Week Five Done

Baja Fresh's Chicken Caesar Salad.

A great option for dinner.

High in protein with big chunks of chicken

Healthy fats from slices of avocado.

Low in carbs.

$7-8

Taken 2/27/11

I feel like a lot of time has passed and I haven't been getting results as fast as I've wanted to, but I remind myself that I still have nearly two months to go. I've altered my current workout regimen to a four day training week:

Monday: Back

Tuesday: Chest

Thursday Shoulders & Arms

Friday: Legs

With hypothetical cardio on Wednesday & Saturday. I say hypothetical because I haven't done any in the last two weeks due to my ankle.

The ankle is a lot better these days, swelling is gone and bruising is almost all gone, but still very stiff with a little bit of discomfort when walking. Regardless, I can walk now without any sort of limping. I'm going to aim for my first session of HIIT cardio via swimming this Wednesday.

As mentioned previously, I wanted to touch again on human growth hormone. Since I'm learning about it myself, I don't think writing about it would do the original article as much justice. Read here!

Stop Obsessing Over Your Weight

For as long as I've known, there's this whole cultural phenomenon of girls obsessing over their weight. Now if you were overweight or morbidly obese, I could understand this, but most of these people are in a healthy weight range looking simply to improve their physique. After hearing the thousandth complaint in my life about working out and not losing weight, I feel like I have to write something to address this completely misconstrued issue about fitness, and more importantly, physical attractiveness.

First off, a little comparison:

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Now just based on the shapes of their bodies, who do you think is more physically attractive?

This is obviously a rhetorical question. If you're at all related to the human genome you would say without a doubt, exhibit B. Now let's ask a more interesting question:

Who do you think weighs less?

Guess what. The girl in exhibit A is 105-110lbs according to where I saw this. The girl in exhibit B is Janessa Brazil, a brazilian model who is self proclaimed at 120lbs. That's right, 10 pounds of difference. Now ask yourself this: Would you rather look like A? Or B?

The issue with always obsessing over your weight is the fact that you completely ignore your body composition. If you're losing weight simply for the principle of losing weight, then by all means, go anorexic before anyone cares. But if you're losing weight to become healthier or more physically attractive (which I think undoubtedly, most people are) then you're totally barking up the wrong tree.

There's a big difference between weighing less and actually being lean. You could be 10 lbs skinnier and still look like a flabby surfboard, or you could weigh the same with a lower body fat percentage and end up looking like a bikini model. The difference is your body composition.

If you're not morbidly obese and just trying to improve your physique, stop worrying about the scale. In the end it's not about how much you weigh, it's about how lean you are. It's about how your body looks in the mirror. The next time you want to step on that scale, try this instead: Take measurements of your waist and hips. Work on increasing the difference between them. Your waist-to-hip ratio is an excellent indicator of progress, and coincidentally, a primary characteristic that men find highly attractive.

Four Weeks In

This is more of an overview of the last four weeks than anything else. I haven't updated very much recently simply because of injuries. I notice a lot of the last four weeks have been hampered with them; shoulder hurts, wrist sprain, and now this crazy number on my ankle. Despite the debilitation, I've made noticeable progress toward my goal and I'm beginning see the outlines of the rectus abdominis. There's still 2 months left and I think I have plenty of time, but it revolves around recovering and staying healthy.

I've read several articles on how to recover faster and one of them that I've stumbled across involves naturally increasing the body's production of human growth hormone (HGH). For those of you that don't know, aside from creating puberty, this important hormone is what's responsible for our body's healing capacity and keeping us young and vibrant. It's why two 75 year olds can literally look 20 years apart. One takes care of their body, the other doesn't. You can naturally increase your body's production of HGH through certain methods of exercise and proper sleep scheduling.

I went back to the gym last night for the first time since Wednesday. Cutting out badminton and cardio until my foot gets better and sticking to a specific weight training schedule designed to help increase testosterone and HGH. Will tell you about it later. For now, I've upped carbs and rested in order to give my body more energy to recover faster. It's been raining quite frequently in San Jose recently. More on wonderful HGH to come!

Wednesday: Weights? No problem.

Hitting around a little piece of cork with feathers right afterwards?

Hyper-pronation fail. Pretty pissed at myself. After playing for more than a year without spraining my ankle, this happens. Ironic given what I said in my last post. Cardio (well, almost all exercise) is lights out at this point. Going to the therapist tomorrow to see what the damage is. Hopefully the progress I've made thus far won't be in vain. Keep your fingers crossed.

Week Four Progress (Day 23)

I've been pretty preoccupied this past weekend which explains why I haven't been updating as often as I'd like. I tried jogging in the morning this past weekend and just couldn't get myself to go at it 100%. A combination of being both tired and hungry and having the sun shine in your face once you wake up just wasn't conducive.

Instead, I started swimming this week. Despite my shoulder feeling better, swimming definitely re-aggravated it. I feel like all the therapy I've invested in my shoulder has gone down the drain because I'm constantly using it with exercise. Great results from swimming though, and if I can get my shoulder back to the way it was, I think I'll be doing much better than previously.

Cheat day 3 update: A friend and I made Beef Bourgignon this weekend, which is a fancy name for French beef stew, or Beef Burgundy. The thing literally took the entire day to make, and I couldn't help but feel that the finished product simply wasn't worth all the effort. Don't get me wrong, it tasted great, just not 8-hours-of-preparation-great. Part of the recipe that we used called for separating the beef from the broth during the process, and as a result, some of the beef became dry and tough. If I ever make this again, I'll be sure to keep the beef moist somehow, or use a different like brisket instead of chuck roast. The sauce was fantastic, and tasted even better the next day. We used an entire bottle of Pinot Noir.

This week's plan: Cardio 3x week, Weight training/Gym remaining 4 days. Let's see how much I can destroy myself without injury (Weird sentence? I think so.) Working on increasing the amount of slow carbs to 2-400g/day I'm ingesting to compensate for the increased activity. Again, still no carbs after 8pm though.

Note to self: Need to work on sleeping schedule. Stay tuned for more!

Inspiration

I thought this was a great website to share with anyone interested in what fitness models do to get their bodies in shape. The site gives each model space to detail out their diet plans and workout regimens. For once you can see exactly what these people do to get their body fat percentages so low! There are both male and female models. Check it out:

http://sixpacknow.com/abs_six_pack.html

One common denominator that I've noticed is the proliferation of high intensity interval training (HIIT) before breakfast in the morning. Even though I hate running, I'm seriously considering adding it to my repertoire given all these examples. Even though I've been dedicated and consistent, I haven't gotten the burn that makes me feel I've put my body through a really good workout lately.

Next week I'm going to start HIIT running through my neighborhood.

The Case Against P90x

Several friends have asked me why I don't just do P90x if I'm on this perfectly time-allocated three month project. Before I start, don't get me wrong about this program. I'm not saying it doesn't work. The fact of the matter is I know many people that have tried it and gotten great results from just a few weeks. But there's a few reasons why I don't personally jump on the deceivingly convenient P90x bandwagon.

1. Too focused on the exercises instead of the diet.

Diet is 80% of the equation. I dislike how P90x focuses the majority of the attention on their workouts and videos. All you get with their program is a little handbook on diet while there's this massive collection of exercise DVDs.

2. Sold as a quick and easy patch for people who are out of shape. Except it's...

3. Not that quick and easy.

I have yet to meet someone who has actually gone through the entire program. I know people that have gotten great results maybe halfway or even 75% of the way, but never someone who has gone through it all. I personally couldn't get through more than a week of it, mostly because I hated being cooped up at home in front of a TV to work out, but I digress. Exercise and diet regimens should be easy to follow and stick to and be adaptable to an overall lifestyle.

4. I've posted this quote previously, but I'll post it again: "As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

A main reason for why I started this blog, aside from keeping track of my workouts and diet, was to discover, present and share knowledge about fitness and fat loss. I believe the crux behind healthy fat loss is composed of just a few fundamental principles. If you understand and implement these principles, you can create a program suitable to your own liking instead of following a rigid one you might not stick to. Ultimately, it's important to understand why you're doing certain exercises and eating certain things as well as how your body responds to these stimuli. When you follow a cookie cutter program, you may miss out on a lot of this knowledge.

With that said, we are almost to the end of week 3! A brief synopsis of my workouts to this date:

Tuesday I played a few hours of badminton. I decided I needed to up my carb intake for the day due to the intensity and length of exercise. I noticed that my calorie deficit has been too high the past two weeks and I'm looking for a method or at least a basic archetype for determining more exactly a ballpark calorie range per day depending on my level of physical activity. The point is to not trigger the hormones that slow metabolism (i.e.: when you're starving and your body starts to conserve fat)

Wednesday: Back and shoulders with some compound exercises. Overall, maintaining progress. I'll save the progress pics when more drastic changes are apparent. Taking pictures of myself every week feels pointless and narcissistic.

Week Two Progress - Active Release Technique Update (Day 15)

This last week hasn't shown much visible progress, and I think this is largely due to the fact that I haven't been able to really put in 100% due to my shoulder pain. This has stopped me completely from playing badminton or swimming (a.k.a. my cardio) and hampered any shoulder or incline chest exercises. However, I will say that both my shoulder and wrist have shown considerable improvement over the weekend as I've been able to workout mostly unimpeded today. In summary, Active Release Technique has helped a lot. I recommend anyone try it for their joint irritations before going to a doctor.

The beginnings of some oblique definition

Overall I'd say there's still a LONG way to go. The one thing that I have begun to notice this week was the increase in shoulder and trap definition. I notice the outline of my frame has a much more square look to it compared to the beginning pictures (where I just looked like a round blob.) Regardless, the abdominal region is still very smooth, and if I had to estimate conservatively, I'm still probably around 16-18% bodyfat.

I'm incorporating consistent cardio 4x/week starting this week with both badminton and swimming and also supersets during gym time. I want to increase the intensity.

Cheat Day! (Day 13)

I started off the day with a slight headache. They say this is one of the side effects when you go on a low/slow carb diet and don't consume enough of other foods to compensate for the reduced caloric intake. I never knew you could get headaches if you didn't eat enough!

Anyway, I actually didn't feel like cheating today because I had just gotten into the groove of eating and there wasn't anything in particular that I was craving. Regardless, I promised myself that I'd pig out just because I could, and to also follow through consistently with carb-cycling to see if it was as effective as I've heard.

I made a point to order Round Table's pizza because I wanted it earlier in the week. I had no idea how much I wanted it until I took my first bite of the chicken wings. After half a medium garlic supreme, half a dozen wings and 2 cans of coke (78g of sugar! Can you see insulin spewing from my pores?) I was completely food comatose. Some other things that I splurged on today:

Some expensive ass chocolates

Mom's homemade spinach dip

Carbs! Carbs! Carbs! I don't have a headache anymore. Looking forward to seeing what the damage is come Monday. Progress pictures for week two to come.

A Day of Diet in My Life (Day 13)

I've decided to cease posting my weight since I don't anticipate for it to fluctuate or lower. This was, and still primarily is, a body recomposition blog and not a blog about losing weight. Without further ado:

10:00am:

two eggs over easy

5 Shrimp wontons

1 bowl instant oatmeal + ground flaxseed

performance multivitamin

1 pack coromega (omega 3 supplement)

1:00pm:

2-3 Chicken Tenderloins

24g 100% Optimum whey protein shake

1/2 cup brown rice

Broccoli

1pack coromega

4:00pm:

5 oz ribeye

handful of raw mixed nuts (Archer Farms)

slice of apple

7:00pm:

spinach/broccoli, sugar snap peas

6oz white tuna & salmon sashimi

1/4 cup brown rice

10:00pm:

1 scoop whey/1 scoop casein protein shake

Notes:

This is just what I had today; things may change slightly from day to day. Two important principles to observe in dieting are the old adages "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper" & "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." There is surprising truth to good health in these two quotes. You'll notice how both my carbohydrate intake and overall caloric intake start out very high and taper off throughout the day. Though I've touched on this subject before, I think it's worth reiterating.

The majority of calories, especially carbohydrates, consumed in the morning are readily converted to energy for the body to be used throughout the day. Conversely, carbs that are eaten later in the day such as afternoon and evening are more likely to be stored as fat.

In addition to this, eating a large breakfast with a good amount of protein keeps you full longer and causes you to eat less total throughout the day. Since the majority of the issue with dieting is the constant battle with hunger, this is a really important point to observe.

If you're looking to lose weight and stay lean & healthy, a big breakfast w/protein within an hour of when you wake up in the morning is key! But hey, you don't have to take my word for it:

Breakfast Prevents Obesity

Skipping Breakfast May Lead to Obesity

Eating breakfast may reduce risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease

Cheers!

Back to Basics: Ab Exercises - The Myth of Spot Reduction (Day 11)

Good question presented by Min in the comments section, what kind of ab exercises should we do?

To answer this question, we need to understand the goal of doing ab exercises to begin with. If the point of you doing ab exercises is because A.) You have a flabby stomach and you want definition, or B.) Your stomach protrudes and you want it to be flatter, then my answer would be: Don't do any ab exercises.

The reasons for this are simple, and again go back to abdominal fat composition. But before I go into that, I want to touch on the issue of spot reduction, the idea that you can work fat off of a certain area of your body by just exercising that one area.

This is absolutely false.

That's right, all those stupid ab machines you see on TV late at night are completely useless to 80-90% of Americans.

If you continue to believe this myth you will waste a lot of time and effort with very little results. The reason for this is because the fat you have around your midsection is what's stored for your entire body. Our bodies simply prioritize these fat deposits to very specific areas as a response to a surplus of calories. Ladies are meant to have fat deposited to their hips and thighs first. Men are meant to have fat deposited to their midsection first. This doesn't mean that it ended up there because you didn't work out that specific area, and conversely, working out just that one area isn't going to make it go away.

The most effective way to get rid of this fat is by increasing metabolism through overall full body aerobic and anaerobic exercise (i.e.: running, swimming, cycling, weight training etc.). When you start exercising and watching your diet, your body's metabolism speeds up and you lose fat everywhere. When there is no more fat to lose from the other areas of your body, that's when fat starts to strip away from these high priority abdominal areas.

So don't waste your time doing a million crunches when there is a layer of subcutaneous fat cover your abs, it's completely pointless. No matter how well developed your abs are, you'll never be able to see them if they're covered by a layer of fat. (Likewise, if your stomach protrudes but is relatively hard, this is a sign of a high amount of visceral fat. Do TVA exercises.) Work the fat off first by increasing your metabolism through workouts and diet. Then when that fat is gone and there's only a thin layer of skin between your fingers and those stomach muscles, then you focus on shaping and sculpting your midsection.

With that said, if you're in the miniscule percentile of Americans who already have very little body fat covering their abs but still can't see definition, focus on weighted abdominal exercises. Abs are like any other muscle and they grow bigger with heavier weights applied. Sixpacknow.com has a great ab regimen for those looking to get into specifics. Click here.

Good luck!

P.S. I'll be posting my personal detailed diet and workout regimens soon (as this was intentionally what my blog was for). I've been pretty disappointed with myself in terms of what I've been eating because I haven't been very strict. That's going to change very shortly.

Insane Transverse Abdominis Power - A Demonstration (Day 10)

To review, the transverse abdominis is the muscle you use to suck in your abs. It is a sheet of smooth muscle just underneath your 6 pack (rectus abdominis) that wraps around your body to your spine.

It's extremely important (actually more important than your 6 pack or your obliques) because it is the innermost stabilizer of your core. The average American's transverse abdominis is actually extremely weak due to our sedentary lifestyle spent sitting down. I stumbled across this video today and thought it would be a good illustration of not only the awesome control and power an extremely strong transverse abdominis has, but the amazing pliability of well developed abs. We're all used to seeing pictures of what 6 packs look like and imagine them to be solid pieces of rock. But we probably don't realize how much they can be manipulated:

Progress Pics & Abdominal Composition (Day 9)

My trip to the Active Release Technique specialist felt almost like a bait and switch. I realized when I pulled into the parking lot that this was a chiropractor who was certified in ART and not actually an ART specialist. (I found out later that ART was usually given by chiropractors anyway.) Regardless, I held my breath and wished for the best. After a good 45 minutes of some of the most painful massage I've ever had, I could increase the range of motion in my shoulder and put much more pressure on my wrist than I could before. This was also my first introduction to rocktape, which is, I must say, a pretty cool athletic tape that provides constant pressure and support to injured or sore areas with minimal restriction of movement. I was told I could shower and workout with it on without any issues. It stays in place and feels pretty good. I ended up with a strip on my left arm and wrist and a whole bunch across my right shoulder and back.

All Taped up

A common problem that causes shoulder injury is often weak areas of the back and over-development of the chest and frontal muscles. This is something that many of us who work out are susceptible to, as the bench press seems to be the benchmark for physical strength and power. To compensate, I've read that it is wise to do 2-3 back exercises for every 1 chest exercise you do. Your back muscles are meant to be some of the strongest and largest muscles in your body. They are more important than most other muscles because they keep your spine straight and your core strong. Aesthetically, a strong back causes a person to stand more upright with their shoulders back and chest out. Appropriately, this is also the posture that both men and women find most attractive. Over-development of the chest is usually what causes rounded shoulders and a more hunched appearance.

Progress pictures:

I took these last night to compare with the ones I took on January 24th. As you'll notice, some of the basic lines of definition are coming back, but the surface is still soft with a good amount of subcutaneous fat still lining the area. My pecs have lost a lot of their sculpted shape and texture from the days when I was swimming and working out consistently. Subcutaneous fat has seeped its way into there as well. Also, there is still a good amount of protrusion from my abdomen (read: pot belly) that can only be attributed to visceral fat and a weak transverse abdominis. For those of you interested in learning more about types of abdominal fat as well as what needs to happen for person to have a flat stomach and visible abs, you can click the links above for further detailed explanation.

The summary of things is that subcutaneous fat is the fat that's just underneath your skin and covering your abs. This is the layer that needs to be shed in order for your abs to be visible. Visceral fat is the fat that lines your organs. It is actually a much more dangerous type of fat compared to subcutaneous because a large quantity of it has been linked to all sorts of diseases and chronic illnesses (Heart disease, high cholesterol, lower testosterone, cancer yadi yadi). To illustrate, below is a picture taken from the 4 Hour Body:

Think fat is just under the skin? Think again. The above MRI of a 250-pound woman, compared to a 120-pound woman, shows the large fat deposits around internal

organs. The undigested food is a reader-gagging bonus.

Luckily, Visceral fat is first to be shed when you start a diet and exercise regimen. Your transverse abdominis is your body's natural girdle. It holds your intestines and all that visceral fat in so you don't naturally explode and spill all over the place. (Just kidding, that probably wouldn't happen.) Your transverse abdominis (TVA) is constantly at odds with your internal organs and the amount of visceral fat you have. They push out, your TVA holds them in. Over time however, sitting for long periods of time and a build up of visceral fat causes your TVA to relax and stretch out and TADA! You have a fat beer belly! Ridding visceral fat and working out your TVA are the two most fundamental and overlooked things you need to do in order to have a flat stomach.

Genetically, I probably don't have the type of body that is naturally prone to getting ripped; every single person on my dad's side of the family has this belly issue as it seems that our family's bodies store more visceral fat than average. Of course, their diets back in the days probably weren't exactly as health conscious, but regardless, this isn't an excuse and simply means I'll have to work a bit harder than someone more genetically prone to leanness.

This seems like a drastic change for just one week of training, but a large majority of the difference is water weight that was shed from the lowered amounts of carbohydrates taken in. The overall bloated look I had in the starting pictures isn't nearly as prevalent anymore.

Stay tuned, more to come!