Sodium Shmodium - It's not that big a deal!

...unless your doc recommend you avoiding salt due to pre-existing issues.  But quite frankly, sodium is not all that important in relation to dieting and fat loss in normal healthy humans.  Sure, it causes the bloats, but it's not that bad as it is temporary.  Weight gain due to abnormally high sodium intake is due to water retention; thus I would consider this as temporary weight gain, or "who cares."  Weight gain from fat is another story.

Let's say you are a normal healthy human being.  Let's look at the general mechanics of your body.  Your body is constantly adjusting itself in every way possible to seek homeostasis.  In relation to sodium, if you consume the same amount of sodium every day, then your body has already sought homeostasis.  Let's say you eat the same amount of sodium every day, then on Saturday, you go eat some sodium-laden deliciousness at Maggiano's or Panda Express.  Your body will be shocked that your sodium intake skyrocketed.  That increase in sodium levels is abrupt and your body cannot react fast enough at a moment's notice to regulate that spike in sodium.  Therefore, your body will be affected by increased sodium and this causes water retention.  Let's say you go back to eating that same amount of sodium the next day on.  Your body, after a few days, will be able to go back to normal and alleviate the bloats.

For me, I've noticed that it takes 2-3 days for my body to return to normal.  For example, I had some spaghetti leftovers from Maggiano's for lunch on Monday.  On Tuesday and Wednesday I returned to eating my normal daily amount of sodium (all I did was prepare my own food and not add any spices or condiments with much sodium in it), my weight increased from 169.2 lbs. to 171.4 - 171.8 lbs.  Today is Thursday and I now weigh 168.8 lbs.

Of course, this cannot be achieved without a healthy level of water intake.  They say "8 cups a day," but if you are highly active like I am, then a gallon a day is more fitting.  The natural cleansing diuretic effect of water is the best way to flush your body of unwanted nasties.   It is not to say that sodium should be avoided at all costs!  Sodium is essential to the mechanics of your body.  I would suggest just not to ADD salt to flavor your food.

So what happens when you eat out ALL the time?  Lunch at Taco Bell, dinner at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, breakfast at Denny's, brunch at CPK.... All dishes prepared by anyone else aside from yourself will have different sodium levels.  Some will be higher than others, but most definitely, ALL will be higher than what you prepare yourself.  You have total control over what enters your mouth and what your body digests because you prepared it yourself.

June 10th, 2013

I had a very tasty weekend!  Today's the Love-of-My-Life's birthday and we celebrated all weekend!  She loves sushi and Italian food, so that's what I treated her to!  I've noticed that I have been getting a bit leaner and leaner as the weeks go by, but my weight has been steady for awhile now - hovering at or around 170 lbs.  

So this is what I'm going to do...

• Keep my training consistent - PUSH / PULL / LEGS 6 days on, 1 day off with daily goals of progressive overload
• Continue performing 2 sessions of 20 min. cardio per week at the end of Leg Days (I have been doing a 5 min. warm-up, 10 min. HIIT, 5 min. warm-down on the elliptical lately because of my plantar fasciitis)
• Drop calories by about 200 calories from carbs, keeping proteins and fats the same

Current Daily Macros (~3000 calories)
230g P, 350g C, 75g F

New Daily Macros (~2800 calories)
230g P, 300g C, 75g F

Refeeds - Usually Sundays (~3400 calories)
230g P, 450g C, 75g F

My strength has been consistent and managed to perform a 405 lb. deadlift for 3 reps on my 7th set a few days ago.  I just need to be patient and I will eventually get there.  The goal, I must remember, is to get sub 10% bf lean, maintain strength, maintain LBM, and keep calories (specifically carbs) as high as possible.  Last year was my first attempt at getting really shredded for a competition, but I did that with very low carbs and calories.  I am convinced that with the knowledge of gained in nutrition, diet, and training, the same results can be achieved without drastic measures.  Let's go!

May 30th, 2013 - Is he dead?! Life changes and Updates!

First off, I apologize for my incredibly LONG absence.  It has been about a month since I last wrote.  A lot has changed in such a short time span.  So allow me to be brief and summarize:

-New career with longer hours (this is the bulk of it as my well-being depends on this being a priority)
-Began a cut program to shred for Summer
-Completed a very successful training relationship with friend and client (net loss of over -120 lbs. since August '12 to date!)
-Developed another bad case of plantar fasciitis

"But first, let me give you a bicep shot."  - Icecreamfitness

Life is all about priorities and as I have stated before, bodybuilding/fitness/nutrition is just a hobbie to me.  Although it is a hobbie I am passionate about and will always define myself as being related to this lifestyle, it isn't everything to me.  My relationship, my family, and my career comes first as I cannot live without and every other facet exist because it supports and enriches my life.  All of my free time is invested to my relationship.  I work 10-12 hour days with my new job, but I enjoy it.  Those reasons explain my absence.

Since my last post, I decided to embark on a cut program to shred for Summer.  I still have no plans to compete, but it's never uncool to look shredded.  What better time to look your best than for the Summer, right?  I have hit a peak weight of 176 lbs during my bulk experiment and I was happy with the gains.  Now I have altered my diet to achieve this goal.  I began about 2-3 weeks ago.

Flexible Diet Plan - Eat anything whenever I want as long as it fits these numbers.  I track everything on MyFitnessPal.  And yes, I still often eat ice cream for dinner.  :)

Regular Days: 3000 calories, 230P / 350C / 75F
Load Days: 3400 calories, 230P / 450C / 75F
*I usually load on Saturdays because me and my girlfriend often eat out on this day.

I have since lost about 6 lbs.  Today's scale weight read 169.4 lbs.  I have been training the same way with my Pull-Push-Legs protocol 6 days a week with 1 day of rest.  I added 20 minutes of cardio on my leg days.  I will keep this up until weight loss stalls from week to week then I will drop calories by 200 in my regular days.

A few days ago, I went hiking in Malibu and I developed a bad case of plantar fasciitis.  Last time I got it was last year during my contest prep training.  My feet are probably not trained for cardio.  I learned how to treat it with mobility exercises that involve lacrosse balls, kneading, and stretching (thanks to MobilityWOD's KStar!), as well as, icing and taping.  I should be "heeled" in about a week or two (get it?  "Heeled."  Healed.  Nevermind.).  Nevertheless, the incredible pain did not keep me out of the gym!  I just tried to work around it and not aggravate it.  I will be back to heavy squating and deadlifting soon enough!

I hope to continue posting regularly, but my availability has been slim as of late.  If we are not friends on Facebook already, please add me!  Search: "Way Protein."  Thanks and I hope to continue my regular updates!

April 30th, 2013 - Coachella Mini-Experiment Result, Bulk Experiment Closure, and the Summer Shredding Begins!

Coachella was awesome!  It was incredibly hot during the day but the temperature dropped to something more manageable and enjoyable by sundown.  If you haven’t been to Coachella before and plan to go, I recommend only going to the event post-sundown (unless your favorite act is on during the day).  But anyway!  I thought the mini-experiment was a success!  Despite the late decision of running this experiment a week out from the target date, I lost a total of about 5 lbs.  I knew that my body will feel the changes and I would feel less energy at the gym during this experiment.  Changes in a diet on a macro level should never be too abrupt and sudden.  But, this was an experiment and I was on a time crunch, so I vouched to try it and see what happens.  At about 12-15% bodyfat, the 5 lb. drop in bodyweight was much more visible in my arms, legs, and chest.  My body loves to store fat around my torso, so that would be the region to be last effected from any sort of weight loss regimen.  My strength at the gym was maintained; however my endurance suffered.  This mini experiment left me with a strong notion that my body does really well with high carbs.  Fat, on the other hand, not so much for performance enhancement.  With that said, it is a good sign that I should keep my protein and carbs high, and my fats at a medium-high level (for me, 90g or less).  I was up to ~200g of fat and down to ~150g carbs while I was out at Coachella, when typically, my carbs were at 500g and my fats ~80-90g. 

Taking these observations into consideration, and noticing that Summer is fast approaching, I think it’s time I go on a cut diet.  I am pleased with the results of my first bulk experiment which I have been doing since January.  The past 4 months have brought me incredible gains in the leg department, which was the reason why I began the experiment in the first place.  I have never been so strong in my life!  I have never been heavier than 170 lbs. and especially at this condition!  I peaked out at 176.0 lbs flat.  I never reached my initial 180 lb. goal, but I will bulk again in the Fall/Winter and try again. 

With this Summer cut diet, I think I’ll shoot for something in the 7-10% bodyfat level.  My cut diet will be comprised of a blend of a few differing lifestyle diets—broscience (typical “clean” bodybuilding diet) and a flexible IIFYM diet.  I will aim to most of my nutrition from “clean” micronutrient-rich food sources and eat whatever the hell I want when I want so long as it fits my macronutrient goals.  If I want something “dirty” like In-N-Out, or jelly donuts, or pizza, I’m going to have it. 

Since I am now maintaining my weight at an average of 173.6 lbs. the past 2 weeks or so, my current macros will now be the macros of my REFEED DAY:   230g protein, 500g carbs, 80g fat. (~3650 calories).  The 6 other days of the week, I will begin to drop my carbs slowly, decreasing my total caloric intake per day by about 300 calories.  It will look like this:  230g protein, 440g carbs, 70-80g fat (~3300 calories).  I will begin this on Monday.  I will weigh myself every day and shoot for a weight loss goal of about 0.5 – 2.0 lbs. a week.  I will not do any cardio yet, and I anticipate that I will only do cardio at a maximum of 2 sessions per week.  Once I notice that I have hit a stick point, where I experience no weight loss, I will repeat the process and drop my carbs again by about 60g or about 300 calories.  This will be my diet.

Macronutrient Manipulation Mini Experiment for Coachella Weekend - How to Appear Leaner on a Carb-Heavy Bulk!

Originally, the plan was to sell the pair of tickets I have and make a few extra bucks, but apparently everyone who is interested in attending Coachella on Weekend 2 already has tickets.  My girlfriend and I have never been before and since it is my birthday weekend, why not just go?  So that’s my plan this weekend!  I have been on bulk mode and I would like to look my best despite having gained a bit of fat on my body.  My plan is to manipulate my macros to decrease water retention to appear leaner while keeping calories up at a slight surplus or at maintenance to keep my metabolism high so when I return from my weekend, I can continue my bulk as before.  I have been on an extremely high carb bulking diet, so I am eager to see how my body reacts when switching my energy source to consist of mostly fat while bringing carbs down.  The idea behind all of this is similarly to that of “peak week,” the final week of preparation of a bodybuilder before the competition.  The idea is to deplete glycogen (stored energy from carbs), since every gram of glycogen is accompanied by about 2.7g of water.  I will probably drop 2-3 lbs. of water weight with this method.  Most of this water retention is subcutaneous (under the skin) and that is what appears to be fat.  Carbs are turned into glycogen in the body and whatever excess glycogen that isn't stored in the liver and muscles are floating around in the bloodstream. The least amount of carbs consumed will result in the least amount of glycogen stored in the body.  The least amount of glycogen stored would mean the least amount of water stored.  The result will be a leaner, slimmer appearance by the thinning of the skin.  So here are my current macros (up to Saturday), since I started this experiment yesterday, Sunday:

Bulking Macros (peak calories of ~3600-3700 calories):

-230g P, 500g C, 80-90g F

The Manipulation Plan (dropping calories just a smidge to ~3400 calories):

-Yesterday & Today: 230g P, 400g C, 100g F   

-Tomorrow & Wednesday: 230g P, 300g C, 145g F

-Thursday: 230g P, 200g C, 190g F

-Friday: 230g P, 150g C, 210g F

*I will be training until Friday and taking Saturday & Sunday off.

At Coachella, I will not be training so I will be dropping calories by ~500 kcals to ~3000 calories):

-Saturday & Sunday: 230g P, 150g C, 160g F

I will be utilizing the MyFitnessPal app to make sure I can keep to my macros.  The trick is in the preparation, since Coachella and other “party” events are far from healthy.  I will be bringing a jug of MTS Nutrition Whey, bananas, and a few gallons of water.  I will need to be quite flexible with my diet since this is a vacation, so I will probably live off of In & Out burgers (protein style, no salt) to meet most of my macro numbers since I will be running on mostly protein and fat (not mad about that!).  I anticipate some of my carbs to come from alcohol.  It’s been awhile since I’ve had more than just a beer or a glass of wine so this will be interesting.  My goal is to look as lean as possible this weekend as I will be working with what I’ve got—about 15% bodyfat.  If I can combat the water retention from the high carb intake, I can appear leaner.  The alcohol will work as a diuretic to further release water from my body; but I will need to make sure I drink ample amounts of water as well so my body does not think it is too dehydrated and go into survival mode and retain more water and begin bloating.

Then when I return to the real world by Monday, I will be back on my normal bulking diet.  The influx of carbs will feel like a carb load (from 150g of carbs to 500g of carbs), and I will feel amazing.  I can’t wait!  Weather forecast suggests it will be near 100 degrees in Indio this weekend and I’m not trying to wear a t-shirt.  Time to nut up or shut up—let’s see what happens. J

April 5th, 2013 - Updates & Cut Experiment Plan

15 lb. difference between the pictures

I woke up this morning to a 175.4 lb. read on the scale.  My strength gains have been tremendous during my first true bulking experience.  I have never been at this weight before and feeling so good.  I remember I may have kissed the 170.0 lb. mark many years ago, but my body did not compose of as much lean body mass as I possess now.  That was when I had fallen into a form of depression because I just discovered I had psoriasis and turned to fast food and alcohol as temporary ailments.  Poor nutritional health, not stretching before training, and lack of proper form while performing weight training exercises led to rotator cuff injuries, mild tendonitis in my wrists and elbows, and ultimately lost complete interest in exercising altogether.  I lost my drive and fell off. 

After a year or so, I slowly found my groove back and too many more years of climbing before I said, “screw it, let’s do a competition.”  Which left me feeling very weak and small, which led me to this bulking experiment.  I’ve learned that you have complete control of your body and your practice in eating and exercising contribute to your body’s overall appearance.  It all comes down to science and if calculated and planned correctly, there is no magic or mystery to why your body has changed for better or worst. 

It has been recommended by Kane Sumabat aka ‘Timbawolf’ and other sources online that to achieve the best bulk (bulking without experiencing too much fat gain) is to undergo periods of bulking at a rate of up to 2.0 lbs a week (the slower the better if you have the time and patience) and then undergo periods of cutting, then repeat the cycle to achieve desired physique.  This is what Timbawolf called a “2 steps forward 1 step back” approach.  Yes, you can eat a crapload of food and just gain weight as fast as you can but you will almost definitely gain much more fat in the process because your body can only build muscle so quickly (~1 lb. of lean body mass per month for naturals).  This quick bulk method will result in a very long cut phase to lose all the fat that has accumulated.  And yes, you can absolutely bulk at an incredibly slow rate with a very small caloric surplus of say 100 calories or something, but the results are so slow, it is almost unnoticeable. 

Without any plans for another competition, I think the optimal leanness level for that beach body look is between 6%-10%.  6% might be too lean for comfort in my opinion, so I’ll just shoot for anywhere below 10% bodyfat.  I will shoot for a fat loss rate of about 1-2 lbs. a week (slower the better, yet still measurable) by keeping calories from all macronutrients as high as possible.  I will slowly cut carbs out first in 200-250 calorie increments (~45-60g carbs) every time I reach a stand still in my progress, like this:

Current macros: 230g P, 500g C, 90g F  (~3700 calories)

Start by dropping 60g carbs:  230g P, 440g C, 90g F  (~3450 calories)

Once weight loss stalls, drop another 60g carbs:  230g P, 380g C, 90g F  (~3200 calories)

And, so on…

No plan is optimal without stopping at every step to analyze progress and making changes when necessary.  I wish it can just be easy and black and white but when it comes to your body with training and nutrition, it is all gray.  There is no one right way to do this and it is only experimenting and trying new things that will uncover a better way.  It is a lifelong goal to discover the BEST WAY.  I will probably include a high carb load day as well but time will tell.  Everything is a possibility of what I might try.  However, one thing is for sure.  I will not go NO CARB.  I have tried a cyclical ketogenic diet before and although the results were great, it left me feeling weak and tired.  As I just said, there is no black and white.  There are other methods to achieve results.  I will continue to lift heavy to assure I maintain as much strength and lean body mass as I can and utilize low intensity cardio if necessary.  I may start this plan at the end of the month or when I stop gaining weight from my current macro level.  Who knows!  I like to plan ahead.  I am just excited to reveal the “gains.”  LOL. 

Should I Cycle My Pre-Workout?

You always hear or read about cycling off pre-workout supplements after 4-6 weeks of using for about 2-4 weeks.  But, do you really have to?  If you find that you have been increasing your pre-workout dosage and after a few weeks, been running on max dose (as recommended on the label) and find that the effectiveness of the supplement has dwindled to "where the hell is the energy at!?", then it is definitely a good idea to cycle off the product.  Why does this happen?  Caffeine.  Caffeine is the primary ingredient in all pre-workout supplements to provide that energy boost that we all love to really maximize your performance.  There's a plethora of other ingredients too and depending on the pre-workout product you use, the difference can be major or minute--beta-alanine, citrulline malate, l-arginine, taurine, etc.  However, it is caffeine that your body can most easily get desensitized to, especially if you are a coffee drinker like myself.  One dose of your pre-workout can have anywhere from the same amount of caffeine as half a cup of coffee to upwards of up to 3 or more cups!

Now what if every experience with your pre-workout has been phenomenal and you are satisfied with the results?  The dosage does not need to be increased to be effective and you've been taking it for many weeks?  Well, I think that this is an instance where you don't need to cycle off your pre-workout.  The only real reason why cycling on and off pre-workouts is so your body can normalize and become sensitive to caffeine again so the product continues to be effective.