The Cheat Meal–Should You Do It? When To Do It, How To Do It Without Looking Like You Did

“If you earned it, eat it.”

— IFBB Pro Ben Pakulski

Eating is one of the many great joys in life, but so is being comfortable in your own skin. There is a saying, “Food never tastes as good as being in shape feels.” Well, I’m here to tell you they are both good! And you are missing out by having one without the other. So can you indulge without bulging over? Absolutely! Here are some important points to remember:

• If you have the goal of losing a significant amount of weight, don’t kid yourself; you’re better off saving the cheat until you reach your goal.
• Work up an appetite; don’t try to purge your sins on the treadmill. Doing so is an exercise in frustration.
• Have what you want! Don’t settle for substitutions.
• Treat a cheat like any other meal. Once you’re satisfied, there is no need to stuff yourself. Avoid the “clean your plate” club (I’m guilty of this, too!).
• Just because it’s a cheat, doesn’t mean you need to aim for the shittiest foods possible. I’m a fan of “wholesome” versions of junk food (what an oxymoron). All that means is that I look for the purest ingredients, even if the meal is loaded in fat, carbs and sodium.
• If you’re a sweet tooth, make a meal out of dessert.
• Cardio is actually a very inefficient way to burn fat. Get on a regular weight training routine, which will improve your metabolism.

The day after your cheat, you will weigh up to 3 pounds more on the scale. I’ve gone as high as 8 pounds! Don’t be frustrated; this is a lot of water retention from the high carbs and sodium. Get back to your normal routine and you’ll shed water like a dog sheds fur. Happy cheating!

It’s Not How Much You Lift; It’s How You Lift It

“It’s not how much you lift; it’s how much you look like you can lift.” — IFBB Pro Bob Cicherillo

I’m decently strong. I deadlifted 405 at age 22. I can do 20 full range chin-ups in my 30’s. With that said, I don’t really care. If someone were to ask me, “How much do you bench?”, I don’t really know. When I go through my workouts, I blindly select a weight, whatever feels right.

You see, for most people’s primary fitness goal (vanity, let’s just get that out of the way right now), lifting the weight should be a secondary goal. What you’re really doing is applying resistance to motor patterns. Muscles control skeletons, therefore, movement is created by muscles. The key is to feel the contraction of the muscles with just enough load applied, not arbitrarily lifting the weight by any means necessary.

When I workout in commercial gyms, most of the people on the machine before me use way too much weight. They are thinking about lifting heavy loads rather than contracting the muscles and it shows in their [lack of] development. So here’s my tip: focus on control and applying loads to intentional movements rather than lifting weight. The “how to” is a subject of hands-on training; but if you apply this to every set, every rep, you’ll be way ahead of the game. Your joints will be healthy. And the best part is, it doesn’t matter how strong you are; you’ll look strong.

No Such Thing as Natural Bodybuilding

I will preface this post by saying that regular weight training is one of the best things you can do for your health and physique. With that said, I’ve been to enough bodybuilding events including Olympia to know that there is no muscle industry without steroids. This applies to both men and women.

Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) refers to a class of hormonal drugs that promote anabolic (tissue building) and androgenic (secondary male sexual characteristics) effects. Different drugs predominate in one area or the other, but all AAS promote both of these effects to some degree. Keep in mind that bodybuilders also take drugs such as Human Growth Hormone (HGH), Insulin, and Diuretics (the final water loss before a show to create that shrink-wrapped look).

There are “natural” organizations, but natural really means “clean”. Clean means you can pass a drug test. The physique industry is synonymous with steroids like Irish pubs are synonymous with booze. You can’t have one without the other. The smallest (size-wise) Mr. Olympia ever was Frank Zane. He won the Mr. Olympia at less than 200 lbs. but he was not natural. He might not be a steroid monster like the pros of today, but he was certainly juicing, at least with mild anabolics.

Frank Zane, 3-time Mr. Olympia, also known as ‘The Chemist’.

Fat Free Mass Index (FFMI) — Maximum theoretical muscle mass

The Fat Free Mass Index is supposedly the most amount of lean body mass that a drug-free bodybuilder can attain. In my opinion, however, not all athletes with a high FFMI of 24 or 25 (fitness models, for instance), got there without chemical assistance.

Prohormones — Steroids without side effects?

Utter nonsense. If the medication is not working on the androgen receptor (increasing acne/oily skin, aggression, and accelerated genetic predisposition expression of male pattern baldness), it’s not promoting anabolic effects, either (muscle-building, bone density, decreased fat mass).

Creatine — Most effective muscle-building supplement

Creatine is not a hormone, but a fuel source for working muscles. Energy is created for short-burst muscle activity in the breakdown of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate = 3) to ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate = 2). Creatine donates a phosphate group (+1) making more fuel available for muscle cells. I’ve personally gained 9 – 10 lbs. of lean mass by loading creatine. It’s cheap–a six-month supply of high-quality creatine monohydrate (Creapure) is only 30 bucks. However, you should check with your doctor to see if creatine monohydrate supplementation is safe for you.

5 Exercises for Greater Glutes

I’m old school. I like brutal exercises to work the butt. If you go to cultures where sitting in chairs is not common, you’ll see perfectly sculpted asses. Here are five of my favorites for bringing up the rear:

1. Squat

The grandaddy. Make sure to work your technique properly. My favorite is the selectorized FreeMotion squat. It has swiveling shoulder pads that adjust to your build, so that you’re not balancing a bar across your back. I also like to use my palms to push up against the handles to distribute the load even further. It angles backward as you descend into a squat, just like your body does, activating the glutes and taking pressure off the knees. Most importantly, the selectorized version gets harder at the top to match your strength.

2. Uphill walking

Walking in general, and especially uphill walking, involves significant hip extension, which is a primary function of the gluteus maximus.

3. Stairs

Along the same lines, stairs are a really great progression from uphill walking. Take your time, because they are tough! Don’t feel like you always need to be indoors, either. Some hiking trails have man-made “steps” built into them. If your legs are long enough, skip every other step. You’ll get a greater range of motion, and hence, greater glute activation.

4. Hip extension machines

These allow you to load the hip muscles, sometimes without involving the knees (which tend to get overworked in leg workouts). My preference is the LifeFitness “Hip & Glute”. It allows the greatest range of motion and the counterweight is guarded so you don’t get hit by it (which has happened to me). You also benefit from standing on the non-working leg.

Another good one, if you can find it, is the Hammer Strength “Hip and Back” machine. You lie on your back and extend both hips at the same time, with a pad behind each knee. The only caveat is that with heavy loads, you’ll need to buckle the seat belt and really grip the handles to keep your butt from lifting off the bench.

5. Lateral movement

Now we’re getting into the gluteus medius and minimus. If you want your glutes to be well-rounded, lateral movements are necessary. Skip the seated abducion/adducion machines once in a while and go functional. Standing sideways movements integrate abduction/adduction, extension, and rotation. Have fun with this. You can do: sideways walking with resistance bands attached to your ankles, slideboards, cariocas, sports that involve lateral motion/change of direction, and even sideways uphill walking/stairclimbing.

Most important for a Brazilian-like butt, get lean! You need to be lean to bring out the muscle shape and give the illusion of a round butt with a tight waist. You don’t need to be anatomy chart lean, but you’ll never see an anatomy chart or a cadaver with a flat butt.

Long Live Nautilus

Hoist. Life Fitness. Cybex. Freemotion. Makers of quality fitness equipment, but all leave something to be desired compared to the original (and, in my opinion, best) brand of commercial strength equipment: Nautilus.

The first Nautilus machines were built in 1970 by Arthur Jones. Revolutionary at the time, Nautilus machines offered several distinct advantage over free weights. Whereas barbells, dumbbells, and pulleys have a single direction of resistance (i.e. resistance moving in a straight line), Nautilus uses lever systems, or commonly bars rotating around axes (similar to how bones rotate around joints). With this rotary form of resistance, you get constant tension on the intended muscle group(s). Jones took this a step further with the spiral-like “cam” design (shaped like a nautilus shell), varying the resistance throughout the movement. In effect, you get a resistance profile that approximates the natural human strength curve. In real world terms, this means a smooth feel throughout the movement, a better pump, and accelerated results.

An early Nautilus cam

Several generations later, Nautilus still offers some of the best commercial strength machines, in terms of biomechanics, comfort, durability, intuitive design, and even upholstery. Here is a highlight of a few of their equipment lines:

Nautilus ONE

The future of single station strength! Rather than using a pin to select from a stack of weights, Nautilus ONE machines use a dial. This is the most intuitive design I’ve ever seen and it requires virtually no maintenance. It’s adjustable even in 1 pound increments and  you’re able to “dial” the weight from the exercise position. The Nautilus ONE line consists of 16 different machines.

Nautilus ONE Abdominal Crunch — “The Clamshell”

Nautilus EVO

Previously called Nautilus Nitro, the EVO line is currently their flagship line, consisting of 25 different machines. The engineering and research that went into these machines demonstrate a commitment to biomechanical excellence above and beyond any selectorized equipment out there. If you have them at your gym, get on them and feel the difference.

EVO pec fly

Nautilus XPLOAD

Similar to the more well-known Hammer Strength (interestingly created by Arthur Jones’s son), the Nautilus XPLOAD is their plate-loaded line of strength equipment. The movements are very similar, but the plate-loaded machines offer a few advantages:

• Zero friction, conducive to more explosive movements
• Independent movement arms for a more balanced workload
• Ability to use more weight

In my opinion, XPLOAD is superior to Hammer Strength, because the resistance gets harder as you contract, rather than “swinging” throughout the movement.

XPLOAD Leg Press

I wish Nautilus machines were available in more gyms, so if you have them, take advantage of them. Or, if you’re a club owner, consider this objective review. They’re the most effective tools for many goals–among them, building muscle and preventing injury!

Here is their website: http://www.nautiluscommercial.com/

Why Your Calves Suck (and what to do about them)

Calves are one of the most genetically determined muscle groups but that’s no excuse to have sticks for legs. Well-shaped calves look dynamite in a pair of shorts and keep you from looking ridiculous with a giant upper body and ski poles down below.

In my experience, it’s not the lack of genetics; but improper training that keeps people from reaching their genetic potential.

Mistake #1 Going Too Fast

I see it all the time in the gym: people using the calf machines and bouncing up and down. Not only does this take the targeted muscle group out of the equation; it can be extremely dangerous. Go slow–you’re working with a relatively small range of motion, so take your time.

Mistake #2 Not Using Full Range of Motion (R.O.M.)

Along with ballistic motions, people often use short motions, not taking full advantage of the machine’s build. Go all the way up and down for a complete lengthening and contraction of your lower leg muscles. Only the ball of your foot should be on the machine’s footplate. It should cramp a little, and that’s good.

Mistake #3 Not Aligning Your Feet Properly

Biomechanically, feet pointed in our out don’t affect muscle recruitment. In fact, they take away from it. The ideal position is legs hip distance apart, and feet pointed straight.

Mistake #4 Not Training the Tibs

This one bugs me the most. Most fitness centers don’t equip their gyms with tibialis machines. The Tibialis Anterior are the muscles in front of your shin primarily responsible dorsiflexing your foot (think toes to shins). Uphill walking is a good natural exercise, but my favorite are one of these types of machines:

You insert the front of your foot under the pad with your heel resting on the foot plate. Then, you flex the foot upwards. Your shin muscles get a pump like they do from a good hike.

Alternatively, you can do a Reverse Calf Press on a leg press machine.

Use these tips to get your calves to grow, and get lean so you can see all your hard work.

The Truth About “Calorie Burn” on Exercise Equipment

You’ve probably been at the gym, pedaling or stepping away on one of the machines, and caught a glimpse of how many calories you’re burning during exercise. However, do you know what these numbers mean? (Explanation below)

The truth is, if you burned for example, 500 calories during an exercise bout, it doesn’t mean you burned 500 extra calories on top of your basal metabolism. It means you burned 500 calories including your basal metabolism. Confused?

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories you burn at complete rest. The reason you enter your weight into the machines is so that it can estimate your BMR. If you just do “quick start” it assumes you weigh 150 pounds.

Example:

Let’s say the machine estimates my BMR at 2400 calories per day (2400 calories burned in a 24-hour period). That’s 100 calories per hour (2400 calories divided by 24 hours). If I exercise for an hour and the machine says I burn 500 calories, that’s not 500 extra calories, it’s 500 calories total. Remember, in one hour I burn 100 calories, anyway. So I really only burned 400 extra calories.

The Real Formula:

• Enter your bodyweight into the machine if you want an accurate calorie count.
• Use the BMR formula to estimate your daily calorie burn.
• Divide this number by 24 to get your hourly calorie burn.
• You can divide further if you spend less than an hour on the machine (i.e. 30 minutes = 0.5 hours, 45 minutes = 0.75 hours).
• Finally, subtract this amount from the number of calories the machine says you burned, and you’ll get a more accurate count of the additional calories you burned.

A typical meal at a famous fast food restaurant in California can equal a whole day’s worth of calories for a medium to large-sized individual, so it remains important to make wise food choices if staying lean is your goal.

Is Subway Healthy?

Q: Is Subway a healthy place to eat on a regular basis?

A: Subway focuses on low-fat menu items, and that’s where their edge ends. People eat there because it’s cheap and convenient, but the ingredients are not the highest quality, and not all of the menu items are low in fat content (their cookies are delicious). My suggestion, if you do go there, is to get the “Veggie Delite” on any of the breads since none of them are really whole grain (my favorite is Honey Oat) along with low-calorie dressing. You’ll need to tell them to add extra vegetables, because I’m convinced that they’re trained to skimp on the ingredients. Better yet, go to your neighborhood grocer or farmer’s market and get a fresh fruit bowl, fruit, or a basic vegetable salad with added protein. Simple is healthy.

One Meal a Day for Optimal Health?

Eating only one meal a day for health and fitness seems like such a radical concept, but I’ve experienced success with it over the years. At the same time, I have eschewed commonly accepted dogma, such as:

• Eat 5 to 6 small, frequent meals throughout the day.
• Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
• Avoid eating at night, it will make you fat.

Rather than tell you which way is right, here are some advantages to eating only one “main” meal, at night [Update: I now do my main meal as a late lunch, since I exercise in the evenings; but I make sure there is time to rest around eating]:

More energy

Digesting food is a more energy costly process than most would believe, so when you’re not busy digesting food, you have this energy available for mental and physical tasks. Furthermore, since exercising on an empty stomach is ideal, there is no issue of timing on when you last ate vs. when you’re exercising.

Better sleep

Because of the energy expended in digestion, food can be a natural sedative, which is perfect for insomniacs, as timing your meal in the evening can raise serotonin levels and help you fall asleep easier. The digestive process will continue throughout the night, and by the time you wake up, you’ll have an empty stomach, ready to be alert and wide awake.

Deal with cravings

Throughout the day, you’ll be exposed to a lot of temptation when it comes to food, so by holding off eating until the evening, you can make a conscious decision on what it really is you want to eat when that time comes. You might find that some cravings were merely incidental.

Something to look forward to

We’re all familiar with “comfort food”, so by having your meal as the last thing you do in the day, you’ll always know you’ll have something to look forward to. This would typically be a very satisfying meal if you’re eating the same amount of food in one meal as you were in 3 meals.

After reading this, you may not want to try the one meal a day way of living. However, if you do, realize there are several benefits and that it’s not detrimental to your health. Stay positive.

*People with blood sugar irregularities may need to be on a more frequent eating schedule. Check with your doctor.

2012 IFBB FLEX Pro Rundown

Lionel Beyeke (FLEX Pro winner) and Janaina Barral (FLEX Bikni Model winner)

This past weekend I attended the 2012 IFBB Flex Pro in beautiful Santa Monica, CA. This is the first pro show of the year, and there’s no better city to hold a professional bodybuilding competition than in the home of Muscle Beach.

The placings:

1. Lionel Beyeke from France won the men’s open division and qualifies for the Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas. He was the hype coming into the show, but many felt he shouldn’t have won given his [lack of] conditioning. This was especially apparent in his back poses, where he seemed to be holding a film of water. Nevertheless, his genetic structure (and small waist) was enough to earn him a victory.

2. Ben Pakulski was my favorite to win. Although not structurally superior to Beyeke, Ben “Pak-Man” Pakulski brought jaw-dropping mass, better conditioning (with hard glutes) and the most wow factor to the stage. Pak-Man is mostly known for his tremendous legs–when he would stand to the front or back, his quad sweep would seemingly spill outward. It’s an insane thing to see, not to mention his enormous calves. I also was very entertained by Ben’s poise on stage, and when I talked to him about it at the show, he said he’s “a very passionate person”.

3. Fouad “Hoss” Abiad took 3rd. He had balance, shape, symmetry, size, and conditioning, and ironically this hurt his placing because nothing really stood out about Fouad (to the judges, at least).

4. Sean “Flexatron” Rhoden was a crowd favorite. Although structurally superior, like Beyeke, he couldn’t quite hang with the big boys in terms of size. He was a little soft as well (by bodybuilding standards, “soft” can still be ripped), and had he been in better condition, he may have moved up a spot.

5. Eduardo Correa took 5th, probably the most disappointing decision of the evening, as many felt he should have won the show. He was the smallest of the top five competitors, but where he really shined above everyone else was his hard-as-nails conditioning. In bodybuilding terms, there’s ripped, and there’s shredded. Correa was inside out shredded. He brought freaky conditioning with the striated glutes, triceps, deeply set abs, and peeled apart quads. He was so shredded it looked like it hurt.

In the women’s divisions, Adela Garcia won Pro Fitness, and Janaina Barral won the Bikini Model Search. The fitness routines were especially very fun to watch. There was also plenty of eye candy on stage, as well as in attendance (which is true for most bodybuilding contests).

Phil Heath (current Mr. Olympia) was also in attendance. I’ve been to several Olympias and my goal one year is to fly out to the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, OH.

It was a great weekend and I got in a training session at Venice Gold’s Gym. Dexter Jackson was training legs with Charles Glass (2 weeks out from the Arnold Classic), as were a few other pros, such as Ben Pakulski. 50 Cent was also in the gym working out. You never know who you’ll run into at The Mecca.