How to not become a FATASS on Thanksgiving

How to not become a FATASS on Thanksgiving

Everyone has trouble around the holidays with their fitness goals. The most common day that people steer off the path is Thanksgiving. People stuff their face until they're unbearably full. I'm not say this is wrong. It's part of the tradition, but here are some tips to make sure your not SO off the path that it's not visible ;)

1. EAT LESS BEFORE THE DINNER: We all know that you're gonna STUFF your face when dinner comes around. So, I would suggest that you eat as little as possible before the dinner. What I'm going to do is drink some Shakeology (with only water & ice) and lots of low calorie vegetables. This way you're not eating a lot of calories before dinner, so you can eat all the food you want when the food comes out. Also, vegetables have micronutrients that you need to stay healthy. If you're not going to eat a lot of vegetables at your dinner, then eat them before.
2. WORKOUT EARLY: Since you're not eating through the majority of your day, you'll need to workout as early as possible. As the day goes on, little by little, you will get more calorie deprived and become sluggish. To ensure that you get your awesome workout, get it done earlier. 
3. EAT A LOT OF PROTEIN: I say eat a lot of protein because getting carbs and fats in your Thanksgiving dinner is NOT hard. Most of the foods you will be eating is going to have a lot of fat and carbs (ex. pie, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, and etc.), but protein on the other hand is harder to find, so make sure you eat A LOT of turkey. Turkey is really low in fat and carbs and high in protein. You still want to get around your designated macros.
4. DON'T KILL YOURSELF: The last tip I'll give you is to not kill yourself. Holidays only come once a year, and it's a great time to get together with family. Have fun! Make sure you do these things that I've told you, so you won't get too off track, and just get back on the horse tomorrow. You might gain a pound or two, but if you're living a healthy lifestyle then you'll lose that weight pretty soon.

How to build MUSCLE

How To Build MUSCLE

People everywhere want to know the "secrets" of building muscle. Well.... there are no secrets, but there are a few fundamentals that your need to consider to getting your "perfect" SWOLE body. Before I get into this I need to say that you NEED to be doing some type of resistance training. Whether it's lifting weights or bodyweight training to build muscle. So go out and get a membership to a gym, or if you want to order a fitness program (I recommend P90X or Body Beast for people that want to build muscle. It's worked for me, and it can for you) I want you to CONTACT ME.

1. PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: Progressive overload in laymen's terms is getting stronger in the gym. If your doing a bench press 8 times with 135 lbs. a year ago, you SHOULD NOT being doing the same weight today. You should be constantly trying to push the envelope and fight to get more reps/weight.
2. USE HYPERTROPHY SET PARAMETERS: There are 3 main set parameters:
1. Strength: strength set parameters are usually 1-5 reps. This is VERY high intensity, but will be so quick that it won't break down your muscles. This rep range mainly works on your neuromuscular strength (strengthening your nervous system)
2. Hypertrophy: hypertrophy set parameters are usually 6-12 reps. The intensity is still high, and the set will be long enough to ensure muscle breakdown (Time Under Tension). The perfect recipe for building muscle :D
3. Endurance: Endurance set parameters are usually 12-anthing reps. This is the other side of the spectrum. The intensity is too low to stimulate a hypertrophy response.
3. VOLUME & REST: Volume and rest is crucial to building muscle. You want high volume (meaning lots of sets) to break down your muscles. With that being said with this high volume you want your rest time (in between sets) should be low.
4. CALORIC SURPLUS: "You need to eat BIG, to get BIG!". You hear this all the time, but it's true. To help your muscles recover you need to be in a caloric surplus which entails about 200-500 calories over your maintenance calories (you can find your maintenance calories visit here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/). Your muscles actually don't grow in the gym, your muscles grow when you're recovering. So to insure proper recovery, you need to be in a caloric surplus. It doesn't matter what you eat, you just NEED to EAT!
5. TRACK YOUR MACROS: Tracking your macros is basically the same thing as tracking calories but more specific. Your macros (macronutrients) consist of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. A good macronutrient split is 40/40/20 (40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat). So find your caloric surplus

Well, these are the 5 main fundamentals that I've researched and had personal experience in. Use these basic tips to increase your muscle size. Remember this takes time. Don't expect a dramatic change in a short period of time. I would devote AT LEAST 1 year of training before you see any significant results. Enjoy the journey and get SWOLE!

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