Q&A Part 1

So basically this past month and a half, I've been focusing mainly on lifting and getting stronger, and I must say that I've made some satisfactory gains. Right now I want to get back into the cardio shape that I was before, but at the same time I don't want to sacrifice too much strength along with it.

At this point I'm trying to add more definition with a "mini cut"...in other words cutting cals but not by that much while attempting to lift just as much (or as close to it as I can) as I am currently.

I'm sorry to bother you, but I was just wondering if there's any advice you could give me (i.e.-Program, approach, etc.). Thank you for your time!

-G

I have a couple of suggestions. If you can keep the intensity up, keep following your lifting program. Now, the main issue is recovering properly, so there are several things you can do to help that. First, make sure you're consuming tons of protein. You don't have to go crazy, but you want around 1.5g per lb of bodyweight.

There are several reasons why I recommend this much protein. First, the body needs protein to recover, especially on a cut, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Second, protein does two things in the body better than carbohydrates do: It suppresses the hormone Ghrelin (which makes you hungry) and stimulates PYY (which makes you feel full). Again, protein does this better than carbohydrate, so on a cut when you're more likely to feel hungry, eating some protein rather than carbohydrate (don't cut carbs out completely obviously, you need those to recover too) can help you feel fuller.

Second, of all the macronutrients, protein has the highest Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). This is essentially the calories that your body burns just to digest the macronutrient. Protein has the highest TEF, so it makes sense to eat a lot of it, to try and burn more calories. Now, it's not a huge part of the day (I think TEF accounts for like 5-10% of all calories burned) but every little bit helps.

So, now that that's covered, let's talk about recovery. You said you're wanting to get into better cardio shape as well. I suggest steady state cardio rather than HIIT. HIIT can be quite taxing on the nervous system, which reduces intensity in the weight room, where you need as much intensity as possible to reduce strength loss (or even gain strength).

I have no idea why, and this is pretty anecdotal, but I find that the nervous system recovers better when eating at a surplus. For this reason, HIIT while on a cut really batters the body, while SS cardio allows you to get the conditioning work in, burn some calories, and still recover.

Finally, if you find that you're still not able to keep intensity up in the weight room, cut some volume. For example, if you were doing 3x5 at 135 on the bench press earlier, drop it to 1x5 of 135, or maybe even (since there are fewer sets) 1x5 of 140 or 145. You have to keep the weight high to mitigate strength loss. That's because it's easier for the body to maintain than it is for the body to gain- so even if you're having issues, you can come out of the cut with the same level of strength.

Now, I think that you should be able to actually gain strength through the cut. As you know, you won't be able to build muscle, since that requires eating at a surplus, but there are other factors that serve to increase strength. Neurological factors play a huge role in increasing strength, and there are also microadaptions that occur. Both of those things can (and do) happen while eating at a deficit, so I'm fairly confident that you'll be able to keep gaining strength.

Basically, do steady state cardio on your off-days, keep lifting with a strength program, eat lots of protein, and if recovery is getting compromised, cut volume in the strength program while keeping intensity up.

Sorry that was so long, I got sidetracked and I enjoy talking about this stuff.

Constructing Training Sandbags of your Very Own!

(The format editor on this website hates me, and I just can't get it to look all pretty. So please just ignore any weird spacing/font issues in this post. Thanks.)




Woohoo, summer! It's about time, honestly. 


So yesterday night I was planning to go to the YMCA and lift (for the first time in a few days, unfortunately), but when I got there the DeskMan informed me that they had officially switched to summer hours, and they would be closing in about 15 minutes. 


Irritated, I went home and finally assembled the materials I needed to construct my training sandbags (I had been putting it off, go figure). I built it, trained with it, and I'm quite pleased. Buying training sandbags online usually costs around $100, and I made these for like $15. Totally worth it. 


They're very difficult to work with, and they'll be excellent Odd-Object Training for my clients and myself. I'll put up some sandbag routines and pictures in a later post. 

Making The Bags
So the first step to make sandbags of your very own is to get the "ingredients," which are: 


Some Sand-- I bought 3 bags, or around 100 pounds (estimate). That was too much, but whatever, I'll make 2.
Some Bags-- I highly recommend investing in these. I got the ZipLock Heavy Duty 1 Gallon Freezer Bags. Get the 1 gallon ones.
Some Duct Tape-- To seal the bags. Plus it's handy. (by the way, both "Duct" and "Duck" are correct)
A Trowel-- This isn't really required, per se, but it'll make the process a LOT easier
A Bag-- You want a heavy canvas bag, if possible. I'm using a duffel bag for traveling right now, but I'm going to buy a canvas bag off the internet.

So the second step is to actually make the lil' sanbags (so cute!). Tear open the first bag of sand, and use the trowel to fill a ziplock bag about 3/4 full. This is important- do NOT fill them more than about 3/4. They'll tear open, I guarantee it. Once you've filled a bunch of bags (only 3/4 full!), double bag them. 

Again, worth it- and you only really need 1 package of ziplock bags. I used 2 of my big bags of sand to fill (3/4 full) about 10 one-gallon ziplock bags, which is more weight than I can really use anyway, so you don't need to buy too many ziplock bags. Once you've double-bagged them, use the duct tape to tape the end closed. Depending on how much tape you have and how much you care, you can tape around all the edges, or maybe even just make a giant wad of duct tape. Up to you.

Once you've made all the lil' bags, load them into your canvas bag. I have.. like 7, I think, in my bag right now, and that's plenty of weight. Zip/Click/Seal your canvas bag, and get started!

Random Thoughts
You want a minimal canvas bag if possible. You don't want a whole bunch of pockets or straps or anything flying all over the place, since they'll just get in your way. Also, I prefer not to use the straps at all. I feel that actually having to grab a fistful of bag helps build the grip, which is just an added benefit. However, I DID leave the straps on, since they can be useful for things like Sandbag Rows or Sandbag Swings. 


Another nice thing, if you're using them for clients (like I am) is that you can adjust the weight quite easily. Just add or remove some of the lil' sandbags, and you're good to go! You can do a ton of fun things with sandbag(s), and I'll have another post that details some of them. Or I'll just edit this one. Whateva. 

More fun training tools? (Answer: Yes)

Beat The Heat

Wow, it's been a really long time (read: like 2 weeks) since I last wrote for BSM. I got caught up in all the ...responsibilities of summer. Like.. sleeping. And stuff.

Anyway, today's article is in commemoration of the ridiculous heat wave which is currently sweeping my hometown and making training absolutely miserable. 

First: Recognize Symptoms

The first thing to know about exercising in hot weather is to pay attention to your body. You need to be on the alert for any of the symptoms of the heat disorders. The three heat disorders, in order of severity, are Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion, and Heat Stroke. 

Heat Cramps is the most mild of the heat disorders, and is what it sounds- painful cramps or spasms brought on by exercise in the heat. Heat Exhaustion is a more total-body affliction, and this is what you need to look out for. The symptoms are headaches, fatigue, malaise, nausea, faintness, mental confusion. There's a fairly wide range of severity for Heat Exhaustion, starting with simple fatigue and excessive perspiration and ranging through the symptoms like mental confusion. If you cannot cool off, the body eventually enters Heat Stroke.

 Heat Stroke is not something to mess around with- internal body temperature rises over 104 degrees fahrenheit, and the heart beats extremely rapidly, around 160-180 beats per minute. The patient frequently no longer sweats, and eventually unconsciousness, convulsions, and death result. 

This is why it's so important to pay attention to your body- you need to recognize the symptoms of Heat Exhaustion before it becomes severe. If you have a headache, or if you're unusually fatigued, are feeling nauseous, you should stop exercising. 

Knowing the symptoms is all well and good, but the important thing is prevention. 

1. Exercise Closer to Home

Say you're doing a 5 mile run. Rather than do 2.5 miles out and 2.5 miles back, find a 1 mile loop and do that 5 times. Boring? Yes. Safer? You bet. Trust me, you do NOT want to be at the turnaround point when you realize that you're starting to get Heat Exhaustion and still have to run all the way back. If you're starting to feel the symptoms, you can just stop, rather than try and figure out if you're going to have to walk home.

If you can't or won't do this, carry a cell phone. You may well need to call somebody to come pick you up, or even call 911 if your symptoms get too severe. Bring the phone. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

2. Wear the Right Clothing

You should be wearing white, of course, but also wear any technical fabrics that you might have. They wick sweat away from your body, which keeps you cooler, and if you dump water on them it feels really nice. 

Oh, and wear a brimmed hat, if possible. It keeps the sun off of your face and keeps sweat out of your eyes. You dissipate a lot of heat through your head though, so you should wear a very thin hat if possible. If you don't have a thin hat, it's better to go without. 

I have a nice mesh hat that I got from a race that I use. It's white, mesh, and has a brim, so it's pretty much perfect. Looks stupid, though. 

3. Lower Intensity

Don't work hard in the heat. Just don't. The heart beats faster in the heat, so you're already exercising harder than you would be otherwise, and it's harder to achieve any given speed. 

Also, the harder you work the more your body temperature rises, so you get closer to risking heat exhaustion. If you have a hard training day planned, either try to swim instead or just lower the intensity. Training in the heat, even at low intensities, helps the body adapt to hot weather, so the more you train in the heat to better you'll be when you race. So don't worry, you're still getting a benefit, even though you're not going fast.

4. Ice.

If it's really hot, lay a bandanna out flat. Fill it with ice, roll it up, and tie it around your neck. It'll melt, trickle down, and keep you cool. It's a very effective method for very high temperatures. 

Also, let's say you're doing that loop I mentioned earlier 5 times. You can put 4 cups of ice water on your porch beforehand, and each loop douse yourself with the water to keep cool. It'll take virtually no time, and it'll help you avoid any of the heat disorders. 

5. If You Didn't Listen

Ok, so let's say you didn't follow any of these steps, you were out in the heat for a long time, and you manage to get home. You know that you don't require hospitalization (again, better safe than sorry-- if you think you need it, call 911) but you have heat exhaustion. 

Get 3 bags of ice, frozen peas, or very cold washcloths and place 1 bag in each armpit and 1 bag in the general crotch area. These sites are where the body responds best to cooling, so that's where you need to get the ice. You can also put some on the forehead, neck, and abdomen, if you so desire.

Do not jump in an ice-cold shower right away. Going between very hot and very cold that quickly puts a lot of stress on the body, and you could go into shock. Instead, get into a lukewarm shower and then gradually decrease the temperature. 

Stay safe!