Well, it's been a little while since my last post, but I am progressing quite well. My Lats have grown, along with a subtle teardrop in my quads!! Totally stoked!! Oh yeah, can't forget my shoulders! My pride and joy right now :-)
I will post some pics soon but am kinda shy about it now. I was so fixated on taking pictures of myself and thinking I was farther ahead than I really was. I would have an amazing workout, muscles pumped, veins popping and wanted to capture that moment. I would look at the photos and deflate immediately. I never gave up though. I have to remind myself that I am 45 and should be proud that I finally care enough about my body to take care of it and push it to the limit I know I am capable of. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE!!
I am still doing the same split. Legs, Shoulders and Back, twice a week. I just change up the exercises, amount of weight, reps, etc. Always keeping my body guessing. Have to do this as I am trying to build before leanout. Wouldn't recommend this for everyone but it has definitely worked for me. I concentrate on correct form and push, sometimes to failure. I am so thankful for BCAAs and Glutamine! Seriously? What would I do for recovery without them? Well, I am sure there are some food choices but I am going the supplement route and my body thanks me!! Granted I do eat clean every day. 4 clean meals plus a protein shake with creatine and fruit, pre and post and then casein at bedtime. Thought I should clarify. Ummmm, there is the occasional cheat meal, of course. Once again, my body thanks me :-)
I have all ready started to chart my diet plan for the 12 weeks. GOODBYE RED WINE ;-(
Hello, tons of oatmeal, egg whites and green beans.
When I get closer, I will start posting more. Heck, maybe I'll go public with this blog!! Teeheehee :-)
Out for now :-)
Monday, March 26, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
YES TO FRUIT
I found this very informative article from Muscle and Fitness and wanted to share!
FRUIT FACTOR
No need to fear fruit—get the timing right, pick the right fruits and you could actually speed along your gains
Fruit—like anything else with sugar in it—gets a bad rap in the physique business. The prevailing thought behind this hysteria is that anything with sugar in it is going to end up planted jiggly on your waistline. But fruit has way more to offer than, say, that Cinnabon—however tasty and heavenly that cinnamon roll may be—you picked up at the mall yesterday.
Yes, we know—there is some science behind the popular aversion to fruit.
"Fruit provides valuable phytochemicals that benefit health, yet the fructose content is a concern for many because it is a type of sugar that cannot be directly utilized by the muscles," admits M&F Senior Science Editor Jim Stoppani PhD. "Only the liver has the capability of converting fructose into glycogen—the storage form of carbohydrates."
The problem with fructose arises when the liver glycogen levels are full. At this point, fructose gets converted to fat and that helps to increase the size of the fat cells. Since we aren't equipped with fuel gauges to tell us how full our livers are, many bodybuilders opt for avoiding fruit all together. But such extreme measures are not necessary. There are actually a few times when fruit is not only okay—it's actually helpful.
FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
The best time to eat fruit is immediately upon waking. While you sleep, your liver burns up its glycogen to supply needed glucose to the brain during your nightly fast. When liver glycogen levels begin to dip a signal is sent to the brain to start breaking down muscle protein to convert amino acids into glucose for the brain. When you wake in the morning you are a muscle-burning machine. At this time of day you will not have to worry about fructose being converted to fat, so eat up. The fructose will be put to good use for restocking the liver glycogen levels and switching off the signal to burn muscle protein.
Best morning choices (pick 1 or 2):
Pineapple (1 cup diced)
Honeydew melon (1 wedge)
Orange (1 medium)
Banana (1 medium)
PRE-WORKOUT
Another good time to eat fruit is about 30-60 minutes before a workout, particularly if you haven't eaten a high-carb meal for several hours. The fructose will replace the liver glycogen that's been used throughout the day, which will be used to steadily deliver glucose to the working muscles while you exercise and help to spare the glycogen in the muscle cells. This helps to prevent muscle fatigue that usually comes on strong as muscle glycogen levels begin to fall.
Best pre-workout choices (pick 1 or 2):
Pear (1 medium)
Watermelon (1 wedge)
Apple (1 medium)
Cantaloupe (1/2 melon)
Grapes (1 cup)
Strawberries (2 cups)
Raspberries (2 cups)
POST-WORKOUT
After a workout there is nothing wrong with eating some fruit to replenish your glycogen levels in both your muscles and your liver. Just remember that two servings of most fruits will only provide about 20-30 grams of carbs. For those who want to optimize muscular gains you'll need to kick the carb grams up to at least 40-100 grams by also eating some white bread, potatoes, rice or oatmeal, or making sure the whey protein you'll also need at this time contains at least 20 grams of carbs.
Best post-workout choices (pick 1 or 2):
Cherries (1 cup)
Peach (1 medium)
Apple (1 medium)
Cantaloupe (1/2 melon)
Grapes (1 cup)
Strawberries (2 cups)
Raspberries (2 cups)
It's true what they say—no one ever got fat by eating plenty of fruit. Just make sure your fruit choices are well-timed and that you are relying on whole fruit for fuel—that pitcher worth of smoothie likely contains a veritable fruit horn's worth of fructose and calories which is a bit much for a physique-minded individual. It's not to say that the occasional fruit smoothie will kill you—it's certainly a better indulgence than a double cheeseburger—but like most things, you will need to moderate how often you have them. M&F
FRUITS FOR SUPPS?
The value of fruit goes way beyond glycogen replenishment. Check out these little-known supplement-mimicking benefits of some popular produce:
Grapefruit
Subjects who ate half of a grapefruit with meals or drank 8 ounces of grapefruit juice three times a day lost 4 pounds (with some losing more than 10 pounds) in 12 weeks without dieting.
Orange
The king of the citrus world is a great pre-workout snack because the vitamin C helps protect nitric oxide (NO) from being broken down by free radicals. It also helps to have one post-workout because of these same antioxidant effects.
Apple
Apples contain polyphenols which have been proven to increase strength and fat loss.
Cherries
Grab a handful of cherries post-workout to reduce inflammation and enhance recovery. The wonder ingredient? Anthocyanins.
Watermelon
This citrulline-heavy melon helps you with blood flow and nutrient delivery since citrulline gets converted to arginine and NO.
FRUIT FACTOR
No need to fear fruit—get the timing right, pick the right fruits and you could actually speed along your gains
Fruit—like anything else with sugar in it—gets a bad rap in the physique business. The prevailing thought behind this hysteria is that anything with sugar in it is going to end up planted jiggly on your waistline. But fruit has way more to offer than, say, that Cinnabon—however tasty and heavenly that cinnamon roll may be—you picked up at the mall yesterday.
Yes, we know—there is some science behind the popular aversion to fruit.
"Fruit provides valuable phytochemicals that benefit health, yet the fructose content is a concern for many because it is a type of sugar that cannot be directly utilized by the muscles," admits M&F Senior Science Editor Jim Stoppani PhD. "Only the liver has the capability of converting fructose into glycogen—the storage form of carbohydrates."
The problem with fructose arises when the liver glycogen levels are full. At this point, fructose gets converted to fat and that helps to increase the size of the fat cells. Since we aren't equipped with fuel gauges to tell us how full our livers are, many bodybuilders opt for avoiding fruit all together. But such extreme measures are not necessary. There are actually a few times when fruit is not only okay—it's actually helpful.
FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
The best time to eat fruit is immediately upon waking. While you sleep, your liver burns up its glycogen to supply needed glucose to the brain during your nightly fast. When liver glycogen levels begin to dip a signal is sent to the brain to start breaking down muscle protein to convert amino acids into glucose for the brain. When you wake in the morning you are a muscle-burning machine. At this time of day you will not have to worry about fructose being converted to fat, so eat up. The fructose will be put to good use for restocking the liver glycogen levels and switching off the signal to burn muscle protein.
Best morning choices (pick 1 or 2):
Pineapple (1 cup diced)
Honeydew melon (1 wedge)
Orange (1 medium)
Banana (1 medium)
PRE-WORKOUT
Another good time to eat fruit is about 30-60 minutes before a workout, particularly if you haven't eaten a high-carb meal for several hours. The fructose will replace the liver glycogen that's been used throughout the day, which will be used to steadily deliver glucose to the working muscles while you exercise and help to spare the glycogen in the muscle cells. This helps to prevent muscle fatigue that usually comes on strong as muscle glycogen levels begin to fall.
Best pre-workout choices (pick 1 or 2):
Pear (1 medium)
Watermelon (1 wedge)
Apple (1 medium)
Cantaloupe (1/2 melon)
Grapes (1 cup)
Strawberries (2 cups)
Raspberries (2 cups)
POST-WORKOUT
After a workout there is nothing wrong with eating some fruit to replenish your glycogen levels in both your muscles and your liver. Just remember that two servings of most fruits will only provide about 20-30 grams of carbs. For those who want to optimize muscular gains you'll need to kick the carb grams up to at least 40-100 grams by also eating some white bread, potatoes, rice or oatmeal, or making sure the whey protein you'll also need at this time contains at least 20 grams of carbs.
Best post-workout choices (pick 1 or 2):
Cherries (1 cup)
Peach (1 medium)
Apple (1 medium)
Cantaloupe (1/2 melon)
Grapes (1 cup)
Strawberries (2 cups)
Raspberries (2 cups)
It's true what they say—no one ever got fat by eating plenty of fruit. Just make sure your fruit choices are well-timed and that you are relying on whole fruit for fuel—that pitcher worth of smoothie likely contains a veritable fruit horn's worth of fructose and calories which is a bit much for a physique-minded individual. It's not to say that the occasional fruit smoothie will kill you—it's certainly a better indulgence than a double cheeseburger—but like most things, you will need to moderate how often you have them. M&F
FRUITS FOR SUPPS?
The value of fruit goes way beyond glycogen replenishment. Check out these little-known supplement-mimicking benefits of some popular produce:
Grapefruit
Subjects who ate half of a grapefruit with meals or drank 8 ounces of grapefruit juice three times a day lost 4 pounds (with some losing more than 10 pounds) in 12 weeks without dieting.
Orange
The king of the citrus world is a great pre-workout snack because the vitamin C helps protect nitric oxide (NO) from being broken down by free radicals. It also helps to have one post-workout because of these same antioxidant effects.
Apple
Apples contain polyphenols which have been proven to increase strength and fat loss.
Cherries
Grab a handful of cherries post-workout to reduce inflammation and enhance recovery. The wonder ingredient? Anthocyanins.
Watermelon
This citrulline-heavy melon helps you with blood flow and nutrient delivery since citrulline gets converted to arginine and NO.
TRAINING TOUGH
So, I've been training my patootie off and really feel like I am making strides.
This was taken a few days ago after an amazing shoulder work out.
Yeah, I sure wish I could gain size faster but I AM seeing progress. I am about one month out from leaning out. This next crucial month is about eating plenty of calories and staying hydrated. Lifting heavy goes without saying!
This is my current schedule:
Monday- Legs/Glutes
Tuesday- Back/Bis
Wednesday- OFF
Thursday- Shoulders/Chest
Friday- Legs/Glutes
Saturday- Back/Tris
Sunday- Shoulders
Been doing this schedule for about 2 weeks and my body has taken to it really well.
Still eating clean with an occasional cheat meal here and there. Trying to keep the cheat meals to a minimum but always try to schedule them the day before Legs where I will need those extra calories! My cheat meal is usually a Boca burger with a smothering of grilled onions, mushrooms and Swiss cheese. Oh yeah, don't forget the french frys!!
I have taken my sups down a notch.
Here is that schedule:
Upon waking- 2g Arginine
Pre workout- 7g Glutamine 5g BCAA 3g Creatine 20g Whey Protein
Post workout- same as Pre + 10g Casein
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner- fish oil, joint support, digestive enzyme, multi
Before sleep- Casein shake
I will have an apple or banana upon waking to replenish my glycogen stores that were depleted while I was sleeping.
I always make sure to have some carbs Pre and Post workout to give me energy. Heavier carbs on my Leg days, medium carbs on the others except on my day off where I have a minimal amount.
Well, it's my day off so I am going to relax now!!
Out
This was taken a few days ago after an amazing shoulder work out.
Yeah, I sure wish I could gain size faster but I AM seeing progress. I am about one month out from leaning out. This next crucial month is about eating plenty of calories and staying hydrated. Lifting heavy goes without saying!
This is my current schedule:
Monday- Legs/Glutes
Tuesday- Back/Bis
Wednesday- OFF
Thursday- Shoulders/Chest
Friday- Legs/Glutes
Saturday- Back/Tris
Sunday- Shoulders
Been doing this schedule for about 2 weeks and my body has taken to it really well.
Still eating clean with an occasional cheat meal here and there. Trying to keep the cheat meals to a minimum but always try to schedule them the day before Legs where I will need those extra calories! My cheat meal is usually a Boca burger with a smothering of grilled onions, mushrooms and Swiss cheese. Oh yeah, don't forget the french frys!!
I have taken my sups down a notch.
Here is that schedule:
Upon waking- 2g Arginine
Pre workout- 7g Glutamine 5g BCAA 3g Creatine 20g Whey Protein
Post workout- same as Pre + 10g Casein
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner- fish oil, joint support, digestive enzyme, multi
Before sleep- Casein shake
I will have an apple or banana upon waking to replenish my glycogen stores that were depleted while I was sleeping.
I always make sure to have some carbs Pre and Post workout to give me energy. Heavier carbs on my Leg days, medium carbs on the others except on my day off where I have a minimal amount.
Well, it's my day off so I am going to relax now!!
Out
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