In my last post about me, I mentioned that I do weight training. I discovered it years ago, and I honestly wish I dedicated more time to it. It helps me both in appearance and also with stress. Over that time, I’ve read a few books on nutrition and exercise. I found them all helpful, and I’ve been able to maintain a healthy weight ever since. The last book arrived sort of by accident. I have a friend who’s been my gym partner for a few years, and a friend of hers recommended it. I eventually read it, and loved it. There’s so much false information out there. It’s refreshing when you find a book that bases its conclusions on scientific studies. The author of this book did his homework, and provided a very useful guide for those of us who have limited time for the gym, and want to maximize exercise and dieting results.
“You are right to be wary. There is much bullshit. Be wary of me too, because I may be wrong. Make up your own mind after you evaluate all the evidence and the logic.” —MARK RIPPETOE
How I stay active now
I used to go to the gym about 3 times a week. Not optimal, but it helped. Since we’re smack in the middle of a pandemic, and I have no intention of going to the gym yet, I’m staying active in a different way. I use my TRX style straps, and I’ve been learning Yoga. In the past, I had thought Yoga was boring. Far from it, it’s like mindfulness combined with strength training. There are still poses I can’t do, but I think I’ll stay with it long after Covid-19, so there’s time. I’ve downloaded some books on Yoga as well, but it’s hard for me to get into them once they start saying what the poses help with. Everything from fertility to insomnia. I remain skeptical of that. For the time being, I’ll use them to learn more about each pose.
In this post, my goal is to provide tidbits and a cheat sheet that you can use if you like. The book on strength training is ‘Thinner, Leaner, Stronger’ by Michael Matthews. The version for men is ‘Bigger, Leaner, Stronger’. Keep in mind you should always consult with a health care professional before making changes in your diet and exercise routine. This is even more important for people with pre-existing physical & mental conditions. We should be taking care of ourselves armed with the best information out there. So, without further a do –
There are always the same common elements in these books –
- Get enough rest
- Eat right
- Exercise
How to maximize exercise and dieting results, in steps
On dieting
It’s just a numbers game. Eat less than what your body burns in a day and you lose weight. Do the opposite and you’d gain weight. Below is a cheat sheet to punch in your numbers and have an idea of what your caloric intake should be, depending on whether you’re looking to lose, maintain, or gain weight. The sheet will also do a breakdown in grams of protein, carbs, and fat, depending on the calorie count.
The only time I gained more weight than I wanted to, was when I was overeating due to stress. This is also addressed in the book. Stress can interfere with your willpower & self-control. I had to deal with the source of my stress in order to stop chasing the ‘good’ feeling of overeating, only to feel bad later.
Carbs & fat are not our enemies. We can & should eat a combination of protein, carbs, and ‘healthy’ fat. Trans fats, those are enemies.
Regardless of the sources, 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories as well, and 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories.
Drinking enough water is important. The Institute of Medicine reported in 2004 that women should consume about 91 ounces of water (three-quarters of a gallon) per day. Filtered is better than tap or bottled.
The Institute of Medicine recommends 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day as the adequate intake level for most adults and an upper limit of 2,300 milligrams per day. A teaspoon of table salt contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium.
According to the Institute of Medicine, children and adults should consume 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories of food eaten.
Cutting, maintaining, and bulking diets
The book assumes you’re going to follow the program and train about 4-6hrs per week. Depending on what you want, to lose/gain/maintain your weight as you train, it recommends the following ‘diets’:
Cutting
When you cut, you will first calculate a starting point and adjust as needed.
Bulking
If you’re around 20 percent body fat and looking to put on muscle as quickly as possible, you want to bulk. Yes, you’ll gain some fat along the way, but if you do it right, it won’t be excessive, and it’ll come off easily once you’re ready to cut.
Maintaining
For people who are good with their weight, and would rather gain muscle more slowly (as opposed to bulking, adding muscle, and then cutting to lower body fat percentage) you can do a maintenance type diet.
Be within 50 to 100 calories of your target number depending on what you’re doing with your diet (cutting or bulking).
Get the majority of your calories from nutrient-dense foods listed in the book, such as:
- Avocados
- Greens (chard, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, and spinach)
- Bell peppers
- Brussels sprouts
- Mushrooms
- Baked potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Berries
- Low-fat yogurt
- Eggs
- Seeds (flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower)
- Beans (garbanzo, kidney, navy, and pinto)
- Lentils and peas
- Almonds, cashews, and peanuts
- Whole grains, such as barley, oats, quinoa, and brown rice
- Salmon, halibut, cod, scallops, shrimp, and tuna
- Lean beef, lamb, and venison and chicken and turkey
Eat foods you like. Don’t be afraid to include a little treat every day. Eat as many or few meals per day as you’d like; the book recommends eating every 3 to 4 hours as you’ll probably find this most enjoyable.
Build these lists out using something like www.calorieking.com to look up the various foods you like.
On Training
Muscles grow by progressively increasing the weight you lift. You won’t get ‘bulky’ or look like a bodybuilder by lifting heavier weights. Muscles don’t get confused, you don’t need to throw different exercises at them to get results.
Train 1-2 muscle groups per day. Do sets of 8-10 reps for most exercises. You’d start with three sets of 8 reps. Then next time, you’d add a rep to your first set (9, 8, 8). You would do this each time, when possible. Once you reach 10 reps on your 1st set, you’d add weight, and go back to 8 reps for the remaining two sets with increased weight. Rest 2-4 minutes between sets. Train for 45-60 minutes. Train each muscle group one to two times every 5 to 7 days. Take a week off every 8 to 10 weeks; you could also do a lower load week.
Additional Tips
Free weights are better than machines.
Exercises that lead all others for better results:
- Bench Press
- Deadlift
- Squat
- Military Press
Calves recover faster; the book recommends 3 workouts per week, with 6 sets per workout, and 4 to 6 reps.
You should warm up the muscle group you’ll work on before doing the heavier working sets.
Cardio can help. The author recommends two to three cardio workouts per week, at a different time from the strength training sessions. No need to be a cardio slave though, they can be shorter, high intensity sessions.
The sheet below also includes the 3-day per week sample routine I used to follow. The book includes examples for people who work out 5 & 4 days a week too, along with how to change them up as you go. For proper form, the author references Mark Rippetoe’s weightlifting methods.
Of course, for all of the info related to nutrition and , you’ll have to read the book! If you have questions on this post though, feel free to reach out.
All the best,
-M
