The Grind Part 2: Move it!

If you're a normal person just looking to get in shape, then the stuff I talk about in this section will hopefully help you. Here are some starter notes to get you...uhh, started.



*Everyone is different. What works for you might necessarily work for others. When your start to exercise, you'll begin to realize this as you see people do the myriad of physical activities available to them. If you're just starting out, there are three exercises that you can choose to start with (and hopefully keep a part of your regimen for the rest of your life.)

=There are people who run or jog.

=A few people choose to sweat it out with cardio.

=Then there are those who lift.


=Some even do all three or at least two of these activities.

One thing is for sure, if you do any of this two or three times a week for the next couple of months. Trust me, you will see results. As long as you will commit. It's up to you choose which exercise will fit your schedule and what works for your body.

It is a myth that muscle weighs 3 times more than fat and people use it as an excuse as to why they haven't lost weight.

Lose weight: In order to preserve muscle while cutting fat, try to lift as heavy as you can.
You may not be able to add weight every week but at least try to avoid losing strength during this time.

Gain Muscle: The only difference here is that you are eating a lot of calories a day. In this period,
you have to be careful because it is very easy to eat the wrong kind of foods.

Just a few terms that you will keep hearing over and over again. And finally...

Muscle is made from a completely different kind of cell than fat. What happens is that people stop exercising and continue their calorific intake meaning they gain weight in the form of fat.

Now that we got that covered. Let's begin breaking down the three exercises that everyone should be doing in their lives. Starting with:

RUNNING

Barney Stinson guide to running/marathons:

As much as I would like to agree with Barney, there's more to running than that though.
I personally did not take up running until late 2015 and I am not a fan of it. If you do however find it works for you then here are a few Tips for running and I'll fill out some more here as we go along the way. I just run nowadays to increase my lung capacity but hey, if it works for you then keep on running!


CARDIO

First off, cardio (or cardiovascular training) refers to any type of activity that involves testing your cardiorespiratory system. Basically any activity that increases your heart and breathing rate can be considered a form of cardiovascular exercise. Activities such as walking and dancing (e.g. Zumba) can be considered cardiovascular exercises. What I do want to focus on though is that when you do cardio, you must be targeting parts of your body and that you should cover all of it so you'll get the most of the time you spend on it.

Here's a sample regimen for your cardio workouts. You should be able to find one that works for you (there are literally thousands on the internet) but the one most important thing here is that consistency is key. Doesn't matter what you're doi as long as you stick to it. When you say you wan, it should be MWF no excuses. If you don't have time, you make time.

Personally, I used an app called 'Max Capacity Training' for Android phones (I think it's all available for the Iphone). It's claim of doing it for 16 minutes a day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks actually works. It may not essentially give  the best shape you've ever been in your life as the app claims but it surely make you make you stronger, leaner and meaner. You'll feel amazing after doing it for two months. I guarantee it.


LIFTING

Let's just get one thing straight right off the bat:

You may see body builders lifting heavy weights and think "I don't want to look like that".
The fact of the matter is that these guys are eating 5000+ calories per day in order to put on this weight.  By lifting weights, you become stronger and more toned.

Now that's out of the way. Let's start off into the wonderful world of weightlifting.

These three lifts are by far the best weightlifting exercises that should be included in every person's regimen when starting out with heavy lifting as these exercises are said to be the best for increasing the body's testosterone levels naturally. The benefits of increased testosterone are well documented: increased libido, healthy heart, less fat more muscle, denser and healthier bones and, most importantly, better mood in general.  Naturally increased testosterone levels is not just important for males, but for females as well. Do remember that you should ask someone who actually knows what he's doing or has been lifting for quite some time now to both show you the proper form and technique and if possible, to spot you. It's easy to say that you'll just watch a video about it on Youtube or I'll just wing it but trust me, it's better to be safe than sorry with these workouts because one false move and you can end up getting seriously injured or worse, get embarrassed at wherever you're working out (emotional pain too stronk lol)

So how much weight should you be lifting? First off, let's cover a few things first:
Strength training means choosing weights that allow you to train in a rep range of 1-6.
Building muscle mean choosing weights that allow you to train in a rep range of 8-12.
Focusing on muscular endurance means choosing weights that allow you to train for at least 15 reps.

Basically, what we need to be focusing on is building muscle as strength training focuses on well, building strength and is only advisable if you plan to compete in heavy lifting or body building competitions soon. Muscle endurance can come later when you actually have muscles that you can work with. Keep in mind we are just starting out here.

There are just two things that I need to point out when it comes to lifting:

You must use good form.. Each weightlifting exercise has its own "good form." Generally speaking, you have to control the weight, and only designated joints are supposed to be working. If it takes hip or knee action to curl a barbell, you're using joints that should not be involved.

Perform a "true" set of 8-12 reps. Of course, you can just adjust the weight and say you did 12 reps, but that's not a true set. A true set means that you're muscles are already hurting or at the point at where you cannot do another rep on your own with good form. If you can do a 13th rep, the weight you used was too light. Similarly, if you can do only 4-5 reps, the weight is too heavy for maximum muscle-building. The sweet spot lies in choosing a weight in which you can just do 8-12 reps on your own.

Gym rats or serious body builders also train the fast-twitch muscle fibers, usually starting with multijoint movements sorted by body part. Here the recipe calls for higher volume (3-4 working sets of multiple exercises at different angles) and shorter rest periods (60 seconds for smaller muscle groups and up to 90 seconds for larger ones) but you can focus on that later...

Right now, try to build a system where you can incorporate the three weighlifting exercises (Squats, Bench Press, Deadlifts) and mix it up with say, barbell curls for your arms or behind the lifts for your triceps. Make sure you hit that 8-12 reps marker and always use good form

Finally, I'd like to focus on this as well. Growth will also depend on the type of muscle cells the muscle is made up of.  One of the reasons squats is responsible for greater muscle growth on the quads, hamstrings and gluteus (maximus, medius and minimus) than other muscle groups is because of the eccentric muscle contraction on the downward movement of squats.
*The effect of resistance training combined with timed ingestion of protein on muscle fiber size and muscle strength. - Andersen et al., 2005

That's about it for this section. Moving on to part 3.



-Chady

The Grind Part 1: Starting up and Eating Right

Yes, I work out....
Yes, I watch what I eat...
It depends on your body...
No, you have to rest...
No, I am not on drugs...

I've been asked so many times what I did to lose weight that I am starting to sound like a broken record. This is not a complaint,though. Ever since I started on my journey, I am more than happy to help anyone who is willing to take that first big step. Before anything else, let's review:

Everyone who knows me personally always remembered me as a hefty kid during high school and college. I have not been called 'skinny' since my second year of high school. After college, my weight fluctuated because of inconsistent eating patterns as well as inconsistent exercising.

This was taken around April 2014. Yes I know it's a shitty picture but it's all I could find right now. I was not watching what I was eating and I had little to no exercise. I was somewhere around 95 kg/ 220 pounds here. After this, I decided it was time to shake things up and lose weight. But where do we start? Easy. With yourself.


MAKING THE DECISION

This is where it all starts. You have to take some time and internalize. Ask yourself what your goals are. Do you want to lose weight? In how many months? What things are you willing to do to? Take all the time you need to think about this because this is a huge life decision.

For me, I decided that not only did I want to lose weight but I also wanted to make a lifestyle change. Not only become fitter but to be fit both in what I eat and with the way I look. Took me about a week to finally convince myself to begin change.

TALK TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR ADVICE

The "best" option of course for this is talking to a physician and a nutritionist before beginning any fitness and diet program especially if you're very out of shape and don't have a clue about what to control in your diet. When you've done that, you might also consider getting a trainer (or a buddy who works out) to show you how to perform the various lifts and cardio exercises that you need to be doing. Having expert and correct coaching can help you avoid unwanted injury. After reading all of this and you come to the conclusion that this sounds expensive I can agree with you. Your best alternative is that you can always ask your fit friends and hang out with them for awhile so you can get the gist of what needs to be done and what you can do.

I went to my then company doctor to have myself checked up and make sure that I was able to perform the exercises I needed without fear of injury. I didn't know any nutritionists in the area so I just took the advice of my fit friend who doubled as my trainer. I observed him work out, asked him on what program I should be following and I had him teach me proper execution and movement with regards to the big barbell lifts like deadlifts and bench presses and the more complex cardio exercises like headstands and crocodile pushups.

LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN!

WHAT YOU EAT

Eating right is a huge factor when you want to get fit. By consuming the right kind of food as well as the proper amount, you're giving your body the right 'fuel' to keep your muscles going.

When I started, I didn't see food as protein, carbohydrates, and fat. I admit I didn't really understand any of it. It's complex and plays multiple roles in the body and you'll have to learn to take them into account if you're really serious and dedicated about losing weight or gaining weight, and by that I mean if just trying to wing it isn't working for you anymore, you'll need to start counting these for at least a brief period. Let's break this down and make it simple as possible:

THE CALCULATION
Calories = Energy units used by the body
Protein: 1 gram = 4 Calories
Carbohydrates: 1gram = 4 Calories
Fat: 1gram = 9 Calories
BMR = Basic Metabolic Rate = calories burned if you sat and did nothing all day.
If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.5
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.6
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
This is your caloric goal. Eat 500 calories less if you want to lose weight, and 500 calories more if you want to gain weight.

BASIC ROLES

Proteins are building blocks. Meats are high in protein. Protein is the glamour nutrient. I'm not going to go into a huge amount of detail but here is what I want to share. The amount of protein you should be eating is controversial depending on who you talk to however, most nutritionists or health buffs agree that you should consume more than is traditionally recommended. Here's current recommendations:

If you are trying to lose weight: 2-3g/kg. Increase as you get leaner. This will allow you to retain muscle mass more so than a lower intake.

If you are trying to gain weight: 1-2g/kg depending on what works for you.

You need more protein while dieting to help spare lean muscle mass. It's impossible not to lose some while cutting but people who consume more have been shown to lose less muscle. For protein, I recommend 1 gram of protein per pound of your ideal body weight.
For example, if you weigh 220 and want to weigh 180, eat ~180 Grams of protein each day.

Carbohydrates is for maintaining blood sugar and use for energy-- especially during exercise.
Breads, fruits, starchy veggies, etc are high in carbs. Carbs are an extremely important source of fuel for your body. They are stored as glycogen and broken down into energy. Studies show that it's more beneficial to not go on a low carb diet while trying to cut because it can be detrimental to performance and there's not really a beneficial to you in the long run. I recommend keeping carbs as high as you can while getting adequate fat and protein. 4-7g/kg or as diet permits
Do not cut calories primarily from carbohydrates while dieting. On workout days, 65% of those remaining calories should be from carbs. On days where you don't lift weights, try to limit carb intake to 50-75g or less, and instead have healthy fats make up the bulk of the calories for those days.

Fats are for energy and more. It is both important and unimportant. While they are also used for energy, fats don't have the same muscle-sparing effect that carbs do. However, they're essential for health, so you can't just cut them out because it will be hard on your body. I recommend to eat a percentage of your diet from. 15-20% should be enough. This should be at least 20-30g of fat.

Your diet should consist of mostly whole foods such as lean cuts of meat, whole grains and healthy fats.  Avoid trans-fats and highly processed food, if possible. This means fast food, people. I'm not saying stay away from fast food but go at least once a week, maybe from the start.

Confused, yet? I know you are hehe. Honestly, counting calories really takes effort and something to get used to but this is the way to go to be totally fit but if you want to follow something basic at first, here's what I did on my first month before I also began counting calories.

*Whatever you are eating right now, cut it in half. portions wise.
*Control your rice. 1 cup if possible. This will be the most difficult one yet for some of you. Good luck!
*Eat at least 3 full square meals a day. Although it has already been proven that eating at intervals doesn't really affect metabolism, it's more of a psychological thing.  By fasting the body tries to conserve energy because it doesn't know when the next meal is going to come. Eating the same amount of calories spread over a longer period of time means the metabolism stays constant.
*Don't starve yourself. If you feel woozy in between your meals, eat crackers (Skyflakes will save you here) and fruits.
*Keep yourself hydrated at all times. Always carry a water bottle around. Always aim for that 8-10 glasses of water a day.
*No more soft drinks. No more junk foods.

This is Part 1 (of 3) of my journey/guide. Next up is the workout itself.


-Chady