CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

How to Tell If You’re Getting Stronger in the Gym

Granted I’m biased, but I truly feel making a concerted effort to get strong(er) in the gym is the way to go for most people.

Strength is the base for pretty much everything; it’s the “thing” that most all other attributes we strive to improve upon is tethered to

Speed, power, endurance, Laser Tag world dominance, literally, pretty much everything performance based has its “roots” in improved strength. What’s more, there’s also a significant interplay between strength and improved body composition (strong people typically have more muscle), not to mention a high correlation of less risk of getting injured.1

I’m not saying strength is the end-all-be-all-answer-to-everything-and-you’re-totally-going-to-be-the-hero-of-your-recreational-slowpitch-softball-team-and-have-the-stamina-of-37-Spartan-Warriors-in-bed…

…but it’s close, and pretty damn important.

Copyright: langstrup / 123RF Stock Photo

But How Can You Tell If You’re Getting Strong(er)?

There’s a lot of nuance as to HOW to get stronger (HINT: lift heavy things consistently) in addition to HOW to measure it.

However, for the sake of brevity I made this handy Cliff Notes graphic to hammer home the key components at play:

The left-side of the graphic is fairly self-explanatory, but in case some people reading are looking at this as if it were written in Elvish let me elaborate.

If you make a consciouses effort to perform either more reps, sets (or both) at a given load…you’re winning.

Example

Front Squat (225 lb)

Week 1: 3 sets of 5 reps = 15 total reps at a total tonnage (volume) of 3,375 lb lifted.

You know you’re getting stronger if you stay at the same weight and you perform either an additional set or more repetition(s).

This is also called PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD.

So, Week #2 could go as follows:

3 sets of 6 reps  = 18 reps completed at a total tonnage (volume) of 4,050 lb lifted.

4 sets of 5 reps =  20 reps completed at a total tonnage (volume) of  4,500 lb lifted.

Likewise, if you add more weight to the bar and lift that once, twice, eleven times, well, the secret’s out…you’re stronger.

Hell, I may as well just hand you the Sword of Grayskull and give you a killer bowl cut at this point.

To simplify things further: You’re going to get stronger if you DO MORE WORK over the course of several weeks, months, years.

To Note: Beginners will have a much easier time with this than advanced lifters. Most beginners can just gaze at a dumbbell and they’re going to get stronger.2 The first year or two of training can easily be boiled down to what’s described above; linear periodization at its core.

The more time under the bar someone has, however, and the stronger they are, the more “fluctuations” in training parameters have to be taken into consideration.

There’s going to be more peaks and valleys in training stress/load throughout the year in order to improve strength, as well as more meticulous attention to things like bar speed, ability to recover, and what accessory work needs to be done to address weak points in technique.

Lets just say more things need to be taken into consideration to take someone from a 400 lbs. deadlift to 500 compared to someone going from 200 to 300 lbs.

The cool thing, though…once you ARE strong (whatever that means to you), while the work to get there is no walk in the park, it doesn’t require nearly as much effort to maintain it. Maximal strength, for example, has a “residual” duration of 30 (+/- 5) days.

Meaning, so long as you remind the body (to be more specific, the central nervous system) that it can do something, you don’t have to do a lot of that something to maintain it.

To summarize the left side of my handy graphic above:

“What gets measured gets managed.”

That being said, where many people seem to miss the mark is that, where strength is the main goal, it isn’t just about always doing more reps, sets, and/or adding more weight to the barbell.

1. Do More Work in Less Time

This is density training 101.

Not only is this indicative of improved strength, but work capacity as well.

2. Get Submax Rep PRs

Dan John is known for a bevy of remarkable quotes.

“The goal, is to keep the goal the goal,” is a popular one.

One of my favorite of his, though, is this:

“Easy training is good training.”

There’s a time a place for training to suck and to make you come close to shitting your spleen.

Here’s a hint: That time is not every…single…workout.

It’s music to my ears when I client says “your pecs are looking awfully pecy today, Tony.” But it’s a goddamn symphonic masterpiece when a clients says “I could have done more” at the end of a session.

This doesn’t imply that they didn’t work hard or that the training session wasn’t challenging (trust me, it was). Rather, what it implies is that they got their work in and will likely show up for their next session feeling refreshed and ready to go.

It’s hard to make strides in strength when you constantly feel like you got run over by a Mack truck.

In short: Make your 3-rep Max your 5-rep Max. Chances are your 1-rep max will improve too. You don’t always have to pursue ABSOLUTE strength in order to get stronger.

3. “Feel” of a Set

I find a lot of people are too quick to add weight to the bar at the expense of their technique.

Sure, you may complete all desired repetitions of a given exercise, but if my eyes start bleeding watching it or I could  watch an entire episode of The Mandalorian before you complete five repetitions…

…STAY PUT.

Do not add more weight.

Don’t you do it.3

Making the same load FEEL easier is a sign of progress and an often under-utilized metric.

But seriously, how cute is Baby Yoda?

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 12/6/19

Copyright: perhapzzz / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’M LIKE, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT

1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

This will be the first leg of mine and Dean Somerset’s European extravaganza in early 2020. The second leg will take place in…

2. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Maidenhead, U.K: March 7th & 8th, 2020

There’s an Early Bird rate for both of these events, so keep that in mind before you decide to hold off. Dean and I are really excited for this and hope to see you there!

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Bulgarian Split Squats: A Superior Alternaive to Barbell Back Squats? – Charley Gould

Personally I think the whole Split Squat vs. Back Squat (which is better?) is a silly debate.

Do both!

To be fair, though: This is not a debate article. But rather a nice summary on both sides of the fence with TONS of actionable content.

Build a Monster Squat – Travis Mash

And speaking the back squat: There aren’t many coaches I’d listen to more on the topic than Travis Mash. Dude builds some MONSTER squat numbers with his athletes.

I hate him.

3 Psych Skills for Strength Training – Dr. Lisa Lewis

Proud husband moment.

My wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, had her first article published on T-Nation yesterday.

Pretty sure this makes us one of the most diesel couples on the internet now.

Categoriespsychology

3 Psych Skills for Strength Training

Copyright: tonobalaguer / 123RF Stock Photo

Don’t Roll Your Eyes. This Stuff Works

It was a beautiful Fall day in Boston. My wife and I were walking home one night after running a few errands and she could sense I was a bit “off.”

I hadn’t spoken much, which, in of itself wasn’t unusual. But as we were crossing the street, infant in tow, her Spidey-sense psychotherapist intuition kicked in:

Her: “Okay, what’s on your mind?”

Me: “It sounds silly, but I’m nervous about my lift tomorrow. It’s THE day.”

Her: “The day?”

Me: “Yeah, I’m testing my deadlift tomorrow and making a go for 600 lbs. I’m just really nervous and anxious about tomorrow.”

[SIDE NOTE: The 600 lb deadlift had been a long-standing goal of mine and something that had been alluding me for a few years. I finally hired my own coach – Greg Robins of The Strength House – to take over my programming and it was time to test the fruits of my labor).

Her: “What are you nervous about?”

Me: “That I won’t hit it, that I won’t hit my goal. I’m nervous about failing.”

Her: “Have you worked hard?”

Me: “Yes.”

Her: “Have you followed your program?”

Me: “Yes.”

Her: “Have you hit all your reps leading up to this point?

Me: “Yes.”

Her: “Then what’s the problem? You’ve prepared. You’re ready. You’ve got this.”

Me: “I am so turned out right now. Let’s go make out.”

Okay, that last part didn’t happen.4

But what did happen was that my psychologist wife punched my proverbial negative self-thinking asshatedness in the mouth and I went to the gym the following day and did this:

3 Psych Skills for Strength Training

We’re often our own worst enemy. We humans have a knack for playing mental mind-games with ourselves that can ignite all sorts of clusterfuckery into the mix.

It can stagnate and impair progress.

It can suck.

My wife is the shit (<– I’m biased) and she’s awesome at what she does. A meathead and former high-level athlete herself she has a unique way of incorporating her expertise as a mental health therapist and applying it towards enhanced performance in the weight room.

I can attest that this stuff works.

Check out her latest article on T-Nation.com which goes into more detail  – HERE.

CategoriesWriting

4 Ways to Become a Better Fitness Writer

I recognize this post won’t resonate with some of you reading. For many a post about fitness writing is about as exciting as watching NASCAR or, I don’t know, a documentary about tree bark.

That said, I have long championed the idea that the ability to write – and write well – is an undervalued skill that would behoove many fitness professionals to indulge in.

Why does it matter?

  1. It’s a great way to separate yourself from the masses and to leverage your ability to create additional revenue streams.
  2. Also, everybody knows basic human decency and decorum revolves around the appropriate and valid use of the Oxford comma.

Fear not!

This post will not deteriorate into a diatribe on grammar or any “rules” centered on writing. Instead, the purpose of today’s post is to provide some palatable, bite-sized insights – based mostly off my own experience – on how you can become a better (fitness) writer if that’s something you’re interested in.

Copyright: rangizzz / 123RF Stock Photo

I Write Stuff

Growing up I never thought those words would define me in any significant way. To be fair, when I was growing up in the 80’s and 90’s my goal(s) in life were to beat Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, have the ability to talk to animals, and becoming an honorary member of the “Bash Brothers.”

I wasn’t much of a reader, nor writer as a kid.

Sure, I read Encyclopedia Brown and Choose Your Own Adventure books, but the bulk of my reading as a kid growing up in middle-of-no-where central New York consisted of Sports Illustrated and The Source magazine.

“Writing,” for the most part, consisted of nothing more than me curating varying iterations of that year’s MLB All-Star team; going so far as to drum up my own 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Divisional All-Star teams.

Yeah, you’re welcome Tim Teufel.5

I never thought in a million years I’d be a writer, much less get paid to do it. I often joke that if my high-school English teacher, Ms. Davie, ever found out I was a published author she’d likely die of elevated levels of flabbergastedness.

Nevertheless, here we are.

The other day on Instagram I made mention of a recent book purchase: Kurt Vonnegut & Suzanne McConnell’s “Pity the Reader:  On Writing With Style.”

I noted in the caption that I place a lot of value in my growth and maturation as a writer – an adequate one at best – on my proclivity to READ books written by authors on their writing process.

Their thought process, how they structure a sentence (a paragraph, a story), how to better engage the reader, them pontificating on their struggles and subsequent caffeine consumption, and, sure, whether or not they use a semicolon (;)…is fascinating to me.

SIDE NOTE: Kurt Vonnegut didn’t care for the semicolon, noting:

“Do not use semicolons. They represent nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.”

Sheepishly, I use the semicolon; I assume correctly.

Anyway, not to bore you with a detour, but my first introduction to Vonnegut was in my mid-to-late 20’s. I went through a hefty “Vonnegut phase” after a break-up.

Long story short: My girlfriend broke up with me, I was heartbroken, and I needed something to take my mind off her. One day I randomly came across a list online titled “Top 100 Ways to Spy On Your Ex and Not Get Arrested” “The Modern Library’s Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century.” I noticed some guy with the last name Vonnegut was on there numerous times – Cat’s Cradle & Slaughterhouse-Five – and that both novels were relatively short (a key factor, at that time, on whether or not I’d even attempt to read it).

I started with Cat’s Cradle.

BOOM.

I was hooked.

That summer I read in the ballpark of 15-20 novels from that same list (including the likes of Hemingway, Steinbeck, Lee, Salinger, and Nabokov).

But Vonnegut’s work was the one that resonated with me most.

I awed in its simplicity and beauty. Too, I was inspired by his uncanny ability to use humor in his writing. It’s not at all a stretch for me to say Kurt Vonnegut’s style of writing helped to shape mine.

To that end, and to get to the point already, I came up with a nifty (yeah, that’s right…nifty) graphic which displays my “formula” to becoming a better (fitness) writer.

1. Write

It’s that simple.

Just like you wouldn’t expect to get better at cooking, making your foul shots, or speaking Klingon without partaking in those activities ad nauseam…

…the same goes for writing.

You have to, you know, do it.

It’s a skill, like everything else, which requires repetition in order to master.

Moreover, and this is a point that’s lost on many people, writing doesn’t mean writing a novel. A Tweet counts as writing. An email counts as writing. Hell, a thank you letter counts as writing.

Take every opportunity, even the seemingly inconsequential ones, to hone the craft.

2. Read

Fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies, graphic novels, comic books, the Kama Sutra.

…read them all.

Immerse yourself in a diverse pool of prose.

Good writing is good writing.

I firmly believe those who are m0re avid (and diverse) readers tend to be better writers because, well, it just makes sense. Reading good writing is a splendid way to inspire your writing.

And speaking about books focused on writing, for those interested, here’s a picture I took from my own bookshelf:

3. Actually Workout and Coach People

One of the most common questions I’m asked from other fitness professionals is:

“Where do you come up with so many ideas to write about?”

See #2.

More to the point, however, there’s a reason why I don’t write about fixing cars, Rococo art, or how to train bomb sniffing dolphins.

None are my area of expertise.

I do, however, like to lift heavy things and actually coach people.

Both provide more than enough “meat” for me to write about.

Plus, and it saddens me I have to say this: I think if you’re going to write about fitness you should actually, you know, practice fitness.

It’s not hard to tell the difference between those articles written by people who actually workout and have experience coaching real people compared to those who do neither.

4. Seriously, Shut Up and Write

No, seriously…shut up.6

Writing is hard. What you write will be awful, likely for a long time. You will feel like an abject failure.

Welcome to the club!

Embrace the suck.

Write.

Categoriesbusiness

2 More Ways to Stand Out With Integrity in an Industry That Has Little

Last week my friend and colleague, Jill Coleman, wrote a wonderful piece titled “8 Ways to Stand Out With Integrity  in an Industry That Has Little.”

You can check it out HERE.

I thought it was the bees knees…and 1) I’m sorry for using the phrase “bees knees,” and 2) I shared it here on this blog (on my weekly Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work series) in addition to tossing it up on my social media outlets.

HINT: it…was…that…good.

Copyright: turgaygundogdu / 123RF Stock Photo

So I Figured I’d Jump In

There isn’t much to add to Jill’s post; she hit on a lot of “big rock” themes I feel behooves any professional, regardless of occupation – to follow.7

To that end, I wanted to add a few salient points into the mix and to expound a bit on some of MY thoughts hovering around the same topic.

You know, just a few tidbits, tiddlywinks, and tickles(?) <— I couldn’t think of another good t-word to finish the alliteration.

1. Practice What You Preach

I’m a coach.

I like helping people get strong(er), feeling better, and/or conjuring their inner meathead. To steal an analogy from my good friend Dean Somerset: I like to think of myself as a fitness Sherpa.

Except in this case, instead of guiding people up Mt. Everest, I guide them through their Goblet Squats or get-ups; or my Gangstarr play list (alliteration!)

My job is to be their support system and direct them from Point A to Point B in the safest, most time efficient path possible.

The key here, of course, is the coaching part.

I actually coach.

Meaning, I work with people in real-life. It boggles my mind that there are some “fitness professionals” out there, a minority to be fair, who sell themselves as these industry messiahs who have worked with 1000’s of people and are “world renowned” despite being 21.

Now, I’m not saying someone can’t be a successful coach or even well-known in this industry at 21.

However, you know it, I know it, your best friend’s second cousin’s dog trainer’s Little League coach knows it…

…you’re full of shit.

Or, even worse, there are some fitness professionals out there – regardless of age – who market themselves as “experts” and write a good game – are featured on popular sites or sell a bunch of E-books – but train zero people.

Ben Bruno and I like to play a game whenever we come across an insane workout or program online. You can always tell those programs written by real, well-seasoned coaches (who work with real people) and those written by wannabes:

Real Coach

A1. Trap Bar Deadlift 3×5
A2. (Loaded) Push-Up 3×8,8,MAX

B1. Front Squat 5×3 @ 75-80%
B2. Chin-Up 5×5

C1. Chest Supported Row 3×12,10,8
C2. BearSaw 3×8-10

Coach Who’s Never Trained Anyone…Ever

A1. Deadlift 10×10
A2. Handstand Walks over Broken Glass 10x400m

B1. Bench Press 10×10
B2. Punch a lumberjack in the beard 10xMAX reps

C1. Back Squat 10×10
C2. Barbell Bicep Curl w/ Weight Releasers, 5/5/5 Tempo – Blindfolded 10×5

Listen, all I am saying is this:

Don’t be a clown. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. It’s not worth it and (most) people are going to be able to see right through the nonsense anyway, which is not going to help your career in the long run.

Moreover, and this is just my own personal aside: I have rarely programmed an exercise (or protocol) that I haven’t performed myself.

  • 20-rep squats?…yup.
  • 21 straight days of deadlifting?…stupid, but yes.
  • THIS?

 

Well, the video proves it…;o)

I can think of no better way to hammer home this point than with a story I heard Martin Rooney say years ago centered around the Monk, the Mom and the Toddler (paraphrased):

A mother was incensed she could not get her toddler to stop eating sugar. As a final hail mary she decided to seek the advice of the wise Monk.

Mother: “Oh wise Monk, can you tell me how I to get my toddler to stop eating sugar?”

Monk: “Come back in two weeks and I will tell you.”

Mother: “FML, (like I said, paraphrased) that doesn’t help me, but okay. See you in two weeks.”

(Fast forward two weeks)

Mother: “Alright Monk, it’s been two weeks. How do I get my toddler to stop eating sugar?”

Monk (looks directly at the toddler): “Stop eating sugar.”

Mother (incredulous): Wait, what? That’s what I have been doing all along! This makes no sense. Some wise Monk you are!”

Monk: “I had to stop eating sugar before I could tell someone else to do the same.”

That’s integrity.

via GIPHY

2. Don’t Buy Followers

Recently I watched Bret Contreras’s presentation via the NSCA Personal Trainer’s Virtual Conference on how to grow your Instagram following.

Bret’s someone who has over 800k+ followers so he knows a thing or two about what to do and what not to do.

To Do:

  • Prioritize actionable content
  • Treat it like a job (I.e., good content takes more than 10 minutes to produce. Bret spends, on average, 3-4 hours PER DAY creating content and interacting with his followers)
  • Good content is a combination of training yourself, training other people, and READING
  • A good microphone, lighting, and knowing your angles matters.
  • Be authentic

Not to Do

  • Buy followers

I see it all the time.

Someone has 100,000 followers yet two comments on each post.

Don’t buy followers.

Just. Don’t.

3. I’m Done, Just Realized The Irishman is Now Available to Watch on Netflix

Peace.

CategoriesCorrective Exercise

Stop Corrective Exercising People to Death

There’s a prevailing thought in the fitness industry – particularly amongst personal trainers and coaches – that everyone we come across is somehow broken or dysfunctional, and that in order to make things “right” we have to resort to an onslaught of endless corrective exercise protocols before a barbell is even looked at.

You know:

  • Band thingamajiggies.
  • Endless mobility drills and stretching.
  • Other stuff that makes me want to throw my face into an ax.

STOP IT!

Copyright: bialasiewicz / 123RF Stock Photo

Stop Corrective Exercising People to Death

Now, before I proceed let me be clear.

I am not downplaying the importance of “corrective exercise,” nor am I attempting to debunk the notion that it’s never useful or shouldn’t be prioritized. Sometimes more attention to detail with regards to one’s ability to access thoracic extension or, I don’t know, hip internal rotation, in order to accomplish a specific movement is warranted.

Sometimes people need “correcting.” (<— said in a creepy Mr. Grady voice from The Shining).

 

Whenever I start working with someone and they make note of how “x” exercise hurts “such and such,” rather than go down the corrective exercise rabbit hole and point out 27 different things that make them a walking, talking, breathing dumpster fire of dysfunction…

…I’ll do this novel thing, instead, where I ask him or her to perform the exercise and show me how they set-up and execute the movement.

Often, the culprit as to why something hurts or doesn’t feel quite right is the lowest hanging fruit like their setup and/or technique.

Let’s use the back squat as an example.

It’s not uncommon for many trainees to note how squats – barbell back squats in particular – tend to make their lower back feel like hot death.

Some fitness professionals like to keep things fashionable and will begin with an explanation that’s a bit more nefarious, if not altogether esoteric:

“Your lower back hurts when you squat because you lack big toe dorsiflexion, your left 4th rib is slightly rotated, and your chakras are all out of whack. See? Simple.”

via GIPHY

It doesn’t have to be so complex.

First off: If this is how you talk to clients, you’re a tool.

Secondly: No one wants to listen to a laundry list of all the things that are wrong with them, and in doing so, does nothing but cement the idea that they’re broken and beyond repair.

Third: You’re a personal trainer not a physical therapist, act like one.

Fourth: Watch this video.

 

Those with a keener eye should be able to notice the difference between the two.

❌ TOP VIDEO

I initiate the descent by “falling” into my lower back.

In other words, rather than using the joints I want to perform the squat – ankles, knees, and hips – I recruit my lower back and use my spine for support as I descend towards the hole. Additionally, because I’m excessively arching my back (excessive anterior pelvic tilt) I’m increasing bone on bone contact as I go into deep(er) hip flexion, thus creating a more likely impingement scenario.

As a result, if you watch closely, I exhibit a bit of “butt wink” in the bottom because I’m running out of room in my hip.

As such my lower back HAS to come into play (even more) in order to go lower. To that end my back is basically saying “bye Felecia.”

via GIPHY

✅ BOTTOM VIDEO

By contrast, in the bottom video, I create more tension in my abs (creating a flexion moment) so as not to fall into (more) anterior pelvic tilt on the descent, and I think about squatting DOWN rather than BACK.

I’m still in APT, but using posterior pelvic tilt to nudge myself closer to “neutral.”

In Short: I’m improve my STARTING POSITION, which in turn keeps me more stable, the squat cleans up nicely (I’m able to squat deeper because I have more room in my hips), and the butt wink is all but gone.

More to the point…my lower back no longer hurt.

No need for a laundry list of correctives, stretches, mobility drills, or an exorcism.

All that was needed was to address my starting point (set up) and to have a better appreciation of the importance of TENSION.

To quote Denzel from Training Day: “King Kong ain’t got shit on me!”

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 11/22/19

Copyright: perhapzzz / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’M LIKE, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT

1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

This will be the first leg of mine and Dean Somerset’s European extravaganza in early 2020. The second leg will take place in…

2. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Maidenhead, U.K: March 7th & 8th, 2020

There’s an Early Bird rate for both of these events, so keep that in mind before you decide to hold off. Dean and I are really excited for this and hope to see you there!

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

How to Deal With a Negative Personal Training Client – Dr. Lisa Lewis

100% of personal trainers/coaches can commiserate on this…

…THAT client that just drives us bonkers with their negativity.

Before you resort to throwing your face into an ax read this article from my wife first.

8 Ways to Stand Out With Integrity in an Industry That Has Little – Jill Coleman

This was an excellent article by Jill.

Slow clap of the month award goes to her, hands down.

The 100-Day Reclaim – Nia Shanks

My friend Nia Shanks sent me a copy of her latest book, The 100 Day Reclaim. Let’s be honest: health/fitness can be a drag and a grind.

It’s not easy.

Oftentimes we want to give up.

This book will punch you in the lip undoubtedly provide some sage words to help keep you on task.

CategoriesNutrition

6 Nutrition Tips to Follow When You Don’t Want to Count Calories

There are many things I’d rather do than spend my days meticulously counting calories. I understand its importance given certain individual’s goals. Whether it’s to shed “x” pounds of fat or maybe for health related reasons, counting calories is often a necessity for some people.

That said, speaking personally, and in no specific order, I’d rather…

  • Talk about me feelings
  • Get a face tattoo
  • Attend another parent’s kid’s clarinet recital

…than count calories.

My feelings and preferences don’t matter much in this scenario, however.  Today’s guest post by Toronto based coach and nutritional practitioner, Marc Capistrano, helps to shed some light and offer a few bonafide nuggets of practical advice for those who are kinda in the same boat as myself, but would rather refrain from the face tattoo.

Enjoy!

Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo

6 Nutrition Tips to Follow When You Don’t Want to Count Calories

If you’ve ever been around a group of people talking about nutrition, then you’ve probably found yourself caught in the middle of a debate between the macros crowd (people who count macros and calories) and the “every other diet in the world” crowd.

Here’s what a typical argument in the gym locker room probably sounds like:

Bro #1: “Bro, in order to get ripped, you need to go keto, cut carbs, then at night go vegan.”

Bro#2: “Bro, it doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as you’re in a caloric deficit.”

Bro #1: Bro.

From a macros standpoint, the idea is that whether you’re following a keto, low carb, paleo or dim sum diet, you’re basically manipulating macros that either put you in a caloric deficit or surplus.

This is the foundation of weight loss and weight gain.

There’s definitely more to this statement (including food quality, digestion, and hormonal profile), but for the purposes of this post, let’s just stick with the basics and agree that counting macros is the most sustainable (depending on who you talk to) and precise way of gaining or losing weight.

However, what if you find weighing your food time consuming and you’re simply looking for a set of habits that keep caloric intake modest without having to carry your food scale with you everywhere you go.

 

The thing is, there are a lot of us that don’t want to spend our time counting calories and weighing our food.

With that being said, here are a couple of rules to implement that can naturally keep your caloric intake modest and consistent.

1. Prioritize Protein and Vegetables

The good thing about protein and vegetables is that it’s hard to overeat on these foods.

For the majority of us, we can all agree that it’s harder to overeat on a steak and some veggies than it is with a bowl of pasta or pizza. Not only does protein and veggies offer more volume of food without a crazy amount of calories, but they also provide the body with amino acids and fiber (both essential to the body).

A general guideline is to eat about a palms size of protein at each plate along with 1-2 fists worth of veggies at each meal.

2. Lift Heavy Things

This is especially important to implement on days where you know you’re going to eat something heavy/calorically dense.

Movements like squats and deadlifts promote insulin sensitivity (this makes our body more efficient at utilizing carbohydrates when we eat them).

Regular exercise creates “more space” calorically.

Think about it like paying your credit card off before making another big purchase. If you’re really dedicated, try implementing your own routine before heavier meals.

Maybe 100 Kettlebell Swings before the buffet?

 

3. Let Your Activity Level Dictate Your Carbohydrate Intake

This rule is simple.

If you’re not as active on one day, then there’s no need for as many carbs.

I always think of carbs as an expensive fuel. When we need to run the body like a Ferrari (think high performance), then put the expensive fuel in. Otherwise running primarily on veggies, fat, and protein is as efficient as running the body like a hybrid car.

Disclaimer: There are a lot of benefits to increasing carbohydrate intake (especially from a recovery standpoint), so don’t think carbs are inherently bad, we just don’t need as many as people think (especially when activity levels don’t warrant it)

4. Make Alcohol and Refined Sugar a Luxury

I’m not suggesting you cut these foods out, but instead, make it worth it when you do consume these things.

That means instead of wasting your carbs on low-quality sugar during the week, opt to save your carbs for a time where you’re at a restaurant that’s known for their sourdough bread or pasta.

Another example is alcohol.

Instead of having a beer at home by yourself while watching 90-Day Fiancé and arguing with the TV, save it for a time when you’re out with friends and make alcohol an experiential thing.

The reason for this is that these things are easy to over-consume. Placing limitations on these things make it easier to keep intake moderate.

5. Drink More Water

This nutrition tip is an overused one, but it’s an important one.

Weight loss in relation to drinking more water works on a couple of levels.

Hydrating with water promotes more satiety; it’s essential to overall body metabolism function and it also supports your performance in the gym. A general rule thumb when buying an expensive double vacuum sealed water bottle is to buy three because you’re bound to lose the first two in one month (speaking from personal experience).

6. Sleep as Hard as You Train

Our metabolism determines how effective our body is at taking in and expending calories.

Someone needs to write a version FOR adults

Sleep is the process that up-regulates body metabolism along with many other hormonal processes. Sleep helps maintain fat-free body mass and can make fat loss difficult to achieve despite being in a caloric deficit.

Before You Troll Me…

Before the hate starts in the comments section, let’s make something clear.

These principles are not bulletproof.

Despite following all these rules, you can still screw things up as far as caloric intake goes. These rules simply provide some structure that provides you with a buffer from the effects of overeating. If you have specific body composition goals or are eating for performance, then I highly suggest you quantify your food by hitting specific macro and caloric goals.

Even if this isn’t something you want to do long term, there is still some benefit in having a rough idea of what food looks like calorically at each meal.

About the Author

Marc Capistrano is a Certified Nutritionist, fitness enthusiast, and content creator. He currently works out of downtown Toronto and maintains the Live It Holistic Nutrition blog. His work has been featured on CBC Life and Stack Magazine. As a University of Toronto graduate, he completed his BA and went on to achieve his Certified Nutritional Practitioner (CNP) designation in 2016. Marc is also a self-proclaimed buffet connoisseur and listener of Drake.

Website: www.liveitholistic.com

YouTube: HERE

Instagram: HERE

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 11/15/19

Copyright: perhapzzz / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’M LIKE, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT

1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

This will be the first leg of mine and Dean Somerset’s European extravaganza in early 2020. The second leg will take place in…

2. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Maidenhead, U.K: March 7th & 8th, 2020

There’s an Early Bird rate for both of these events, so keep that in mind before you decide to hold off. Dean and I are really excited for this and hope to see you there!

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

 

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We’re often infatuated with bravado. . Take dips for example. We’re told that we HAVE to go as deep as possible in order to reap the best benefits; similar to squats. . Deeper the better. THIS.IS.SPARTA. . I’ve long championed that “deep” squats are 100% safe and an effective approach. However, access to depth is contingent on a few factors…with anatomy being a big one. . Some people picked the right parents for deep squatting. . Now, let’s discuss dips. I’ll never say never, but I’d suspect most trainees are better off reducing their ROM in order to keep the shoulders from feeling like they’ve been put through a meat grinder. . Unlike the hips, the glenohumeral joint is much more shallow and there’s less “heft” providing support and stability. The shoulder is a bit more vulnerable. . The deeper one goes with their dips, the higher the risk of the shoulders dumping forward (scapular anterior tilt) which can then have ramifications on the humeral head sliding more aggressively forward. . Ouch. . For my money (and if training long term is the goal)…a little less ROM on dips is the smarter play for most people.

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

The Ultimate Calorie, Portion, & Macro Calculator – Brian St. Pierre

I was given a sneak peak of Precision Nutrition’s latest resource – their Ultimate Calculator – and it’s going to save a lot of people a lot of guess work (and time).

There’s nothing out there like it and it’s very intuitive to use. It bases calculations off the basic stuff like height and weight, but also takes into account goal weight, training goals, and eating/lifestyle preferences…and then offers a “menu” that can be followed using the palm of your hand as a guide.

You don’t have to be Dr. Manhattan or a master of long division to figure it out.

Bookmark it!

#Instagram Engagement Is Dead. Here’s the Six Things You Must Focus On – Jonathan Goodman

Adapt or “fitness influencer” status will be revoked.

Psych Skills for Fitness Pros – Bros Do Science & Dr. Lisa Lewis

Dr. Lisa Lewis has been working on her upcoming project, Psych Skills for Fit Pros – a 12 hour course on motivational interviewing, how to build and maintain motivation with clients, as well as a plethora of other topics – for the past year and this interview with Rocco Venizelos of Bros Do Science provides an amuse bouche of what to expect.

Industry….

…be ready.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 11/8/19

Copyright: perhapzzz / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’M LIKE, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT

1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

This will be the first leg of mine and Dean Somerset’s European extravaganza in early 2020. The second leg will take place in…

2. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Maidenhead, U.K: March 7th & 8th, 2020

There’s an Early Bird rate for both of these events, so keep that in mind before you decide to hold off. Dean and I are really excited for this and hope to see you there!

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

 

My brain doesn’t work like most of my colleagues. . @meghancallaway @dr.joelseedman_ahp @benbrunotraining @matthewibrahim_ @dsomerset1 @coachleeboyce Etc… . Are all examples of coaches who always seem to come up with innovative exercises and ideas. . Me? . (Crickets chirping). . However, check out this snazzy band set up I used for my close grip bench presses yesterday? . Granted, I do have the option of looping bands around pegs at the bottom of the rack, but: . 1. I was too lazy to do that yesterday. 2. Many people don’t have that luxury, so I figured I’d showcase how to do it another way. . Simply loop the bands around a pair of safety arms OR pins. . Here I’m using a pair of 1/4” mini bands, and the setup worked splendidly.

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Debunking ‘The Game Changers’ Netflix Documentary –  Andy Morgan

Rule of Thumb: Stop getting the bulk of your nutritional information from Netflix documentaries….;o)

The Small Muscles That Will Make You Lift Bigger Weights – Shane McLean

A nice reminder not to neglect the stuff  (muscles) that you’re probably neglecting.

Inside Mark’s Head: Musings on Time Management, Critical Thinking, Effective Learning, and More  – Mark Fisher

I have smart friends.