Had the chance to train alongside fellow StrengthAddicts member Josh Castillo. We were both working on biceps and I must say he's looking absolutely amazing. I believe he said he was weighing around 154lbs. and was hoping to compete at around 147.
Friday
Caught a little head-cold today, but made the gym anyways. Traffic was an absolute nightmare and I ended up having to leave 496, taking MLK to Oakland and going the long way. I trained Chest w/ John and a new face Brian Z.. All in all it was a very productive session; we hit incline, pec-dec, bench press, and flyes. I was also able to hang out a little with friend & competitor Blake Selby (webmaster of JackedWithoutJuice.com) who was training legs.
Today
I went ahead and bought a new weight-training belt as I'm on the second-to-last pair of belt holes on my XL.
I've never used a Large, so I'm hoping if I get halfway into it, I'll reached my lowest waist size since my teen years. I think if I could sport a 38" weight I'd look very formidable. I also swung by my favorite store in Lansing (the Lansing Mall GNC). I bought a tub of Ulitmate Nutrition Wheat Protein Isolate, a new shaker cup, and some other goodies, namely a couple packs of "3 local pastured eggs cooked in grassfed butter with raw cheddar cheese--it's optimal high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb nutrition that's tastes great and makes you healthier than you ever thought possible!" Glycogen stores diminish during the overnight fast (sleep), and need to be quickly replenished. Simple carbs do the job here. You are at the beginning of your day, so you will need energy for later, which is why you consume complex carbs. Relatively fast-digesting protein is useful for much the same reason as the simple carbohydrate; combating the overnight fast and getting aminos back into the bloodstream. Fat has many uses, but aids in achieving a higher calorie breakfast, which kickstarts the metabolism, turning you into a fat-burning inferno. Why: Carbs here come from a fibrous source (carrots). I use them because they are extremely portable, and not so light (like, say, lettuce or something) that I'll become light-headed or develop a headache if I don't have something else for carbs. Many programs will advocate starchy carb sources for the first meal. I find nothing wrong with this (as you'll see in my second "typical meal"), however, I've found over time by taking painstaking notes about my own personal diet for several years that I am able to "cut" better while still keeping my strength up by having fibrous sources for my first meal (this allows me to devote more calories to my pre and post workout nutrition later in the day - a MAX-OT principle). Typical Meal #2: 40 grams Whole Oats with Splenda (I measure grams because I've learned over time that simple cup or ounce measurements can sometimes be off significantly) and 250-300 grams liquid whites (note: GFS sells these frozen and are FAR superior to anything you'll find in powder form or at Meijer or Wal Mart).
Webmaster of LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com"Sample first meal:
1 cup milk
1 banana
3 whole eggs
Webmaster of JackedWithoutJuice.com
"Typical Meal #1: 6-10 oz baby carrots with either 300 grams liquid egg whites or 3-4 lowfat cheese sticks.
Protein-wise I use either cheese (casein) or whites because, again, they are very portable. Ideally, I would probably go to whey (isolate), as that is a faster absorbing protein, which is desirable with the first meal. However, I've had no issues keeping my strength up thus far sticking with cheese and whites, and they tend to be cheaper and more portable.
Why: Pretty straight forward. Oats and whites. It is probably less common that I go to this meal. However, it is still one I'll go to, especially if I'm having a day where I am trying to restore glycogen levels in my muscles so that I don't feel so flat and to rid myself of what's referred to as "muscle bellies" every now and again (just a bloaty feeling that can come on whenever your body is bordering the line between a normal state and a state of ketosis). However, I also have learned that it is not the worst thing to even bother addressing this "flat" feeling. It's not always a bad sign, and can in fact be a very good sign, but it can be quite annoying to the lifter who want to both look and feel good at the gym.
"--- Upon Waking up (7:00 am) ---
1 Scoop Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein (when I'm not in a rush)
1 Living Green Liquid-Gel Multi
1 Optimum Nutrition Amino 2222 Softgel
3-4 Slivers of Raw Ginger
--- Shower/ Dress (approx. 20 min) ---
3-5 egg whites
2 whole eggs
over medium (with Pam) served over 1/2 cup plain oatmeal
2 Bags of Lipton Hot tea
3 Packets of splenda
24 oz. Water
--- Explanation ---
The whey protein gets my body anabolic, after a night of being catabolic. I try to spread the aminos (6/day) and multi-vitamin (3/day) throughout the day. Furthermore, the multi's are worth taking a look at. They possess a wide variety of nutrients and vitamins that most people miss. Finally, the Ginger helps alkalize my stomach. An alkaline stomach absorbs more vitamins and prevents acid reflux (which is quiet common when eating big meals).
I shower before I eat my breakfast to maximize bio-availability. The body can only absorb so many nutrients at a time-- you've gotta spread them out.
Egg whites = high protein w/o the cholesterol. However, I include a few whole eggs for the flavor. Oatmeal is a great carb that won't cause you to gain weight (grits will, so I eat those when I'm trying to gain). The hot tea offers more caffeine than coffee and helps to settle the stomach. Finally, splenda allows me to indulge in sweets w/o feeling bad about the carbs.
-- Conclusion ---
I've perfected the routine above. If you don't have time or patience to work it into your diet, then just do the eggs and oatmeal. They are probably the most essential piece."
