Holiday Training

For many the number 2010 signifies two things: a movie sequel not nearly as good as its predecessor and a few pounds beyond a ton. Yet here we stand (on the treadmill) mere days away from the actual year 2010. And it is during this time of the year that many of us shut, halt or at least slow down. That new proposal can indeed wait a few more weeks. Home renovations? Closed for the season (unless we’re talking about stocking up for the party!) And of course, the gym and your renewed commitment to it – see ya next year. There’s just too many sinfully sweet goodies around the house to stay gym committed at this time, sorry.

And so another Monday, one of the very last of the year rolls around, and you make good in at least arriving at the gym. Those of you with training appointments are extra thankful for otherwise too easy would it be to simply not show. Those on their own take a half-hearted attempt in pushing the boundaries of their workouts and instead refocus on two things: the need to embrace pleasure (goodies at home) and the need to avoid pain (working out.)

Thusly one missed gym day leads to another and before you know it, 2010 is here and the catalog for the disgusting and obese online store has been targeted for your mailbox - permanently.

What happened you challenge? What about all that consistent gym work and dinner restraint displayed this year? All those empty Dasani water bottles during cardio sessions, the endless Sashimi plates and Macrobiotics.

Why merely the same result that would happen if other aspects of our society were to shut down – negated progress if you will.

While it’s easy and understandable to relax the normal annual dietary and exercise disciplines around this time, it’s important to not completely curtail your gymgoing efforts. If it’s boredom that persists, simply change things up to provide renewed interest.

Personally speaking, I find myself currently in the best shape I’ve been in all year simply because I chose to get a head-start on my own new year’s resolutions (my 2010 goal list is already posted on my fridge – held up by my Transformers and GI Joe magnet set.) I’m tan, strong and actually have some semblance of visible abdominal definition and still have my two cheat meals weekly. And guess what true believers so too can you!

Since summer is far from around the corner, less skin is exposed at this time and most people generally sport higher body fat levels. Great. I say use this time for change and experimentation in the gym. If spin was your mainstay this year, perhaps use the month of December to strengthen your musculature and bone density via weight training. Sore joints from a solid year from pounding the weights? Implement a full body workout with lighter weights and higher reps in order to further strengthen the heart and enhance endurance.

Quite frankly, it’s all too easy to bypass our beloved gym during the holiday season. There exist too many excuses, so ignore them.

What follows are my Top 10 Fitness Commandments guaranteed to jumpstart you to an even better 2010. They are based into the three groups that I believe bring about true results: Training + Cardio + Nutrition = Results

1. Thou Shalt Train Efficiently – Attempt to hit the nail in the wood with one or two whacks and the job is done – less volume, more into a given set yields greater results.

2. Thou Shalt Avoid Overtraining – Lethargy, weak and flat muscles are signs of overtraining – the biggest two mistakes gym goers continuously make are too much exercise and not enough fuel.

3. Thou Shalt Use Resistance For Thy Appropriate Reasons – Weight training builds strength, lean muscle tissue and bone density. If you are seeking a leaner physique use cardio and food to shed unwanted fat pounds. Light weight and higher reps (for long periods of time) are akin to removing the nails from a house, resulting in implosion.

4. Thou Shalt Use Cardio For Thy Appropriate Reasons – Cardio is mainly for the heart and is defined as performing an activity without stopping for 20 minutes or longer. Unless training for the Tour de France, keep your pacing moderate lest ye burn muscle tissue and become ravenous which will lead to overeating. It’s not about calories burned; it’s about raising one’s metabolism and burning fat continuously.

5. Thou Shalt Incorporate Thy Cheat Meal – A well placed cheat meal at least once per week or twice weekly as I follow gives one something to look forward to. It is for this reason I can easily adhere to a lean lifestyle as every Wednesday and Saturday I have one meal of whatever I desire. Remember, one or two monkey wrenches (cheats) will not affect your physique for the worse whereas a monkey wrench per day will not lead to desirable results.

6. Thou Shalt Avoid Sugar Except Post-Workout – Sugar (simple carbs) is a poor source of long-term energy and is quickly converted to fat when not exercising. It is for this reason that one’s largest daily allotment of sugar should be ingested immediately after completion of one’s workout for these simple carbs, along with whey protein will immediately be shuttled into fatigued muscles and thusly begin the growth and repair process.

7. Thou Shalt Practice Thy Pit-Stop Existence – You are a running human NASCAR. Small pit stops or meals that are clean or low in sugar throughout the day will keep your engine running efficiently all the while maintaining low body fat levels.

8. Thou Shalt Keep Thy Protein Intake Up – Protein is what our muscles are made of. Its frequent ingestion throughout the day will help to keep your muscles lean, full and strong.

9. Thou Shalt Stretch During and After Training – As you would allow frozen chicken to thaw before cooking, one must allot the body time to thaw before stretching. Practice this both during and after training to keep your muscles pliable.

10. Thou Shalt Practice Consistency – Lay a brick every day and you will one day yield a house. Whatever your physique goal, take it from the Boy Scouts and do a good turn daily and you will soon love what the mirror and your clothes are telling you. Remember that the scale is but a number and does not reveal the true quality or composition of one’s physique. I do not keep a scale in my home and for good reason: it’s numbers I am not interested in.

I wish each and every one of you a wonderful 2009 Holiday Season, fabulous New Year’s celebration and even better happenings in 2010! I look forward to helping you to achieve and surpass your physique goals in 2010.

Yours,

Hollis 

Anatomy of a Cheat Meal

As the 2009 Holiday season unfolds with its usual and celebrated customs: random acts of kindness, treats at work, another televised run of Mickey’s Christmas Carol, (still not available on its own DVD) one fact remains; stringent dietary practices are tossed out in a hurry. That extra helping of mom’s famous stuffing seems the “new” norm. Polishing off that colorful tin of cookies has become part of one’s daily routine. A rotation of rich cakes, lavish leftovers and the like are a downright mainstay this time of year because come January “it’s back to egg whites and oatmeal – clean living – for real this time.”

While it’s true that we all relax the proverbial belt this time of the year, (trainers too ) I beckon the question: Why wait until next year to begin anew? Why fall off the bandwagon that dates back to this year’s January? Why toss out a year’s solid work?

SOLUTION: Relax the belt yes, but never remove it. BEHOLD: The Cheat Meal!

In most aspects of life cheating is a big no-no but as it pertains to the body, a saving grace. One or two wellplaced cheat meals regularly during the week can bring sanity to the insane, hope to the hopeless and a smile to the oppressed. So sacred are my cheat meals that I’d rather indulge in them alone; where energy displacement such as listening, rebuttal and the like are replaced with a single goal: to polish off the heaping plate or plates of food in front of me. It’s a war that I refuse to lose – and never do.

I liken my cheat meals to that segment on game shows whereby a contestant is locked in a tiny space and money is siphoned through and all the person must do is grab as much as they can while the air roars and the precious seconds on the clock count back. During my cheat meals I am that contestant and I’m taking all the food with me that time or in this case, my belly will hold.

Many persons I’ve consulted with see no reason for the cheat meal as I’ve outlined here (I do not recommend consuming my amounts - remember, I am a professional) and yet they still seem unable to lose fat and keep it off. The answer is obvious as I state that while they are not consuming massive amounts of food daily, what they are generally taking in is both calorically dense and high in sugar making fat-loss difficult.

Eating clean most of the time and then allowing oneself a meal of whatever it is one might desire, in my case done every Wednesday and Saturday, will satiate the denied and ensure that every third or fourth day a treat is sure to come. This occasional self-indulgence will keep one on track and honest and keep one on the correct pathway to maintaining and surpassing one’s physique goals.

Just remember to make it a cheat meal, not day!

With the myriad of options in today’s supermarket, it may seem more confusing than ever in selecting foods that will keep one lean. With consistency in food choice being our mainstay path to lifelong results, what follows is a list of what I deem “Eat this vs. that” in helping to make intelligent supermarket decisions. Read on for you might be surprised.

1. Replace Low Fat Peanut Butter with Regular Peanut Butter – The bit of fat you’re saving has been replaced with sugar – too much sugar = fat!

2. Replace Barbecue sauce with Hot Sauce – Sugar vs. hot peppers -, which actually helps to increase one’s metabolism.

3. Replace Regular Bread with Ezekiel Bread – Processed food that will most assuredly convert to sugar vs. organic sprouted whole grains – now that’s clean eating!

4. Replace Ground Turkey with Ground Turkey Breast – Not just white meat but dark meat and skin and who knows what else (often more fattening than hamburger meat) vs. the lean breast of the bird. Take the minute to read the label!

5. Replace Bananas, Raisins and Pineapple with Cherries, Grapefruit or Apples – In moderation of course, the latter three are lower on the Glycemic Index and thusly register less in raising blood glucose levels.

6. Replace Fruit Juice with Water and lemon – Would you ever consume 10 oranges? But you could easily drink that amount. Lots of extra sugar vs. caloric-free nourishment plus Vitamin C.

7. Replace Energy Drinks with Black Coffee – Sugar, sugar and more sugar combined with caffeine vs. just caffeine.

8. Replace Yogurt with Low-Fat/Low-Sugar Greek Yogurt – Super-high in sugar (nearly all of its carbs) vs. this Super High protein/low sugar alternative. Be sure to look out for the Low-Sugar variety!

9. Replace Alcohol with Diet Soda – Vodka, Wine or what have you, Alcohol is Alcohol is 7 useless calories per gram vs. diet soda clocking in at zero calories (in moderation of course.)

10. Replace Most Boxed Cereals with Oatmeal – Refined carbs = sugar = non-sustained energy vs. sustained “clean” energy. Happy Thanksgiving everyone and remember to forward this email to a friend so they too can sign up for their FREE newsletter AND workout!

Hollis

The Good, The Bad and The Hungry!

It’s 2:33 in the A.M. and you’re anchored to the fridge. It’s the calm before the storm and you’re about to be unleashed. Then suddenly, in a whimsical delight, you’ve polished off the rest of dinner, your signiVicant other’s leftovers, washed it down with a caffeine-laced diet drink and even considered Vinishing that thing changing color in the drawer down below.

You stumble back, hit the rest room and trudge back to bed. But sleeping is not an option as guilt; false energy (caffeine) and too much energy (see earlier) beckon the call to sleep. As you sit upon the edge of bed, your shoulders slumped low and your head hanging onto your now stuffed belly, you wonder why you ruined a seemingly perfect day of eating with this sudden gorge fest. You suggest it was an almost perfect day as you barely ate…or was it?

ANSWER: Consider your nutritional protocol as a bridge. One point will not support the drive, whereas multiple stakes or pillars will insure a safe and sturdy ride across. The body works in much the same way. One or two meals a day will actually slow one’s metabolism whereas 4-5 small meals will fuel activity and keep one’s metabolism revved. Of course these meals should be one part lean protein and two thirds low-glycemic (low-sugar – long-term energy) carbs and Vibrous (digestive) carbs.

QUESTION: “What about tapering carbs as the day goes on?” I see you’ve been reading the magazines again. And yes, this theory seems to work, provided you can pull it off and not raid the fridge as discussed earlier. The key rests upon looking into the future. Meaning, if protein and some veggies for your last meal will keep you from binging then great. I personally know that Domino’s will be delivering later that night were I to not include complex carbs as part of my dinner. Look ahead and you will do less damage later.

As far as further curtailing nighttime hunger, what can one do without giving into sinful temptation?

1. Plan a cheat meal sometime during the week and preferably earlier in the day when you know you’ll still be active. Looking forward to this meal will help to keep you honest for the long term.

2. Introduce a healthy fat during dinner so as to satiate – nuts, peanut butter, top round or salmon are excellent foods that will help to curtail the beast that is hunger.

3. Drink, drink, and drink! Water, diet iced tea or diet soda (caffeine-free so close to bedtime) will help to create a sense of fullness.

4. Near caloric-free foods in quantity before bedtime. Tricks I’ve used include: air-popped popcorn, rinsed pickles, egg-white omelets topped with salsa and frozen diet soda ice pops.

5. RTD (Ready to Drink) Protein Drinks. My favorites include LEAN BODY RTD by LABRADA and SYNTHA-6 RTD by BSN. These meal replacements are heavy on protein, less on carbs and even provide Viber – yay! Remember to check the Archives section of holliswashere.com for a complete listing of these articles and to keep your questions and comments coming – both they and you are greatly appreciated!

Warm wishes,

Hollis

Body of Supplements Part 4: The Female

“I’m so frustrated! I’m barely eating, I do a ton of cardio every day, I feel weak and tired, my arms wave like Vlags, my thighs rub together when I walk and I’m still fat! My girlfriend told me about this surgery that removes...” STOP! Does this sound like you? Are you playing the yo-yo syndrome? Have you accepted your “fat” self and given up on the hopes of ever wearing single-digit dress sizes again? Do you change exercise routines more often than boyfriends? If any of this reads you, keep on...

Every day I am approached by women who are confused as to why they are not losing weight, or fat, as I am quick to point out. And though their efforts in the gym are fierce and their dietary practices restrictive, their results have come to an instant and screeching halt.

Day and night I am witness to many women blazing through arduous cardio sessions including spin classes, cardio classes and the like only to wind up heavier as the weeks progress. At best, many women stay the same. But far too many cases exist of women joining the gym who actually gain weight! How is this possible?

Have no fear. This newsletter is for you ladies. I’m here to add light to the darkness and have you looking fabulous…again! Let’s end the madness once and for all. Let’s get you lean. Not “skinny” or “diet” which implies a temporary state but rather lifestyle which equates to ongoing results that are both doable and noticeable.

My mission in this article is twofold: debunking nutritional myths and the application of sports supplementation for the female and her goals: to shed body fat and hold onto precious muscle tissue.

First, let’s examine what’s going on. Many women avoid weight training for a common misconception that it makes one big. (Genetics anyone?) So, you skip breakfast because you’re not hungry and opt instead for a high sugar-coffee, you do cardio until even Lance Armstrong would drop, you eat a salad so calorically dense that the gardener whom originally grew it would cry and you arrive home, frustrated, tired, depressed and ravenous as a result of all that cardio and turn to your only friend…the fridge! So you eat and you drink and then step on the scale the next morning and as it relates to body mass, you’re fatter!

“I’ll just starve myself.” Great idea if you’re looking to rid your body of its precious lean muscle tissue and keep the fat.

“Fine, Lipo then.” Fantastic if you enjoy gaining fat in new places provided your caloric allotment remains a constant.

“I’ll live off those diet shakes, they’re low calorie.” Yes but high in sugar, which equates to more fat!

Remember, the deVinition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.

We are not taught how to eat properly in this country. The old diagrams, charts and indexes of yesteryear are both ineffective and outdated. Multiple servings of cereals, breads and fruits per day will result in one thing only: the accumulation of body fat! The other sphere of thinking has us believing that all carbs are bad and must be severely restricted or eliminated in order to lose weight. At best, this is a quick Vix that almost always winds up with the practitioner heavier than they were upon commencement. This low carb approach is not working. At best you are “skinny” temporarily, which in truth is actually an emaciated state with a loss of muscle that on paper looks good because of the overall bodyweight number but it cannot be maintained for long and you will be heavier soon thereafter. The same for, in my opinion, fasting and other such nonsensical “cleansing” type methods.

The key to fat loss and dare I say, permanent fat loss is in the Glycemic Index or GI for short which is the rate at which carbohydrates effect blood glucose levels. Examples: most cereals rate high, most beans rate low.

No, I’m not asking you to live on egg whites and oatmeal or even to give up your weekly allotment of alcohol (weekly, not daily) or creamer in your coffee. My advice is to put clean fuel into your body most of the time and you will almost immediately tone up. And please stay away from the scale. What has it ever told you that was positive? It reveals but a number, a progressively heavier number is my guess. Use your clothes and the mirror to dictate the actual physical shape you are in.

I believe you that you truly do not eat a lot but a calorie is not a calorie. In a nutshell, my suggestions for getting lean are this: 3 full body weight training workouts per week, 4-5, 30 minute cardio sessions weekly and 4-5 small (low GI) meals per day. Follow these principles and you will be lean. I hear you. “You want me to eat more? Are you crazy Hollis. I will be a balloon.” I want you to eat more frequently, small, clean meals and cut the intensity on the cardio, which will only result in a ravenous state. Remember, cardio makes one leaner but not Virmer. Weight training is the best stimulus that will tone and sculpt your body as well as increase bone density and help prevent osteoporosis. For those of you whom I can’t seem to get through to, I ask you to give my program 2 weeks. What do you have to lose? How about a few dress sizes for starters!

“I don’t have time for this. I barely have time to eat as it is, let alone prepare healthier choices.” I hear you, believe me I hear you which is why sports supplement technology is so great today. But first a quick word on eating out.

We all eat out during the week and I am here to tell you that no matter the locale, no matter the time of day, there is always a healthy choice on any menu. Remember, you are the consumer and absolutely have the right to have it your way. For a more detailed analysis of dining choices please visit my very first newsletter in the Archives section of www.holliswashere.com

Additionally, I absolutely do advocate at least once per week relaxing the reigns and indulging in a little cheat meal. This will not only act as a reward physically as well as mentally, but also help to keep you honest during the rest of the week. Remember one pebble placed on a treadmill will not derail you but a handful will. Have your naughty meal and move on!

What follows are the top 6 supplements I would personally choose if I were a female, given that my two main goals were fat loss and muscle preservation. Please keep in mind that I do not advocate nor endorse the taking and/or overdosing on sports supplements.

THE TOP 6:

1. ULTIMATE WOMAN DAILY PACK FROM VITAMIN SHOPPE offers an easy and convenient way to prevent against a vitamin deViciency and thusly insure one is taking in all the right vitamins and minerals for proper bodily function. I have always believed in taking a packet of vitamins daily as no one vitamin can possibly contain all the essentials and in the proper amounts.

2. LEAN BODY FOR HER or OH YEAH! RTD's (Ready to Drink) are good examples of a meal replacement shake designed to keep one’s energy up as well as to preserve lean muscle tissue and utilize stored body fat as energy. Although the calories are relatively low, the carb content, speciVically sugar content is near nonexistent and the majority of the calories are derived from protein making this a much better choice than traditional “weight-loss” formulas, which, although low in calories are both high in sugar and low in protein.

3. NUTRITIONAL BARS’ greatest strength lies in their durability in travel and reliability as a quick energy fix when food and time are not an option. Although there are many choices on the market today both low in calories and high in terms of “diet” it still amazes me how many of these products are not only high in sugar, but derive most of their calories from simple carbs making them passable as a quick energy Vix but a failure in terms of long-term fat loss. It is for this reason that I recommend a bar that is both high in protein and low in sugar: WORLDWIDE SPORT'S PURE PROTEIN bars pack a muscle-toning 31 grams of protein and 3 grams of sugar making this product a no-brainer for the fat-conscious female gym-goer.

4. JOINT SUPPORT is crucial in getting the most from the human body in regards to the daily stress placed upon your joints and tendons and in keeping good joint health and mobility. In addition, COSAMIN ASU has shown to reduce arthritic pain and tendonitis.

5. CAFFEINE has been shown to improve mental clarity as well as enhance thermogenic fat loss and it is for this reason that its inclusion in one’s workout regimen coupled with food can result in dramatic results. My choice is EXTREME CAFFEINE from PROSOURCE with one pill supplying 200 mg of the highest-quality natural caffeine as well as 250 mg of L-Tyrosine for added focus and performance.

6. OMEGA 1250 from PROSOURCE is a composite EFA (essential fatty acid) that has been shown to have a positive effect on cardiovascular, skin, joints and overall health. These are essentially good fats derived from the highest quality deep-sea cold-water source that’s even available in lemon Vlavor hence no more Vishy aftertaste.

Please keep in mind that there are many wonderful products designed to enhance your physique goals. If I haven't mentioned your favorites here, by all means seek them out but remember that supplements are merely supplemental to a good diet.

Although the cold has set in remember to train consistently.

What's in a Number?

Our world is a vast hybrid of numbers: How much do you make? How many dates have you had? How many clubs can you get in? What’s your dress size? For many, the number seems to justify a person’s real value as a human being. Indeed, it is often the higher the number and not its true quality that is mistakenly rewarded. While the number is arguably important to everyone, it is interesting to note its differences amongst the sexes.

For women, the smaller the number, the seemingly better it is. As it pertains to body fat percentage, dress size, conquests and overall body weight, the less the number, the more ideal. For men, the higher the number on the bench press, arm measurement, conquests or downed hamburgers, the seemingly higher their status as men. Never mind the fact that most of these men are using their anterior deltoids, triceps and even erectors on the bench press to move the weight instead of the intended pectoral muscles. So while the number of their bench press may seem higher, the actual development to the intended muscle is not.

Concerning my own training and that of my clients’, the number has always been a means to an end. It has never been the scale or particular weight of a dumbbell that has motivated me but rather how my clothes fit and what the mirror tells me. It is imperative that the proper targeted muscles are firing (working) and not ancillary (unless specified) muscles coming into play like reinforcements in a war to complete said repetitions.

Furthermore, the usage and reliance on numbers seems too machine-like and exacting when it is the flawed human body we are dealing with which adapts to different stimuli in countless and sometimes unforeseeable ways. This is not to say one should not enter the gym with a clear goal and plan in mind as they should but one should be open to new and sometimes more effective ways of arriving at their goals.

In my own role as personal trainer I am often posed the question “Do you make up the exercises as you go along?” My answer is similar to that of a professional wrestler: know thy outcome but how you get there is based on an educated and somewhat improvisational way of arriving at said destination. Furthermore, it is a "less is more" philosophy that allows an experienced athlete to accomplish in just 1 or 2 sets what a neophyte lifter may do in 4 or 5. Just as a carpenter may hammer in a nail in one effective shot, the hardened gym-goer can generate more intensity in one set than his or her less capable peers may do in more. Like a well-placed smart bomb, it is this “keeping it honest” mentality of placing tension on the muscles at hand that will result in more muscle hypertrophy and ultimately, results!

The number is seemingly so important; my own health insurance has me paying more because of it. The BMI or Body Mass Index is used to measure a person’s healthy body weight based on their height. Developed in the mid 1800‘s, my main issue with this system is this number does not seem to tell us what is muscle, fat or even water in its composition and so a lower BMI measurement (to them) represents health. Generally speaking, people are heavier and more muscular nowadays; this will likely raise one’s BMI level. In my own case, my 228 lean pounds on my 5 foot 9 inch frame (to them) represents borderline obesity. I’d hate to think how “obese” they’d declare Mr. Olympia who routinely walks around weighing in the 275-pound range WHILE carrying a single digit body fat percentage.

In my opinion this outdated way of thinking needs to be reexamined and it begins with replacing words such as skinny and thin - which implies an emaciated state and is completely unhealthy, with lean and muscular. We must stay away from the scale for it does not break down one’s true lean body mass and instead embrace the mirror and the feeling of one’s clothes as true indicators of one’s current shape.

Women in particular would do well to celebrate and to be celebrated their wondrous curves and maximize their own voluptuous bodies rather than try to exercise, diet away or even surgically remove their God-given shape and very defining feminine characteristics in the first place. Put down those emaciated magazines and star tabloids celebrating the skinny and withered and pick up the weights ladies! Remember, one can not alter their genetic shape - if you have hips, embrace them for they are here to stay - you merely have the power to maximize your shape by keeping those hips lean. GET ON IT!

In closing, the only numbers one should be concerned with are mine in making your appointment!

For those who’ve not yet experienced the awesome intensity, focus and results, be sure to come in to Gold’s Gym Hollywood for your free workout on me!

Yours in Health,

Hollis

310 775 3771 

POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION:

Do I eat after? If so, what do I eat after my grueling workout?

MOST gym-goers will perform cardio at too strenuous a pace in the hopes of speedily stripping the body of fat. In the myth of doing such, they leave the gym ravenous and thusly crave and indulge in high-glycemic (sugar) items and end up storing more bodyfat than they had previous.

If you have just performed cardio (at a moderate pace) wait an hour or so until eating so as to continue the fat-burning process. 

If you have just performed weight training and then cardio (better idea – for you not only burn bodyfat, you will harden the muscle tissue as well) eat within a half hour so as to immediately begin the muscle repair process. Remember that weight training causes micro tears to the muscle and it is through proper nutrition and rest that the muscle repairs itself.

BUT WHAT TO EAT?

The good news is it is at this time (post-workout) that the day’s highest allotment of sugar can and should be consumed. GREAT – STARBUCKS here I come! Not so fast. I’m not talking about high caloric frappacinos or any other such evil. Naturally occurring sugar such as that found in fruit, in moderation, coupled with whey protein, a pre-digested complete protein far superior to that of soy, is the ticket to instant energy and fast-tracking to muscle repair.

I might still limit milk and other such dairy products as many persons are unable to efficiently process such items. Keep in mind what goes into your post-workout shake at the gym. Those specialty drinks that have cute names and titles are often riddled with more crap than our current president. Be warned!

And if you have not yet read my 2008 Mr. Olympia report, get on it!

TOO FAST 4 BREAKFAST?

“Don’t skip breakfast.” We’ve all heard it for decades. After all, today’s world beckons us to quite literally run as soon as that alarm sounds. Most of us, will at best, down a cup of coffee in the hopes that running on fumes will somehow carry us to lunch.

“I want to lose weight. I’ll skip breakfast and save myself a couple hundred calories, right?” WRONG!

Skipping breakfast is the best way to SLOW down your metabolism as the body, resourceful as it is, will sacrifice hard earned muscle tissue when placed in an extended  carbohydrate-deprived state and thusly sacrifice hard-earned muscle tissue instead. The result: you appear fatter!

The key is in WHAT you choose for breakfast. A banana and yogurt will supply little to no protein and tons of sugar resulting in energy for a second and then the dreaded plummet. But that’s okay right, because my coffee will eventually kick in. OY VEY!

For those on the go and having neither the time nor desire to consume a proper breakfast (egg whites and oatmeal; low-fat cottage cheese and Ezekiel cereal) I suggest a ready to drink protein shake or low-glycemic protein bar. Hey what about Slim Fast? Look at the carbs people – all sugar – and sugar is what? Very good, not a good long-term energy source.

Remember: You must eat to lose! Diet implies restriction and who wishes to be restricted.

Everyone have a great weekend and be sure to check out my coverage of the 2008 Mr. Olympia next week…now I’m off to Vegas.

Cardio or Weights?

When in a bind, it comes down to one choice: cardio or weights? In any given hectic weekday morning, cardio usually gets the nod; wrongly so!

While it’s true that cardio – defined as anything performed 20 minutes or longer in duration, will help to burn bodyfat as well as strengthen the heart, its benefits stop short.

Weight training on the other hand, not only strengthens the heart and burns bodyfat, it is the ONLY form of exercise that will delineate, or harden the body and enhance its natural shape as well as help with bone density and thusly curtail the diminishing effects brought about by osteoporosis.

No ladies, you will not get big as a result of weight training.  You simply do not have the testosterone to build any appreciable amount of muscle mass. Curtail the high-glycemic coffee beverages in place of a real breakfast and the bulk (muscle covered with fat), will be a thing of the past!

Weight training should come first followed by cardiovascular training.

By itself, the best time for cardio is in the morning on an empty stomach as your body will draw from stored adipose (fat) for energy.

Weight training should be performed with fuel in the form of glycogen or stored carbohydrates.

Now, get burning!

Fit Pro Newsletter 1

Time and time again we’ve all uttered, “I’ll start again on Monday.” Be it travel, a hectic work schedule, school, an event or bout of sickness, many of us begin our week with good intent and execution regarding exercise and nutrition only to abort later in the week. “It’s easy for you to stay in shape Hollis, you live in the gym. But I exist in the real world. I have dinners to go to. If I don’t drink with my boss I’ll miss that promotion. How can I possibly eat clean going out?” EASILY!

While it may seem challenging and even overwhelming ordering healthy choices while on the road, there’s always a way. Nowadays nearly all restaurants will cater to the health-minded individual, many even offering a light section on their menus. (YAY!)

Nearly all restaurant meals start out healthy and it is in the preparation that an otherwise lean meal becomes a high-glycemic, fat-inducing, non-nutritious source of energy that is liable to leave you full, sweaty and depleted for hours.  (This is the state I am usually in following one of my famous “cheat meals” that many of you know about.)

General Tips:

Arming yourself with words such as grilled, steamed, baked or broiled are your first defenses for truly having it your way and being able to still fit into those old jeans.

As a paying customer, you have the right to have it your way, so do not hesitate to ask such. 

Carry MRP (meal replacement packs – Myoplex or Met-RX) RTD (ready to drink – Lean Body) or bars (Pure Protein or Nitrotech) in your purse, gym bag or pocket so as to keep your blood-sugar levels stable and not give in to sudden binging. (HEY, I’M FAMILIAR WITH THAT.)

Never go more than three hours between meals. Your energy will remain constant and you will actually burn more fat this way provided the meals are clean due to a constant supply of good fuel coming in and the body will thusly dip into stored adipose for energy.

Fill up on near caloric-free foods such as greens, rinsed pickles, egg whites, water, tea and diet sodas. (DIET SODAS? ARE YOU CRAZY?) Good question people. My answer is this: I believe a good jolt of caffeine from these diet sodas used in conjunction with food is a good thermogenic aid and while dieting for national competition and going to bed starving every night, diet sodas saved my soul and delivered me a national trophy. It is the high sugar “energy drinks” that offer empty calories and result in heavy crashes that I do not advocate.

Do visit fast food restaurants. (WHAT?!) Yes, fast food coupled with wise choices will provide clean energy in a fast, cheap and convenient way when on the go. EXAMPLE: Chipotle. My personal meal: Rice bowl, black beans (PINTO ARE PREPARED WITH BACON) chicken breast and salsa coupled with a diet coke. (WAIT! WHITE RICE IS BAD?) White rice is higher on the glycemic index – the rate at which different foods convert to sugar and are thusly stored as bodyfat. Most do not know that when a high gylcemic food is mixed with a lower choice such as black beans, the index as a whole drops!

By the way people, the true way to permanent fat loss is not in low carbs but rather in low glycemic carbs! End of story. I don’t care what Dr. Fatkins advocated…

And for all you drinkers out there…alcohol is alcohol. There is no such thing as Bacardi and Diet Coke yielding zero calories when one gram of sugar contains 7 calories whether in the form of beer or vodka which is nearly twice that of a normal gram of carbs or protein and second behind a gram of fat at 9 calories per gram. (SOME FAT IS NOT ONLY HEALTHY IT IS ESSENTIAL.)

EATING OUT – LET’S KEEP IT CLEAN PEOPLE!

STEAK RESTAURANTS

Order a less marbled cut of beef and opt for top round or flank steak. Or go grilled with chicken or broiled with seafood. Dry baked potato (MAKE SURE THEY DID NOT PRE-SPRAY WITH BUTTER) and steamed vegetable

CHINESE FOOD

Order your favorite dish steamed, ask for brown rice, which many of these establishments now serve and get sauce on the side

MCDONALD’S

Order a grilled chicken salad without cheese or heavy dressing or a chicken breast with lettuce and tomato dry or a plain hamburger

SUBWAY

Order turkey or chicken breast on whole wheat, lettuce, tomato, black olives (good source of fat), pepper chi and mustard. (WHAT ABOUT TUNAFISH?) Good question: Full of mayo!

ITALIAN FOOD

Chicken breast over whole wheat pasta with dry salad. Avoid breads and heavy sauces.

(WHAT ABOUT US VEGETARIAN FOLK?) You guys are weird. I don’t trust anyone that doesn’t eat meat. Just kidding. You’ll have to combine carbs to equal whole and complete proteins. Beans and rice by themselves contain some but lack all of the essential amino acids. Combine them and you have an A+ source of protein. (WHAT DO I NEED PROTEIN FOR?) Good question people. Protein is what our muscles are composed of. By consuming lean choices in protein you will ensure muscle strength and firmness are ever-present.