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Exercise, Training, or Ritual
Are you exercising, training, or performing rituals? You might consider the first two to be synonymous and the third, esoteric and totally foreign. However, I would argue that the first two are similar but distinct, and a lot of people might unintentionally be engaged in the third. Either way, I would argue that each are valuable and can play a…
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My Lunches in Pictures: 2017-2020
The gallery of images that follows is in no way all the lunches I’ve had from 2017 to 2020. It’s a snapshot to show the basic composition of lunches, a macro scheme I’ve followed from 2007 when I first read and adopted the nutrition principles in Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto and Nutrient Timing by sports…
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Why You Need to Log Calories
Some personal trainers and “health gurus” don’t believe in logging calories. Instead, they say “eat when you’re hungry.” I don’t agree with that. I know from experience that eating below or too far above the amount of calories your body requires (for muscle gain, fat loss, or maintenance) can sabotage any prospect of reaching your goals. For someone serious about…
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Women’s Beginner Upper Body Strength Workout
Exercise Type: Strength/Resistance Level: Beginner Goal: Muscle development & endurance Baseline set & rep schemes for strength exercise: 8-10 reps – This rep range stimulates muscle growth if performed with a challenging weight. To maximize muscle stimulation, lift a weight or choose a resistance level that is challenging enough that you’re physically unable to perform more than 8-10 reps. 12-15 reps – This…
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7 Reasons Why I Don’t Compete
Powered by RedCircle Bodybuilding seems to be gaining in popularity, and many die-hard gym rats train with the ultimate goal of competing. This goal provides purpose and motivation to train hard. But there are a fraction of fitness enthusiasts who have no intention of competing – at least not in an aesthetics-based competition like bodybuilding. These people don’t care who…
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My Biggest Leg Day Mistake
From 2007-2013, my “heavy” leg day exercises were done with the Smith and leg press machines. I trained hard, lifted heavy, but over that six-year period, all I got were big, shapeless legs. This made me jealous of other women who had well-developed, shapely legs. Diet aside, my body fat percentage never reached above 16%, so my muscles were not…
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Championship Bodybuilding Book Review
Chris Aceto is known for creating bodybuilding champions like Jay Cutler. He wrote Championship Bodybuilding in the 1990s. Before reading the book, I had an extremely difficult time putting on muscle. My goal was to show off my muscles without having to flex. In 2005, I obtained my personal training certification from the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). I learned…
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The Nutrient Timing System Book Review
The key to a great physique is not just knowing what to eat, but also when to eat specific foods. The Nutrient Timing System was written by two men with Ph.D.’s in sports nutrition, Drs. Robert Portman and John Ivy. The book covers when to eat specific nutrients and why. Drs. Ivy and Portman have worked to help Olympic athletes reach…
