away at my lower body 4-5 days per week in some form or another, it’s time for lets the joints rest.
After doing so much lower body work, I actually feel really good. However, I’ve learned over the years that you jsimply cannot pound away on your joints week after week and expect to progress. On my deload weeks, I prefer to keep the training short and sweet!
Deload and reload!
Below are last Friday’s and this week’s first recovery training session.
Get Strong(er) Wk 8 – Deload #1
I rocked a brutal DB complex. It was 6 rds, increasing the reps on each round from 5 all the to 10 on the last rounds. The last 3 sets were brutal my legs, lungs, and forearms were begging me to drop the weight but I refused.
Just because it’s a deload week doesn’t mean you can’t put a little work in!
1a – DB Deadlift
1b – Bent Over Row
1c – High Pull
1d – DB Front Squat
1e – DB Thruster
1f – RDL
Give it a shot and let me know what you think.
Get Strong(er) Wk 7 – Day 4
1 – Deadlift 8×10,8,6,3,3,3,1,1
2a – DB Walking Lunges 3×20
2b – Abs 3×20
5rds for time
3a – SB Shoulder x6
3b – Burpee x10
3c – Sledgehammer Swings 3×10(l/r)
I crushed last week’s time by almost 45 seconds!
Heavy Squatting and a Simple Primal Recipe
I have a love hate relationship with squat day. Maybe it’s because I absolutely love crushing my lower body unlike a lot of folks out there. Maybe I’m just too hard on myself but I think I suck at squatting. My squat strength just isn’t where I want it to be. Progress is being made but patience isn’t one of my best virtues!
Squats will blow you up like no other exercise. That’s why they call them the king and just because I’m not as good as I think, doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying to dethrone the king!
Today’s training session was short, sweet, and intense
1 – Squat 5×3
2 – RDL 3×6
3 – Sled Drag – 5×250′
I pushed the pace on this one and rested no more than 1:30 between sets. Squatting is all about mindset. Before I started I put my frustrations aside and crushed it!
If you’re looking for a huge muscle building primal meal after heavy squatting check out this one I threw together.
2lbs lean ground beef
1/4 onion, or more if you desire
1 cup salsa
1 can Trader Joe’s refried beans (optional) I know, I know, legumes aren’t exactly primal but I couldn’t resist. I need something a little extra.
Cook up the ground beef in a grill pan then drain it. Saute the onions with the ground beef then add the salsa and beans. I heated the beans before I added them to the beef, onions, and salsa. Let everything cook together until you reach your desired consistency and enjoy.
I also grilled tons of zucchini, squash, and more onions on the side. It only took me about 20 minutes to put everything together.
Give it a shot, add other seasonings if you so desire and enjoy.
Primal Eating, How I Start My Day, and Heavy Pressing
This is NOT the breakfast of champions!
Mom always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only is she right but it is my favorite meal of the day. Usually I wake up every morning and my body is screaming for food. After being in a fasted state for 8-10 hours, I wake up ready to chew my arm off!
Some folks are really breakfast people and can’t handle a ton right when they get up in the morning. NOT ME!
Before making the move to a more primal eating pattern I used to have some egg whites and oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins. I probably had this breakfast consistently for the last 6-7 years so it was time for a change!
What DOES my primal breakfast look like you ask? Here is what I had this morning.
3 whole eggs + 3 whites
5 oz of deer sausage
1 banana
5-6 strawberries
3 fish oil caps
Adding in the whole eggs have been awesome. It’s providing me with tons of good fat which is keeping me full and full of energy.
In the winter I hunt! Before I get hate mail about how it’s cruelty to animals and immoral, I eat everything I kill. I don’t just go shoot animals for the hell of it! Deer is a great source of protein, about 23g to a 3oz serving. It doesn’t have a ton of fat but they way it is made into sausage includes adding in some good fats to hold everything together.
I love fruit in the morning and the extra fish oil makes up for some of the lack of fat in the deer sausage.
This tasty breakfast had me fueled and ready to go for this morning’s training session.
Get some!
Get Strong(er) Wk 2 – Day 1
1 – Hang Clean + Press 4×4,4,3,3
2a – BB Row 3×6
2b – Flat DB Press 3×10,9,8
3a – Mixed Grip Chins 3xsubmax
3b – Pushups 3xsubmax
Conditioning – 5rds for time
1 – Sandbag Thruster 5
2 – Sprawls 10
3 – Thick Rope Slams 20
4 – Box Jump 10
5 – Sledge Swings 10 L/R
To Grain or Not to Grain? My Intro to Primal Eating
In my last post I mentioned cutting out grains.
Am I going low carb? No.
Am I going true paleo or primal. Not exactly.
Over the last few months I’ve been reading a lot about paleo and primal eating. I do not claim to be a nutrition expert by any stretch. Nutrition is such a tough subject because there is so much information and misinformation out there for the matter on the the subject. Like I said, I’ve been reading so much about paleo and primal eating that I figured to better understand it and see if it’s for me, because let’s face nutrition is different everyone, I should give it a trial run.
So over the next 30 days, I’m gradually moving toward primal eating. So far, I must say I like where this is going. I’ve upped the fats and protein and cut almost all grains as a carbohydrate source. Now, most of my carbs come from fruits and veggies. After a particularly tough training session I’ll through in some beans or sweet potato but other than that, that’s it!
I will say in the beginning it was tough. I wasn’t adding in enough good fats. I was a little scared to be honest but overcame that pretty quickly. Training has been a tad sluggish but I suspected as much as my body begins to learn to use the good fats as the main source of fuel instead of grains. Overall, I feel great and eating this way isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I’ll keep you posted.
Although my training has felt a little sluggish, I’m still going after it to get strong and “jacked!” Take a look at my training sessions from days two and three from this week.
Get Strong(er) Wk 1 – Day 2
1 – Squat 5×5
2a – RDL 3×8,5,5
2b – GHD Situps 3×15
3 – Sled Drag Forward/Backward 5×150′
Short sweet and explosive baby.
Wk 1 – Day 3
1 – BB Hang Snatch 5×5,5,5,5,3
2 – Bench Press 5×5
3a – Pullups 3xsubmax
3b – Dips 3xsubmax
Conditioning 5rds for time:
1 – Sandbag Thruster – 10
2 – Thick Rope Slams – 20
3 – Box Jumps – 10
4 – Sledge Swings – 10 L/R
This was a tough finisher as it was already 90+ by the time I started. Don’t let the heat stop you from reaching your goals. Gladiators didn’t have AC and I’d say the turned out just fine!
The Greatest Training Program in the World doesn’t mean Jack!
The greatest training program in the world does not mean a thing if your nutrition isn’t on point. The sad reality is most people will hit their local gym this evening after work tonight and completely waste their time. It will be a waste not because of poor planning or lack of intensity. It will be because their diet before they get there and after they leave will not be on point!
Most people get up in the morning and just grab a schmuffin and a Mountain Dew from Sheetz and don’t eat anything until about 1pm which probably is some kind of fast food option or vending machine delicacy.
They hit the gym on an empty stomach, work their tails off, go home and either eat everything in sight because they’re starving or grab something quick on the ride home.
Whether you’re trying to build muscle or burn fat, your diet, nutrition, meal planning, whatever you what to call it has to be be top notch. Nutrition is probably 90% of the muscle building/fat loss equation, if not more.
Below are a few tips to help you tighten up your nutrition.
1. Eat More Fat!
That’s right, I said it! If you’re trying to add muscle and or lose fat, you have to get enough dietary fat. Dietary fat is calorie dense and helps with muscle building as well as fat burning. Fish oil, macadamian nut oil, and olive oil are excellent sources. Add at least a tablespoon daily. Fish oil is a must. Everyone should get 6-12 grams of fish oil per day.
2. Eat More Whole Foods
Try to get the majority of your calories from whole, natural, and unprocessed foods. Fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and lean cuts of meat pack a heck of punch. They’ll give you the proper amounts of fat, protein, and carbs needed to add slabs of lean muscle while helping you burn the fat.
3. Hydrate
If you’re not getting a gallon of water a day start doing so ASAP. Proper hydration ensures all your body’s proccesses function properly. It also is a huge aid in recovery. If you aren’t recovering properly, not only will your training suffer, your metabolism could as well. Stay away from sodas and juices. Not only do they provide you with empty calories, many sodas and juices have chemicals in them that leech valuable nutrients from your body causing you to become dehydrated.
4. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you’re not eating breakfast every morning you should be. After a good night’s sleep your body is in a fasted state and is screaming for nourishment. It revs up your metabolism and prepares you for the day. Oh here is a plus, it should be your 2nd largest meal of the day next to your post workout meal.
5. …ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Proper rest is critical. At least 6 hours a night is ideal. If you can get more do so. Sleep aids in recovery. In fact, growth hormone release is highest at night, aiding in muscle building as well as fat loss. The best way to ensure you get enough rest is to give yourself a bed time!
Put these tips to good use, tighten up your diet and your results should dramatically improve.
Training and nutrition go hand in hand. Both have to be on point in order to achieve success!
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