The body image Grinch

I closely observe how judgmental people can be of others’ looks. While the politically correct spirit of today forces us in the right direction, in my culture, it’s acceptable to make a negative remark of someone’s looks. While this fact doesn’t make it more pleasurable, the holiday season abounds in body shape judgments. Take for example a family get together for Christmas Eve. Food abounds, people are jolly and merry and someone says:” hey, don’t you think Joe is a tad heavier, he’s grown a belly or something”. Or take my high school class reunion from last night. We hadn’t seen each other in 9 years. First thing a guy says is: “hey, aren’t you a bit heavy for someone who works out?”. While Bulgarian culture is known for not making a difference between muscle and fat, and girls you see in the street have the body composition of a gummy bear, this is not exactly what I want to hear. Being a girl, all sorts of memories from high school body image issues resurface, and I have to spend half of my last day of Christmas vacation, fighting them and bringing myself to normalcy.

I have discussed this many times with clients, since the same things happens to them over and over again, and while the small imperfections that prove that people are not walking billboards don’t normally bother us, finding that they bother our closest friends and relatives is definitely a holiday downer. I call those body image critique specialists body image Grinches (BIGrinches), because they tend to steal the spirit of the holiday season. Funny enough, they are often the ones that don’t like to be in the BIGrinch’s spotlight.

At the same time, a lot of us have reason to be one way or another, and while some changes in body composition are often the result of being inactive and having a poor diet, the target of the BIGrinch might just be another person going through a hard situation or fighting through a time of bad health in their life. So think twice before you pass your judgment on:

Cousin Pete – over the past few years every time you see him for Easter of Christmas he looks like he’s working out, but he always eats too much, looks tired and he has a beer belly. He doesn’t drink, which makes it even weirder. This Christmas he looks strong and fit, his arms and legs look great, but his belly is bigger than ever. What you didn’t know is that he has diabetes type II and the triglyceride levels of a 70 year old heart patient. He feels tired all the time, so getting to the gym takes him a lot of effort, he is still not used to his medication and feels a bit depressed over losing his favorite foods. Not chatty this year, Pete? Let’s see if poking some fun at you over the arctic survival pack is going to make it better.

Aunt Lila – whatever happened to that happy, vital spirit? Aunt Lila looks tired and down. She’s gained at least 20 lbs since Easter and she’s lost some of her wonderful hair. She has bags under her eyes. You ask her if she has problems with eating too much sweets, and she breaks down. What you don’t know is that she has gastritis, which doesn’t let her absorb vitamin B, she is on antidepressants because uncle Jack is cheating on her and she sent her kids off to college this fall. See if her pounds will magically melt off if you buy her a gym membership. No worries, you have a whole year to think of another gift.

Your mom – you haven’t seen her in three months. You take her shopping and find out that she now wears a size larger than the last time you did that together. It’s sad in the changing room and you know better than to make a witty remark of her growing waistline. She’s been on a diet this whole time, to no avail. Her waist to hip ratio has grown and since you know that she has a history of thyroid problems, you get her a doctor’s appointment. Smart kid!

Your nephew Jim – he used to be the coolest kid in school, smart, strong and on the basketball team. His skin looks thin and pale, he doesn’t smile and looks like he hasn’t slept in months. He’s gained some weight in his hips and chest and he looks wimp and unmotivated. What he doesn’t want you to know is that he was just diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance and his testosterone has hit rock bottom. See if getting him a beer will cheer him up, don’t think so!

Your sister-in-law Gina – she’s a fitness trainer, former volleyball player and the high school beauty. She won a pageant once. You want to mention something about her hips, they always seemed sort of out of proportion with the rest of her body and those arms, they just can’t be all muscle. She is no longer a teenager and her job makes it hard on her to keep in the best shape possible. What you don’t know is that she has an estrogen imbalance, a metabolic condition where her body cannot utilize estrogen properly, so her thighs look big and bulky, while she boasts flat and beautiful abs. Don’t mention thunder thighs, unless you want to test her kung-fu.

So, the next time you see the ones you love most, don't steal the holiday spirit. Better yet, focus on you!

No need to feel low about low carb

Most people cringe at the thought of cutting out carbs drastically. They report initial weakness, tiredness, feeling a lack of energy in the gym, loss of muscle tone and a general feeling of no well-being.
Our studio is a huge low carb lab. We have the rare chance to watch hundreds of compliant and not so compliant people that have chosen to follow the low carb approach and have modified it to suit their lifestyles. Very often, while explaining the benefits of a low carb approach to a new client, I get...well, I did the protein thing and it didn't work. I got so and so side effects, I lost some weight, but I felt terrible. When did the low carb approach become high-protein?



Let's look at the composition of a low carb diet:

* low carbs
* moderate protein
* high fat

It's as simple as that, yet many people disregard it's simplicity. They fight against the fat that is going on their plates harder than they fight the stubborn fat on their abs.

The people that report feeling low on low carbs usually have done one or more of the following:

* limited calories and carbs at the same time
* did not eat high fat
* ate too much protein
* ate too rarely and too little

There is an inherent need to do things right when cutting out carbs:

* eat at maintenance at first and only lower calories if fat loss does not happen for 2 weeks
* set your protein anywhere from 0.75 to 1.25 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight depending on physical activity and gender
* set your fat intake above 65% of total calories
* choose highly nutritious foods that naturally contain both fat and protein
* do not rely on dairy to fill your protein and calorie needs at least at first, since most people report unwanted digestive trouble when they do that; use dairy as a flavor, not as a main staple of your meals
* follow the approach for a long time, e.g. 3-6 months before you judge how you feel

Here are some of the benefits on eating lower carbs that I have experienced during the past 4 and a half years:

* improved body composition
* improved immune system status
* higher amount of muscle
* better mental clarity and improved concentration
* less frequent blood sugar drops
* improved digestion
* improved sleep
* improved joint health

I have frequently asked does one need to stay in ketosis to reap the benefits of low carb? I believe it is not so. I think the only times we need to drastically reduce carbs (e.g. <20-30 grams a day) is when we want to remind our bodies they need to rely on fat as a fuel source. Appropriate times are:

* after a number of days with higher carbs
* after a high carb cheat meal
* during a fat loss plateau
* before periods when discipline eating will not be possible
* in the beginning of a longer dietary cycle that includes calorie restriction

I also believe that the food choices are what makes the low carb approach successful. I constantly see frustrated people that have eaten nothing but chicken breast and white fish and greens and feel terrible.

Here are my top favorite low carb staples:

PROTEIN:

lamb
pork
salmon
beef
liver
cod liver
whole free range eggs
parmesan cheese
feta cheese
cottage cheese
whole yogurt

VEGGIES:
celeriac
celery
broccoli
spinach
cabbage
zucchini

FATS/OILS:

butter
olive oil
coconut oil

A typical day would therefore include:
(for a 125 lb female on a weight/fat loss cycle)

Breakfast:
3 eggs
cup of yogurt
broccoli

Lunch:
salmon
cabbage salad

Snack:
cod liver

Dinner:
spinach with butter
cottage cheese

I have recently discovered the convenience of canned raw cod liver, which is extremely rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids and ranks very high on the satiety scale.

A lot of people like to take a meal off a week, and I think that is perfectly fine if you are reaching your goals. If not, I find that strict dieting can still be fun with foods like:

peanut butter
coconut milk and cream
sour cream mixed in with protein powder
all natural hot cocoa

Last, but not least, limiting carbs still leaves place for limiting calories. Since most low carb foods are also rich in nutrients and energy, measuring and weighing becomes an important factor to success. Truth be told, 80% of my clients have great results without ever tracking quantity and relying on their body's ability to self regulate. Those of us that have a long history of dieting and hard time shedding body fat should definitely respect the calorie law. We are also the ones that would mostly benefit from refeeds, calories cycling and other approaches we can integrate withing the low carb lifestyle.

Spider Games 2007

You outperform when faced with the only option of winning. Sunday, Nov 18, was the first competition in my life. I never competed in anything, because I never trained any sport that I was serious about and honestly, I never had it in me to go out and play against others. Last year, Milko had the idea to start an annual competition with 12 events that would give our clients, friends and other trainees that work out religiously, something to train for. He called it Spider Games and the trial competition was such a great success that we were happy to have it again for a second year! I decided to compete a few months ago mostly for the fun of it, but when the time came, I felt determined to win.

Here are shortly, the feelings, thoughts and events of November 18!

The waking up part
It was a mixture of sleepy, excited and anxious. I drank tons of water and coffee, made some scrambled eggs, had an apple and took a long shower. I visualized going through the events that were hard for me.

The shoulder part
I woke up with pain in my left posterior shoulder. I got it slightly impinged a week ago and it had gotten better, but here it was again! I thought could this be just psychosomatic, maybe I am scared of losing. I was dreading the push ups, one of the events I could be easily beat in, had the pain persisted.

The husband part
Jonas was extremely supportive, talked to me, calmed me down, rubbed my shoulders and the world seemed brighter. Sometimes I feel like he's right out of an American movie, but I guess that's what I get for marrying an actor.

The rain part
On the day we had 4 events outside, it was raining and the temperatures were freezing. Just the type of motivating weather I wanted to see through the window. I jammed more warm clothes in my bag.

The music
On the way there, it was all about getting high on music. Disturbed did it.

The competition site
The competition was happening in a large hall where there were about 100 women dancing with touring aerobic instructors from all over the world. It was extremely noisy and we set camp at the farthest end. The music was loud and it both helped and didn't help focus. Loud music numbs your brain, but if you need quiet to focus, like I do, you are screwed.

The support
My mom and dad came. Some of our clients were there, taking pictures and cheering! Most of my trainers were there, and most were also competing. I didn't lack support!


Тhe sound of "alone"
Once the events started I thought man how am I going to focus, but then as soon as it was my turn, everything shrank to insignificant sounds and sights, people and friends and family disappeared and I was all alone doing what I was supposed to do - my best.

The events

1 RM deadlift

Out of the 7 women, most lifted over 80 kgs. The only girl that could beat me can't deadlift all that well, so I thought she won't do over 80. I had planned to lift 90 kgs and save my strength for the other events. She did 90, and I went crap, what now...I went for 92.5 and it was no problem. Then the boys said go for 100 kg. So I did.

1 RM Military Press

I had only done 35 kgs for max attemps. I lifted 37.5 kg. It was ugly hard.

1 RM lunge
I was sure noone could beat me here and I had done 65 kg before. To my utter surprise the girl next to me did 70. I did 72.5. It was scary, but I did it. I was amazed at how concentrated I was after I failed one of my attempts because my step was too short. This one was thanks to Milko, who believed I could do more. To me, the 72.5 kg attempt was the absolute max.

Push ups

This was never my strongest. The girl, who was my only competition is a natural born athlete, really broad shoulders and she could always do a lot of push ups and pull ups. She got 28 and I got 19. Milko didn't like her form on 11 and mine on 1, so I ended up winning. Close, huh!

Airborne Lunges
The most a girl did was 10 per leg. I cranked up 35 with my right leg and then stopped at 12 with the left because I had already won, I didn't need to show off. Truth be told, I could have done 50 per leg, it's just easy for me. Тhis was the only event where I was smiling!

The L-sit
With the L-sit, there was no way to win, I had to stay there, hold and not listen to the pain in my palms, hold, stay and just bite it. All I got was 46 seconds, enough to place second.

weighted pull up
The mechanics of how I do a pull up changed dramatically with posture correction so I lost a lot of my strength there. I feared I wouldn't be able to do 1 but I got a pull up with 5 kg weight on my waist. I attempted 6.25kg and failed. I placed second.

pulls ups
At this point I was so exhausted that I only got 3. I would have gotten more fresh on a good day. Not my strongest and something to really focus on for next year.

By the time we got on the track for shot put, long jump, sprint and 1200 m run, I was tired, cold and beat. Waiting between events was the hardest part. The sprint, I ended up second. The run was the event that was going to win it for me. So I ran. The first two laps I was ahead of all runners, even the guys. Milko told me to slow down. Even then, the freezing rain and cold got me. The last two laps were agony. Then I beat the girls.

Here are the videos from the inside events:

Still not losing fat?

I spend at least an hour a day explaining to frustrated people why their fat loss has stalled, slowed down or not ever happening. I see a lot of explaining, complaining and meet a lot of resistance when people find out they need a pretty accurate estimate of how much they are eating! I loved this video that Leigh Peele shot to portray just how easily we can fall into the trap of thinking we are doing everything right!


Here is my list of foods that people love to measure more of!

* olive oil

* peanut butter

* nuts

* cheese

* butter

* sour cream

* fruit

* honey

* cream or milk in coffee

I have been measuring and eyeballing food for more than 12 years now. While some people might find it obsessive, I feel that being aware of not only what you eat, but also how much you eat is a key to maintaining or changing your physique. If you're not progressing toward a goal, the quantity of your otherwise healthy food might be where you need to look for an answer!

Timing

When I design training programs I play with sets, reps, load, tempo, rest intervals, just like I hope every other trainer or trainee does, whether aware of it or not. Becoming truly aware of those components is what will distinguish a brilliant working plan from a plan that will just work, compared to no plan.
It's been long since I sat and thought of that specifically, but I've had exceptionally great workouts in the past few days thanks to my new toy, the Timex Ironman Triathlon.
The manual was too long for the technically challenged, so I went to the good part that explained laps and split timing and I was done! I easily figured out that little girly watch can time 100 laps,remember 50 of them and make all the right noises! Funny enough, seems like time goes by faster! Talk about time perception and distortion!
Unlike loads and sets and reps, rest intervals and tempo are often overlooked. You never hear anyone say: oh yeah and I rested for 30 seconds between sets of squats and pull ups today! Most trainees will brag about their numbers and will rest until they are done talking, reading, switching songs on their i pods or when they feel like it's time to start. And that's absolutely fine, unless you are actually training for something.
Rest will always be based on your primary goal, whether it's strength, energy hypertrophy, or different types of endurance. Then rest will be based on your loads and the primary requirements of your sport or event. You won't take 30 second breaks preparing for a maximum lift, nor will you take 5 minute breaks getting ready for a kick boxing match.

Here is a quick recap of major RI schemes:

reps 1><3><6><10=><12=>12 = 30'-60' RI
Energy System Training = maximum rest interval equals max length of maximum effort, try to decrease RI each training micro-cycle.

Learning to time your rest intervals is just as crucial for training success as are reading the numbers on the weight plates and learning proper form. If you are not doing it, start doing it today. Match your goals to your rest intervals, then time, then adjust accordingly the next time you plan a change in your training program.

Getting ready for Spider Games III

It's been intense this week. I am working hard on my program with Bill Hartman, and the added work for Spider Games is still not putting me over the edge of what I can handle, but I get close some days.

Good news is that nutrition is very easy, this is how my day goes now:

Upon waking up:

500 mg L-lyrosine
1/2 cup half skim coconut milk
coffee

Breakfast:

3 eggs with 1 tbsp butter
2 oz feta cheese
cup veggies

Lunch

4 oz meat (fish or pork)
1 cup veggies or 1 apple

Dinner
3 cups vegetable and meat broth
1 oz cheese
2 cups plain yogurt

I am not a crazy fan of supplements, usually I only take fish oil, but I've added some for a few weeks:

fish oil - 9 caps a day
Abs + - 3 a day
BCAAs - if I am feeling weak and tired from work, that helps me push through workouts
creatine/glutamine - on heavy lifting days (2-3 times a week max)

Lifts so far go like this:

Military press 1 RM = 35 kg

pull ups = 3 good ones with neck touching bar

push ups - 16 great ones

lunge 1RM = 65 kg

deadlift 1RM = 87.5kg

L-sit = 50 seconds

airborne lunge = 30 per leg

I am running these days to see how sprints and 1200 meters are.

I am feeling strong these days, want to stay focused on the goal, while still having fun.

These guys have made the process awfully easy!

Getting ready for Spider Games II

I am still getting ready for Spider Games. I am mentally ready, especially after the seeing the guys qualify on Sunday.

Two things I have improved on:
airborne lunges - I can do 30 per leg, with pleasure
push ups - while I still don't kick ass, I am so much better, I can get 16 with great form and 20 with some compromises in depth
My bench is growing, which will affect my performance.
L-sit - 30 seconds, not that hard anymore, are you?

Nov 18 is close! These last few weeks have been very demanding, both physically and emotionally! The sources of strength are abundant! Nature is kind, and so it my music :)