Move more –bad food + good food = Dieting success

Let’s break down this equation into its component parts:

Move More – if you burn more calories than you currently do, you will lose weight, plain and simple.

If you don’t walk around the block, take a walk around the block

If you currently walk around the block then, add intervals of sprints

If you currently walk and do intervals then, weight train

If you currently walk, do intervals and weight train then, decrease the rest periods between sets

Do you see where this is going?  Take what you currently do and add more movement / decrease rest and you will burn more calories which will cause you to lose weight.

Get off the couch and move!!!

Subtract bad food – I am always fascinated when someone is given a diet and you see what is prescribed.  Eat these carbs but not these carbs, eat these fats but not these, avoid red meat and eat lean protein.  All of these may be sensible recommendations, but have you looked at what the person is currently doing?  If someone currently drinks a 4 cans of soda per day, why not move them down to 3 cans and then slowly reduce from there?  If someone eats a bowl of ice cream every night before bed, have them do it every other night and slowly reduce from there.  Dieting occurs in stages when it is successful and if you have someone who eats like crap and you try to get them to eat like a World Class Athlete, you will fail every time.  Let’s face it, we don’t like change.  Considering that fact, implementing MASSIVE change is not going to work.  Small changes do work and they add up to a big change over time.

He didn't get that way by eating spinach!!!

Add good food – if you ask any doctor worth their salt about diet, they will tell you to eat more fruits and vegetables, we have heard this forever and guess what?  IT IS CORRECT!  Increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables will increase the amount of vitamins and minerals you get which will help your body function better and more efficiently.  Also, fruits and vegetables contain fiber which helps jettison fat out of the body.  Unlike most processed foods, fruits and vegetables are NOT calorically dense and they are vitamin RICH so, they will fill you up without adding to your waistline.  I always love when someone with a crummy diet hears the words fruits and vegetables as if it is some horrific thing.  If I have the choice of a lollipop or a ripe peach, I will take the peach all day long.  All goodness aside, it tastes BETTER!!!

Eat good food that is natural not processed, like a peach

Don’t overcomplicate things, keep it simple!!!

I have noticed a recurring theme with women who want to lose weight.  Women will come to me asking about losing weight, body fat in particular, and the first question I ask is, “What do you eat?”  The typical response is, “I don’t eat that much so, I don’t understand why I don’t lose weight!”  If someone is morbidly obese because they eat thousands of calories per day then, they need to REDUCE the number of calories they consume in order to lose weight.  On the flip side, if someone is moderately overweight and they have drastically reduced their calories for a prolonged period of time, they actually need to INCREASE the amount of food they eat in order to lose weight.

You have to eat in order to lose weight!!!

In a normal example, these equations hold true:
If calories consumed < calories burned = lose weight
If calories consumed > calories burned = gain weight

The only problem with those equations is that our body tries to maintain homeostasis as a protective mechanism so, each situation depends on where you are right now.  Your body screws up the equation by changing the calories burned based on the calories consumed.  So, if the calories your body burns changes, you also need to change your calorie consumption to have any effect.

Body temperature is a great example of homeostasis

A great example of homeostasis at work is with body temperature.  Our body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.  If you walk outside and it is very hot, you sweat which acts as a cooling mechanism so that your body temperature will remain at 98.6 degrees.  If you walk outside and it is very cold, you shiver which creates movement to make you warm which is also in an effort to keep your body temperature at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you are a little overweight and eat “barely anything” and you want to lose weight, here’s what to do:

1)      Multiply your current weight by 10 and that is the number of calories you will eat (For example, let’s say you are 200LBS, you would eat 2000 calories)

2)      Increase your protein intake, eat more vegetables and drink more water

3)      Weigh yourself then, consume the amount of calories for one week from step 1 (2000 cals) and re-weigh yourself.  If you weigh more or the same then, reduce your calories by 300 per day (i.e. eat 1700 cals per day instead of 2,000).  If you weigh less then, stay at that level of calories until you stop losing weight and start all over again

There you have it, simple yet effective!!!

The most common mistake which I see is people who do Bodybuilding routines though their goal is fat loss.  Not only that, but they will do Bodybuilding routines with a set / rep scheme that is more indicative of a Strength routine.  At the gym, I often see skinny guys trying to lift as much weight as they possibly can while doing a single joint exercise such as bicep curls or triceps kickbacks.  My goal is Hypertrophy so, these same skinny morons will look over me and the weight that I am lifting and they will smile thinking, “Ha, I am stronger than that guy; look at that weight he is using!!!”  While there is merit to lifting heavy weights in order to gain muscle, that only follows if you are ensuring progressive resistance, increasing the weight each workout and doing enough repetitions to induce sufficient stress to the muscle that it responds to the stress by repairing and growing in order to handle greater stress.  So, what is the SECRET to getting the PERFECT body???  First you must define your goal (i.e. what is “perfect” to you) and then, you must map out a plan to achieve that goal.  I am going to assume that the vast majority of people reading this have one of three goals: 1) Gain Muscle 2) Get Stronger 3) Lose Fat.

Who do you want to look like?

The variables that we are going to work with are reps, weight and rest.  

Gain Muscle

This happens to be my goal and it can be achieved with varying rep ranges, but the ideal rep range for hypertrophy is 6-12 reps using a weight which is 67-85% of your One-Rep Max (1RM)⁽¹⁾.  When I first started training, I had the good fortune of having a family member who was a Bodybuilder back in the 80’s and he gave me a super simple routine which was very successful for me.  3 sets of 8-12 reps, 3 exercises per session, Monday through Friday (Chest, Back, Legs, Shoulders, Arms).  I did that routine for 12 months and went from 178LBS to 228LBS!!!  Truth be told, some of that was adipose tissue, but I gained a great deal of muscle and saw tremendous gains in strength and size.  His recommendation was simple: “Go to failure every set and once you fail at 12 reps, increase the weight and start again at 8 reps and continue the process.”  For someone starting out, I would focus on Multi-joint exercises (i.e. Deadlift, Bench Press, Back Squat, etc.) and then work in single-joint exercises (e.g. Biceps curls, Triceps kickbacks, Seated Leg Raises, etc.) to increase work performed later on.  Multi-joint exercises induce a greater hormonal response and allow you to perform greater work capacity in less time.  As a quick example, a Deadlift set of 225LBS for 10 reps is 2,250 LBS of total work whereas Biceps Concentration Curls with a 40LB Dumbbell for 10 reps for each arm is 800 LBS of total work.  The Deadlift results in nearly 3 times more work performed and has an impact on many different muscle groups, not just the arms.  Here is the routine and some examples of exercises which I did as a beginner with the goal of gaining muscle:

Get Stronger

A lot of times people confuse gaining muscle and getting stronger.  While a Strength-focused routine will also get you more muscular and a Hypertrophy-focused routine will also get you stronger, to optimize each goal individually requires a different set/rep scheme.  The ideal rep range for Strength is less than 6 reps using a weight which is >85% of your One-Rep Max (1RM)⁽¹⁾.  The prime example of someone focused exclusively on getting stronger is a Powerlifter.  In competition, a Powerlifter will perform the Bench Press, Barbell Back Squat and Deadlift and the sum total of the 3 highest weights lifted is their total for the competition.  The goal of a Powerlifter is to continually increase their PR (personal record) in each of the 3 lifts (Bench, Squat and Deadlift).  As I mentioned earlier, you will gain muscle with a Strength routine, but there are many examples of incredibly strong people who are not all that big and in many cases, guys want to be the Strongest in a particular weight class so they will want to become stronger without getting bigger.  Personally, I find Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 Routine to be incredibly effective if your goal is to Get Stronger.  I used the 5/3/1 Routine and it is very simple and effective.  I increased my PR’s in the Bench, Squat and Deadlift and don’t know of anyone who has not had success with this routine. 

The premise of 5/3/1 is this:

1) Basic multi-joint lifts – The routine is built around 4 core lifts, the bench press, back squat, deadlift, and standing barbell press.

2) Start light – starting light allows for more room to progress going forward.

3) Progress slowly – it takes time to make significant progress and by starting light and progressing slowly you will make greater gains in the long run. 

4) Break personal records – the program allows you to break PR’s throughout the course of a year.  This is more geared towards rep records and not one rep max.  If you go from lifting 300LBS for 6 reps to 300LBS for 10 reps, you are stronger.

In 5/3/1, you train three or four days a week with each workout centered around one of the 4 core lifts (bench, squat, deadlift or press).  The percentages below are multiplied by 90% of your 1RM, each training cycle lasts four weeks, the fourth week is a de-load week and the following are the set-rep goals for each major lift:

Then you start the next cycle, using slightly heavier weights on the core lifts and you continue to get Stronger and progress forward, simple yet effective.  Let’s use a simple example with the Shoulder Press.  If your 1RM is 110LBS then 90% of that is about 100LBS.  That is the number which the percentages will be multiplied by throughout:

At the end of Week 4, you increase each of the weights in the table and continue to progress forward.  Follow this process with each of the 4 lifts (e.g.  Monday = Deadlift, Tuesday = Bench, Thursday = Squat, Friday = Shoulder Press)

Lose Fat

In order to lose fat, you need to maximize the amount of work done in a small amount of time.  The surest way to accomplish that is to decrease the rest periods between sets.  In order to burn fat, you need to cause your body to require so much energy that ATP and glycogen are completely used up and then fat stores are targeted.  Incomplete recovery, as a result of little rest, will ensure that you utilize fat stores for energy because you generate EPOC.  EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) is an increased rate of oxygen intake after performing very demanding or strenuous activity (e.g. tabata protocol, interval training or complexes) to erase the oxygen debt and return the body back to where it was at rest before the exercise was performed.  EPOC increases the body’s demand for fuel so, fat stores are broken down and released into the blood, hence, EPOC = fat loss.

My current routine is geared towards fat loss; it is a metabolic routine which focuses on compound movements with only 45 seconds of rest between sets.  The weights that you use will come down, but by the end of the workout, you WILL be CRUSHED!!!

To optimize the achievement of any one of these three goals, you need to make sure that you get enough sleep.  My best results, regardless of my goal, have occurred when I have gotten plenty of sound restful sleep (7-9 hours).  Follow my advice and Muscular, Strong or Lean will one day describe YOU!!!

Did you enjoy this post? Buy me a cup of coffee

References:

1)      Baechle, Thomas R and Earle, Roger W. “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” 3rd Edition. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics. 2008. Pgs. 401-408.

In this 2 Part Series, I am going to look at:
1) The Best Form of Caffeine to consume (i.e. drip coffee vs. powder (caffeine anhydrous))
2) The effectiveness of supplementing Caffeine for Fat Loss (lipolysis)
3) The impact of Caffeine on Cognitive Performance (i.e. Brain Function)
4) The Ergogenic (performance-enhancing) effects of caffeine on Endurance and Strength

Here is a brief overview of caffeine:
- Caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substance⁽¹⁾
- In North America, 90% of adults consume caffeine daily⁽¹⁾
- It is the most commonly utilized substance in “energy” drinks
- It stimulates the Central Nervous System (CNS), making us feel alert

1) BEST Form of Caffeine
When consuming caffeine for performance, the best form is to consume is caffeine anhydrous (caffeine powder in a capsule).  The reason for this is that it is a) cheaper and b) more effective than consuming coffee in liquid form (i.e. drip coffee).

WARNING: This is NOT the best way to get your caffeine!

a) Cheaper
I use NSI Caffeine Anhydrous which I purchase from Vitacost.com.  There are 240 capsules and each contains 200 mg of caffeine.  The whole bottle costs $7.  So, let’s do the math…the Mayo Clinic’s website shows that on average a 16 oz. cup of coffee contains approx. 175 mg of caffeine⁽²⁾.  Let’s round this to 200 mg.  That 16 oz. cup of coffee costs you around $2.  The one pill of caffeine anhydrous, which is 200 mg of caffeine, costs $0.03.  Paying 67 times less money for the same amount of caffeine is a no brainer!!!

b) More Effective
Caffeine anhydrous is more effective than a cup of coffee.  Roasting coffee beans changes the composition of the beans producing compounds which inhibit and alter the effects of the caffeine⁽³⁾.  Also, it takes a lot longer to drink a 16 oz. cup of coffee than it does to pop a pill with some water.  Although the cup of coffee may have the same quantity of caffeine as a pill, it is administered over a longer period of time.  The 200 mg from the pill is administered in full right away, yet the 200 mg of caffeine from the cup of coffee is ingested in small increments over 20-30 minutes depending on how fast you drink it.

2) Fat Loss (lipolysis)
If you are interested in fat loss then, supplementing with caffeine is a great idea!  Caffeine causes your body to a) use fat as fuel, b) it does not matter your age and c) it still works even if you drink coffee daily!!! 

a) Caffeine causes fat to be used as fuel
Research suggests that caffeine affects what your body uses as fuel during exercise, switching from glycogen to an increased dependence on the mobilization of free fatty acids⁽⁴⁾.  In layman’s terms, caffeine causes your body to use fat as fuel instead of glycogen.  Specifically, researchers found that a dose of caffeine of 5mg / kg of bodyweight resulted in significant increases in intramuscular fat oxidation during cycling⁽⁴⁾. 

b) Caffeine increases the number of calories you burn, regardless of your age
A study by Arcerio et al. observed the effects that caffeine had on 10 younger men (19-26 yrs old) versus 10 older men (65-80 yrs old).  The study was double-blind and placebo-controlled.  The dosage was 5mg of caffeine per kg of fat free mass (consists of mostly muscle and bone).  The younger men consumed about 350 mg and the older men consumed about 295 mg (so, the younger men had more fat free mass than the older men).  Energy expenditure increased by 11% in the younger group and 9.5% in the older group.  The scientists who performed the study stated, “older and younger men show a similar thermogenic response to caffeine ingestion…”  Basically, both young and old can benefit from the thermogenic effects of caffeine⁽⁵⁾

c) Caffeine increases the number of calories you burn, even if you consume it regularly
Supplementing as little as 100mg of caffeine has been shown to increase energy expenditure (burning of calories) via thermogenesis (body temperature increase), even though the subjects involved in the study consumed 100-200mg of Caffeine daily⁽⁶⁾.  The increase in energy expenditure subsequent to caffeine ingestion continued for 3 hours after consumption⁽⁶⁾.  To clarify, 100-200mg daily is equivalent to 1-2 cups per day.  It only makes sense that the more you consume on a daily basis, the less the impact that supplementing caffeine will have on energy expenditure.

To review, in Part 1 we learned that Caffeine Anhydrous (pill form) is a more effective method to supplement Caffeine than drinking coffee AND Caffeine increases fat burning and calories burned, regardless of age and regular consumption of 1-2 cups per day.  Tune in for Part 2 where we will look at caffeine’s impact on cognitive performance, strength and endurance.

Did you enjoy this post? Buy me a cup of coffee

References:

1) Lovett, Richard; “Coffee: The demon drink?”, New Scientist Magazine.  September 24, 2005; Issue 2518: pgs. 577-579.

2) Mayo Clinic Staff; “Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more”, Published on 10/3/09, Accessed on 2/3/11. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211

3) de Paulis, Tomas; Schmidt, Dennis E.; Bruchey, Aleksandra K.; Kirby, Michael T.; McDonald, Michael P.; Commers, Patricia, et al.; “Dicinnamoylquinides in roasted coffee inhibit the human adenosine transporter”, European Journal of Pharmacology 442 (2002) 215– 223

4) Essig D.; Costill DL, Van Handel PJ; “Effects of caffeine ingestion on utilization of muscle glycogen and lipid during leg ergometer exercise”, International Journal of Sports Medicine. 1980, 1:86-90

5) Arciero PJ, Gardner AW, Calles-Escandon J, Benowitz NL, Poehlman ET. “Effects of caffeine ingestion on NE kinetics, fat oxidation, and energy expenditure in younger and older men”. The American journal of physiology. 1995 Jun;268(6 Pt 1):E1192-8

6) Astrup, A.; Toubro, S.; Cannon, S.; Hein, P.; Breum, L.; Madsen, J; “Caffeine: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of its thermogenic, metabolic, and cardiovascular effects in healthy volunteers”. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. May 1990 Vol. 51 No. 5 pgs. 759-767