Back-to-Basics: Update #1

I started my back-to-basics workout a couple weeks ago, as I explained in my last post. I had originally planned on doing Squats in the morning and Pushups in the evenings on a Mon - Wed - Fri schedule; and then Crunches on a Tue - Thu - Sat schedule. However, within the first 3 days I made some significant changes to that routine.

The first thing that I realized was that breaking up the exercises like this kept me from really pushing my entire body hard. Sure, my chest, arms and shoulders were shaking after the pushups, but I wasn't breathing hard and could barely work up a sweat. On the other hand, I never quite felt like I was "rested" because of the way the exercises were spread out.

So beginning this week, I pulled all of the exercises together into supersets and have been doing a good total-body workout on a Mon - Wed - Fri schedule. The way the program is set up, you complete 5 sets of an exercise with each workout. Thus my combined program has me completing 5 supersets, which consists of Pushups / Squats / Crunches with no rest in between exercises. I rest for a minute or two between supersets and focus on good form and steady breathing.

Here's what Day 1 looked like:

Superset 1 - 10 Pushups / 13 Squats / 15 Crunches (rest)
Superset 2 - 12 Pushups / 16 Squats / 18 Crunches (rest)
Superset 3 - 7 Pushups / 9 Squats / 10 Crunches (rest)
Superset 4 - 7 Pushups / 9 Squats / 10 Crunches (rest)
Superset 5 - Max Pushups / Max Squats / Max Crunches

Believe me, by the time I was finished with this 20-minute workout I was breathing heavy, sweating like crazy, and my heart was pounding like I'd just run a race. Obviously you can go a little easier by resting between exercises and resting a bit more between supersets, but the point is that you can also get a great workout with these basic bodyweight exercises.

One final thing I noticed is that having a full day "off" really helped with my recovery, and I did feel stronger on each new workout day. I don't know that I'll hit 100 pushups, 200 squats and 200 crunches by the 6-week mark, but 50/100/100 isn't out of the question!

Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon

My Disciplined Meal Plan

When discussing "discipline" as a process, I mentioned the fact that I have limited my food selection during the week so that it is more convenient for me to eat healthfully. The main reason that I have failed at changing my eating habits in the past is because junk food is generally more convenient to grab when you're on the run. I mean, who has the time to come up with creative breakfasts, lunches and dinners every day?

But I don't like it when health and fitness gurus make general statements like that (i.e. limit the variety of your meals) and then force you to buy their $40 ebook in order to get the details... so below you'll find my current meal plan. It's loosely based on the Paleolithic Diet, though I do indulge in black coffee and green tea in addition to drinking water with every meal and snack.

Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 banana, and a 20 oz. cup of black coffee

Mid-morning Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted almonds (or mixed nuts) and 1 apple

Lunch: Tuna or chicken breast w/mustard wrapped in leaf lettuce and 12 baby carrots

Afternoon Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted almonds (or mixed nuts) and 1 apple (or banana)

Dinner: Stir Fry. I sauté about 2 cups of whatever fresh veggies I have handy (peppers, onions, squash, broccoli, carrots, etc.) in extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, and throw in some lean protein (chicken breast, pork, lean beef, fish), and add whatever spices strike my fancy that evening (except salt).

I don't get bored with breakfast, lunch and snacks because I'm too busy to care. These foods are both convenient and healthy, which fuels the temple and reduces my stress level because I don't have to worry about it. I've also found that by eating about every 3 hours, I've gotten to the point where I can't eat as much as I did just a couple weeks ago and I'm never, ever truly hungry. I eat for fuel, not because I'm feeling famished!

As for dinners, by changing up the mix of veggies, the length of time I cook them (crispy or softer), the spices I use, and the type of meat, I can make dinner taste differently each night. The biggest change has been keeping stocked up on enough veggies because I'm not using potatoes, pasta or white rice (though I've mixed in some wild rice a couple times).

That's my Monday through Friday meal plan. On the weekends I'm a little more lax, but not much. I still focus on large amounts of fruits and veggies, with ample lean protein.

Perhaps you have a different food selection that you prefer, and Lord knows there are plenty of diet programs out there from which to choose. So choose one, select a few meals and snacks that you can easily prepare and eat every weekday, and try this for a few weeks. Building the discipline is the key.

Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon

Printable Workout Page

Sometimes it's easy to read something online, but difficult to translate it into something you can use offline. For example, in my last post I gave you a solid, full-body workout with links to YouTube videos and exercise explanations on BodyBuilding.com... but you may be wondering how to "write it out" in a format that's easy to use. Obviously you can't take your computer to the gym or weight room with you, so you need something that you can print, fold up, and carry in your pocket.

With that in mind, I took the workout I created for you and put it into the format that I use for my own workouts. Workout 1 should be used for 4 weeks, at which time I'll design another workout for you to use for the next 4 weeks. Yes... you read that right. I'm going to go ahead and create another workout for you for free! (But as before, if you really want to send me $39, then I certainly won't complain!)

Again, here's the link to a PDF file of Workout 1. All you'll need to do is fill in the dumbbell weight you're using and you should be good to go (I've inserted "body" wherever the exercises are simply bodyweight exercise).

Oh, and I've also included an Ab Circuit that you can do on your "off" days. I combine this Circuit with 20 minutes of high intensity interval training on the stationary bike, which is an excellent way to burn excess fat. You may have to look-up some of the exercises on your own, but that'll be good practice for you!

Hopefully this printable workout will remove any last excuses you may have been entertaining. It's time to get up, get moving, and make sure our temples are healthy and fit!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar

Pick-Me-Ups that don’t Pack-It-On

In spite of what the candy bar manufacturers would have you believe, a sugar-packed candy snack is not the best way to get past a mid-afternoon energy slump. Likewise, firing up the coffee maker again is not the best choice (even though coffee may not be the evil drink that many people would have you believe).

So when your eyelids are weighing heavy in the afternoon and you’re struggling to stay awake while the boss drones on and on, here are three things you can try in order to keep you going for a few more hours!

1. Drink water and walk around. Especially if you’ve been chugging java in the morning, your feelings of fatigue may actually be dehydration. Drink some water and then take a walk to get your blood flowing better. After your walk, drink some more water and continue to sip for the rest of the afternoon. This is a no-calorie tip that will actually help you burn more calories throughout your day.

2. Fresh fruit, tempered with protein and fat. Instead of grabbing a candy bar, get an energy zap from a high fructose fruit such as watermelon. You’ll get your sugar rush, but also a dose of fiber and a shot of vitamins (A and C), all for about 100 calories for 2 cups of fruit! Throw in some protein and a little fat (low fat string cheese, seeds, or nuts) and the sugar will metabolize slower and make the energy boost last longer. Keep it to 1 cup of fruit and 1/4 cup of nuts (or one serving of cheese) and you’ll keep it around 200 calories for this excellent pick-me-up.

3. Ye’ old PB&J on whole wheat bread. Much like the fresh fruit with protein and fat described above, this old childhood favorite packs quite a wallop because of its wonderful combination of carbs, protein, and good fats. And if you only make a one-slice sandwich, then you should come in at about 200 calories.

So when you’re eyelids are droopin’ and you don’t know how you’re going to make it through the rest of the day, try one of these 3 tips to get a pick-me-up that’s not a pack-it-on!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon Jubar

Keep a Food Log

I don't get on the scale very often -- maybe once a week -- mainly because I don't believe that it's the best way to measure health & fitness. (Checking your body fat percentage? Now that's a bit better indicator!) However, "weight" is one of the measurements I've been tracking over the past few months, but I'm cautious about fluctuations our bodies have due to water retention or temporary dehydration. I mean, if a pro fighter can sweat out a dozen pounds in one day so he can qualify in a lower weight class, is it so hard to believe that our bodies can fluctuate a couple of pounds from day to day?

When I need to put a weight on my chart, which I had to do this week, I weigh myself for 3 days and take the highest of the three. I'm not sure why I don't go with the average. I guess it's just to make it more of a challenge.

Whatever the case, I weighed myself over the last three days and here are the results:

Sunday: 234 lbs.
Monday: 232 lbs.
Tuesday: 235 lbs.

So I noted on my chart that I now weigh 235 pounds, which means I've lost 23 pounds since the end of August.

Now I know that might not seem like a lot given the claims of all the fad diets these days. "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!" Sounds great, but most of them basically suck. The truth is, a lot of people lose weight on those diets because the food selections are so limited that they end up restricting calories because they have no more appetite for the few things they can eat!

"Eat all the protein and fat that you want!" Sounds great, but what am I supposed to do with this stick of butter and a pound of bacon? And what about this cup of lard? Oh yeah... I forgot... I can dip my pork rinds in it.

Over the next few months, as I continue my journey to better health, I'll take the time to share what I'm doing with you. It's not overly complicated, but it is too much to share in a single post.

However, here is the first thing you should do (it's the very first thing that I did):

Start keeping track of everything that you eat and drink, every day.

I began by jotting everything down in a little notebook. Eventually I opened a free account at FitDay.com and started tracking everything online.

I'll be very honest with you: this was an absolute pain when I started, and sometimes I still have to make myself do it. BUT it's worth every second of time that it takes!

If you struggle with your weight like I did, you will probably be absolutely amazed at the amount of food that you eat! And don't, don't, don't just guess at quantities. Get yourself a little kitchen scale and really weigh that chicken breast or those fish fillets. Eventually you'll get better at more accurately eye-balling quantities, but make sure those eyeballs are wide open first!

Health & Fitness Tip #1: Keep a food log and use a kitchen scale to measure quantities.

Health & Fitness Bonus: When tracking your weight over a period of time, weigh yourself for 3 days in a row and record the average weight (or the highest weight, like I do). And whatever you do, don't weigh yourself every day. Fluctuations in water weight can be demoralizing when they're actually quite healthy and normal.

Train hard but pray harder,
Brandon Jubar