Myth Busters: Strength training will make you look like The Hulk

I don’t want to look like the Hulk/Arnold/etc.

If I had a penny for every time someone (mostly females but some males also) said this to me, I think I’d be able to retire now.

Here’s the deal - raw and brutally honest. You can not, and will not, look like a bodybuilder by “accident”. There is 0% chance of it happening, and yes I will take those odds. This is especially true for people just starting out into strength training, however it applies to even advanced weight training people. Take me for example - Last time I’ve checked I don’t look like a big huge bodybuilder, and I’ve been lifting for over 22 years.

I know people see these huge bodybuilders in magazines/commercials/TV and think, “wow I don’t want to look like that, so I don’t want to strength train”. It’s Dr. Spencer Nadolsky says (aka the Dr That Lifts) - “When people tell me they are scared to lift weights because they think they will look like a pro bodybuilder…. I tell them that’s like being scared to drive because they think they will becomes a nascar driver.”

You don’t “become” a bodybuilder overnight, or even after years of consistent weightlifting. Simply ask all the people that are actually TRYING to become one. It doesn’t happen by chance. In reality, it takes years of heavy training (think 2-3 hours PER DAY) and super strict dieting (think 500-1000 calories a day) to achieve results like that - and most people don’t do those things on “accident”. 

In addition to the above it also takes….

LOTS OF STEROIDS! Yes, you heard me, female bodybuilders are all on steroids, male bodybuilders are obviously all on steroids.

So unless you are going to start lifting 3 hours a day, cut your diet to 500 calories and start sticking a needle of high dose testosterone/deca/steroid then you can COMPLETELY forget about looking like a “huge bodybuilder” any time soon.

OK, so now that we’ve addressed this myth can we focus on lifting heavy for all the health benefits that come from proper strength training? Besides weight loss/body toning strength training has also been shown to help you burn calories more efficiently, lower your risks of falls/injuries, improve your heart health, reduce your risk of diabetes, promote greater mobility, make your bones stronger, boost your mood and improve your brain and mental health.

Have you run out of excuses yet? If so and you’re ready to get started, reach out to Joey at jtabstrength@gmail.com or swing by the gym to learn more about a strength training regiment that will provide all of the benefits above, and won’t turn you into The Hulk.

Myth Busters: It's too hard to eat protein

Your body needs protein. I think we can all agree on that. The disagreement usually comes when people start asking, “how much?”. This blog won’t be the place to tell you exactly how much you should be getting individually, but I can tell you it’s probably more than you think and more than you’re getting in now. Even if you are not lifting weights regularly or an athlete, your body needs protein. It allows us to function better, and leaves less room for easily stored carbs, fats and sugar. It is also probably the hardest macro to overeat, although you’ll see in this blog we’re going to attempt to try!

The classic idea of adding 1gram of protein per gram of bodyweight is a good starting point for people that are strength training and/or athletes. This ensures that your protein requirements for sport or activity are totally met with plenty to spare for other bodily functions. Athletes or strength trainers should aim for between .7 grams per bodyweight up to 1.5 grams per bodyweight (as long as they don’t have any pre-existing conditions).  

A huge benefit of protein is that is has the highest rate of satiety. Try eating 3 whole chicken breasts compared with 3 big pieces of cake. Which one is harder to eat? Which one leaves you full for hours later? For anyone that has attempted to eat that much chicken, the answer is pretty obvious.

When it comes to consuming that much protein, many people struggle and say they can’t eat enough to fill their quotas. They also think of foods that require a lot of prep and time to cook. However, that is not always true. Some easy foods that are high and protein and low in fats and carbs are:

Chicken and Turkey breasts/tenderloins  

Lean (more than 90% lean) beef/bison/wild game meats

Tuna/Salmon/White fishes

Minimally processed deli meats (look for no nitrities/nitrates)

Turkey Bacon/Canadian Bacon/Ham

Egg whites

Low fat/no fat dairy products (Yogurt/Cottage Cheese/Cheese/Milk)

Protein powders (Vegan/Whey/Egg/Beef) and Essential Amino Acids (EAA)

Use these as your base meals/snacks and you will be on your way to better body composition and health. If you have questions about your specific diet or want to build a nutrition plan customized to you, contact Joey at jtabtraining@gmail.com.  

Myth Busters: Working out only once a week isn't worth it

Everyone thinks that in order for exercising out to be effective, or “worth it”, you have to do it multiple times a week. And while that would be ideal, for many of us our schedule doesn’t allow us to take the time to get a gym more than once a week.

So, if you fall into that category and you can’t workout with a trainer or at a gym more than once a week, you might as well just give up right?

WRONG. Hear me out. 1 Workout a week (consistently EVERY week) = 52 workouts a year. Not doing anything because you don’t think it would be “worth it” = 0 Workouts a Year. What’s better 52 or 0?

Now, more the science (and some psychology). Most people begin a workout routine in an attempt to lose weight. Because I don’t like the term “weight loss”, I like to turn it around and say we should only be focusing on fat loss and muscle gain. Because this is what most people really mean when they mean “lose weight”. Often our goal is to change our bodies, which means taking down the fat, and  replacing it with lean muscle.

When reframing your goals this way, they actually make a lot more sense. Because in order to most effectively burn fat, you need that muscle mass. Muscle burns through calories at a much more efficient rate.

Although those lines, building or keeping muscle mass through strength training has also been proven to help lose fat better than only doing cardio. Building muscle will continue to burn calories long after the workout is over. And the even better news? It only takes one heavy workout a week to keep strength/gain strength effectively. One workout of heavy weight lifting a week will put you on the right track to succeed in your goals.

In addition, staying consistent with that ONE workout a week will put you on track to making healthier choices the rest of the time. You will “want” to eat better and move more on the days you’re not in the gym. Your other “workouts” don’t need to be inside the gym either. You can walk, jump rope, do bodyweight workout circuits or anything else that gets you moving and feeling motivated.

This is CRITICAL for long lasting fat loss and health. The more you move, the better for every aspect of health. All it takes is starting with that ONE heavy strength workout a week. Trust me. It builds character as much as it builds strength and resiliency.  

Don't make the wrong resolutions this New Year

It’s officially 2020! We made it to another year, and you’re probably doing the same thing you did at the start of 2019, 2018, 2017, etc..  You promise yourself that this year is going to be different. You’re going to eat better, lose weight and change your life around.

There’s an old saying that if you keep banging your head against the wall it’s going to keep on hurting. So, if these “resolutions” didn’t work in the year’s behalf, how is this year truly going to be different?

So many people have been riding the “fat loss program” rollercoaster forever. On January 1st they decided to go to the gym and just do all the cardio machines in an attempt to undo all their bad habits from the year before.

January, February, March, and April, they ride the “cardio train” with minimal body change results. They quickly become frustrated and give up, falling right back into some old bad habits.

During that time they’ve lost important muscle mass, destroyed their metabolism so it starts to work against them, gotten overuse injuries from “pounding the pavement”, and just ended up more tired and hungry from all the cardio.  That’s right, studies show that doing tons of cardio makes you eat more, makes you more hungry and usually crave carbs (to replace the energy you just expended.

Now the question becomes, if starving yourself and doing tons of cardio isn’t the best way to lose weight, how can you meet your goals in 2020 the right way?

Enter Strength Training….

When the focus is on getting strong(er) (getting more jacked, lean muscle, ripped… whatever you want to call it) there is a shift in your whole body and mind connection. You lose the stress of “worrying about losing weight” and instead know you are strictly focused on increasing weight and getting better each week/workout. Getting stronger is bettering your body = win/win!

Stressing out about losing weight all the time takes a negative toll on your body. It raises your cortisol levels to the extreme (which causes you to actually hold on to/gain weight) and kills your hormones.

Strength training helps to create a positive hormone response that will help increase your Testosterone levels and Growth Hormones levels, and regulate your Grehlin, Cortisol, Leptin levels needed for optimal performance, recovery, and health. All of these hormones are pivitol in losing weight and changing body shape.

Strength training also helps keeps (and increases of course) the muscle mass you have. This added muscle mass helps with metabolism, health, athletic performance, and even normal everyday tasks like going up and down stairs, walking around, carrying laundry, grandkids, etc.

And for those of you that just cringed at me using the term “muscle mass”. Gals (and even some guys) muscle mass does not been becoming a huge body builder. Can we stop fearing something that is so powerful, makes us badasses, strong(er/her) and more functional? Muscle mass is what literally changes your body composition and body in a good way. It’s literally what “shapes” us, whether you’re looking for long and lean, or bulky and muscular.

So in 2020, are you ready to finally make that positive shift in body, health, mind over to focusing on getting strong(er), more athletic, creating more muscle mass? If you are, then my team at Jtab Training is ready for you!

Protein, Protein Everywhere!

 Protein. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t mention the word or talk about how important it is for all health related things. Fat loss, muscle mass gain, bone density, bone strength, general health… protein can be a huge player in all these. I will spare you with all the science about Protein but trust me it’s really important.

Most people reading my blogs are looking for better body composition, am I right? And by “better” I mean more muscle/less fat primarily. Protein not only builds those nice shoulders and glutes that everyone wants, it ALSO keeps you fuller longer. This is a game changer because if you are “full” your mindless snacking will most likely be significantly reduced, cutting calories and lbs.

In the meantime to help you obtain all the protein you “need” for that body you want, enter protein shakes (powders). And although I agree that having a big steak is more “filling” than a protein shake, the steak also comes with lots and lots of fat (albeit mostly good fat but fat nonetheless). I am NOT saying steak is bad, I’m saying it is high calorie so to get all your protein from steaks you would probably take in WAYYY too much fat.

All about Protein Powders:

There are 2 major types of protein powders that we can talk about. Whey (Dairy based) or Vegan plant based, (non-soy). Whether we talk about Whey or Plant Based, I always recommend getting a powder with natural sweeteners and the fewest ingredients possible. Why do I only recommend more natural powders? I feel if you are using it daily or a few times a week don’t you want cleaner nutrition? I sure do. If a food item is a once a month thing then it’s probably less important the quality, but something that I (or in this case you) take on a regular basis, I would hope you are trying to get the best quality you can find. The difference in pricing is not as much as it used to be, yet the difference in quality can be huge.

Most of the choice between the 2 styles is just preference, unless you vegan or dairy tolerant (notice I did NOT say lactose intolerant, I’ll explain). The amino acid profile for vegan protein has come a long way and now rivals that of the original “gold standard”, whey protein. So the difference comes down to taste, allergies, or vegan preferences. It does make sense to switch it up now and then though if you can tolerate both forms. Variety is the spice of life!

 Whey Protein:

The Whey proteins I recommend are only Whey Isolate, which means the lactose is removed 99% (strained more hence the higher price). Whey protein powders are generally 25grams of protein per scoop making it a high protein meal/snack. Double that and you’d have to eat lots of steak to match that or about 2 chicken breasts in one sitting (which is pretty hard to do).

My favorite Whey Isolate Protein is About Time. You can pick it up here on my Amazon page.

Vegan Protein:

Vegan protein powder I recommend is usually made from a myriad of plants/rices (brown rice, hemp, quinoa, cranberry, etc). Benefits of these protein powders are of course lactose free, animal free, dairy free and usually free of any allergies. These tend to more “organic” and most vegan proteins are naturally (stevia/monk fruit) sweetened, so you don’t have to look at the ingredients as much. Some, not all, vegan protein powders I recommend act more of a meal replacement because they have a “greens” blend and probiotics in them as well. This isn’t necessary if you are getting enough greens in elsewhere. There are some that are solely protein also and usually are 15-22grams that I have found. Yes, that means a little less protein but most of the time better assimilated or digested (even if you tolerate dairy pretty well).

My favorite Vegan Protein Powder is Sunwarrior and you can get that here.

My favorite Vegan Meal Replacement is Nutiva and you can get that here.

Keep an eye out for my next blog with some of my favorite smoothie recipes utilizing protein powder!

Straight Flexin'

We talkin’ about flexin’.  Flexin’?  Really?  Is this about bros flexing in the mirror admiring their huge biceps?  No, (well, maybe a little) but not entirely.  This is the kind of flexing that can be done in the comfort and safety of your own house.  Let me explain.

One of the biggest obstacles when I first start to train someone is them being able to “feel their muscles”.  I ask them to “squeeze their glutes” or “make sure you feel your lats”.  Well, to a new beginner that is a daunting task.  To a bodybuilder they will laugh at you and then just start flexin’ or posing like they are on stage.  Their mind muscle connection is at 100%.  So the next question is will you look like a bodybuilder just by practicing flexing all your muscles individually?  Ummm, probably not (nice try though!), but it is an important step to working your way there. 

What it will do, is get you that all important “mind-muscle connection” that us trainers are looking for in our clients.  The sooner the client gets that, the sooner we can advance.  It will make a world of difference when it comes to moving past “newbie” stage and into the intermediate stage.

Don’t believe me? Check out this article by Dr. John Rusin, all about the importance of the “mind-muscle connection”.

How to do it.  Well just flex.  No really, it’s that simple.  Start with one side and “touch” that flexed muscle with your other hand. As and example, flex your left bicep and make sure it is really flexed by holding it with your right hand. Once you’ve mastered that, start flexing both biceps at ones (bodybuilding shows call this a Double Bicep Pose - a la Arnold Schwarzenegger). 

Each time you flex, run through this list of the “main” muscles:

1)    Biceps (front of arms)

2)    Triceps (back of arms)

3)    Lats (side of back (have to do one at a time and touch the opposite lat to make sure it’s tight)).

4)    Pecs

5)    Shoulders

6)    Glutes

7)    Quads (work like triceps to extend the knee)

8)    Hamstrings (work like biceps and flex the knee)

Let’s get flexin’ and start to convey that over to helping your workouts.    

My Last Fat Loss Nutrition Blog EVER!

This is it, the last one…  why you might ask?  Cause I can’t make it any more simple than I’m going to make it right now. A simple plan to simply lose fat.  Because we all know the goal is to lose fat, not just “weight” (big difference here).

Are you ready for the secret? You have to have less calories going in calories out.  

Does it get more simple than that?  For pure weight loss (not caring if it’s muscle mass or fat) it’s as simple as calories in and calories out. You have to expend energy or calories while daily living and working out.  Now here’s where the hard part comes in; You have to count EVERY single little morsel of “food” that you take in, even those “few” M&M’s you ate from your kid’s snack.  So, as you can see, what starts as a simple answer can get a little bit more complicated.

The real answer actually lies somewhere in the middle of having to have a PhD in advanced biology and mathematics, and the calories in vs calories out simplicity.  The real answer lies with making sure your macronutrients are taken care of (protein for muscle recovery and gain, carbs for energy and micronutrients, and fats for hormonal/skin/brain help).  You have to ensure that you’re not only limiting your calories, but managing the TYPE of calories your intaking.

You CAN go workout for 4 hours twice a day if you want, to eat whatever is in front of you.  However, because most of us don’t have more than an hour tops a few days a week to workout, we need to come up with a better, more manageable option.  This means we need to have a general idea of the calories we are eating, to adjust the exercise we should be getting in each day.  In order to truly lose weight, you should limit the days your calorie intake is higher than you expenditure to a maximum of 1 per week.

Exercise recommendations typically favor “cardio” for the sure amount of calories burned DURING exercise. This is why weight training will never be the go to for health care recommendations although it should be. But, with cardio you’re only counting calories burned while exercising, and it doesn’t take into account what is burned for the hours after.   With weight training, there is something called EPOC or afterburn.  I won’t bore you with the numbers but let’s just say over 24 hours lifting weights vs running for one hour, the weight training will eventually burn more calories.  

Hormones: little “things” inside our body that regulates how well we burn fat, keep muscle, lose fat, digest nutrients, build muscle, sleep quality, “hunger” and many other things.  Hormones rarely get the love they deserve when it comes to a fitness plan, and they are just starting to be recognized in their importance.  Many things affect our hormones like like lack of sleep, STRESS, etc.  It’s a constant battle to keep hormones in check and regulate the hormones that work for us.  There’s a hormone, Leptin, that if not regulated won’t trigger that “I’m full” feeling.  And of course, you can imagine, that not feeling full, will just lead you to overeat and gain weight.

It may seem confusing, especially with all sorts of “different” types of diets out there. So, in effort to clarify, I’ll be giving even more tips in my next blog - I lied about it being my last one :) - that will take this whole calorie in vs. calorie out thing to the next level.

Zercher Squats

Today we're showcasing the Zercher Squat. This powerhouse move works multiple areas of your body. This move has the benefits of a regular squat (legs, quads and glutes), but combines super core activation to work your abs at the same time. It also helps safeguard your lower back as there is less of a potential of pulling or injuring it, and helps take the pressure off your spine by putting the weight at your mid torso. As if all that isn't enough, you'll even get a bonus shoulder workout.

A big thank you to our Jtab squat model Aaron Binek.

High Step Ups

While I was injured I had to get creative with exercises.  I couldn't do heavy traditional lifts so I increased intensity with range of motion with a high step up. This is a great exercise to stretch out the hips, increase range of motion and work your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. Make sure your knee starts above hips to create that deep squat feel.  You don't need heavy weights with this particular exercise, as the intensity is the range of motion.