Day 320 - Weekly Newsletter

Good Morning Everybody!

I don't know about you, but I am starting to get that feeling that Spring is right around the corner! We are getting more sunshine and less clouds lately. The temperatures are slowly starting to creep up. The clocks go ahead an hour this weekend. Which means nicer weather, more sunshine, and more opportunity to get outside! I guess if you live in a warm, southern climate, you are probably already experiencing some really nice weather, but up here in Southern Ontario, there is still lots of snow!

With nicer weather, comes the urge to get outside and get active. This is the time of year (next to New Year's Resolutions) that people begin to start thinking about getting active. Don't wait until Spring is already here to get started, get a jump-start on your progress now, especially with some of the great deals Beachbody is holding in the month of March.

In case you didn't know, both the P90X and P90X2 Challenge Packs are on sale for $180!

Both of these programs retail for $120 on their own, but they also come with your first bag of Shakeology, which also retails for $120 (price goes up April 1st).

On top of the money you are saving over purchasing these programs individually, Beachbody has also thrown in some bonuses:

P90X comes with:
1 bag of Shakeology ($120 retail)
The entire P90X+ series ($60 retail) (this series is great IMO!)
2 workouts from Tony Horton's One on One series ($40 retail)
=savings of over $160!

Check out the P90X Challenge Pack here

P90X2 is, without a doubt, the most scientifically-advanced home workout system. I believe in this program so much, that I used it to help me qualify AND compete in last year's World's Toughest Mudder competition.

Along with P90X2, you also get:
1 bag of Shakeology ($120 retail)
2 workouts from Tony Horton's One on One series ($40 retail)

If you have conquered P90X and are looking to take your overall fitness and athleticism to the next step, P90X2 is the way to go!

Check out the P90X2 Challenge Pack here

On top of all of those savings, you are also given the option to upgrade and become a Beachbody Coach absolutely free ($40 value).

I will say that each Challenge Pack automatically signs you up for Shakeology "Home Direct", where Beachbody bills and ships you a new bag every month, but you can literally cancel this at ANY time. You could receive your package in the mail and cancel that very same day! I highly recommend giving Shakeology a try for at least 30 days, I did, and have not stopped since!

Here are my blogs from the past week:

Body Beast Bulk: Shoulders "Bulk Phase" Progress
Motivation Saturday
Body Beast Days 64-70
My Diet Through Body Beast Part 1: Build and Bulk Diet
Body Beast Bulk: Chest Review
D.O.M.S.

Everyone have a great week!

--

Tyler Robbins

Independent Team Beachbody Coach

tylerrobbinsfitness.com

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2013 Challenge Group - Team Fitness for Life

Quote of the day:

"If you're doing your best, you won't have any time to worry about failure."
~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com

Day 319 - D.O.M.S.

Venting time...

Let's discuss D.O.M.S. (delayed onset muscle soreness) for a second. More than likely, we have all experienced DOMS at some point in our life. What it is, is an inflammatory response from our bodies in response to a new or different stimulus not usually experienced by the body.

If you were to fall and land on your butt, you would more than likely get a bruise, and it would be sore for a few days. This is due to localized inflammation causing your butt to hurt as that area has now become inflamed. Well, if you were to do some squats for the first time in a year, chances are, your legs and butt are also going to be sore due to microtrauma in your muscle fibers, leading to DOMS. We all know this, we all expect it, and yet, this is becomes a topic of discussion from time to time.

Just because your muscles/body is sore, does not mean that you had a "good workout".

I was listening to the radio this morning. My favorite station was playing commercials, so naturally I went "channel surfing" to listen to something else. On another station, the morning show host was discussing a ridiculous news study about how 50% of women like "washboard abs" on guys...blah, blah, blah. To be honest, I wasn't really paying attention.

I did start to listen, however, when he was talking with one of the fellow hosts about how he went to the gym 3 times over the weekend, and at how 'sore' he was this morning. The radio host then went on to say (paraphrasing), "All of that hard work hardly seems worth it, you still don't have washboard abs!"

Let's go back and understand what DOMS really is. It is your body's response to a new/more difficult stimulus. Re-read that last sentence. Let me give you an example of what I am attempting to get at here. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, and decide one Saturday afternoon to go out and play catch with your son for an hour, chances are, you are going to wake up Sunday morning with a sore shoulder. Does this mean that you had a good workout? No necessarily. All it means is that you repeatedly threw a ball for an extended period of time on Saturday, which is something your body is not used to doing.

So, to get to my gripe. You can always tell when a co-worker or friend is starting a new workout program, because they will more than likely tell you ALL about how sore they are. "Holy cow, I had such a good workout last night, I am SO sore this morning" they will say. The question remains, did they actually have a good workout, or was it more likely that they start doing squats and pushups (or something like that), which is unusual in their day-to-day lives.

So why the gripe? Well, all too often, people confuse muscle soreness with progress/improvement. Yes, your body will be, and should be sore after you do something new or more difficult. However, and this is a key component of any health and fitness plan. One workout that made you sore means nothing. It really doesn't. Just as getting off the couch to go play catch for an hour with your son making your shoulder sore won't whip you into shape and make you a major league pitcher, doing one (or a few) "tough" workouts will not improve your overall health. Exercise is a full-time, life-long job. Period.

There are a few things to keep in mind with DOMS.

1. Do something continually to improve.

I am reminded of a story I heard a while back (I can't for the life of me remember where) about a garbage man starting a new job. This garbage man actually really enjoyed his job due to being outside in the fresh air, getting some exercise, meeting people, etc. It wasn't always sunshine and good times though.

The garbage man's first few days/weeks on the job were horrible. A full shift of lifting people's trash cans and garbage into a garbage truck really wore him down. It was a new stimulus. Bending down, lifting things, tossing them into the truck. These were all natural movements, but unusual for his body. New stimulus to shock his muscles into a state of DOMS. It wasn't until a few weeks into his job that the soreness started to lessen and then disappear.

This is the basis for a standard periodization model. You shock your body with a new stimulus, your body reacts to the stimulus, and then overcompensates, making your muscles stronger than they were prior to the new stimulus. However, this only happens over a period of time using the (relatively) same actions.

2. (Related to #1) Avoid constant change.

What I mean by this, is don't be so concerned about aiming for DOMS all the time. Far too often I see folks changing up their fitness routines constantly, without any chance for their bodies to adjust to a new stimulus. Maybe they get bored really quickly. Maybe they are addicted to the DOMS and feel as though they need to constantly change things up to feel sore and therefore feel 'accomplished'.

Either way, by introducing new stimulus too frequently or too often can actually lead to decreased performance due to overtraining. I hate to throw this name out there, but Crossfit is famous for this. They pride themselves on new or different workouts every day, which may get you in overall shape rather quickly, but you never excel at any one given thing.

Quote of the day:
"All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them."
~Walt Disney

Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com

Day 318 - Body Beast Bulk: Chest Review

Quote of the day:
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."
-Robert Collier

Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com

Day 317 - My Diet Through Body Beast Part 1: Build and Bulk Diet

***Part 2 of my diet (supplements) can be found here***

This blog will detail what my diet consisted of, as well as the timing during Phase 1 (Build Phase) and Phase 2 (Bulk Phase) of Body Beast.

Please note, that as I am writing this blog, this is the first time that I have actually 'counted' the calories that I consumed. I completed my own mass phase back at the beginning of 2012, so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to eat, so I didn't feel the need to count.

Once I get to the Phase 3 (Beast Phase), I will count my numbers religiously to make sure that I am correctly aiming for my proper calories and macronutrient ratios.

Please note, the schedule below is my usual day. I did not follow this plan exactly to a tee every single day, but most days I did.

Also note, my dinners vary quite drastically so I have an overall consensus of how many calories I would take in on an average day. More often than not, my dinners would consist of 1-2 servings of protein, a veggie side, and a carb side (potatoes, rice, bread, etc.)

My schedule:

5:00am - Alarm goes off, drink coffee (a little bit of milk, no sugar)

5:45am - Starting workout by this point at the absolute latest

6:30am - Finished workout, immediately drinking 500mL Chocolate Milk with creatine (see below)

500mL Chocolate Milk - 340 calories (5g fat, 56g carbs, 18g protein)

7:00am - Once dressed and ready for day, 3 scrambled eggs

3 Large Eggs - 240 calories (18g fat, 3g carbs, 21g protein)

9:00am - Banana, Chocolate Shakeology mixed with 12oz. 1% Milk (take vitamins at this time)

Banana - 110 calories (0g fat, 30g carbs, 1g protein)
Chocolate Shakeology with 12oz. 1% Milk - 316 calories (6g fat, 34g carbs, 30g protein)

11:00am - 1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese mixed with 1/2 Cup Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt

1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese (2%MF) + Yogurt - 167 calories (2.5g fat, 16g carbs, 19g protein)

12:30pm - Turkey sandwich (3-4 slices turkey breast, mayonnaise, mustard, tomato, lettuce, cheddar cheese), baby carrots, Clif Bar

Clif Bar - 250 calories (5g fat, 44g carbs, 10g protein)
Turkey Sandwich:
Sliced Turkey/Chicken - 460 calories (12g fat, 60g carbs, 30g protein)
Cheese - 360 calories (30g fat, 3g carbs, 21g protein)
Whole Grain Bread - 240 calories (5g fat, 40g carbs, 10g protein)

1:30pm - Apple, Fibre 1 bar

Apple - 80 calories (1g fat, 21g carbs, 0g protein)
Fibre 1 bar - 140 calories (3.5g fat, 26g carbs, 2g protein)

3:00pm - Vanilla Whey Shake with 1% Milk

276 calories (6g fat, 19g carbs, 38g protein)

6:00pm - Dinner (see below)

9:00pm - Pre-bedtime snack (Ice-Cream or Peanut Butter)

4 tablespoons peanut butter - 360 calories (32g fat, 16g carbs, 12g protein)

Totals

My totals are entirely based on what I eat for dinner each day (which varies greatly). Dinner basically always consists of meat, a starchy side, and a veggie side. Meat is generally one of the following: 2 chicken breasts, 1-2 pieces of salmon, 1 filet of tilapia, 1 1/2 cups of shredded roast beef.

Starchy carbs involve white potatoes, rice, bread, etc. For veggies, I would try and eat broccoli whenever possible because it is a great, nutritious food, and I really like it!

Totals - 3200-4000 calories

~120-150g fat = 30%-40% total calories
~360-400g carbohydrates = 40%-50% total calories
~210-240g protein = 25-30% total calories

Creatine

Plain and simple creatine monohydrate, crystallized. I take mine mixed in my post-workout chocolate milk. I pre-loaded with creatine for the first 5 days, taking 20g of creatine daily (4x5g doses).

Now the Body Beast guide recommends taking 10g of creatine following every workout, but I found I was getting a bit of stomach upset after 30 days or so, so I dialed it back to 5g post-workout.

Shouldn't be a problem, because at that point, my muscles most certainly have reached their maximum "saturation level" and should have PLENTY of creatine available to them.

Water

One thing I will add, the first 30 or so days of the program I was not drinking enough water. Well, I should say I was drinking enough to "get by", but I needed to drink much more. Your muscles volumize while on creatine, so it is important that you have plenty of extra hydration to allow those muscles to fill up like sponges! Keep a water bottle handy at all times...

***Part 2 of my diet (supplements) can be found here***

Quote of the day:
"Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can."
-Lowell Thomas

Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com

Day 316 - Body Beast Days 64-70

Quote of the day:
"Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them."
-Author Unknown

Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com

Day 315 - Motivation Saturday

Quote of the day:
"We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are."
-Max Depree

Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com

Day 314 - Body Beast Bulk: Shoulders "Bulk Phase" Progress

Below is the improvement I saw on Bulk: Shoulders throughout the "Bulk" phase of Body Beast. My shoulders have always been a body part that I have had trouble gaining strength with. The shoulders get a lot of work during Bulk: Chest, so this routine is a bit more focused on fly-type moves, but works great to pump up the shoulders!

Bulk: Shoulders

Lateral Raise

Day 26
15 reps - 2x10lbs
12 reps - 2x15lbs
8 reps - 2x20lbs

Day 62
15 reps - 2x12lbs
12 reps - 2x15lbs
8 reps - 2x20lbs

Arnold Press

Day 26
15 reps - 2x20lbs
12 reps - 2x25lbs
8 reps - 2x35lbs (6 reps), 2x30lbs (2 reps)
8 reps - 2x30lbs (4 reps), 2x25lbs (4 reps)


Day 62
15 reps - 2x25lbs
12 reps - 2x30lbs
8 reps - 2x40lbs
8 reps - 2x35lbs (4 reps), 2x30lbs (4 reps)

Upright Row (I use dumbbells)

Day 26
15 reps - 2x20lbs
12 reps - 2x25lbs
8 reps - 2x30lbs
8 reps - 2x30lbs
12 reps - 2x25lbs
15 reps - 2x20lbs

Day 62
15 reps - 2x25lbs
12 reps - 2x30lbs
8 reps - 2x35lbs
8 reps - 2x35lbs
12 reps - 2x30lbs
15 reps - 2x25lbs
 
Alternating Front Raise

Day 26
15 reps - 2x15lbs
12 reps - 2x20lbs
8 reps - 2x25lbs

Day 62
15 reps - 2x15lbs
12 reps - 2x20lbs
8 reps - 2x25lbs

Plate Twist-Twist (I use a dumbbell)

Day 26
10 reps - 15lbs
10 reps - 20lbs
10 reps - 20lbs

Day 62
10 reps - 30lbs
10 reps - 30lbs
10 reps - 30lbs

Reverse Fly

Day 26
15 reps - 2x10lbs
12 reps - 2x15lbs
8 reps - 2x20lbs
8 reps - 2x15lbs
12 reps - 2x10lbs
15 reps - 2x8lbs

Day 62
15 reps - 2x12lbs
12 reps - 2x15lbs
8 reps - 2x20lbs
8 reps - 2x15lbs
12 reps - 2x12lbs
15 reps - 2x10lbs

Superman Stretch

Day 26
10 reps
10 reps

Day 62
10 reps
10 reps

Plank Twist-Twist

Day 26
30 secs - 35 reps
30 secs - 40 reps

Day 62
30 secs - 40 reps
30 secs - 40 reps

I found this routine to be the hardest to increase resistance by any significant means. There are so many 'fly' exercises in this routine that requires careful consideration into weight selection, as going too heavy can injure the shoulder very easily. I am glad to have increased strength on my Arnold Press!

Quote of the day:
"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less."
-Socrates


Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com