The Importance of Post Workout Nutrition
Training is a funny thing. You can bust your ass and train hard every day. But if your nutrition sucks you’ll never see the results you can potentially achieve.
Most people in general, don’t eat enough calories, whether their goal is fat loss or strength and performance. At the end of the day we still need to eat enough of the right foods in order to reach our goals.
One of the most common mistakes I’ve seen is people not getting a post workout meal in. I’m here to tell you today that if you aren’t having a meal within 30 minutes after your workout, you are sabotaging your progress.
Here’s why.
When you strength train or perform an intense athletic endeavor, you are actually breaking down muscle tissue. Your anabolic hormones plummet while the stress hormone cortisol increases. As you may know by now cortisol can break down muscular tissue and hold onto body fat.
Also keep in mind that your body uses something called glycogen for energy. Glycogen is stored primarily in muscle tissue as well as the liver. When you strength train your body is using glycogen for energy, which leaves the stores depleted within the muscle.
You are also creating tiny micro tears in the muscle fibers by lifting weights. So when you are training, you are literally breaking down your muscle. In order for that muscle to grow however, you need two more things.
Food and sleep.
Which is why you want to start the recovery process and eat immediately following your workout.
Another important factor to note is insulin.
Insulin, is a highly anabolic hormone, which is a major reason why you want that spike with QUALITY food immediately following your workout.
By now hopefully you realize the importance of post workout nutrition. So let’s move on and get into some post workout meals.
Your post workout meal should consist of two things, protein and carbohydrates.
Since you want to start the recovery process right away, you want foods that are quickly digested. Keep in mind that real food is always the best way to go for any meal. But for simplicity, a high quality whey protein shake could certainly be useful here.
Either way, here are some options for protein:
– High quality, natural whey protein
– Fish
– Chicken breast
– Lean ground turkey breast
For carbohydrates:
– Banana
– White rice
– Baked potato
– Maltodextrin powder (if your goal is to gain mass)
Any combination of the foods listed will do just fine. The important thing is that you are eating within 30 minutes after your workout.
Remember this is a must if you are serious about making some Gainz!
Take your nutrition as serious as you take your training and you will be on the road to success.
Despite what some may say, stay away from boat loads of sugary foods like ice cream, cereal and other shit that your gym’s meathead may recommend. The quality of your nutrients are what matter most for your health and progress.
So stay away from any of those wild potions out there!
If you have any questions please feel free to shoot me an email at info@tutelatraining.com.
Until next time, my friends.
Peace!
How to Squat… The Right Way
I cringe from the mere thought of it. Guys with a bar on their back, using a weight that’s about 200lbs too heavy for them, squatting about ¼ of the way down and struggling to get back up.
Screaming and yelling like they’ve just accomplished something impressive.
Squatting with shit technique turns the king of all exercises into a red headed step child that smells like cat piss.
In fact, the exercise (if you want to call it that) has now become counterproductive. Leaving you even more susceptible to injury.
I’m here today to take you guys through the back squat, step by step to ensure that you will squat the right way and receive all the benefits from this incredible exercise.
Step 1: Set the bar at the right height
Make sure the bar is set at about shoulder height so you can place the bar comfortably on your back.
Step 2: Set your grip
I prefer setting the tips of my thumbs on the line between the smooth and rough part of the bar, then extending my thumbs all the way while keeping the tips on the line. Then, wrap your thumbs around the bar and squeeze it tight. If your shoulder flexibility doesn’t allow you to get in that close, feel free to cheat your hands out a bit. Just make sure that your grip is even. If that’s the case, you can try using the power ring on the bar for a reference.
Step 3: Get under the bar and place it across your traps
The bar should not be place too high up to the point where it’s on your neck. Place the bar across your traps below your neck. Then squeeze the bar tight, and place both feet underneath the bar as if you were going to actually perform a squat. Stand up and take only one step back away from the rack.
Step 4: Set your feet and brace your abs
Now set your feet just outside of shoulder width, with your toes pointed out about 5 degrees or so. At this point you should be bracing your abs, meaning, flex them as if you were going to take a punch to the stomach. It’s important to keep your abs tight throughout the entire set.
Step 5: Engage your hips and take a deep breath in
Before the knees bend think of reaching your hips back as if you were reaching for a chair and someone was pulling the chair away from you. Maintain a neutral spine by keeping the chest up. While you are driving the hips back take in a big deep breath and hold it. The air you take in will help support your spine so do not release it until you are on your way up.
Step 6: Squat down
Once the hips are fully engaged you can now begin to bend the knees and squat down to parallel. That’s right, parallel. That means there should be a straight line from your knee to your hip. Just be sure that your chest is still upright and your spine remains neutral, meaning that there should be no round in the back.
Step 7: Drive the knees out, push through your heels, drive the hands upward and exhale
It’s common for the knees of many beginners to collapse in. Especially women. You want to avoid this from happening so once you begin to come back up, push your knees out as if you were trying to rip the floor in half. You’re not moving your feet from where they are, you are simply applying outward force so your knees are not coming in. Keep in mind that you should be flat-footed and pushing through the heels of your feet, not your toes. If it’s difficult for you to keep your heels on the floor ankle stability, mobility and flexibility of the calves could be an issue. If that’s the case, add stretching the calves into your warm-up routine. Once you begin driving up through your heels apply upward force with your hands on the bar. Keep in mind that you should be squeezing the bar as tight as possible. Once you get about ¼ of the way up, exhale forcefully.
Then you simply repeat.
I really hope that you guys enjoyed this post. Remember that if you have flexibility/mobility issues or existing injuries, barbell squatting may not be in your best interest. There are other variations like goblet squats, safety bar squats, belt squats and tons of unilateral work that you can do instead. Remember that if your hurt, you can’t train so be smart about your approach.
If you are healthy enough, then check your ego at the door, lower the weight and move properly. Any exercise with piss poor technique is going to get you nowhere, besides on the sideline.
Plus, adding a ton of weight to the bar without moving properly isn’t even going to benefit you. You won’t get stronger and you want get bigger, just more susceptible to injuries.
So don’t be that guy. Back the weight down, learn the proper technique, and then make your proper progressions.
That is how you get strong.
Catch you guys next time!
5 Common Mistakes to Avoid when Losing Fat, and what to do Instead
Most people that want to drop body fat think of one thing. Cardio, cardio cardio!
And sometimes these people will see some progress. They’ll be dropping weight on the scale and even looking a little better, especially if they were doing nothing prior to this weight cut.
But then… it happens!
You start to get bored, and old habits creep back up on you. You slowly start to pack on more body fat and before you know it, you’re right back at square one!
Today, I’m here to divert your destiny of the ups and downs of fat loss!
I want to teach you guys the most common mistakes to avoid when trying to drop fat, and precisely what to do instead!
The approach to sustainable fat loss that I’m about to teach you has been time tested and proven to work over and over again.
I just need YOU to trust the process and follow through to the letter. If you choose to deviate then I cannot guarantee you the incredible results you will see if you do exactly what I say.
With all that being said, let’s get to it!
Mistake # 1: Doing nothing but steady state cardio:
Most people think that spending hours upon hours on a treadmill or running miles upon miles is going to get them abs. As I mentioned earlier, some people will start to lose body fat and scale weight. However, the problem occurs once they get to a certain point and can’t lose another pound! Been there before?
Here’s why this happens.
The more lean muscle mass you have on your frame, the faster your metabolism will work, since muscle is highly metabolic. The faster your metabolism works, the more fat you’ll burn.
When you do nothing but cardio you will also be losing a significant amount of muscle, along with body fat. So even though what you’re doing may seem to be effective, you will also be shooting yourself in the foot in the long run, since you’ll be slowing down your metabolism by burning all this muscle.
Now if you enjoy going for a jog it’s not my place to tell you not to do it. Also, if you are overweight and looking to get started, don’t get frustrated by what I’m telling you and choose to do nothing instead. Something is 1000000 x’s better than nothing. That’s for sure, so don’t think you’ve been wasting time.
What I am telling you will just be much more efficient with more sustainable results.
Here’s the remedy.
Solution to mistake # 1: Weight train 3-4 days per week, 45 min to 1 hour per day and do cardio/conditioning 2-3 days per week, 20-40 min per day. Take 1 day per week off for recovery. I recommend hill sprints, jumping rope and bleachers for conditioning.
Mistake # 2: Starving yourself
I see it time and time again. People think that not eating is going to get them looking shredded. Instead, they end up looking like a starving animal from one of those Sarah McLachlan commercials (They get me every time). The problem with eating extremely low calories is the same problem that I mentioned before. Since you need to eat enough food in order to build or at least maintain muscle mass, starving yourself will only lead to you working backwards in the long run. Plus, combine a shit ton of cardio and not eating enough, you’ll soon be at the dreaded “skinny fat” look which nobody wants! On top of that you’ll be tired all the time and weak as piss.
So here’s what you do!
Solution to mistake # 2: You eat 5-7 meals per day. Each meal should be based on a lean source of protein. Your total protein for the day only needs to be about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. So if you are 200 lbs. you need no more than 200 grams of protein per day.
You will also need healthy fats, like nuts and avocados, carbohydrates like fruit, rice and potatoes, and a fuck ton of veggies.
Without getting too specific, eat your carbs surrounding your workout and in the morning. Have some fat at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and eat at least three servings of veggies per day.
If you do that you will feel fed, strong and healthy. Eventually you will need to take a closer look at your calories, but for now start the process by teaching yourself how to eat more frequently and to eat high quality foods.
Mistake # 3: Lifting with all high reps
When the goal is losing fat, people tend to want to make their strength training sessions into another cardio session. They want to use weights that are super light, and crank them out for tons of reps. Combine this style of training with a caloric deficit and you will get weaker and smaller. And now you know if you’re losing muscle you are doing yourself a huge disservice.
Solution to mistake # 3: Weight training is about getting bigger and stronger, so focus on that. If you are a total newbie to the iron game you can even gain muscle during a fat loss phase. If you’re advanced your goal should be to maintain strength and size. To do that, keep the weights heavy and the reps low. Your diet and conditioning will dictate the amount of fat you lose.
Of course you can make your training interesting and throw in back off sets and finishers after your strength work. Just don’t have that be the primary focus of your training.
Mistake # 4: Spending too much time in the gym
If you are training hard, spending hours on end in the gym will leave you over-trained and beat up. Spending three hours in the gym is counterproductive.
Here’s why…
When you train, your body begins to produce anabolic hormones like testosterone and growth hormone. Once you reach the 45 min. mark those hormonal levels begin to decrease. Around one hour, your body begins to produce high amounts of the stress hormone cortisol, which is extremely catabolic and detrimental to muscular tissue.
Cortisol can also hold onto body fat like a mother fucker.
Ain’t that a kick to the nuts.
Solution to mistake # 4: Keep your workouts short and sweet. Go in, warm-up, train hard and heavy, and go home. 45-60 minutes is all you need if you’re training smart.
Mistake # 5: Deviating from your nutritional plan too frequently
If there is one mistake that will squash your fat loss dreams it’s this one.
Remember this… If you want to lose fat, whether it be 10 lbs. or 100 lbs. you need to keep your diet perfect. If you don’t have a plan or any thought of what you’re going to eat, or prepare your meals, you will fail. You can’t expect to go into something blind and come out successful. You need a smarter approach.
Here’s how you do it…
Solution to mistake # 5: First come up with a date that you will begin your meal plan. Second, come up with an end date that this initial phase will be complete. Usually, that’s about 12 weeks. However, there are times that 8-10 weeks is enough time.
Whatever that time frame is, choose it and honor that time frame.
After you pick your start and end date, decide what you will eat and how many meals you will eat per day, I usually recommend six meals per day, spaced about 2-3 hours apart. Write it down on paper meal by meal. That will make your plan real!
The next step is preparation. You have to shop for your food BEFORE your start date. Then, I usually recommend cooking a bunch of food, twice per week. Prepare your chicken breasts, hard boiled eggs, turkey breast, potatoes, rice and veggies. This process usually takes about an hour, so really you are only committing about two hours per week to this preparation. This way, you’ll be covered for the next 3-4 days.
This last step is the biggest. Commitment and execution!
You have a goal. Achieving this goal it will not be easy, although the recipe is simple. You just have to remember why you started this process and stay committed to the plan. This doesn’t mean you can’t go out with friends, go to dinners and have fun. In fact, I highly recommend that! Having fun is a must! You just have to be smart and not seek instant gratification. If you’re going to drink alcohol, go with the vodka and club over the rum and coke.
If you’re going to dinner order grilled fish and veggies, a salad with chicken breast, an omelet, whatever the cleanest option is. The important thing is that you stay focused and committed to your goal.
Execution is as simple is having a plan, preparing for it and following through. Yes this will take effort. Yes this will take time. But if you don’t follow through with consistent execution of your meal prep and eating, you will be hungry and more tempted to grab a slice of pizza. Trust in the process, work hard and watch the fat poor off and your life change!
I really hope this helps guys.
If you have any questions feel free to shoot an email over to info@tutelatraining.com or drop a comment below.
If you think this post was helpful and may help someone you know, please click the share button and share this post on Facebook.
It would really mean the world to us.
Thanks for reading guys!
I’ll catch you all next week!
Bodyweight Training Program to Build Muscle, Burn Fat and Look Great in Less Time
A lot of people make the excuse of not having enough time to train. They come up with a million excuses as to why they don’t have the time.
My boss, my kids, my wife, the car, my job, blah blah blah.
The truth is, even the busiest people on the planet like Triple H have the time.
You just have to make it.
But ok, maybe it can be a pain in the ass to travel to the gym if it’s not close to you and traveling eats up a little bit more of your time.
If you fit into this category then lucky you!
Today’s post is to show you guys how to use bodyweight exercises to build muscle and burn body fat!
A bodyweight training routine that you can crank out in your home, office or backyard, and can be completed in about 15-30 minutes.
Is this type of training ideal to do all the time, no.
But it can 100% get you great results and keep you healthy.
And at the end of the day that’s what is most important to most people.
But before we get into the training routine let’s first discuss some important factors.
First off, please be cleared by a medical professional prior to beginning any type of training program to make sure you are healthy enough for exercise.
Second, you may have to modify certain exercises if you cannot perform the exercises given with close to perfect form.
For instance, if you cannot complete a push-up with full range of motion you may have to solely focus on the eccentric component of the exercise, with the push-up, that’s the way down. Once you develop the strength to come back up then you can begin to perform an actual push-up.
I don’t want to totally leave that up to you guys though, so if you aren’t sure what to do feel free to email us at info@tutelatraining.com and we will gladly help you guys out.
And finally, you will need a few small pieces of equipment that you can easily store in your home. I’ll go into further detail on this later in the post.
With that said let’s put this chisnit together and start changing your lives!
This program will be 3 days per week and you can split it up Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Before you start the actual program, be sure to take a thorough dynamic warm-up every time before you train!
You can find out more about how to do a dynamic warm-up here:
https://www.elitefts.com/education/coaching-education/common-mistakes-to-avoid-in-high-school-and-college-weight-rooms/
Monday Day 1:
1a) Push-ups 3 x 1<max
1b) Alternating reverse Lunge 3 x 15-20 each
2a) Y-W-T-I 3 x 15 sec hold for each
2b) Band resisted good morning 3 x 20
3) Russian twist with leg cycle 2 x 15-20
4) Mountain climbers 3-5x 30 sec on 60 sec off
Wednesday Day 2:
1a) Pistol squat 3 x 1< max each (Start with weaker side and only match with stronger side)
1b) Chin-up 3 x 1< max (You can do these in a park, your garage or buy one that connects right into your doorway!)
1c) Handstand pushup or Hold 3 x 1<max or max time
2a) Bear crawl 3 x 30 sec
2b) V sit-up 3 x 10-20
3) Jump rope 5 x 60 sec on 30 sec off
Friday or Saturday Day 3:
1a) Plyo push-up 5 x 5
1b) Jump squat 5 x 5
2a) Band pull apart 3 x 15-25
2b) Dive bomber push-up 3 x 15-20
2c) Split squat 3 x 15-20 each
3) Burpees 5 x 30 sec on 60 sec off
If exercises are labeled by the same number but with different letters, that means to perform them in circuit fashion with minimal rest in between each exercise. Then take a 60-90 second rest period after you complete one round. For example, on Day 2 you would perform 1a, then 1b, then 1c and rest 60-90 seconds. Then repeat two more times.
Then you would move down to 2a and 2b and complete that 3 times.
I also highly recommend getting a training journal and keeping track of the reps you accomplish.
This will let you know where you’re at and also give you some perspective and help you set goals for yourself.
The only small pieces of equipment you will need is a jump rope, mini band and chin-up bar. You can grab them all at elitefts.com or roguefitness.com.
You can follow this program for 3-4 weeks and if you like it and want to take your training a step further, email us at info@tutelatraining.com.
Quick and efficient.
Like I said before, you can crank out these workouts in 15-30 minutes. If you are really super busy then all you have to do is wake up 30 minutes earlier than you do now, 3 days a week.
I know you can make that happen, and so do you.
If you’re unsure of any exercise a quick YouTube search will do the trick.
This program can be the start of changing your life for the better. We are all creatures of habit, and if you start creating the habit of training 3 days per week for the next 3-4 weeks it will get easier and easier (psychologically) to take your training and life to the next level.
If you would like to add in some extra conditioning work on your days off, then by all means, do it!
I recommend jumping rope, hill sprints and/or bleacher sprints to start.
Mix in good eating habits, adequate water intake (1/2 your bodyweight in ounces daily at MINIMUM) and enough sleep and you will see noticeable changes over these four weeks.
So start getting after it and let’s get you the physique you’ve always wanted.
Remember the recipe to success is simple, not easy.
Work hard, eat right and recover.
Start the process and change your life.
Now get to work!
Life Lessons from LeBron James
Love him or hate him, you have to admit that LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world. Arguably the best ever.
Even if you’re not a basketball fan, you know who he is.
A global icon who just had what was probably the best performance of his career.
But this post is not about basketball.
There are some valuable lessons to take away from what we recently witnessed in the NBA Finals.
Let’s start with ignoring the “haters”.
There is an insane amount of people who hate this man, and when you break it down he is hated for being one of the best ever.
You see, the more successful we are, the more other people like to criticize you.
It’s human nature.
We let our own insecurities seep out so we try to devalue the success or skill of other people.
If human beings are feeling insecure about themselves, we will try to downplay the good in other people.
For example, have you ever started a diet and gotten criticized by your friends or family for trying to get healthy?
“Oh come on, just have one chip, what’s one gonna do?!”
“You’re too crazy with this eating healthy, it’s not even good for you to eat like that.”
Unfortunately, most of us have heard comments like these. And that’s because, whether consciously or subconsciously, these people are trying to sabotage your success, because they feel poorly about themselves.
And that is a takeaway you can get from LeBron’s performance.
“He sucks.”
“He’s a bitch, he always complains.”
“He’ll never win in Cleveland, he needed to go to Miami.”
How about another ring, and another Finals MVP for the 2016 season?!
LeBron didn’t let the shit talk get to him, he just went out there and performed.
At an incredibly high level.
And that’s what you must do if you want success.
Ignore the haters.
Because the better you do, in your fitness, business or relationships, people WILL hate on you, so prepare for it.
And ignore those fucks. The best way to shut them up is to just be you and keep chasing greatness.
Another takeaway for me is sometimes, if you want something bad enough, the best place for you to be is backed up against the wall.
How bad do you want it?
You hear that all the time from coaches or teammates.
But you don’t truly know the answer until you’re backed up against the wall and it’s do or die.
Fight or flight.
This team was down 3-1 against a team who had the best regular season record in NBA history.
They knew if they lost one more game their season was over.
Coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals had never been done before, until now.
And that’s because when we have no choice but to give it everything we have, we have the ability to perform at the highest level, if we want something bad enough.
That’s when you saw the best in LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Sometimes we say that we want to make a change at some level.
And as soon as we get hit with adversity (which we will always face) we fold up and throw in the towel.
“My diet was great, but then my boss pissed me off so I went to get a burger and got drunk.”
“I work crazy hours, it’s just not realistic for me to eat so healthy.”
Really?
Is it really your job, boss, kids and spouse or is it an accumulation of poor habits and lack of discipline?
Because the truth is, if you want something bad enough you will make it happen.
You will find the time to do what is necessary to achieve your goal.
Life is fucking crazy, there will always be some type of roadblock you will face.
You just have to know why it is you want something in the first place and keep that it mind when you are considering self-sabotage.
It would have been really easy for LeBron and the Cavs to say “screw it, there’s always next season”.
But that wouldn’t have been fulfilling or glorifying for anyone.
So they chased greatness, and look how that turned out.
There is greatness in everyone reading this post, don’t let adversity get in your way of letting it shine.
It didn’t stop LeBron.
And it shouldn’t stop you either.
Thanks for reading guys.
The True Definition of Strength
What does it mean to truly be strong?
Maybe you’re thinking I’m going to start explaining the differences between relative and absolute strength.
Or maybe you think I’m going to say you need to deadlift 3 x’s your bodyweight.
Perhaps performing 25 dead hang chin-ups is the answer?
Well, all are certainly impressive.
But what is even more impressive to me, and my definition of strength is to be faced with adversity and to be able to withstand and overcome.
Let’s look at Mike, the 17 year old kid from the ghetto that gets a full scholarship to a big division 1 football program for instance.
Some people say “it must be nice”, I’ve even heard “its bullshit that this kid can go to school for free just because he can play football”.
Yes I have actually argued with someone who said that.
But here’s what many people are missing.
Mike never met his father, while his mother was busy working three jobs to make ends meet our running back had to raise 3 younger brothers and sisters.
Between taking care of his family, school, football practice, lifting and working a part time job to help his mother pay for some of the bills it would be easy for him to not get up before school and run those extra sprints every day.
But he did.
You don’t know that Mike only slept four hours a night, because he had to make time to lift weights after work.
But he did.
Let’s look at Sarah who owns the successful hair salon.
Some people say “that girl was lucky, she must have had money handed to her”.
Well, those people don’t know that when she was growing up Sarah’s father was a drug addict.
He used to steal from her and beat both her and her mom.
She had this dream of doing hair, and one day opening her own salon so she could get away from her father.
Through the sleepless nights, the lies and the horrible violence she had to face, Sarah stayed committed to her dream, worked two jobs and put herself through cosmetology school.
One day she finally had enough money to now open and run a business which is so “easy”.
You didn’t know that she went through all of that.
And everyone told her she was crazy and it would be too hard for her to open her own business.
But she did.
What about Matthew, who loves playing hockey more than anything?
His lifelong dream was to play in the NHL.
He plays four years at a big time college program and is a top prospect going into the draft.
But his final game of his senior season Matthew takes a bad fall and breaks his neck.
He is now paralyzed from the neck down. His dream is over.
After months or even years of taking in this hard truth, facing depression and adversity something sparks inside of him.
Matthew now has a goal to help people cope with being in wheelchairs and starts a foundation to raise money for his cause.
His foundation is extremely successful, and he now helps thousands of people around the country.
Matthew never thought he would be the head of a foundation to help people in wheelchairs.
But he is.
The point is, we are all faced with some type of adversity in our lives.
Some may seem more extreme than others, and sometimes is.
But what matters is that you understand it’s possible to overcome that adversity.
You have greatness living inside of you, and regardless of the hand you’re dealt you have the ability to get it out.
And to do that you need a goal, a vision, good habits, and an unrelenting work ethic.
If you choose to complain and never take action you will never have a fulfilling life.
There will always people who doubt you, who hate on you and try to bring you down.
Fuck those people.
Hopefully one day they will realize that nothing gets handed to people, and there is a lot more that goes on that you never even see.
It would have been very easy for Mike, Sarah and Mathew to complain about their problems, sell or do drugs, or choose to live in a deep depression.
But they didn’t, and neither should you.
This is your time to be great.
This is your time to overcome whatever adversity you face.
If you do that, you will truly be strong.
That is the true definition of strength.
The Art of Real Strength and Size Development
Most athletes and people want to develop size with the strength and performance to back it up.
A great, powerful look with real word strength, speed and conditioning.
In addition, having tons of energy and feeling great all the time is something everyone wants.
Unless you are strictly a physique athlete and your goal is to become a professional bodybuilder or physique competitor.
Now, you might be asking yourself what the difference is. There is actually a huge difference between just looking great and looking great with the performance to back up your look.
I would first like to preface this post by saying I respect the hell out of any physique athlete. What they do takes a ton of hard work and discipline.
This post is not intended to “knock’ them in the slightest bit. If your goal is to be a pro bodybuilder then by all means, keep doing what you’re doing.
But at my facility, we train mainly athletes and people that want to look great but also need and want to perform at a high level.
So with that said, let’s get into the differences.
GET STRONG BABY!
Getting strong means training with heavy weights for sets between 1-5 or 6-8reps. When you train for strength you will be targeting more of the fast twitched muscle fibers.
Fast twitched fibers are the muscle fibers responsible for strength, speed and power.
When you train mainly to target these fibers with heavy weights in the rep ranges listed above, you will stimulate what is called myofibrillar hypertrophy.
Myofibrillar hypertrophy is the growth of the actual muscle fibers.
So when you train with heavier weights in lower rep ranges, you will get stronger while simultaneously developing the size of the actual muscle.
If you are a natural, drug-free lifter, this is the number one way to get jacked.
ALL SHOW NO GO
Now if you’re training with lighter weights for higher rep sets of 10-20, you are emphasizing more of what’s known as sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is the production of sarcoplasm within the muscles.
This is a gel like substance that serves no purpose for strength or performance, but will however help increase the size of the muscle.
The size you develop with this type of hypertrophy is not nearly as sustainable as myofibrillar hypertrophy due to the fact that the actual muscle has not gotten bigger. You have just produced more fluid within the muscle that could eventually subside.
That’s why there are guys half the size of bodybuilders lifting twice the weight.
Look at Olympic lifters for instance. They are not as big as bodybuilders but look incredible and are exceedingly stronger than the world’s biggest physique competitors.
Bodybuilders and other physique athletes prefer training in this manner simply due to the fact that their primary focus is their look.
TYING THE TWO TOGETHER
I will say that there is a time and a place for both.
If you have been training for more than 2 years it is important to emphasize the slow twitched muscle fibers that are responsible for conditioning.
The best way to target the slow twitched fibers is by training with lighter weight for higher reps.
Still, the primary focus of your training should be getting stronger on big compound movements like squats and deadlifts, it’s important to throw in some back off sets (sets where you reduce weight and go for more reps) of 10-15.
With that, you can train some of the smaller musculature for higher reps as well like the rear delts.
If you are still in your first year or two of training, just stick with heavier weights for lower reps.
We all want to look great with our shirts off, and the best way to do that is to train with the intention of getting stronger and more powerful.
If you are an athlete, sarcoplasm is just as useless for performance as body fat.
Since there is no functional purpose, it can actually slow you down due to the extra weight you gained.
With that, training for higher reps with lighter weight will actually make you sorer, and will lead to more systemic fatigue.
I don’t know about you but I sure as hell don’t want to be sore and tired every day.
And for athletes that can greatly impede your performance in your sport.
I hope this post helps you see the difference.
If you are an athlete, police officer, firefighter or anyone that just wants to look great and still be able to play pick-up basketball on the weekend with your friends, training for strength is what you want to do.
Train hard my friends.
I’ll catch you guys next week.
Until we meet Again
There are times in life that we must face the things we dread.
Losing a dear friend or family member is above all the most dreaded things we will ever have to face.
On Friday May 27th 2016, we all endured the painful news.
That suddenly, you were gone.
The last time I saw you was about a month ago. I’ll never forget how happy I was to see you. Even after a few years of having not seen each other, we picked up right where we left off.
I made a few bad jokes, and of course you were the only one who laughed.
Your smile and contagious laugh filled the room as always. We laughed about old times, quoted South Park and old movies.
We talked about training and tattoos and I couldn’t wait for you to come check out the new gym so we can train together like the old days.
If I only knew that would be the last time we’d see each other I would have said so much more…
I can’t express how happy I am that I got to spend that night with you, my friend.
We first met when we were 12 years old in middle school wrestling and remained friends ever since.
The laughs, the fun, the parties, the trips, the shore houses, wrestling, football and all the memories will last forever in my heart.
What will stick with me the most is how you changed the mood of everyone around you. You had the ability to walk into a room and make everyone smile.
You elevated the lives of everyone who knew you, and I am lucky to be one of the many people whose lives you have touched.
For years I called you Patrick because Patrick Duffy was the name of the actor from the t.v. show “Step By Step”. Maybe it was funny the first time, but you literally laughed at that every time I saw you.
But funny, kind, supportive, caring and loving were only a few of your incredible qualities.
You were also tough as nails and you’ve shown us that for years on the wrestling mat, and then by defending our country as a United States Marine.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say we are more than proud and honored to have known such a brave soul who was willing to risk everything only to protect all of us.
And for that Tom, we thank you.
It hurts to know that I can’t see your smile anymore, at least in this life.
But I know you will be smiling down on all of us, keeping us safe, as you have always done in this life.
As I write this post I can’t stop the tears from running down my face, or my hands from shaking. You were my friend, my brother, and you will be truly missed by us all.
We lost a great man, a true hero.
And heaven has now become a better place.
But I know that if you were here you would want us all to smile.
So as I try to dry my eyes I am thinking of all the great times and laughs we had.
Like the time when I thought you were the one that wrapped my car in plastic wrap, so I retaliated by emptying about 10 cans of shaving cream on your car. When I walked into the house you asked why my hands were covered in shaving cream. When I replied “Ahh I was just shaving” you simply said, “oh”. As if it made perfect sense that my hands would be covered in shaving cream at a high school party.
I tried my best to hold in my laughter. You walked outside, came back in and, in typical Duffy fashion, you screamed “YOU ASSHOLE” as we started to laugh hysterically together.
I am going to miss you, Duff… I already do.
They say that to find yourself in life you should think about your own funeral. Ask yourself what you would want people to say about you once you are gone. When you answer those questions you should then live your life trying to pursue those things.
Well my friend, you should hear the things people are saying…
How incredible you were.
How you made us laugh.
How you made us smile.
How good it was to be around you.
How you made us happy.
How much fun we had.
How bright you were.
How brave you were.
How you would give the shirt off your back to someone who needed it.
How incredibly great of a human being you truly were.
I can only wish to be half of the quality person you were.
Your legacy will always include how great you made other people feel, and that is a trait that is truly special.
I know you are listening, pal.
So I will leave you with this…
Duff, actually, PATRICK…You are one of those people you only come across once in a lifetime. You have deeply impacted the lives of so many. Through the warmth of your smile, the comfort of your laugh, your intelligence and humor. We have shared so many memories together that I will never forget. From scavenger hunts to beach wrestling prom weekend to searching for openings to become volunteer firefighters and everything else in between. I am so thankful you were in my life and everyone that knew you certainly feels the same. Your spirit will always live on, through all of us, your friends and your family. I promise we will always be there for your family, whatever they may need. We will support them through this difficult time, and from here on after. Keep shining that bright smile down on all of us. Whenever I say, “I’m not your buddy, guy…I’m not your guy, friend” I will always think of you and the times we shared. I love you, Duff and I will miss you ALWAYS. I will never forget how much you made me laugh, and all of the incredible memories. I am a better man for having known such a courageous, impeccable human being like you. I hate that I can’t hear your laugh just one more time.
At least not for now.
Not in this life.
Not until, we meet again.
Rest easy my brother.
The Mother’s Day Post
What’s up guys, I hope everyone is having an incredible weekend!
As you know, this blog is primarily for training, nutrition and motivation.
Tons of free information on how to get bigger, stronger, faster and how to become the best version of yourself.
But today I felt the need to change the pace a bit.
In the spirit of Mother’s Day I’ve decided to tribute this post to all the moms out there of course, but more specifically, my mom.
Maybe I’m getting a little soft, but hey, when it comes to moms I think we all tend to have a soft spot.
I spoke last post about how things weren’t always perfect for us growing up.
When I think of my mother the number one thing that pops in my head is resiliency.
This woman has been through a lot. More than anyone deserves. But, every time I see my mother, she has a smile from ear to ear. She could have had the worst day of her life, but you would never know it.
The people that know my mom would be shocked if they heard what she’s been through. Because if you knew her while she was going through those tough times you better believe she was smiling and laughing every single day.
That alone speaks volumes for the type of person my mother is.
Whenever I’d be facing something difficult in life she would tell me that “It’s always darkest before dawn” assuring me that things would get better.
I’m not sure if I would have gotten through those times without her.
I can honestly say there has never been a time in my life that I was afraid to tell my mom anything… Well, maybe when my parents were on vacation and I had a party and broke her favorite Elvis Presley collectable plates, but that’s a different story for a different day… Sorry mom.
But other than that, it’s safe to say that I never worried about sharing my personal life with her. And that’s because she is literally the most caring person I have ever met and will do whatever she can to help anyone.
She never judges people and always gives them a chance.
That is a quality that is hard to find these days and is something I strive for.
“Never be quick to judge anyone because you don’t know what they’re going through” is something I have always heard her say.
There are so many people that judge others regardless of how little they know about that person.
She has taught me to understand people rather than immediately think less of them.
For that mom, I thank you.
The world would be a better place if more people looked at life the way you do, mom.
About a year ago she underwent a double knee replacement surgery.
This is a surgery that comes along with a very painful recovery process.
Not once have I heard her complain.
Not about the rehab. Not about the pain. Not about the difficulty of doing day to day activities, nothing.
Just maybe a joke and a laugh about it.
That’s because even though she probably won’t admit it, she’s a pretty tough old lady!
Just kidding, Ma, YOUNG lady!
Either way watching her go through her recovery taught me that there is no sense in complaining.
In life you’ll go through painful experiences, but complaining won’t make the pain subside. You might as well take a breath, smile and keep moving forward.
“It’s all you can do.”
She always says that “things happen for a reason” and even when something bad happens she reverts back to that saying and looks at the glass half full.
With everything my mother has been through and the way she has handled the events in her life she’s taught me a few things.
She has taught me that no matter how hard things can get you should never let it break you.
Regardless of how hard life can be the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. You have to keep moving forward.
Without her in my life I’m not sure I would be capable of understanding such positivity.
And I thank you for that, mom.
I have learned that complaining doesn’t get you anywhere.
And when times get difficult to keep smiling.
Be happy. Help people, because you don’t know what they are experiencing in their lives.
Sometimes a simple act of kindness can be the best part of someone else’s day, and with that said there are plenty of people out there who’s day became better when they crossed paths with my mother.
Life is short and sometimes you have to roll with the punches.
But in the end you will be stronger because of them.
Mom, over the course of the years you have meant so much more to me than I can explain.
You are a role model.
You are a friend.
You are someone I can trust with anything.
You are a mother.
You are the best.
And for all of that I can never repay you.
I have found my strength and will through you.
And I can only wish that I can one day attempt to be the quality person you are.
Now your generosity, kindness and loving spirit can hopefully impact the people reading this post the way you have impacted every person you have ever encountered.
I love you and want to thank you for all you have ever done for me.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.
And all of the other moms out there!
Enjoy your day.
P.S. Sorry about the Elvis plates. 🙂