Ryan’s Releases

I am actually against any use of caffeine, ephedrine, or aspirin for recreational purposes. This will obviously jade my response a bit, but I can elaborate a bit on the empty stomach portion of the question.

In order to have an empty stomach, you’re going to have to be performing your cardio upon waking. I’m assuming your diet is in check and you eat regular meals throughout the day. The morning, after a 6-10 hour fast, is the only time your stomach will actually be empty.

The common thought process with fasted cardio is that you will use fat or carb sources from present stores in your body rather than from the food being digested in your stomach. There are multiple problems with this way of thinking.
1. You’re going into your cardio fasted, which will cause your cardio session to be weakened, reducing your overall amount of fat burned if performing LISS and reducing your ability to perform a true HIIT session. The inability to perform at max potential during HIIT will reduce the fat burning effects of that session. You will not be able to perform at your peak on an empty stomach. Period.
Would you go into a weight routine in a fasted state? Answer that question honestly and reconsider why you are thinking of doing fasted cardio.
2. You’re betting on the fact that you’re burning massive amounts of fat during your actual cardio session. If you’re performing HIIT, you’re virtually BURNING NO FAT during your session, and you’ll never be able to get around this. Your body is hardwired to use carb stores for energy when working at peak performance.

As some of you may know already, we are planning on a DVD  release in 2010!  This is going to be the first of a number of DVDs which focus on Program Design, Exercise Form, and Advanced Training Concepts.  Each DVD will focus on a different physique goal. 

These DVDs will explain how to put together an effective, progressive program, while avoiding plateaus and physical and mental overtraining.  These DVDs will include full exercise descriptions and demonstrations, along with experienced advice and tips to increase the benefits of each lift.  You will learn how to form an effective routine using the proper amount of reps, sets, exercises, and rest.

Please send your thoughts to ryan@2020-wellness.com!

How many calories did you eat yesterday?  This is a simple question, yet many people can’t answer it! 

How many dollars are in your bank account?  I’m guessing you have an answer to that one.

Something I’ve never really understood is why people care so much about taking care of their material possessions and take mediocre care of their god given gift; their bodies.  You’ve got one body to live life through, so why aren’t you treating it more importantly?

How many calories did you eat yesterday?  This is a simple question, yet many people can’t answer it! 

How many dollars are in your bank account?  I’m guessing you have an answer to that one.

Something I’ve never really understood is why people care so much about taking care of their material possessions and take mediocre care of their god given gift; their bodies.  You’ve got one body to live life through, so why aren’t you treating it more importantly?

I was recently asked "what should I eat and when should I eat it" by a self proclaimed "broke college student."

My answer:

Eating Like a Bird, Working Out Like an Animal

By Ryan Miller; B.S. Biochemistry, NASM Certified Trainer

I’m willing to bet that if you’ve ever set out to lose weight, you’ve thought about simply eating very little and working out more. This sounds like a great plan, and if you’re not working out and eating with no control at the time you set your plan into motion, its going to help you lose some weight in the beginning. But this method will end up working poorly in the long run.

What if you’re already working out and eating healthy and consistently? What if you’re doing those things but you’re not losing weight? What if you’re doing those things and actually gaining weight?

I want to share with you a scenario that I recently came across with a dedicated client. This client had been consistently training with me for over a year. She initially came to me with the goal of “looking like I workout.” At the time, she wasn’t eating properly and wasn’t working out properly. She was under eating and overworking, which is a terrible combination, and her physique matched her habits. She had nearly no muscle and her strength levels were low. You need to keep in mind that this client wasn’t new to the gym. She had 20 years of gym experience under her belt, and still, she wanted to look like she worked out!

How does that happen!? She was working out and eating consistently for years, but unfortunately, she was doing it wrong! When we sat down and really looked at her eating habits, it was discovered that she was consistently eating approximately 800 calories per day. Now, if you read that number and didn’t think twice about it, you’re about to learn a lesson in calorie levels that will improve your life and results in the gym. If you read that number and felt shocked that someone could eat so little while working out, then you can relate with me through the rest of this article.

How did we make it right? To start, I explained to her what I’m going to explain to you; under eating will get you nowhere fast! If you’ve read my article, Real World Metabolic Rate and Why You Need Resistance Training then you’ll understand this explanation better. If you haven’t read that article, I suggest reading it, and then coming back to finish this article with a better understanding of the subject.

Why does eating too little hurt your progress in the gym? My client’s maintenance level with activity factored in was 1400 calories per day. In one day, her body burns 1400 calories in order to keep her alive, well, and able to perform her daily activities. In order for her to gain weight, she needed to eat above 1400 calories per day. In order for her to maintain weight, she needed to eat 1400 calories per day. In order for her to lose weight, she needed to eat under 1400 calories per day. I told her that she should be setting her calories around 1200 and we would adjust accordingly based on her body’s response. Her body responded well and she dropped in weight, was happy with where she was headed, and everything seemed fine. Unfortunately, a couple of months later we ran into trouble.

She had stalled her metabolism out and was actually gaining fat! I knew that the first place to look was her diet and that she probably changed her habits. Her workouts were consistent and were based on the same concepts that had provided her with strong results since the beginning of our training relationship, so this wasn’t the problem area. Upon request, she listed out her daily food intake for me and sure enough, she was back to eating less than 1000 calories per day! She had it so ingrained in her mind from the past that eating less would get her farther, that she abandoned our plan and dropped an additional 300 calories from her daily intake on her own! When your total calorie intake is 1200, and you drop 300 calories, that’s 25% of your daily calorie intake! That is a significant percentage and is much too large of a drop to be made suddenly. She had made a classic mistake and was eating like a bird while she was working out like an animal!

The numbers don’t lie! Her maintenance calories were 1400, her intake was 900, she was digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole of undereating. This was causing her body to slow down its metabolism and hang onto fat to accommodate her new calorie intake. The body stores fat, as it is the most useful energy source in a time of bodily stress. She told me that she was only eating because “she knew she should be, not because she was hungry.” She was basically never hungry! This was a red flag for me that her body had come to a halt. She said she could “miss meals for half of a day and not feel hungry.” When you’re running in a fat burning mode, you should be feeling hungry every 2-4 hours, definitely not every 8-12 hours.

Resetting her metabolism was the only way to dig out of the hole, and it had to be done properly to avoid anymore fat gain. After an hour of consulting, we determined the best way for her to reset her metabolism. I explained to her that if she didn’t work on eating the proper amount of calories, she would only hurt herself more. As she began to follow the plan to reset her metabolism, her strength levels increased, her physique improved, and her motivation in her workouts increased. She was no longer feeling run down, stalled out, and unmotivated.

Nutrition is powerful, and you can’t expect results if you aren’t paying attention to what you’re putting into your body. I always say that you can’t outwork a garbage diet, and my client was a prime example of that statement. She was performing proven workouts, completing effective cardio, and eating healthy foods. That sounds like a recipe for success, but she was eating the wrong amounts of those foods, and that was her missing link.

Once a person finds all the links and completes the chain, they can’t be stopped in their goals. Many people workout consistently and see no results. If you think you’re missing a link to your chain, do something about it. You’ll be stronger, more energetic, and you’ll feel good about your time spent in the gym!

Before I go into my answer, I want to define my definition of cardio. Cardio is not a 5 minute warm up before hitting the weights. My definition of cardio is either a sweat inducing session of low intensity work or a heart rate maximizing interval blast.

With that being said, my take on cardio before or after a workout centers around the reason that you’re at the gym that day.

Ask yourself; Am I here to do cardio, or am I here to lift weights.

If your answer is cardio, then you’re doing cardio that day, plain and simple. You are not lifting weights, you are doing cardio. In this case, there is no reason to worry about doing cardio before or after lifting, because you won’t be lifting.

If your answer is weights, then you’re doing weights that day, plain and simple. You are not there for an interval session. You are not there for a nice long walk. You are there to lift weights! Once again, you are not going to have to worry about whether or not to do cardio before or after the lift.

My reasoning lies within your ability to focus and devote all the energy, mental and physical, to the workout at hand.

If I HAD to perform one of my resistance workouts, and FOLLOW it with one of my cardio sessions, I would either lighten the resistance or lower my heart rates. These are two actions that I wouldn’t want to take, but would be forced to do in order to make it through both workouts at once.

My philosophy is simple: Go to the gym to perform one type of activity. You won’t have to shift mental gears. You won’t have to sacrifice the intensity of one activity for another. You can just march into the gym, attack the task at hand, and march out with your protein shake in hand!

To be blunt, they each have their place for different reasons. I recommend using both. I’m going to explain my reasoning for using each method.

Just like a properfly performed HIIT session, I want to get this explanation finished quickly and effectively.

While performing HIIT, you’re essentially spiking your heart rate to a near max rate and following that spike with a recovery period, which serves the purpose of preparing you for your next spike. You’re literally working your heart, as it is a muscle, and it should be exercised beyond its normal daily drone the resting heart beat.

Working your heart beyond average workload is one benefit of a solid HIIT session. Working = strengthening, and this shows over time as you’ll find that your heart will become more efficient at handling larger cardio workloads.

A second benefit of a solid session of HIIT is the metabolic effect. No matter how large or small of an effect HIIT has on the rise of your metabolism, you should be happy to take what you can get. A small overall effect can add up over a week’s time. If you are cutting, this is beneficial as it allows you to lose fat more efficiently when paired with a proper diet.

When training a client in on LISS and HIIT, I will always perform the LISS first. HIIT training elevates the heart rate for extended periods and skews their numbers for their LISS training if performed first.

The fat burning effects of HIIT do not come during the actual workout. They come from the afterburn effects. This can throw some people off at first, but it’s just the way it is.

As an overall rule, the majority of the workouts you perform do not induce change during the time you are performing them. They create a stimulus which causes the body to change while recovering from that workout.
In terms of LISS, the effects come about from different means. LISS revolves around the body’s multiple mechanisms for creating energy. The body will use the highest percentage of fat for energy while at complete rest. The body will use the lowest percentage of fat for energy while at complete work.

LISS attempts to maximize fat loss during the actual workout by avoiding a complete work environment. When performing LISS, you will peform enough work to bring your heart rate to 60-70% of your max heart rate. This keeps things simple and attempts to burn a fair percentage of fat for energy to perform the workout.

LISS is straight forward. Perform work, but perform it in a manner that is low intensity in order to keep fat burning at play.
LISS is also less demanding on the nervous system, allowing you to perform it frequently without mental burnout, which can be detrimental to your resistance training workouts.

I recommend a regular rotation of HIIT and LISS, depending on your goals. Everyone is different, and your current goal will dictate just how you should rotate the two.

The timing of the workouts will vary from individual to individual as well, which is why I did not go into that aspect of the routines.

Those of you who know me know that I’m not one to fill your mind with nonsense just because it’s what I think you want to hear.  I believe in giving it to you straight, with just a tiny bit of sugar coating (we all need a little bit of sweetness at times).

At times I’m a man of few words, at other times I have plenty to say.  Regardless of when you catch me, I’m always going to provide you with sound, proven advice to help you attain what you are here to attain. 

You’re dead set on reaching your goal by using only one piece of equipment; I’ll tell you reasons to widen your choices of exercise and open your mind to new ideas. 

You’re dreading an hour on the elliptical; I’ll tell you there are ways to shorten up your session, but I’ll tell you it’s going to take some extra effort. 

You’re convinced that your methods for muscle growth or fat loss are the way to go; I’ll lay out multiple plans of action to help you add to your master plan.  Once again, it’ll require new concepts and ideas.

Of course there are endless details as to why some gym members see results quickly, some see results slowly, and some never see the results they joined the gym to achieve.  Truthfully, the average person falls into that last unappealing and unfortunate option.  It’s time to assess where you fall in this “results spectrum.” 

Before we go jumping into things, there are some statements in the spectrum that can be seen differently by different individuals.  This problem must be addressed before we can determine where you fall.

Let’s begin:

Statement one; “some gym members see results QUICKLY.” 

            Now, in all honesty, quickly to some could be one week, while to others it could be three months.  From personal experience, it is possible to see new lines, changed measurements, and pounds lost or gained within 1-3 months.  I’ve made all those changes to myself in 1-3 months time.  How?  I had a proper plan, and I followed it.  Do you have a plan?

Statement two; “some see results SLOWLY.”

            Have you been working towards your goal for months on end, all the while seeing friends and peers passing you by on their road to their destination?  Chances are you’re on the slow track to where you want to be.  If your friends and peers are making increased strength and size gains, losing more weight, or seeing results in shorter time than yourself, you’re falling into the slow portion of the “results spectrum.”  You may or may not have a plan, and if you do have a plan, is it effective, and are you following it?

            I always have the view that when you’re in the gym, and set on a goal, that should be your only reason for being there.  You should want to make that goal a reality.  You should want to take control and make it happen as efficiently and effectively as possible.  You wouldn’t drive through Raleigh to get to Myrtle Beach on time, why should other aspects of life, such as the gym, be any different?

Statement three; “some NEVER see results.”

            These people give exercise a shot for a few weeks.  Results take dedication.  Results take commitment.  Dedication and commitment aren’t centered around a month of effort here, and a week of effort there.  Humans are creatures of habit, make the gym a habit.  Exercise should be a given in everyone’s life.  The person next to you isn’t in great shape because they have better genetics, they are in great shape because they stick to their plan. 

            You’re reading this article; that means you’re here at 2020 Wellness.  You’ve got your own personal coach here for you anytime you need them.  We’re your vehicle, but you’re still the driver.  Give it your all, let us show you what we can do, and begin to feel better for the rest of your life!

By Ryan Miller; B.S. Biochemistry, NASM Certified Trainer

Failure Is Not An Option      

            Depending on the context, “Failure is not an option” is either a strong motivator for success or a sure fire way to sabotage your success.  .  This concept is just one of those funny ideas that doesn’t seem right at first, but after an explanation will be as clear as water.

            A famous saying comes to mind, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”  There is great reasoning behind this statement.  In order to see the reasoning, I want to take a look at the statement and show you how relative it is to everyone who has ever walked the earth.  The creator of this statement is assuming that you will fail, are failing, or have failed at what it is you are trying to achieve.  This statement is encouraging you to keep on trying, even though you aren’t able to achieve what you want at the time of failure.

            Nobody will go through life without failing, unless they perform perfectly in everything they set out to do.  So, like I said, nobody will go through life without failing.  See, the thing about failing is that it should tell you something about yourself.  You can’t fail if you haven’t tried.  If you’ve tried, then you have a goal and you are making an effort to achieve that goal. 

            Failure is the first indicator of your next challenge to overcome.  Failure is the result of that first push to try something you have never done before.  Failure sets your sights high and shows that you are forcing true progression.  Progression, my friend, is what the gym is all about!

Prime Example Number One

            I want you to meet my first subject, Max.  Max has been hitting the weights now for a solid year.  He has seen some great strength gains, which primarily took place within the first 6 months of his training.  But now Max’s newbie gains are wearing off and his strength increases are slim to none.  He has hit the wall.  He really has no idea why he isn’t getting any stronger.  Max is doing now what he did in the beginning, 3 sets of 10 reps with a weight that pushes him but allows him to get his 10 reps for each set.  You see, Max knows that if he’s not getting his 10 reps completed during each set, he’s failing.  In Max’s eyes, this isn’t acceptable……but it should be!

            Max knows that in order to get that third set of 10, he has to save some energy during sets 1 and 2.  He is stuck in the mindset that he has to use the same weight amount for all sets as well.  This is the wrong mindset for making any kind of progress.  Max really needs to increase the weight of the first, second, and third sets to see gains.  So what is he fails on his first set and only gets 8 reps.  I still want him to use that same weight for his second set.  So what if he fails on his second set and puts up 6 reps.  Stick with that weight and go for a final set of 3-6 reps. 

            Max failed three for three, but in the long haul, he has taken a step toward achieving his goals and being successful.  Within a few weeks, Max will be completing 10 reps with his increased weight.  If he dropped back down to his previous sticking point, he would laugh at that weight and vow to never return to it again.  So what does Max do when he completes his reps with the 100 pound dumbbells?  He puts in a request for heavier dumbbells and gets back to work.

            Max’s story is unbelievably common, and is a prime example of why failing is necessary for success.

Prime Example Number Two

            Max’s wife, Maxine has been hitting the gym for a year as well.  In fact, they go together all the time, the epitome of a healthy couple.  Like most women, Maxine tends to stick to cardio for her workouts, which is a huge mistake, but I’m not getting into that right now.  Right now I am focusing on Maxine’s cardio efforts.

            Just like Max, she had a great six months.  Weight was coming off, endurance was increasing, she was feeling like a teenager again!  But sooner or later, the same old workout turned into the same old body weight.  Maxine’s body adapted to her workouts, and at that point, the results diminished.  I want you to ask yourself, when is the last time you couldn’t finish one of your cardio workouts because it was just too hard?  If you can’t remember the last time a routine really took you down and caused you to step off and fail, you are probably relating to Maxine right about now.

            Maxine has been forgetting to fail.  She completes her regular routine, but doesn’t increase her settings on a regular basis.  If she doesn’t increase her settings, she will be selling herself short, which is what too many people do in the gym.  She needs to bump that resistance or that incline up a couple notches and see what happens.  She needs to monitor her heart rate and make sure she is truly pushing herself.  Physical feeling isn’t always enough, but heart rate doesn’t lie. 

            Once she passed her newbie gains period, she has been wasting her time.  Once your body catches up to you, you better take the lead again and keep your body on the run.  You see, when your body is constantly striving to keep up with what you press it to do, the results will keep coming.  Effective workout methods will keep your body on the run, all time.

Final Words

            There has been important lesson learned here; if you want to succeed, you need to fail.  Finding your limits and crushing them is important.  Failure will set that limit and you will crush it through sequential attempts at success.  Here’s something you never thought you’d here as a motivational quote: “You know what to do, now go out there and fail!”

Thanks for reading,

Ryan