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Greetings!
We hope all is well. With only one 'real' article this month, there's is a little less to chew on for our readers. However, a link to our Facebook page has been added below - if you have a moment, please friend us.
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Facility Hours
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Please
note that our hours of operation have expanded with the availability of
more than one trainer. Currently the majority of sessions occur
early-mid AM and then again mid-PM. We are now equipped to handle
appointments well into the evening, particularly if it is a permanent
slot.
If scheduling has been difficult, talk to us - we can make something work.
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Shock the Sh*t out of it!
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By Adam Reid
Last issue, I spoke of the importance of planning for
success with regard to dieting down for beach season. The main message was that without a plan, one
is simply leaving things to chance, hoping for results instead of ensuring them. Initially, this month's issue was to include
some dietary tips - and it still will include one big one - but more importantly we need to lay the
foundation explaining why this tip will be effective. A firm
grasp will then allow you tweak your plan when needed.
The most important thing one needs to remember when dealing
with diet and exercise is that the body does not want to change. The system is geared towards survival first
and foremost, and adapts quickly to whatever is thrown at it. So, in order to elicit a
response, that which you do needs to be unique.
The degrees of 'uniqueness' will vary, from minutely to drastically different. With regard to dieting, a lower caloric intake relative to
previous eating habits is at first unique.
After some time, however, this formerly 'new' level becomes the norm and
the body stops responding in the manner it once did (i.e., loss of body fat). Based on what has been discussed, it should
be clear that something else unique needs to be introduced if progress is to continue.
Here are some things to consider with regard to quantity and duration, showing the possibilities available:
- Periods
of higher/lower calories
- One
meal per day
- Two
or more meals per day
- One
entire day during week
- Every
other day
- Two
days consecutive followed by return to lower/higher intake
- One entire
week with move to much lower/higher caloric intake over subsequent
week(s)
- Periods
of higher/lower carbs (or protein, or fats)
- One
meal per day
- Two or
more meals per day
- One entire
day per week
- Every
other day
- One
entire week with return to 'normal' during following week
- Cycle
one week high for each of the three (carbs, protein, fats)
The best tip I can give is that the more dramatic the shock, the more potential the result has for being very effective. Don't just add 50 calories to a day's food intake - add 500, and then get right back on track the next day. Shock the sh*t out of it!
It's important not to be afraid of experimenting. The chance of wrecking one's physique without
repeated exposure to the 'wrong things' is very slim. E.g., you need to eat too many calories all
the time to put on body fat - not just at one sitting. Because it is unusual, and in all likelihood
something not done before or recently, you may be pleasantly surprised by what seemingly
'bad' things can do.
As an example, I worked with a woman in 2002 during a physique
transformation challenge. The demands
(activity and strict eating) were ultra high, and during the first 2 months she
managed fantastic results as verified by our weekly body composition
tests. About 8 weeks in she hit a
plateau. The scale didn't budge for a
week, and body fat levels remained stagnant according to testing procedure
(electrical impedance via Bio-Analogics).
As we looked at the pattern of the previous 2 months, it
showed a continuous drop in calories with a slight increase in activity. At that point I prescribed a 'cheat meal'
consisting of pasta, wine, etc. to be consumed roughly 5 days before her next
test. Nothing else changed, and she immediately
got back on track the next day. The
result of this seemingly 'bad' experiment:
lower body fat at next test.
What had occurred was adaptation to the demands of strict
diet and exercise, resulting in slower metabolic rate than necessary for the
results desired. In effect, doing what had worked had stopped working. This cheat meal threw a
monkey wrench into the works, and had the same result as throwing more wood
into a slowly burning fire - the flames will pick up intensity. In our case, it caused her metabolic rate (thermogenesis) to pick up speed.
We attempted this again at least one time, and with
success. But without a doubt, if we had
utilized this particular tool in the same manner repeatedly (either more
regularly or over the course of several years), we would have encountered
diminishing returns and something else would have been necessary.
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WANTED: Bowflex Revolution
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By Adam Reid
Just a quick note: if anyone out there either owns, or knows the owner of a Bowflex Revolution, please let it be known that I am willing to trade an hour of my time on the machine in exchange for a supervised workout on the same machine.
The two full-blown Revolution models are not sold in stores, and I am very intrigued by them. Keep in mind that these models do not look like the more common 'Power Rod' machines, such as the Ultimate model in our Hanover studio.
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As always, we appreciate your referrals.
Sincerely,
Craig and Adam
Back2Health |
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