Raven433ME’s BodyBlog

Meal 1 ~ 6 Eggs (6 Whites/1 Yolk)(Small amount of agave nectar on eggs)
2 Morning Star Veggie Sausages
Vitamins/Minerals

Meal 2 ~ 30 Raw Almonds

Meal 3 ~ ~ Chicken Scampi cooked in extra virgin olive oil served over whole grain pasta

Meal 4 ~ Protein Bar (20 grams protein/26 grams carbs)
Vitamins/Minerals

Meal 5 ~  ~ Chicken Scampi cooked in extra virgin olive oil served over whole grain pasta
Salad topped with Newman’s Own Light Basalmic Vinagrette dressing

Meal 6 ~ Whey Protein Drink ( 16oz Water, 2 scoops Whey Protein)

3/4 Gallon Water

(Coffee I use splenda)

Live Strong ~ Live Lean

Mike

Meal 1 ~ 6 Eggs (6 Whites/1 Yolk)(Small amount of agave nectar on eggs)
2 Morning Star Veggie Sausages
Oatmeal
Vitamins/Minerals

Meal 2 ~ 25 Raw Almonds
1 Medium banana

Meal 3 ~ 100% Whole Wheat Natural Peanut Butter & Sugar Free Jelly Sandwich
Multi Grain Sun Chips

Meal 4 ~ Protein Bar (20 grams protein/26 grams carbs)
Grapes
Vitamins/Minerals

**Beachbody Men’s Strength & Muscle Formula Creatine**

Meal 5 ~  Chicken Scampi cooked in extra virgin olive oil served over whole grain pasta
100% Whole Wheat Toast Garlic Bread

Meal 6 ~ Whey Protein Drink ( 8oz Water/8 oz Light Vanilla Soy Milk, 2 scoops Whey Protein)

3/4 Gallon Water

(Coffee I use splenda)

WORKOUT ~ Kettlebells, Max Pull Ups, weighted Calf Raises

Live Strong ~ Live Lean

Mike

Our goals are simple: Get stronger and leaner. Simple to state, not so simple to do! Controlling our carbohydrate intake from day to day make this effort more effective and take into account what we will be doing each day.

Here is how we break down our carb intake during the week:

Monday ~ Resistance  (Strength) Day ~  Higher Carb Day
Tuesday ~ Cardio  (Endurance) Day ~  Lower Carb Day
Wednesday ~ Resistance  (Strength) Day ~  Higher Carb Day
Thursday ~ Cardio  (Endurance) Day ~  Lower Carb Day
Friday ~ Resistance  (Strength) Day ~  Higher Carb Day
Saturday ~ Cardio  (Endurance) Day ~  Lower Carb Day
Sunday ~ “Active rest” (Run) Day ~  Lower Carb Day

We do the 20 minute EIFB the morning of our Strength workout days. The strength workout is in the afternoon. We eat more carbs on these days to account for the extra energy needs of the day. What constitutes higher carbs? Here are some examples:
1.) Oatmeal with Breakfast
2.) Whole Wheat Toast with Breakfast
3.) Eating Starchy carbs (Rice, bread, pasta) with dinner

On Cardio training days the carbs are lower because of the reduced energy needs. **Remember ~ when you strength train, your metabolism gets JACKED for hours on end from the strength work, increasing your need for calories. Your calorie burn STOPS when you are finished your cardio workout**
Here are some examples:
1.) No carbs with breakfast ~ Egg Whites and Veggie sausage is a good example.
2.) No Starchy carbs with dinner ~ Chick Breast with a nice salad is a good example.

So, what does this Carb Manipulation do for us  on a daily basis? It gives us extra fuel for the days we need it (Strength/Extra Fat burning cardio (EIFB). It limits the fuel on days we don’t need extra (Cardio days).

Also by changing the amount of carbs taken in on a daily basis, we are confusing our metabolism. When you eat the same things on a daily basis, your body adapts to your program and eventually the results stop coming.

Using our Carb manipulation Plan you can keep your metabolism in a state of confusion, get stronger AND burn fat   EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK!

If anyone has any questions, please fire away! 

Live Strong ~ Live Lean

Mike

Simple fact, DON’T SETTLE FOR LESS!

Incredible workout today! Here is what I did:

1.) 200 2 Hand Swings with a 62 pound Kettlebell. ( I got 140 straight and then did, 40, and finished up with 20 reps)

2.) Full Get Ups with a 62 Pound KB. (2 sets of 3 reps each side) 

3.) Handstand Training (2 sets held for 30 seconds each)

4.) Weighted Calf Raises using my 62 pound KB (100 reps straight)

Simple, brutal, and effective!

Live Strong ~ Live Lean,

Mike

I know what you are thinking. Mike has finally taken in one protein drink too many and lost his mind!

Here is why guys:

1.) Muscle is the MOST anabolic substance in the human body (Anabolic processes tend toward “building up” organs and tissues. These processes produce growth and differentiation of cells and increase in body size)

2.) Muscle chews up body fat. If you add 1 pound of muscle, and your body burns an additional 50 calories per day just to sustain that muscle. (Add 10 pounds of muscle and your body burns an extra 500 calories to maintain it!)

Most people in an effort to burn body fat greatly increase their number and length of cardiovascular workout sessions.

THIS IS A MISTAKE!!!!!

This hamstrings your efforts to burn body fat believe it or not. While you do burn allot of calories during extended cardio sessions you are also chewing up hard earned muscle. That is why you don’t see any competitive bodybuilders who also run marathons!

You burn allot of calories during extended or extra cardio but that stops when you stop the cardio.

Here is the secret:

Your metabolism continues to burn body fat and calories for HOURS after hard resistance training. The muscle repairing itself has allot to do with this.

In effect, building muscle through INTENSE weight training is the key to the lean, muscular body we all strive for.
(A prime example of extended cardio not being the key is people that only do aerobics and no weight training. They NEVER change the shape of their body. They stay the same year after year….what is the sense of that?)

What does this mean for us P90Xers?

DO THE PROGRAM AS DESIGNED AND WORK HARD ON GETTING STRONGER DURING YOUR RESISTANCE TRAINING

NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT

1.) EMPHASIZE PROTEIN - Eating more protein intensifies the thermogenic effect of the digestive process by 1/3rd and protein is the nutrient that builds metabolism enhancing muscle.

We need carbohydrates to fuel our workouts and repair muscle but don’t get carried away. Too much WILL be stored as fat.

Remember guys and gals:

MORE STRENGTH = MORE MUSCLE = LESS BODYFAT (Does anyone think that its a coincidence that my beautiful wife, who carries the most muscle of any woman in the Beach Body world, is also the strongest and most lean? Think about it… 

Live Stronger EVERY day!

Best,

Mike

Clarity, like the fine edge of a newly sharpened blade. You have a plan, a goal, a schedule; you have your nutrition down to a point. Your workouts are intense, you suffer daily. You are making sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night to ensure adequate recovery from your brutal regimen. You are even doing your own version of "Doubles" whether its 20 minutes of HIIT, running, swimming or any other form of cardio three days a week to burn even more fat. You have a clear mental picture of what you want to accomplish during your round of the X, you have your "mind right". So what should you expect? I’ll give you some insight so there are no surprises.

DAY 1 - 30 (PHASE 1 - APPROXIMATELY)
1.) This is the adjustment period. Your body is getting into the schedule and tempo of your workouts. It is adjusting to your new nutrition habits. Expect some differences, perhaps not the drastic visual differences you crave but your clothes will become baggier.

2.) Stay the course during this period. I have had allot of people say to me "Something is not right, I’m not getting as lean as I should be."

This is normal; during Phase 1 you are priming the body and stoking your metabolic fire. **YOUR BODY DOES NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT! I REPEAT, YOUR BODY DOES NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT! **

Your body will take body fat off in "sheets". What I mean is that it will reduce your overall body fat evenly. Where we hold the largest amount of body fat largely depends on genetics and gender. Women tend to hold their body fat in their butt, leg, hip region. Men generally hold their body fat in their waistlines. This is what to watch for in this Phase: loosening of your clothes, stay off of the scale and above all, remain patient and continue to work hard.

DAYS 31-60 (PHASE 2 - APPROXIMATELY)

1.) This phase is where your body kicks into high gear. You are getting stronger and leaner. Expect dramatic results during this Phase as long as you remain disciplined and suffer daily.

2.) WHAT TO EXPECT: You will start to see that your outer extremities, (Forearms, calves, upper back, shoulders) generally where people hold the least amount of fat, will start to get leaner.

3.) Where you hold the most fat will improve but not to your impatient satisfaction. Why? Because as your body removes the fat in "sheets" naturally the leaner sections of your body will show definition the quickest.

4.) REMAIN PATIENT AND STAY THE COURSE!

DAYS 61 - 90 (PHASE 3 - APPROXIMATELY)

1.) This is the Phase to let it all hang out. It’s an all out assault on body fat. Your metabolism is in high gear, you have noticed a drastic improvement in definition throughout your entire body and your most stubborn pockets of fat are carving away.

2.) This is the time to do some extra workout sessions. Walk after dinner, take an extra bike ride. Skip rope, box, and do something extra to burn more calories and more fat.

3.) At the end of this Phase you want to be standing tall on Day 90, proudly take your after pictures and be able to say, "I worked as hard as I possibly could have during the past 90 days, I BROUGHT IT!"
So there it is, what to expect during a Phase of P90X. If anyone has any questions and would like to discuss some of the finer points of what I have described above, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Live Strong,

Mike

Protein has many important roles in the body; they are part of every cell: muscles, connective tissue, blood-clotting factors, enzymes, immune bodies, hormones, and bones.

Protein Is Needed For:

* Muscle and tissue growth (especially important for children, teens, and pregnant women)
* Muscle and tissue repair
* Regulating the pH, or acid-base balance, in the blood
* Preserving lean muscle mass; especially when on a low carbohydrate diet
* Controlling many of the important processes in the body related to metabolism
* Providing energy when carbohydrate is not available
* Making essential hormones
* Making and enzymes or subunits of enzymes, catalyzing chemical reactions
* Immune function via protein antibodies

Protein is found in common foods such as:

* Poultry
* Fish
* Meat (e.g., beef, pork, lamb and veal)
* Meat substitutes (soy)
* Milk
* Eggs
* Cheese
* Nuts
* Legumes

It can also be found, although in much smaller quantities, in some starchy foods and vegetables. Eating a diet rich in these foods is a good way to get protein.

WHEY PROTEIN

Whey protein contains about 25% BCAA’s - the highest of any protein source.
Whey protein is considered a “Fast Acting” protein because its short chains and peptides make it available for absorption within approximately 20 minutes of ingestion. This is amazingly fast in comparison to its counter part casein or even whole food. It is this property that makes whey an excellent choice as a post-workout recovery supplement.

SOY PROTEIN

Soy is a high quality protein (equal to egg protein in providing amino acids) that is both low in saturated fat and high in other healthful compounds

PROTEIN POWDERS

Regarding protein powders there are several out there of high quality. Beach Body’s Protein Powder is VERY high quality.

If your protein is not of high quality your hard work in the gym will not be maximized, and your overall health may also suffer, since your body will not be getting the bioactive peptides, vitamins, and minerals it craves and needs after heavy resistance workouts

PROTEIN BARS[/COLOR]

can be a super convenient way to get needed protein into your system when you are short on time. They can be tossed into your gym bag for that perfect, post- workout, hi-protein meal, or into your briefcase for a fast lunch.

A protein bar however is only as good as its ingredients and the processing. A protein bar should provide quality protein with bioactive nutrients that will help replenish energy reserves particularly post workout, spare amino acids and promote maximum net protein utilization for growth.

Protein bars should have the correct nutrient blend, be free of toxins and taste well. What I mean by a correct nutrient blend is the right amount of quality protein with the correct percentages of high quality carbohydrates, and good fat (no hydrogenated, partly hydrogenated or rancid oils).

WHEN TO TAKE PROTEIN

The goal for anyone wishing to optimize muscle building and minimize the storage of excess calories as body fat is to eat as perfectly as possible so that the body is provided a steady stream of nutrients, and so that blood sugar levels also remain steady.

One of the most important ways to accomplish this goal besides eating high quality, low fat foods is to eat small multiple meals (every 2 to 3 hours). Eating at least six evenly spaced meals throughout the day, they provide your muscles with a steady stream of nutrients, keeping their body in an anabolic environment (as indicated by a positive nitrogen balance).

Most importantly eating smaller more frequent meals is very important when it comes to protein consumption because proteins cannot be stored in the body like carbohydrates can (carbohydrates can be stored in the liver as glycogen and used up to days later when needed).

Maintaining a positive nitrogen balance will prevent the body from dipping into its own muscle tissue (catabolism) to get nutrients it needs (like protein).

Eating small evenly spaced meals keeps insulin levels stable, a requirement for proper fat metabolism and proper growth. Eating this way is also easier on the digestive system and it is also more efficient. Studies have shown that eating frequent smaller meals will raise the metabolic rate, burn more calories and result in less body fat storage.

The post work out meal is extremely important because this is the time where the body is especially receptive for nutrient uptake. Blood amino levels and blood insulin levels are typically lower.

Because blood amino acids levels are lower this is an important time to consume a quick digesting fast protein such as whey protein hydrolysates to ensure that the body maintains a positive nitrogen balance and anabolic state.

All my best,

Mike

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL?

I’m talking about a life changing, didn’t think you could accomplish it, goal.
Something out of your reach right now. Something you REALLY want.
Be it, reaching a body weight goal, running a marathon, completing a triathlon.

Achieving a goal that others doubt you can reach.

“Why did I achieve this goal? Because you said I couldn’t”

What is stopping you from reaching this goal? What is holding you back? We can all come up with 1000 excuses on a daily basis. “I work too much.” “It’s to tough to eat clean for that long.” “I am too busy with my Family.”

Excuses are like rear ends, EVERYONE has one. Decide to drop your excuses..TODAY!

Leave nothing to chance. Do what must be done to move you towards your goal RIGHT NOW. Life is short, too short to waste time.

Imagine for a second how AWESOME you will feel if you achieve a goal that you and others around you didn’t think was possible. Believe me, its an INCREDIBLE feeling.

So many people plod through life, hoping good things will happen to them. Don’t hope, MAKE good things happen. Aggressively go after your goal until you achieve it!

Make a difference in your life. Blow some peoples minds, your own included.

Take a SPARTAN approach to achieving your goal. KNOW with all of your being that you WILL accomplish your goal. Accept nothing but your very best. Be an example for others to emulate. Take a stand and lead from the front. Don’t be a follower. Make something truly special happen in your life.
Don’t hide in shadow but stand proudly in the sunshine. Earn that goal and enjoy every second of your victory!

Live Strong ~ Live Lean

Mike

Personal power is a quality few people understand. It has very little to do with physical strength or technical proficiency. Its a commodity different from political power, economic power or even Military power, although people who have personal power can usually achieve in those fields if they choose to. To get to the point, personal power is the powerful force that you generate by freeing yourself from fear of failure, no matter the consequences.

We all walk through life making decisions by anticipating the potential outcomes of our actions. All too often people make a choice not based on what they can achieve, but what fearful outcome can be avoided.

Achieving personal power means finding the courage to drive ahead no matter what your problem threatens.

When you divorce yourself from any fear of failure, your problem no longer holds any power over you.

Man and Woman’s greatest fear is death. Imagine the power you wield when you throw off your fear of dying! If you can kick that fear all other problems in life become trivial.

There are those who quietly walk into crowded rooms and command attention simply by their presence. These people stand straight and tall, and they project a confidence that only comes from years of disciplined training. They don’t join in cliques-more times than not, they stand alone-but they recognize and gravitate towards each other.

They shake your hand with a  firm grip, and when they meet your eyes, you feel an energy you can’t describe.

The first step in achieving personal power is always to assume you are going to die tomorrow. Face it, embrace it…savor it! Now go out and do today what you most need to achieve in this world!

Tell that special someone that you love them unconditionally. When you are up to your eyebrows in work, take the time to play with your children.

Workout harder than you ever have…hold nothing back! Eat so clean that your body has to burn fat, you have no time for junk! Go out and do what must be done….today!

The Superior man/woman undergoes three changes:
Looked at from a distance, he/she appears stern.
When approached, he/she is mild.
When he/she is heard to speak, his/her language is firm and decided.
Confucius

Fast as the wind, quiet as the forest, aggressive as fire and immovable as a mountain.
Samurai Battle Banner

Life is too short to by mentally and physically weak. Leave nothing to chance. Think of today, go out and do what must be done! Tomorrow will take care of itself…..

Live Strong ~ Live Lean

Mike