I just read a great post over on Mike Robertson’s blog, titled Metabolic Momentum.

Have you ever noticed that there are some people who are in great shape and have low body fat, but don’t exactly strike you as perfect eaters?

I know I have..

You may see someone who likely has a six pack out at a sports bar having beer and wings on the weekend.. or munching on a few fries. Heck, I know some people with great physiques who seem to have a terrible sweet tooth on occasion.

So what’s the difference between this person and the person who is frustrated and fed up, having troubling reaching their goals, even when they try to eat healthy?

The answer (or at least part of the answer), as Mike pointed out, is that the fit person has Metabolic Momentum working in their favor.

What do I mean by this?

While you may see someone with a killer body treating themselves to something sweet or greasy on the weekend, what you may not see is that they have been disciplined in their eating for a decent period of time before this “cheat meal”. They are exercising and working their butt off in their training sessions and are consistently eating high quality foods–and often enough to keep that metabolism churning like a madman.

Their metabolism is at such a high level from having a healthy routine of exercise and proper nutrition, that a couple of fries or wings isn’t that big a deal–their body has become a super calorie-burning machine and sure as heck won’t be stopped by a couple of pieces of fried grease.

It’s because of MOMENTUM..

Think about when you ride a bicycle.

If you start off from a stop, you have to pedal really hard in order to get the bike moving. As you keep pedaling hard and putting in the necessary work, the bike begins to move faster and pedaling gets easier until you’re at a relatively high speed.

So what would happen if you came across a small incline in the road that lasted a few yards?

Well if you had enough momentum, it wouldn’t be that big a deal–you’ll coast up the hill, not have to pedal much harder, and keep moving relatively quickly and easily once you’re over.

The same principle applies when burning Calories. You’ve worked hard all week, have eaten the right foods with the right frequency, and you have been busting your hump during the week at the gym.

With all that momentum you’ve built up, do you really think a couple of chicken wings and a beer is gonna slow you down?

Hell no.

So ask yourself a question. When I eat garbage, is it the norm? If it is, you need to stop it.

Your thought process should go something like this: “I know this is not a great thing to put in my body, but I can get away with it because it’s not something I eat very often and I know I’ll get back on track with my diet right away.”

So get on track with your diet, and get your hard exercise in during the week.

Start building yourself some momentum!

Technorati Tags: Discipline, fat loss, meal frequency, metabolic-momentum, metabolism, Momentum, Nutrition

I have a BMR of 2279.6 how many calories should i burn to lose 2lbs a week if i have a 2000 calorie diet. 720 a day?

Answer:

First of all, TEE, or total energy expenditure would be a better indicator since this represents how many calories you’re burning throughout the day, rather than only at rest.

Your TEE is found using a formula that uses your RMR (rather than BMR) and your daily activity level (ie sedentary, somewhat active, very active, etc). It also uses gender, height, and age, and body weight.

But, for calculations sake, let’s assume you’re going to burn 2280 Calories per day on average to determine how many Calories we need to burn to lose two pounds a week on a 2000 Calorie diet.

First of all, 1lb of body weight = 3500 Calories and 2lb of body weight = 7,000 Calories

So, what you’re going to need to do is create a 7,000 Calorie deficit per week, meaning that your body has to burn 7,000 more Calories than it will need.

2280 X 7 = 15960 kcals/week [this is what your body needs to maintain weight]

2,000 X 7 = 14,000 kcal/week [this is the number of Calories you plan on eating per week]

15,960-14000 = 1,960 [This is your Calorie deficit with no additional exercise]

So, with a 2,000 Calorie diet, we’re at -1,960 per week

In order to burn 2 lbs a week, we need to be at a 7,000 Calorie deficit.

so….

Now we just take 7,000-1,960 = 5,040kcal/week

divide this by 7 days and you get 720.

Yep, you were right

Technorati Tags: BMR, calorie-counting, calories, RMR, TEE

ok so i’ve heard if you run early in the morning you shouldn’t eat breakfast before because if you do then you’re just burning what you ate, but if you don’t your stomach is empty so you’re burning fat. I’ve also heard that you should eat breakfast before because it gives you energy and helps you burn more calories. So which is better eating breakfast or not before you run(if you’re trying to loose weight)?

Answer:

If you’re trying for to maximize fat loss, there are SO many more important factors that come in to play.

Such as.. Meal frequency, types of foods eaten, number of calories eaten per day, type, intensity, frequency, and duration of exercise.

It is more important that when you exercise, you’re at peak performance in order to get the best workout. Getting a good workout allows you to burn Calories during exercise, and also elevates your metabolism afterwords (google ‘EPOC’)

So to answer your question, find a time to eat that you’re comfortable with — listen to your body.

For me, I would eat something smaller 20-30 minutes before the workout, but it would depend on other things like how long I’ve been up, etc.

Hope this helps!!

P.S. I added some audio to this post, so be sure to check it out by clicking play below.

Technorati Tags: breakfast, cardio, diet, fat loss, meal timing, weight loss

If you have an excuse that holds you back, perhaps you need a verbal kick in the ass.

Check out this rant by Leigh Peele. It may be just what you need.

Technorati Tags: Discipline, motivation, Overall Health

Question:

I have a skinny 6 pack when I flex but when i’m not flexing im just skinny. I need to lose weight to get the 6 pack to show normally. How many calories should I eat a day? How much should I run on the treadmill for ? How many crunches should I do?

Well, it’s good that you have your goal. You’re on the right track in knowing that you need to lose body fat (not necessarily weight) in order for your abs to show.

There are two major components to changing your body composition–Nutrition and Exercise

Nutrition

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First, the number of Calories you eat per day is just one factor that will affect your rate of fat loss. The answer to your question about how many Calories to eat per day depends on a few factors including your age, gender, and current level of activity–this could range from 1800 for an older sedentary female to about 4,000 or more for a young male powerlifter. More than likely, you fall somewhere in the middle, and to determine this number, your best bet would be to seek the help of a registered dietitian.

What I can tell you is that in order to get a six pack, an important factor is where your Calories are coming from. They should be coming from fruits, vegetables (think brocolli, carrots, peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc.), lean meat (think chicken breasts, lean ground beef, salmon), and healthy fats and oils (walnuts, olive oil, fish oil).

Follow these basic guidelines:

• Replace all juices, sodas, or any Calorie-containing beverages with water and tea, and even coffee (black). Yes, skim milk is a calorie-containing beverage.

• Eat more frequent meals (~6x a day)–when you eat these meals, eat for the purpose of preventing hunger long enough to last you until your next meal.

-Save your high carbohydrate starchy meals like oatmeal, bread, and pasta for hours following your workout sessions.

Exercise

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Running on the treadmill is one way to burn calories, but isn’t the most effective way of burning fat. A total body strength training program where you perform total body movements like squats, bench presses, rows, deadlifts, and stepups 3 days a week would be the quickest first step to fat loss.

As for core work, I’m not a big fan of crunches, but that’s a different post entirely. You actually don’t need to do as much ab work as you think. Five minutes three to four days a week will probably be fine–again, your focus should be on total body exercise and nutrition. I’m not saying neglect your ab work–it’s important–just not the determining factors in getting your 6 pack!

Conclusion

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If you follow the above nutrition guidelines with a total body strength training program, you should start to see those abs showing in no time. The key is consistency. If you slip up on one meal or miss a workout, no big deal–just get back on track when it comes time for your next feeding opportunity or exercise session.

I hope this answers your question and as will always be the case on this blog, your questions and comments are encouraged.

Technorati Tags: Core Training, fat loss, foods, get a 6 pack, Nutrition

Question:

I have heard of water retention and weight fluctuation but how can you accurately tell how much fat you have lost? I have been exercising and dieting and have seen a lot of fluctuation. Is there a way I can truly tell if what i’m doing is working?

You can regularly get your body fat tested by someone qualified to use skinfolds. (this is when they take the calipers and pinch your fat)

As for other ways to tell if what you’re doing is working: -Do you feel better?

-Do people compliment you on how you look?

-Do your clothes fit better?

-Are you stronger?

-Is it easier to do normal activities?

Stepping on a scale isn’t the only indicator and, in my opinion, is the least valuable one. People lived for millions of years without worrying about numbers on a scale.

Though it can be a useful tool for progress, use the above indicators as well.

Technorati Tags: body fat, diet, fat loss, skinfold

Check out this article on T-Nation by Mike Robertson on squatting technique:

10 Tips for Flawless Squatting

The article is geared to the more serious lifter, but these guidelines apply to lifters of all levels–both males and females.

I’ll list the 10 tips below, and you can find further explanation by checking out the link above.

1. Hands In - Working your hands in creates a shelf to rest the bar on, and reinforces proper form.
2. Back Together and Tight -see above
3. Comfortable Stance, Toes Slightly Out - Experiment with the width of your stance. People with longer torsos and shorter legs tend to prefer a wider stance while those with shorter torsos and longer legs are better off going narrow.
4. Weight Balanced - Keep your weight over your mid foot or slightly toward the heel.
5. Chest Up, Low Back Tight - Essential for form and lower back health.
6. Focus on a Spot - Pick something eye-level (don’t look down). You may have to face away from the mirror.
7. Big Breath, Core Tight* - More important for powerlifters; helps stability
8. Sit Back - Activates those glutes and hamstrings!
9. Knees Out - Keeps you in proper alignment, activates hip muscles
10. Speed* - a useful technique for powerlifters

Technorati Tags: Exercise Technique, exercise-form, Squat

One thing I noticed in the gym that is very common is poor rowing form.

While you should definitely have some rowing variations in your program, if not done properly you either won’t make progress, will get injured, or both–not to mention look silly.

What I see is a lot of jerking and rotation about the trunk–rocking instead of rowing. Yes, if you’re doing an aerobic workout on a real rowing machine where the seat glides along with you, it is ok–but not on seated cable rows, chest supported rows, or any other similar exercise–including pull downs.

Rowing is a back exercise–movement should come from retraction of the scapula with your arms acting only to connect your back to your hands. Your spine and core are there to stabilize you while you row–they should not move.

Things to think about when rowing:

1. Back flat–think of how your back would be aligned if you were sitting in a chair with perfect posture. Get a friend or trainer to confirm you’re on the right track here.

2. Chest out–like you’re showing off your pecs. Elevate the chest and ribcage (almost like you’re showing someone that you’re super-confident). The opposite would be rounding your shoulders, which would turn the exercise into an arm curl.

3. Don’t Rock–Again, movement is coming only through retraction of your scapula. This means that you’re moving the weight by pulling back and down and your scapulae are moving toward the middle of your back. If your head is moving at all, you’re doing it wrong.

4. Control the weight on the return–When lowering the weight, (also known as the eccentric phase) you should be steadily easing the weight down. You don’t have to lower it super slow, but make sure that you are controlling the weight; not visa versa.

If you’re consistently having trouble with 3 and/or 4 above, you’re using too much weight. Back down on the amount of weight until you can perform several reps with perfect form–then slowly up the weight as you get better.

Seated cable rows, one armed rows, T-bar rows, and corner rows all follow the exact same guidelines.

So happy rowing!

-DG

Technorati Tags: back, exercise-form, rowing, strength training