Lauren, Mark - You Are Your Own Gym

Question 1

What are the 6 Necessary Training Principles Behind Any Successful Program?

Answer 1

CONSISTENCY

RECOVERY

REGULARITY

VARIETY

PROGRESSION

OVERLOAD

Question 2

What is the gatekeeper to long-term success?

Answer 2

CONSISTENCY:

We need to be consistent for years, even decades, with a good training program, diet, and adequate rest.

If you fall off the horse, get back on.

Question 3

What are the two key question for RECOVERY?

Answer 3

Is there adequate rest built into the program, or will it cause you to overtrain?

See the More is Better myth for signs and symptoms of overtraining.

Question 4

Why is REGULARITY important?

Answer 4

Regularity is important for the body to be able to adapt to the exercises.

The body thrives on regularity.

A program should consist of planned exercises performed at planned intervals, with planned intensity and planned repetitions.

Set goals and regularly and methodically do those exercises that get us there fastest.

The Air Traffic Control Instructor says:
“We need a system and then a plan—that’s when we’re dangerous.”

Question 5

What is meant with VARIETY?

Answer 5

Variety means to vary the intensity, volume, and rest between sets. (Variety doesn’t mean different exercises every time we workout.)

We can do the same few exercises for each body part for years, adjusting the intensity using bodyweight exercises, different variations of the same movements and perform different types of workouts.

Question 6

Which training principle is often overlooked?

Answer 6

PROGRESSION

This principle is used in a program that progresses from easier to more difficult movements:

• whether it’s more weight,
• a harder variation,
• more reps,
• less rest between sets,
• faster tempo (more reps/less time),
• or any combination of these.

Note:
It is also possible that a program progresses too rapidly, causing over-training.

Question 7

What goes hand-in-hand with progression?

Answer 7

OVERLOAD:

Progression and overload go hand-in-hand, and the right amount of each is essential.

Question 8

Why is overload important?

Answer 8

In order to change body composition and gain strength we need to put muscles under stress that they are unaccustomed to.

The body requires new stimulus to force it to adapt.

Then, when the adaptation has occurred, once again new stimulus beyond what was previously done is required.

Question 9

What is the backbone & key ingredient to the Ultimate Strength Program?

Answer 9

The key ingredient to my program is PERIODIZATION:
Structured fluctuation of training volume and intensity.

Knowing why and how you should be doing each workout will give you the drive to:

• push through hard times,
• prevent burnout,
• give you the know-how to customize the program as your body changes and adapts.

Question 10

Define Training Volume.

Answer 10

Number of sets multiplied by number of reps.

Question 11

Define Training Intensity.

Answer 11

Difficulty of a movement.

For example, a One-Arm Push Up has a higher intensity than a Classic Push Up.

Question 11

How do you increase athletic performance while avoiding common pitfalls such as overtraining and injury?

Answer 11

Variety, regularity, specificity, progression, overload, and recovery–the 6 necessary training principles–are affected by periodically switching from high-volume, low-intensity training to low-volume, high-intensity training.

A program should transition from a lot of relatively easy work to a smaller amount of more difficult work.

Myriad studies have demonstrated that periodized programs yield greater changes in strength and body composition than non-periodized programs that consist of little or no fluctuation in volume and intensity.

Question 12

What are the eight fitness skills that this program develops?

Answer 12

Strength

Power

Speed

Muscular endurance

Cardiovascular endurance

Balance

Coordination

Flexibility

Question 14

When is muscular endurance trained?

Answer 14

Muscular endurance is trained during the high-volume/low-intensity (HVLI) block, which is where my program uses “ladders” instead of rigid numbers of sets and reps.

Question 15

What are “blocks”?

Answer 15

In a periodized program, particular skills–muscular endurance, strength, and power–are emphasized for set periods of time.

Question 15

How do you train strength?

Answer 15

Strength is trained during
a medium-volume/medium-intensity block
with sets in the 6 – 12 rep range.

Question 16

How do you train power?

Answer 16

Power is trained during
the low-volume/high-intensity (LVHI) block
with sets in the 1 – 5 rep range.

Question 17

How do the blocks process?

Answer 17

The blocks progress
from HVLI to LVHI
by decreasing the number of reps and/or sets (volume)
while increasing the amount of resistance or the difficulty of movements (intensity).

Question 18

What is Linear Periodization (LP)?

Answer 18

Linear Periodization (LP) is the traditional and most popular of periodizing programs.

LP progresses from HVLI to LVHI in a linear fashion in 2 – 4 week blocks.

As the total number of reps decrease and the difficulty of movements increase, the emphasis shifts from muscular endurance to strength and then finally to power.

The rest intervals between sets should increase along with the intensity as an LP program progresses through the different blocks.

Question 19

How much rest is taken for the different blocks?

Answer 19

30 – 60 seconds of rest is taken during the muscular endurance block

90 – 120 seconds for the strength block

2.5 – 5 minutes for the power block.

Question 20

The Linear Periodization (LP) is good for whom and why?

Answer 20

This method of periodization is good for beginners or those that have had a long time off.

It allows adequate time for joints to adapt to new movements and movement proficiency to develop during a gradual increase in intensity.

Jumping right into high-intensity movements is asking for trouble.

Additionally, HVLI training gives beginners great results, mainly due to an increase in movement proficiency, while preventing injuries and overtraining.

The HVLI block is the time to become familiar with exercises and their variations, giving you a lot of relatively easy practice.

Question 21

What are the disadvantages of LP and why?

Answer 21

It has the disadvantage of letting the skills that aren’t being trained deteriorate in intermediate or advanced trainees.

Due to the long duration (2 – 4 weeks) of each phase, which emphasizes only one particular skill.

It also lacks the variety of other methods, which can lead to boredom.

Question 22

How do you use Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP)?

Answer 22

Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) trains a different skill each day by daily fluctuating volume and intensity.

An HVLI training day that emphasizes muscular endurance might be followed by an LVHI day that emphasizes power, and one that emphasizes strength the next day.

Question 23

What are the advantages of the Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP)?

Answer 23

This method has a lot of variety–great for keeping your body guessing and your morale high.

It also prevents detraining of skills, because each skill is trained weekly.

Studies have shown that this type of periodization yields twice the strength gains of the traditional LP method.

Since all skills will be trained each week, beginning with week 1, DUP is only for those with adequate training to perform high-intensity workouts without injuring themselves.

Question 24

How does this program work?

Answer 24

The first 6 weeks use LP.

Muscular endurance, strength and power are trained in 2-week blocks.

DUP begins on week 7.

It lasts 4 weeks until the end of week 10.

Question 26

How does this program develop all the eight fitness skills?

Answer 26

Strength, power, speed, muscular and cardiovascular endurance through the manipulation of volume (sets & reps), intensity (difficulty of a movement), and time (work and rest periods).

Balance, coordination, and flexibility–develop by progressing to bodyweight exercises that challenge them to ever increasing degrees.

Question 27

How do you use leverage to increase the exercise’s difficulty, let’s take the Push Up?

Answer 27

You start doing Push Ups standing up with your hands against a wall a couple of feet in front of you, the exercise is pretty easy.

Then try them with your hands on an elevated surface, like the edge of a bureau or windowsill.

The lower the surface you use–a desk, a couch, a coffee table, telephone books–the harder it gets.

Putting your hands on the floor, like a standard Push Up, is harder.

If we put our feet on the coffee table and our hands on the ground, the exercise becomes significantly more difficult.

To make the exercise still harder we could place our hands on one or two balls, like a basketball. Now we’re using an unstable surface.

Still harder would be to do basketball Push Ups with pauses at the bottom. Still not hard enough? Try doing them one-handed on the floor. Then one-handed with your feet on the couch. Then on an unstable surface. Then with pauses … You get the idea.
And this is only a simple example that can be repeated with many of my exercises. You’ll see the possibilities are endless.

Question 28

What are the four simple ways of changing the difficulty of an exercise without adding weight?

Answer 28

1) Increase or decrease the amount of leverage.
2) Perform an exercise on an unstable platform.
3) Use pauses at the beginning, end, and/or middle of a movement.
4) Turn an exercise into a single limb movement.

Question 29

Define MUSCULAR STRENGTH:

Answer 29

Your ability to exert a force through a given distance.

Muscular strength can be determined by the difficulty of an exercise that you are able to perform for a single repetition.

For example, if Jane, with maximal effort, can perform one Classic Push Up and Tarzan can perform a Handstand Push Up, then Tarzan has greater muscular strength.

Question 30

Define POWER:

Answer 30

The amount of force you can exert in a specific amount of time.

Power = Work/Time.

If Tarzan and Jane are both able to perform only one Pull Up with their maximal efforts, but Jane is able to perform that one Pull Up faster, then she has more power even though they have the same strength.

Question 31

Define MUSCULAR ENDURANCE:

Answer 31

How long you can exert a specific force.

Jane and Tarzan could compare their muscular endurance by seeing who can hold the peak position of the Pull Up the longest.

Question 32

Define CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE:

Answer 32

Your body’s ability to supply working muscles with oxygen during prolonged activity.

Jane and Tarzan challenge and improve their cardiovascular endurance by performing 200 non-stop Squats together.

Question 33

Define SPEED:

Answer 33

Your ability to rapidly and repeatedly execute a movement or series of movements.

If Jane can do 45 lunges in 30 seconds and Tarzan can do only 25, then Jane has greater speed.

Question 34

Define COORDINATION:

Answer 34

Your ability to combine more than one movement to create a single, distinct movement.

For example, performing a simple jump requires that you coordinate several movements. The bend at the waist, knees, and ankles and then the correct extension of those joints must all be combined into a single movement. Your ability to combine these movements, with the proper timing, into one movement determines your coordination, and in turn, how well you can do the exercise.

Question 35

Define BALANCE:

Answer 35

Your ability to maintain control of your body’s center of gravity.

Question 36

Define FLEXIBILITY:

Answer 36

Your range of motion.

If Jane, while doing a squat and using good form, can go down until her butt touches her heels, and Tarzan can only go until his thighs are parallel to the ground, then Jane has greater flexibility.

Question 37

How do you define fitness?

Answer 37

Fitness is the degree to which a person possesses the entire spectrum of physical skills: Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Cardiovascular Endurance, Power, Speed, Coordination, Balance, and Flexibility.

Question 38

What did Dr. Angelo Tremblay and his colleagues at the Physical Activities Sciences Laboratory, in Quebec, Canada, find out in regard of the popular belief that low-intensity, long-duration exercise is the most effective program for losing fat?

Answer 38

They compared the impact of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and high-intensity interval training on fat loss.

Skinfold measurements revealed that the interval training group lost more body fat.

Moreover, when they took into account the fact that the interval training used less energy during the workouts, the fat loss was 9 times more efficient in that program than in the aerobics program.

In short, the interval training group got 9 times more fat-loss benefit for every calorie burned exercising.

They found that high-intensity intermittent exercise caused more calories and fat to be burned following the workout. In addition, they found that appetite is suppressed more after intense intervals.

Question 39

What did Izumi Tabata and his partners at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan, find out?

Answer 39

Izumi Tabata and his partners at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan, compared the effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity interval training on maximal aerobic capacity—the best indicator of cardiorespiratory endurance.

Interval training produces higher gains in aerobic fitness, greater decreases in body fat, and gains in strength as opposed to the muscle wasting that occurs with much longer sessions of steady state training.

Question 40

Define CALORIES

Answer 40

The amount of energy released when your body breaks down food.

Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and alcohol contain different amounts of calories per gram.

Weight gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance is, to a large degree, but not exclusively, a matter of calories (energy) in vs. calories (energy) out.

Somewhat oversimplified, excess calories are stored as fat, and a calorie deficit causes stored fat to be burned for energy.

Question 41

For millions of years before the domestication of plants and animals, what did we eat?

Answer 41

Vegetables. Fruits. Nuts. Seeds. Meats. Eggs. Fish.

Typically, the women gathered the nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables while men hunted for meat.

Together these food sources provided the necessary components of a complete diet that sustained healthy living.

It wasn’t until about ten thousand years ago, a blip in our time on Earth, with the cultivation of plants and domestication of animals, that large quantities of breads, potatoes, rice, pasta, and dairy became available. These relatively new sources of calories were the main reason our complex societies were able to develop, and our overabundance is to a large degree due to them.

Question 42

Define MACRONUTRIENTS

Answer 42

Macronutrients consist of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Each is a necessary part of a healthy and effective diet regardless of your goals.

Each macronutrient plays a vital role in our health and well-being, and excluding any one of them will cause you to feel unsatisfied and tired.

Whether we are trying to shed body fat and gain lean muscle mass or just trying to bulk up, our goals are best met by eating a fair share of each of the macronutrients.

Daily, we should aim to consume 1 – 1.5 grams of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight, with the rest of our calories coming from an even split of good carbs and fats.

Question 43

Define CARBOHYDRATES:

Answer 43

Each gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories.

Carbs are a key source of energy, especially for the brain.

They include fruits, vegetables, pastas, grains, sugars, cereals, and rice.

All carbs are made of sugars and classified as either simple or complex carbs based on the number of sugar units within a carb’s molecules.

All carbs are converted to glucose, a type of sugar, before they are absorbed into the bloodstream. Then they are either burned for energy or stored for later use.

Highly glycemic carbs that absorb too rapidly into the bloodstream have several downfalls because of the strong insulin reaction that they produce.

Question 44

What is insulin?

Answer 44

Insulin is an important hormone that regulates the body’s blood sugar levels and storage of glucose as fat or glycogen (glucose that is stored in the liver and muscles).

Question 45

What is the difference between SIMPLE AND COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES?

Answer 45

Pasta, potatoes, oats, vegetables, and grains all contain complex carbs.

Complex carbs must first be broken down into simple sugars and then those simple sugars have to be converted to glucose before they can be absorbed into the blood.

Simple carbs are found in foods such as fruit (fructose), dairy products (lactose), and table sugar (glucose).

Question 46

What does the rapid absorption of glucose into the bloodstream cause?

Answer 46

Rapid absorption of glucose causes rapid secretion of insulin.

This in turn signals your body to store fat.

And this is followed by fatigue and cravings for more carbs due to the blood’s sudden depletion of glucose.

Question 47

Why do some simple carbs absorb at a much slower rate than many complex carbs?

Answer 47

Most fruits, for example, contain fiber that slows down the digestion process.

Also, sugar that comes from fruit (fructose) and dairy (lactose) must first be converted to glucose before it can be absorbed into the blood, causing yet another slowdown in the digestion process.

You will actually feel satisfied for longer by eating an apple versus an equal-sized bowl of pasta. Because even though pasta contains complex carbs, those carbs are still broken down into glucose faster than the apple’s sugars.

Question 48

What is the glycemic index?

Answer 48

We can use a glycemic index to determine what carbs to eat.

The glycemic index measures the rate of absorption of carbs. A carb that has a low glycemic index absorbs slowly (good), and a carb with high glycemic index absorbs rapidly (bad).

You will find that many fruits and vegetables have a much lower glycemic index than grains and pastas.

For a comprehensive list of foods and their glycemic indices, see MarkLauren.com.

Question 49

Why should we avoid consuming massive amounts of carbs with high glycemic indices and little or no nutritional value?

Answer 49

The problem with foods such as table sugar isn’t just their high glycemic index, it’s also that they provide no vitamins, minerals, fiber, or good bacteria.

Much of our obesity problem in Western civilization can be attributed to consuming massive amounts of carbs with high glycemic indices and little or no nutritional value.

Many people, mistakenly, believe that they can eat whatever food they want as long as it’s low in fat, regardless of the glycemic index, nutritional value, and calorie content.

Everything from cookies, yogurts, sports bars, fruit juices, cereals, and sodas contain large amounts of table sugar that should be avoided.

Part of the problem is the insulin spike caused by these sugars. The insulin rids your blood of its glucose leaving you feeling tired and craving more glucose to replace the glucose that has been emptied out of your bloodstream. This creates a vicious circle.

Note: Ideally, the carbs we eat should be as close to their original form as possible, such as whole pieces of fruit (not fruit juices), raw or steamed vegetables, dairy, and oats.
Eat carbs with a low glycemic index. As much as possible, especially for those of you looking to shed body fat, get your carbs from whole pieces of fruit and raw or steamed vegetables, because they have the lowest glycemic index and contain valuable nutrients. The next best source is dairy and whole grain products.

Question 50

Define FATS (Friendlies, not enemies!).

Answer 50

Fats are calorie rich with 9 calories per gram versus 4 calories for protein and carbs.

There are two types of dietary fat: Saturated and unsaturated.

Both types of fat provide us with added satiety, improved taste and texture, a great energy source, and slowed absorption of other nutrients.

Dietary fats even contribute to the regulation of the body’s hormones. Research has shown that men who get less than 30% of their calories from fat produce 25% less testosterone than those who have more fat in their diets.

Fat should make up 25 – 35% of our total calorie intake.

Note:
Dietary fat is not the enemy of weight loss. And dietary fat does not automatically convert to body fat. Fat is vital not only for optimal performance and weight control, but it’s absolutely necessary to sustain life.

Question 51

What do saturated fats tend to do?

Answer 51

Saturated fats tend to raise bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels and chances of heart disease.

They are mainly derived from animal sources and foods containing hydrogenated oil–from margarine to muffins, fish sticks to potato chips, instant potatoes to popcorn, and too much of what you find at fast food chains.

Those saturated fats you do eat should only come naturally from the dairy and meat you consume, not from foods such as French fries, butter, potato chips or other junk foods.

Question 52

What do unsaturated fats tend to do?

Answer 52

Unsaturated fats tend to lower bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels and chances of heart disease.

They come from plant sources such as nuts, seeds, non-hydrogenated vegetable oils, soy, olives, olive oil, flax seed oil, and fish.

A small palmful of nuts and seeds, a bit of healthy oil on your salad, and eating plenty of fish will provide you with enough of the unsaturated fats.

Question 53

Define PROTEIN.

Answer 53

The most important but most commonly neglected macronutrient.

Protein breaks down into amino acids, the building blocks used to repair and regenerate all cells of the body, including your muscles.

Adequate protein intake is essential not only to maintain but grow muscle.

Protein makes you feel full faster than fats or carbs, which is obviously beneficial if you’re on a restrictive diet.

It’s got 4 calories a gram, and major sources include poultry, meat, fish, dairy products, soy, tofu, beans, and eggs.

Protein should be the center of every meal.

Question 54

How much protein should you intake per day?

Answer 54

A person trying to build muscle through resistance training needs to consume about 1.5 grams of protein for every pound of ideal bodyweight.

People restricting their calorie intake for weight loss need to ensure that they still consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of their ideal bodyweight and optimally 1.5 grams per pound, in order to prevent any loss of muscle while cutting fat.

For a 150 pound woman, whose ideal weight is 130 pounds, that means consuming 130 – 195 grams of protein a day.

A lean, 180 pound man would have to eat at least 5 meals with 36 grams of protein in each.

Question 55

How do I start to eat more proteins?

Answer 55

Choose your source of protein, then select the healthy carbs and fats you want to add to it (if needed).

Keep in mind, even with 195 grams of protein a day, that’s only 780 calories. That’ll allow even those on a restrictive diet to get plenty of the other macronutrients.

Like many “protein” bars and shakes, a sugar-loaded Odwalla “Super Protein” drink with only 13 grams of protein is just not going to cut it.

You’ve got to start reading labels, and doing the simple math.

The key here is to throw out the junk you eat and replace it with quality sources of low-fat protein like skinless chicken and other lean meats like turkey (and even some pork and ground meat), all seafood (canned tuna being the cheapest and easiest), egg whites, all sorts of low fat cold cuts, soy, tofu, some veggie burgers, low fat cheese and other dairy products.

Question 56

What do you know about WATER?

Answer 56

Every day, we lose 2 – 3 quarts of water through urination, sweating, and breathing.

In addition to helping you build muscle, drinking water can help you fight fat, fever, asthma, arthritis, depression, constipation, bad complexion, stomach aches, or even a stuffy nose.

A man’s body is approximately 60% water, and a woman’s is about 50%.

You can survive for weeks without food, but only about six days without water. When the water in your body is reduced by just 1%, you get thirsty. At 5%, muscle strength and endurance deteriorate, and you become hot and tired. When the loss reaches 10%, delirium and blurred vision take over. At 20%, you’re dead.

Sufficient water intake not only burns calories, but allows your liver to be more efficient at mobilizing and eliminating fat from your body.

Water helps to eliminate toxins from the body, and to transport other nutrients into our cells. It is required for a proper balance of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes which ensure that your muscles have a full range of motion, prevent muscle spasms and cramping, and regulate the pattern of your heartbeat.

By maintaining proper blood density, water helps manage blood pressure, and the movements of fats so they are not deposited as plaque in the blood vessels.

Water also wards off food cravings caused by dehydration and thirst.
Never let thirst be your guide.

The commonly accepted rule for water consumption is to drink at least 1 cup of water 8 times per day, or about 2 quarts or liters a day.

Your urine should be colorless or have a slightly yellow tint.

Question 57

What is the RESTING METABOLIC RATE (RMR)?

Answer 57

RMR is the amount of calories needed to sustain all of your body’s functions while at rest.

RMR accounts for approximately 65% of your body’s total calorie consumption, activity burning the remainder.

The main factor is lean body mass, which accounts for approximately 80% of our RMR. And there’s only one way to affect lean body mass: Build muscle.

Our RMR decreases by about 5% every decade after thirty, mainly because of the loss of muscle mass associated with aging.

Fortunately, our lean body mass can be controlled through proper nutrition and strength training. It only takes a few months of training to recover one or two decades of decrease in our RMR.

Metabolically, muscle is very expensive tissue, even when it is at rest.

Question 58

What is another way to positively influence our RMR?

Answer 58

Another way to positively influence our RMR is to provide our body with a steady flow of nutrients.

The body is extremely resourceful, and during times of starvation it adapts by slowing down its RMR. It tries to save every calorie consumed by storing some as fat.

When the body receives a regular flow of calories, in the form of frequent meals, it allows the RMR to remain high, and burn those very same calories off.

Frequent meals also utilize the thermal effect of food. The more meals you eat in a day, the more consistently your metabolism is boosted.

You experience an increase in your RMR for about 5 hours every time you eat. This accounts for 5 – 10% of your total calorie expenditure.

Question 59

What boosts the metabolism for up to 48 hours?

Answer 59

Intense exercise also boosts the metabolism for up to 48 hours after completion.

This is one of the main reasons why high-intensity interval training is so much more effective than cardio or steady state training–neither of which is intense enough to have a lasting impact on your RMR.

Question 60

CALCULATE DAILY CALORIE EXPENDITURE

Answer 60

To convert your weight in pounds into kilograms (kg) divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. Pounds / 2.2 = kg

To convert height in inches to height in centimeters (cm) multiply your height in inches by 2.54. Inches × 2.54 = cm

Men’s RMR
10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) – 5 × age + 5

Women’s RMR
10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) – 5 × age – 161

Once you have the caloric output of your RMR, multiply it by one of the following factors that best suit your activity level. The result is your daily calorie expenditure. Anyone following my program exclusively should choose 1.55 (moderately active) as the multiplier.

1. 2 = sedentary (little or no exercise)
2. 375 = lightly active (light exercise/sports 1–3 days/week)
3. 55 = moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3–5 days/week)
4. 725 = very active (hard exercise/sports 6–7 days a week)
5. 9 = extra active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job)

Question 61

What are the best habits of eating?

Answer 61

Get into the habit of eating until you are no longer hungry, not until you are completely stuffed. Remember, if you follow my advice, you’ll be eating again in 2.5 – 3.5 hours.

Take your time, chew your food, and relax. It takes 15 – 20 minutes for the body to register how full it actually is. Eating fast and furious can be a hard habit to break. But you’ll very quickly notice improved energy and well-being once you make the change to frequent, smaller meals.

Question 62

What are bad eating habits?

Answer 62

The difference between feeling “satisfied” and feeling “full” after a meal is about 1,000 calories.

There are about 2,500 calories between feeling full and feeling “stuffed”!

Note:
So if you go to town on that all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, and leave the place feeling stuffed, you may have wolfed down as many as 4,000 unneeded calories. To burn that many calories with cardio would require, for example, jogging nonstop for 20 hours. The problem is not burning calories, which is done even while you sleep, but that we cram too many calories into our mouth.

Question 63

How to loose WEIGHT?

Answer 63

1) Build some calorie burning muscle through strength training
2) Create a modest calorie deficit through dietary restraint. As you know, this means eating properly balanced meals and fewer calories than you expend.

So if you want to lose a pound a week, you’d only have to consume 500 calories less than you expend every day (7 × 500 = 3500).

Question 64

How many calories does a pound of bodyweight contain?

Answer 64

Every pound of bodyweight contains 3500 calories.

Question 65

What do you do for LOOSING WEIGHT?

Answer 65

Control your calorie intake and burning calories through exercise, day-to-day activity, and by raising your RMR through added muscle, frequent meals, and the post-workout rise in RMR.

Losing .5 – 1.5 lbs a week is optimal.

If you are very overweight, you should be closer to 1.5 pounds a week (750 calorie daily deficit).

If you only have a few pounds to shed, .5 lbs a week is ideal (250 calorie deficit daily).

Taking your time will prevent muscle loss and maximize your chances of keeping the weight off permanently.

You want to build muscle in order to increase your RMR.

Note:
If you try to lose weight too quickly, you will not only prevent muscle growth, you’ll cause your body to break down its existing muscle for fuel. This is going in the wrong direction. Remember, it isn’t simply about weight. It’s about body composition–less fat and more muscle.

Question 66

What are the Key Points for weight loss?

Answer 66

· Lose .5 – 1.5 lbs per week by eating 250 – 750 less calories than you burn daily.

· Eat 5 meals per day, every 2.5 – 3.5 hours.

· Maximize your calorie expenditure by building muscle through consistent, short, intense strength training.

· Eat a diet that gives you 1.5 grams of protein per pound of your ideal bodyweight, and split the remaining calories between mostly unsaturated fats and carbs with a low glycemic index. Stay away from processed sugars; they’re everywhere!

· Don’t starve yourself and don’t overeat.

Question 67

How are you GAINING WEIGHT?

Answer 67

Consume more calories than you expend.

Whether the surplus of calories is used to build muscle or fat depends largely on whether or not you place a demand for added strength on your body.

Consistently engaging in short intense bouts of resistance training that consists of mainly compound movements like any type of Push Up, Pull Up or Squat.

Note:
If you notice yourself packing on more fat than you feel comfortable with, back off the calories a bit. On the other hand, if you’re not seeing any changes, bump up your calorie intake.
Keep in mind that if you’re trying to build serious muscle mass, it’s inevitable you’ll pack on a little fat at the same time. After you’ve got your muscles, shift your focus to losing body fat to show them off.

Question 68

What are the Key points to gain weight?

Answer 68

· Consume 500 – 1000 more calories than you expend daily.

· Maintain a well balanced diet. 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight with an even split of carbs and mostly unsaturated fats for the remaining calories.

· Eat frequent meals, 5 – 6 per day, every 2.5 – 3.5 hours, with plenty of whole pieces of fruit, raw or steamed vegetables, nuts, seeds, meats, fish, and dairy.

· Consistently strength train.

Question 69

Which supplements could you use?

Answer 69

If you’re looking to bulk up, use a high calorie, “weight gainer” shake.

If you are trying to slim down, use a supplement that contains a higher ratio of protein to carbs and add one tablespoon of flax seed oil.

Note:
Beware that most shake supplements get their carbs from maltodextrin which, while it helps thicken up the shake, also has a very high glycemic index. If you do use a shake that has maltodextrin, try adding a tablespoon of flax seed oil to slow its absorption.

Question 70

What does a typical diet that incorporates a meal supplement look like?

Answer 70

Meal 1: Oatmeal, boiled eggs, and half an avocado.
Meal 2: Post workout: Cytogainer or Met-RX.
Meal 3: Tuna, salad with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette dressing, banana.
Meal 4: Cytogainer or Met-RX with flax seed oil.
Meal 5: Fish with vegetables.

Note:
For those who don’t like to eat breakfast, try a shake instead. Your body’s been fasting throughout the night, and that first meal is important to jumpstart your metabolism and provide needed nutrients.

Question 71

What is the most important meal you eat?

Answer 71

THE POST WORKOUT MEAL

As soon as possible, following your workout you need to consume:

• 30 – 50 grams of a lean complete protein like whey, soy, egg, chicken or fish.
Why lean protein? Because fat slows the absorption of protein and carbs.

• 30 – 50 grams of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index.
Complete recovery will be optimized if you provide your muscles with a large supply of amino acids—the key components of protein—within 45 minutes after your training session. A whey protein shake is the best post-workout protein choice because it is so rapidly absorbed, and it has the highest efficiency ratio, or availability to the body, of all proteins.

Question 72

What happens after and during your workout?

Answer 72

During a brief window of opportunity after your workout, protein synthesis occurs at the highest rate. This is due to the micro-trauma (broken-down muscle tissue) that occurred during your workout.
Immediately following your workout is the only time to eat carbs that rapidly absorb into the blood stream as the glucose causes an insulin spike. Insulin helps shuttle protein into the muscles, repairing and building new muscle. It is also an important hormone that regulates the storage, replacement, and use of glucose. During a workout, the body uses stored glucose that is in the blood and muscles as fuel for the activity. If the lost glucose isn’t refilled within about 45 minutes after training, your body rapidly goes from an anabolic state (muscle growth and repair) to a catabolic state (cannibalizing of the body’s muscle for protein and energy). Since insulin signals the body to replenish and store glycogen, and the release of insulin is best triggered by eating foods with a high glycemic index, it makes sense that eating carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, along with some lean protein, is the best post-workout choice.
An effective and convenient post workout meal is a whey or soy protein supplement, which contains maltodextrin, or simple sugars, as its carb source.

Question 73

What PROTEIN POWDER to use?

Answer 73

Most protein powder brands are largely interchangeable, so just find the ones you like.

Be careful of the amount of carbohydrates in a protein powder, oftentimes they’re packed with sugar.

Unless you’re looking to gain weight, total carbohydrates should be less than half the amount of protein.

It matters little what kind of protein you buy, as long as it’s a complete protein, meaning that it has all the essential amino acids.

Whey, egg, milk, and soy proteins all fit this bill.

Note:
It makes little difference if your protein has the latest “whey isolate ion-enhanced” mumbo-jumbo in it. 40 grams of whey isolate will have the same effect on building muscle as 40 grams of whey concentrate or soy.

Question 74

How to keep a LOG?

Answer 74

Your plan should, at a minimum, take into consideration the following:

· What are your specific goals? If it’s weight loss, then what is your ideal weight loss rate (.5 – 1.5 lbs per week)? What is your ideal weight?

· How many calories do you expend?

· How many calories do you need to consume?

· What is your meal plan (what and when)? How do you make your diet fit as conveniently as possibly into your lifestyle?

· Is your diet balanced? It should contain 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight with the remaining calories coming from an even split of mostly low glycemic carbs and unsaturated fats.

Question 75

How do you lose belly fat, flabby glutes, or a soft tummy?

Answer 75

Fat loss can only be achieved in all areas of your body at once, and it can only be achieved by burning more calories than you ingest, and you burn calories most effectively by building muscle.

In fact, working your thighs or shoulders will do as much, probably more, than Sit Ups to make you lose fat on your belly (and everywhere else), since they are bigger muscle groups.

Eat well and build muscle through strength training.

The rate at which each area loses fat is determined by genetics.

Note:
Unless you get rid of enough fat all over your body for your abdominal muscles to show through your skin, building strong abs will only push your belly fat out further.

Question 76

Can Fat turn in Muscle and why?

Answer 76

There is no magical transformation of muscle into fat, just a loss of muscle mass and an increase of body fat.

Fat cells and muscle cells perform completely different and separate functions, and one will never transform into the other.

When someone becomes “soft” and overweight after being “hard” and muscular, it is because the calorie output no longer exceeds the calorie intake.

Largely, this is due to a decreased metabolic rate from the loss of muscle. The loss of muscle is caused by the lack of necessary stimulus.

Question 77

What are the signs of overtraining?

Answer 77

• halt in progress
• chronic fatigue
• decreased motivation
• frequent injuries
• increased resting heart rate, which is measured first thing in the morning before getting out of bed.

If overtraining is suspected, adjust one or more of the following: Diet, amount of sleep (you should try for 7 – 8 hours per night), training intensity, duration, and frequency.

Question 78

How do you plan your work and work your plan?

Answer 78

1) Plan with the end in mind, with a “backwards planning” timeline.
2) Start with actions at the objective and plan backwards from that point after thoroughly establishing what the objective is, what criteria must be met for mission success, and how they will be achieved.
3) Then, execution is simply a matter of not giving up. Set aside your comfort and train, because you have made a decision

Question 79

Your goals should answer which questions?

Answer 79

So what exactly are your goals? How much of something do you want to gain, lose, or do?

What is your timeline?

What are the excuses that get in your way?

Question 80

Why should you write down your goals?

Answer 80

When you write out your goals, make them specific and quantifiable. The more specific the better.

With more specific, quantifiable goals will you start aiming at real targets.

Each goal you set gives you a bull’s-eye to aim for.

Learning to direct your limited energy toward specific tasks will not only improve your quality of work, it will also increase the likelihood of you achieving what you set out for.

Make sure your goals are realistic.

Watch out for conflicting goals.

Note:
Remember, the tortoise wins the race.

Question 81

Why should you write down your excuses?

Answer 81

Identifying your excuses will make you more aware of them.

It’ll take the wind out of their sails.

It’ll make it easier for you to identify those “reasons” for not training for what they really are: Useless excuses that stop you from reaching your goals.

After you’ve written your excuses out, just take a look at them.

Remember them and decide now that when you hear these thoughts again, you’re going to workout despite them.

Know thy enemy! He will take many forms and shapes and have many sneaky spinoffs.

Question 82

What can you try after taking a set to complete or near failure?

Answer 82

• Switch to an easier variation of the same exercise or another exercise that works the same muscles and take that movement to failure.

• Try prolonging the last negative movement,
If you need to, you can also try “cheating” your way back to the fully extended position of the exercise. And then do one super slow negative after “cheating.” See if you can make it last 30 seconds!

• Do several more reps using 3 – 5 second negatives, “cheating” your way to the fully extended position of that exercise.
• Hold the fully extended or contracted position as long as you can.
• Intentionally pause for 3 seconds at the most difficult part of a movement. A great way to overcome “sticking points” and develop strength. This is typically halfway through a rep.
• After muscle failure, crank out a couple of half reps to finish yourself off.
• A combination of any of the above mentioned techniques!

Question 83

What is the difference between good pain and bad pain?

Answer 83

Discomfort caused by muscle fatigue or lactic acid build-up—that burning sensation as your muscles swell and you’re giving it your all—is good. It means you’re pushing yourself sufficiently hard.

Some muscle soreness the day after a workout means your muscles are recuperating and growing —is good.

Discomfort in your joints, bones, tendons, or ligaments, or sharp shooting sensations is bad, and you should stop immediately.

Pushing through that sort of discomfort hurts your fitness, and may force you to take off more time than necessary.

Give yourself time to recover from injuries. While recovering, perform exercises that don’t aggravate the injury.

Never train through “bad” pain.

There’s a fine line between hard and dumb. Don’t push until minor injuries become major ones, but at the same time, don’t let minor injuries get in the way of you reaching your fitness goals.

Question 84

What are sets and repetitions (reps)?

Answer 84

Sets and repetitions (reps) are the most common method of structuring workouts.

A repetition is one complete movement of a particular exercise.

A set is one complete series of reps from beginning to end.

When deciphering a workout routine, the number of sets are written first and the number of reps second. 3 × 12 is three sets of twelve reps each.

Question 85

What does it need to reach failure? And why?

Answer 85

It requires a lot of intensity, drive, and determination.

It is that very last rep that sends the message to your body that there is a demand for greater strength and more muscle.

All other sets and reps are for the purpose of bringing you to that final point of failure, and other than that, the only use they have is to warm you up, improve technique, and raise your heart rate.

Question 86

How often and how do you workout the muscle groups?

Answer 86

Each muscle group only needs to be worked once a week. While the program splits them into four sections: Push, Pull, Core, and Legs, you can also replicate a standard gym training regimen. Break your muscles up into:
· Shoulders (8 to 12 sets)
· Triceps (6 to 9 sets)
· Chest (8 to 12 sets)
· Lats (8 to 12 sets)
· Biceps and forearms (6 to 9 sets)
· Core (6 to 9 sets)
· Thighs (8 to 12 sets)
· Calves (8 to 12 sets)
If you tackle two muscle groups a day, you’re only working out 4 days a week. 

You can do the standard, tried and true, typical strength training program: Do a set to failure, rest for 2 – 3 minutes, then another set, doing 3 or 4 sets each of 3 or 4 different exercises for each muscle group.

Question 87

How do you perform ladders?

Answer 87

Perform one rep of any exercise, rest, perform two reps, rest, perform three reps … Keep increasing your reps until going any higher would cause you to hit muscle failure on subsequent sets.

Once you’ve reached that point, come back down without repeating the highest number.

The rest intervals are the time it just took you to perform your reps.

Try doing them for ten minutes with a single exercise. If you’ve reached the bottom of your Ladder (1 rep) and the set time hasn’t expired, simply start another ladder.

It’s a great, high-volume, low-intensity method to build movement proficiency of any exercise.

Question 88

What are push-pull Ladder?

Answer 88

Perform a pushing movement immediately following a pulling movement using the Ladder format, without rest between sets.

Using Pull Ups and Push Ups is a favorite in the Combat Control community.

Question 89

How do you perform Stappers?

Answer 89

Choose any number of exercises and repetitions, and repeat as many cycles as possible in 20 minutes.

Usually three or four different exercises is best.

Be sure to keep your reps low enough not to hit failure during the first couple of rounds of sets.

It’s okay to take short breaks because of muscle failure, but try to keep rest to a minimum.

This one can be a real butt kicker.

Question 90

How do you perform supersets?

Answer 90

Perform one exercise immediately after another.

This is best done with different exercises that emphasize the same muscle group.

Question 91

How do you perform Interval Sets?

Answer 91

Usually done with 1, 2, or 3-minute intervals.

Begin the exercise as soon as the interval starts, go until failure, and then rest until the interval is elapsed, at which point you begin the next set.

Question 92

How do you perform The Easy Gleason?

Answer 92

With a continuously running clock do 1 Pull Up the first minute, 2 Pull Ups the second minute, 3 Pull Ups the third minute … continuing as long as you are able. You can do this with any exercise.

Question 93

How do you perform Timed Sets?

Answer 93

Do as many repetitions as possible of one exercise in a given amount of time.

For example, how many … can you do in 10 minutes, no matter how many sets it takes you?

Or do 20 second sets, followed by 40 seconds of rest, every minute for 20 minutes. By increasing or decreasing the duration of sets, timed sets can effectively be used to develop power and/or muscular endurance.

The shorter the set is, the higher the intensity should be and vice-versa.

It can be likened to a 50-yard sprint compared to a 3-mile run.

Short sets build power; longer sets build muscular endurance.

Question 94

How do you perform Timed Workout?

Answer 94

Perform any workout as quickly as possible.

For example, see how quickly you can do 50 …, regardless of how many sets it takes.

Question 95

How do you perform Tabatas?

Answer 95

20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, for 8 rounds, for a total of 4 minutes.

Find an exercise pace that you are able to maintain throughout all eight sets, but only with great difficulty.

Ideally, there shouldn’t be any twenty-second work period with a significant drop-off in reps performed.

Note:
This high-intensity training is superb in a time crunch. If you want a great workout, select just three different exercises that work the same muscle group, and do three Tabatas with a couple of minutes of rest in between. That’s only 15 minutes total workout time and you’re done!

Question 96

How do you perform 52 Pick-Up?

Answer 96

Shuffle a deck of cards. Ace through 4 are Push exercises, 5 through 7 are Pull, 8 though 10 Core, face cards are Legs.

Overturn one card at a time, do a set of any of the appropriate exercises in your ability group, then turn over the next card. Go through the whole deck, taking as little time between sets as possible.

Question 97

How do you perform Circuit Training?

Answer 97

Perform a series of exercises, usually with relatively short rest intervals between sets and exercises.

Work all major muscle groups and perform at least 2 sets per group.

This allows a large number of sets, reps, and exercises to be done in a short amount of time for those with limited time or patience.

An effective way of organizing a circuit workout is to designate work and rest intervals to a series of exercises and sets.

45 on/30 off, for example, means that all sets are performed for 45 seconds with 30 second rest periods. The exercises, duration, and intensity of the sets will determine whether it is a workout focused on power, muscular endurance, or both.

Question 98

How do you perform Active Recovery?

Answer 98

Perform any variety of back-to-back exercises with low to moderate-intensity and little or no rest between sets.

The idea here is to maintain your target heart range for 20 – 60 minutes.

To calculate maximum target heart range, subtract your age from 170.

Minimum target heart range is 10 less than this.

Question 99

How do you perform Pyramids?

Answer 99

An ideal method for working up to very high intensity variations of an exercise.

One way to do Pyramids is to start with a relatively high rep set, and with each subsequent set, drop the number of reps while increasing the intensity.

A simple example: start with 10 Push Ups that suit your ability level. Then do 8 with a 2 second pause at the bottom, then 6 with a 4 second pause, until finally you do only 2 Push Ups with an 8 second pause.

Or, instead of pauses, you could simply elevate your feet higher and higher each set.

Alternatively, Pyramids can be executed by doing the same number of reps for each set, but increasing the intensity. For example, 5 sets of 3 reps with the first set having the least intensity and the final set at maximum intensity.

Pyramids can be done with any rep range, but they are great for high intensity workouts that build power, ideally progressing to a maximum or near maximum effort in the 1–5 rep range.

Question 100

How do you perform Compound Sets?

Answer 100

Compound Sets are a great way to build strength, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, and power in an interval-type workout.

Compound Sets are performed by doing 3 or more compound exercises one after the other without rest.

A compound exercise is one that requires movement in at least two joints, such as Squats (hip, knees, ankles), Push Ups (shoulders and elbows), and Pull Ups (shoulders and elbows).

The 3 compound exercises you choose can all come from the same movement category, or they can be compiled from various categories, providing a great total body workout.

Simply execute a pre-designated number of reps for each of your three exercises, and then rest before repeating another Compound Set.

Rest intervals can be of any duration, but the length of the rest interval will impact the emphasis of the workout.

Note:
Shorter rest periods will focus more on muscular and cardiovascular endurance, while longer rest periods will build greater strength and power.