Doug Collins | Personal Trainer | DC Fitness | Dayton, Ohio
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"The Basics" Might Not Be Fancy, But They WORK

1/23/2017

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Supersets, drop sets, giant sets, single leg pistol squats, bosu ball standing shoulder presses, backwards lunges, burpees, handstand pushups, German volume training, blah blah blah! I could go on for an entire blog post just naming all the "fancy" shit I see trainers doing with clients on a daily basis, both in real life and on the internet.

​And you know what, I totally get it. People want to be entertained by their workout, and many people think if they're not in the fetal position on the floor at the end of the training session, they've not had a good workout. Workout program ADD and punishment by workout are all the rage these days, and for the life of me I will never understand it.

You want to know the secret to getting really strong and in REALLY good shape? "Bookmark this page and prepare to be blown away by this secret that trainers don't want you to know." Do some form of these exercises, and do them on a regular basis:
  • Squats
  • Deadlifts
  • Bench Press
  • Overhead Shoulder Press
  • Chin-ups or Pull-ups (assisted if need be)
  • Rowing exercises
  • Heavy carrying exercises
  • Occasional sprinting, battle rope work, sled pushing, etc.
  • Walking
There may be a few more I'd add in there if you were an athlete or someone who wanted to do bodybuilding, but if you're a regular person who wants to get lean, have some appreciable muscle, and just be generally awesome, that's pretty much all you need! You don't need to do endless sets of torturous and oftentimes awkward exercises. You need the basics, you need to learn to properly perform the basics, and you need to get stronger at the basics on a weekly/monthly basis. 

Should you squat on a balance ball? Hell no, that's dangerous and stupid. Do you need to know how to perform a perfect sumo deadlift? Nope, a regular deadlift will be fine. Do you need to do curls to get bigger biceps? Chin-ups work just as well, and work your back and core in the process. I'm going to keep saying it. YOU JUST NEED TO LEARN THE BASICS.

If you were to go in the gym with me and watch me workout on a typical Monday, my workout would go something like this:
  1. Barbell Squat- 3 sets of 5 at 85% of my maximum weight
  2. Bench Press- 4 sets of 4 at 90% of my maximum weight
  3. Barbell Deadlift- 5 sets of 2 at 95% of my maximum weight
  4. Dumbbell Carry- 3 sets of 50 steps
  5. Walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes
The next week on Monday, I would do that same exact workout, except I would try to add in the neighborhood of 2.5 up to 10 extra pounds on each lift from what I did the last time. I'm not going to be doing endless sets of sit-ups (they're awful for your spine, and heavy barbell lifts work your core just as well). I'm not going to do burpees until I throw up. I'm going to do the basics, I'm going to get stronger at the basics, and I'm going to get in better shape. Period.

If you simply want to exercise, go in the gym and do random exercises that serve no purpose to achieving some kind of end goal. If that's good for you, that's your prerogative and that's just fine. If you want to TRAIN, you go in the gym knowing exactly what you're doing that day, how heavy and how many reps you're going do of it, and improve upon those numbers on a consistent basis. Training can be monotonous, it can be boring at times, and it can be brutally hard. But there are few things more gratifying than training smart and doing things in the gym you never thought you could. Exercise might be entertaining because it's always different, but it only serves to make you sweat, not get better at something. What's the point of that?

If your current gym routine is just "exercise" and you want to learn to do something more measurable and effective, please feel free to visit my services page and fill out a consultation application. One more time, if you can competently perform the basics, they will serve to make you a better, faster, stronger human being every time. Or just keep exercising. I guess that's fine too!
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How to Deadlift in 5 Steps

1/19/2017

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If you're working out with me, and you're a healthy adult without major joint or spine issues, you WILL be deadlifting. Forget what your doctor or your friend who "broke their back" deadlifting tells you. If you deadlift properly, you will actually strengthen your back and many of your back ailments will go away. I speak from personal experience on this topic because I've hurt my back deadlifting the wrong way before. Once I cleaned up my form, my back has never felt better as an adult. Here's a helpful video from Mark Rippetoe about properly deadlifting in 5 easy steps!

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CREATINE: NO, IT'S NOT A STEROID

10/18/2013

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Just the other day, I was telling someone about how I needed to buy some more creatine because I had run out.  That's when they asked this.  "Isn't creatine a steroid?"

To answer the question, no, creatine is not a steroid.  Anabolic steroids are an illegal, synthetic version of testosterone.  You can buy "testosterone boosters" at your local health foods store, however these are nothing more than some herbs and vitamins thrown together promising you a steroid-like experience.  While some research has been done on many different muscle building substances, the most studied and so far most effective muscle building supplement that can be legally obtained is creatine.  

So if it's not a steroid, then what is creatine?  Creatine is actually an organic compound produced by the liver that helps supply energy to cells all over the body, most notably muscle cells.  Around 95% of the creatine your body produces is stored within the muscle, and while your body produces it naturally, an excess of creatine has been shown to verifiably increase athletic performance and with it, muscle building potential.  

Supplementing with creatine isn't going to give you a massive strength increase like anabolic steroids will, but it will give your muscles a noticeable amount more energy.  Medical journals have consistently found that maximum power can be raised up to 15% with steady creatine supplementation.  If you're like me, the ability to do 15% more in the gym is a big deal.  That can mean the difference between finishing your workout and falling a couple sets shy.  And if you're serious about your workout, you should never want to quit before you're supposed to be finished! 

"But I heard that creatine can make people sick?"... Side effects of creatine are usually few and far between.  Some people may have some stomach cramping and the occasional diarrhea, but a cup of coffee is more likely to do that to you than creatine.  The one exception to all this is people with kidney disease or diabetes.  If you have any or both of those things, avoid taking creatine.  Other than that, almost anyone involved in physical activity could benefit from it.  

The next issue involved in starting creatine supplementation is figuring out which kind to buy.  Let me make this easy for you.  You're looking for the label or primary ingredient to say "creatine monohydrate."  Over the years, supplement companies have tried to develop new supplements with "revolutionary" types of creatine in them such as creatine ethyl ester, creatine hydrochloride, or creatine nitrate.  No legitimate studies have shown these to be anymore effective than the original creatine monohydrate.  The only difference is the blow your wallet will receive.  Creatine monohydrate is all you, me or your local professional athlete really needs.  End of story.

If you think you would benefit from getting extra creatine with your diet, you have a few options.  The first is through actual food.  The main food source with the best amount of creatine is beef, namely "round" and "loin" type beef.  You will get an average of 1 gram of creatine per 8 ounces of beef.  While this is a good start, a general baseline on how much creatine to supplement with in a single serving is around 3-5 grams or the equivalent of 24-40 ounces of beef.  If you're not involved in a lot of physical activity, this may not matter a great deal.  If you're looking for an edge no expensive "booster" can give you, it may be time to supplement with creatine. 

In conclusion, creatine is most definitely not a steroid.  In fact, it is likely the most viable alternative to steroids currently available on the market.  On that note, I'm going to have some right now and hit the gym.  I highly suggest you do the same sometime!  Everybody have a great weekend!

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FITNESS MYTHS REVEALED OCTOBER 6, 2013

10/6/2013

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"I want to lift weights but I don't want to get big like a guy.."

That's one of the very first things I hear from nearly every female client.  The preconceived notion amongst many women that somehow lifting weights will make you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger is completely unjustified, but it's also a belief that runs rampant.  This is definitely a myth I would like to clear up today.  Not only is it completely false, but heavy weight training is most likely the key to success for nearly all men and women.
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I get it.  You don't want to look like her.  Hell, even I'm not sure I want to look like her!  While the internet has made it easier to see that not all women who compete in physique contests look like that, that image above is what many women get in their heads when thinking about lifting heavy weights.  Well here's a spot of good news for you, ladies.  The only way you're going to look like her is if you do anabolic steroids and synthetic male testosterone.  

There are a lot of factors for why you're not going to get massive by doing heavy lifting, but first and foremost, it boils down to hormones.  It is well known amongst scientists and fitness professionals that testosterone is one of the biggest muscle builders there is.  It is directly responsible for how much protein a person can synthesize, which is just a fancy way of saying how much muscle they can build.  Men can have as much as 15 times more naturally occurring testosterone than women.  Simply put, and to drive the point home again, if you're not shooting up steroids and synthetic hormones, you're not going to get huge. 
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Physique Competitor Dana Linn Bailey
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Figure Competitor Nicole Wilkins
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Bikini Competitor Nathalia Melo
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Stacey Alexander

Those 4 ladies above all have very different body types.  All are professional athletes competing in different classes of elite competition.  They also look vastly different from that large female bodybuilder I posted a picture of.  What that has to do with is their training methods, genetic makeup, and in most cases their lack of drug (steroid) use.

These women are at the absolute peak of what they can make their bodies look like, and have literally been training for years to achieve the look they possess.  In my opinion, you couldn't label any of them "bulky," including Dana Linn Bailey.  While she has a look that is considerably more masculine than the other 2 women, she still only weighs in the neighborhood of 130 pounds while still retaining very feminine features.  

Whether you would prefer to look like Dana Linn Bailey or you would rather have a smoother look like Nathalia Melo or Stacey Alexander, one thing remains true.  You are going to have to develop a training routine that is going to get you those results.  All of them will involve lifting, in some cases, some pretty serious weight.  Cardio and abs at the gym ever day and poor eating habits will never help you achieve these results. 
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Powerlifter Dana McMahan

When I am putting together a routine for a client, I don't treat women any differently than men.  Women can do the same exact things men can do in the gym, and their bodies are going to react almost identical to each other, the exception being women won't build large muscle mass quite like men.  

Those 20+ rep, very light weight workouts so many women (and some men) like to do are garbage.  When you do 20 reps of an exercise with light weight, you may get a good pump in your muscles and feel like you're doing something good for yourself.  However, you're really just building muscle endurance.  Muscle endurance is obviously important depending on your goals, but let's be honest, most women want that toned and tight look.

If toned and tight is your what you want, put down those 5 pound dumbbells and pick up the 30's.  Better yet, hire a trainer or go with an experienced friend to the gym and learn how to properly do squats, deadlifts, and other compound exercises.  Stop doing 20 reps of dumbbell curls and start doing 5 intense reps of heavy squats.  Do endurance type workouts once or twice a week, but make heavy lifting day your main priority.  You won't get huge, but you will get strong, build dense muscle, and burn fat at an accelerated rate.  Isn't that what you want, after all?  

Ladies (and guys), if you have any other questions about this post or need help with a plan to achieve your goals, whatever they may be, feel free to contact me any time.  I hope everyone had an amazing weekend and that you got in the gym at least once.  If not, tomorrow is a new day.  Get to the gym and pick up something heavy.  You might just see the results you've been missing!  
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FEAST OR (INTERMITTENTLY) FAST?

10/1/2013

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My last post was dedicated to telling you why breakfast as we know it pretty much sucks.  I explained that the majority of your fat burning comes in the morning with or without exercise, and if we were smart, none of us would eat for at least a few hours after waking up.  I'm going to take that subject just a bit further today by explaining the benefits of intermittent fasting (IF for short).  

Just as not eating breakfast and not worrying about 6 meals a day are quickly becoming a popular school of thought amongst fitness professionals, IF could also be included in the list of very popular protocols to live by.  In my "fitness infancy" as I like to call it, I used to harp on people for not eating anything until lunch time.  Little did I know they had inadvertently stumbled upon what could be a huge step in total overall fitness, assuming what they ate the rest of the day wasn't garbage.  In a way, a lot of people do IF every day and don't even realize it!

On average, many of us go somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-12 hours between our last meal of the day and the next meal we eat after we rise from bed.  As I've explained in previous posts, the body awakens and is primed for fat burning.  IF plays directly into the hands of that fat burning process, but instead of waiting just 2 hours to eat after you get up, IF may have you waiting far longer before indulging in your first meal of the day.  Most trusted IF protocols recommend around a 16 hour fast to reach optimal results.  

This is the reason why.  As most of you are carb eating people, your body turns those carbs into glycogen for storage in the muscle and liver, as well as glucose in the blood.  The time frame for your body to metabolize carbohydrates is around 8 hours.  If you never give your body proper time to metabolize your previous days carbs before you start eating more, glycogen in your muscle/liver and glucose in your blood stream is always going to be the fuel your body uses, not fat.  As I have explained before, this is a great way to make sure your body is always producing new fat cells instead emptying out the ones you have.  However, if you don't give your body that carb-based fuel for 12-16 hours, or hardly ever in the case of low carb dieting, your fat burning potential is going to go through the roof.  Sounds great, right?  But wait, theres' more!

Aside from the fat burning potential that goes along with IF, growth hormone production shot up between 1000-2000% depending on the subject.  This means muscle growth and fat burning, which most experts will tell you is almost impossible to do at the same time.  Other benefits include normalizing ghrelin (the hunger hormone) levels, lower triglyceride levels, and in some cases even improving memory and learning capabilities.  Basically, IF has very few downfalls and a large number of benefits when compared with the standard "eat every 2-3 hours" diet.  
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I'm going to explain some general rules of thumb for IF, but first, a warning.  IF isn't for everyone.  For most people, doing the things I explained in my breakfast posts would be ideal.  Get up, have your Bulletproof Coffee and eat an hour or 2 later.  Also, if you have issues with blood sugar regulation, such a diabetes, IF is probably not the route you should be going.

That being said, if you're a healthy individual who is very dedicated to your personal fitness and have big goals in mind as it pertains to fat loss, muscle gain and better performance, IF could very well be the thing you're looking for.  It's definitely something I have been enjoying for quite some time now.  In fact, as I'm typing this, I've just entered my 16th hour without food, and I feel great.  I couldn't even tell you the last time I ate breakfast first thing in the morning.

I recommend starting out with IF by just doing it a few times a week to see how you feel.  I personally find the best days to try it is after your heaviest carb days.  So if you did legs at the gym yesterday and had a lot more carbs than usual, the next day would most likely be optimal for skipping breakfast and possibly lunch.  When you're ready to give it a go, here are some basic rules for beginners:
  • As with all diet protocols, you must first determine your Basal Metabolic Rate, then adjust your calories based on activity level and goals.  Just because you're going to only be eating 6-8 hours a day doesn't mean you will be eating less.  You will need to fit all your required calories and macronutrients (fat/protein/carbs) into this window.  I can't stress enough how much decreasing some of your carb intake and upping your healthy fat (omega 3s, coconut oil, avocado, etc) intake can help in the process of your body learning to use fat for fuel.  However, it is not fully required to see success on IF.
  • The night before your first fast, cut off your food intake around 8pm or so.  The only thing permitted from here on out is water.  Some black coffee with a bit of coconut oil and a multivitamin in the morning is fine for most people, but under no circumstances will you be eating anything solid until your first meal of the day.
  • If you're a first time IF'er, shoot for an 8 hour eating window the first few times.  So if your first meal is at noon, you will be done eating by 8pm.  If this is your off-day from the gym, make the first meal your largest of the day (some people will make it up to 50% of their daily caloric intake in one meal).  Otherwise, make your largest meal of the day after your workout.  If your workout is still in the morning fasting window, that's okay.  The noon meal will be your largest.  
  • Consume all your calories in 2-3 meals a day.  If you're doing an 8 hour window, there's no need to try to eat 6 times.  In fact, as I've previously said, there's never a need to eat that many times a day.  If you're doing 2 meals, have one at noon and one before your cut off time at 8pm.  Split the calories around 50/50.  If you're doing 3 meals, split them accordingly, just make one meal is larger than the other 2 (either the noon meal or post workout meal, as explained above).  
  • Final rule: Lose fat, spare muscle tissue, and build muscle in some cases while taking the hassle out of all day eating!

That's simply just one way to do IF.  There are many methods used by many different people.  Some use the 16/8 method used above and do it daily.  Others go 24 hours and beyond without food and just do it once a week.  It's literally a trial and error thing, and ultimately it boils down to what works for you as an individual.  I've personally been on an IF-type eating schedule for a long time and I have no idea how I would ever go back to "regular" eating.

IF isn't what I would call a "diet."  It's a lifestyle, and a very sustainable one for most people.  I will be writing more posts on this subject in the future, including an FAQ tomorrow to explain a few things a bit more in depth.  My goal is to give all my readers an incite into the very large amount of ways to achieve better performance and overall health, and I believe IF to be one of the most effective, least talked about methods out there.  I hope everyone has an awesome day, and if you haven't already, go work out!
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COUCH SURFING.  CALORIE BURNING.

9/23/2013

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No, unfortunately this isn't some exercise program where you can get ripped sitting on the couch.  Today, I'm going to touch on Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).  The most basic explanation for BMR is this.  If you never left the couch like our friend above, no matter what, your body is going to burn calories.  How many calories that is exactly depends on a lot of factors.  Just know that if you spent the whole day watching television today or squatting 300 pounds in the gym, your body is going to burn something.  Everything you do burns calories.  Breathing, blood circulation, digesting food.  You name it.  

Calculations for getting this number vary wildly depending upon the person.  For example, a 30 year-old, 6 foot man who weighs 180 pound is going to burn in the neighborhood of 1900 calories a day no matter what.  A 30 year-old, 5-foot-6 woman who weighs 130 pounds is going to burn an average 1400 calories a day, give or take.  How is this number determined, you ask?  There are a number of different equations to calculate BMR, but I generally use the Harris Benedict Equation.  This is how the Harris Benedict Equation works:
  • Women: BMR= 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
  • Men: BMR= 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

I'm aware that's an awful lot of math, but you can always go HERE and get the number for yourself without having to break out the calculator.   

Is this number 100% accurate? Yes and no.  The only thing this formula really doesn't take into account is lean body mass (muscle) vs. total body mass (fat and muscle).  That's why it's always best to be honest when assessing your activity level when using the calculator I gave you the link to.  If you don't exercise at all, your calorie intake should only be your BMR x 1.2.  If you are in the weight room or on the field 6 or 7 days a week, you could be looking at a calorie range of BMR x 1.9.  

The number you're given in the calculator is assuming you're only interested in maintaining your current weight.  If you want to lose weight, I would recommend subtracting no more than 700 calories from this number.  If you want to gain muscle mass, add 700.  Any more than that, especially when losing weight, you run the risk of losing muscle and damaging your metabolism.  If you're trying to gain muscle, too large of a surplus and you could easily gain as much fat as you do muscle.  

Got it?  I hope so.  If not, contact me HERE and I'll be happy to answer any further questions!  I'll be back tomorrow with another post.  Until then, here's some Motivation Monday stuff for you!

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CARBS: BEST FRIEND OR WORST ENEMY? PART 3

9/21/2013

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READ PART 1 HERE 
READ PART 2 HERE

Lows carbs or low fat?  That is the decision you are ultimately going to have to make with your nutrition.  The low fat diet is the prescribed diet of nearly every TV host, blog writer and personal trainer out there.  The low carb diet is subscribed to by a lot of "rogue" fitness people, and in the history of humanity, is primarily responsible for the peak of physical fitness that was the hunter-gatherer.  

I've clearly stated in previous posts that I prefer the low carb, fat and protein based diet.  However, that doesn't mean I haven't tried the other way around and seen success.  I've tried nearly every method of dieting out there at least once.  It ultimately boils down to what works for you, and I'm going to discuss three different diets here in this post.  For the sake of being a good sport about it, let's discuss the low fat diet first. 
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LOW FAT, HIGH CARBS

Go to your local book store and look in their diet section.  There are literally thousands of books to choose from.  South Beach.  Grapefruit.  Cookie diet.  The options are endless, and many are ridiculous.  Let's just get this out of the way now.  99% of these books are complete crap.  You have most likely just bought and read what equates to a decorative item for your coffee table.  

However, a few diet protocols have got it more right than most.  Most of them involve harnessing the power of The Glycemic Index. As I explained yesterday, The Glycemic Index (going to abbreviate this as G.I. for the rest of this post) is a scale of how different foods affect your blood sugar levels.  In most cases, the lower the number, the better it is.  This isn't a gimmick like many diets are trying to offer.  The index is scientific fact.  Less blood sugar and insulin spiking results in less fat storage.  Combine this with a proper calorie deficit and some exercise, voila! Weight loss.  

Nearly all worthwhile G.I. based diets have similar qualities.  They ask the person to keep carbs moderate to high, yet low on the G.I. scale.  They ask the person to keep protein high and fat low.  They subscribe to the carbs as fuel method, and for how these diets are laid out, that's pretty much fine.  With these diets, when done correctly, you should be able to maintain a fair amount of your lean muscle mass while simultaneously emptying out some of your fat stores.  As with all diets I'm listing here, if you're interested in knowing more or having me set up something for you, contact me HERE.  

So there's option one, and the option the majority of health conscious Americans choose as their method of choice for dieting.  Now it's time to move on to a few less publicized, and in many cases, more powerful dieting options.
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CARB CYCLING

In a nutshell, carb cycling works by combining a series of low, moderate and high carbohydrate days throughout your week to help you achieve maximum efficiency in the gym while also helping you lose fat.  You have a high carbohydrate day on days you're going to have your most challenging workouts, a moderate day when you're not training large muscle groups, and a low or no carb day on your off days.  

I'm not going to spend a huge amount of time discussing this diet for one main reason.  The reason is it's very confusing to most people.  Some big time trainers (not naming names) have articles on their website talking about how easy this kind of diet is.  So easy in fact, you have to buy an entire book they wrote on the subject so you can harness it's power.  That doesn't fit the definition of "easy" to me.  

I'm clearly not opposed to buying books on these subjects, but in my opinion, this is the easiest type of diet to get wrong if you want to see maximum results.  The ratio of carbs, fat and protein changes on a daily basis, and there's a great deal of micromanaging involved in the day to day aspects of this kind of diet, especially if you're preparing for some kind of contest or event.  However, it's very powerful as a fat loss and muscle building agent which is the reason why I'm including it in the 3 options of diets in this post.  

A quality carb cycle will be very different for every type of training client, and if it's something you're interested in discussing further, feel free to contact me about having me help you set up this kind of diet.

Next on our list is what I consider to be the most effective style of dieting there is, while simultaneously being the most shunned and misunderstood of the group...  
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ULTRA LOW CARB

Bacon.  The candy of meats.  There are so many adjectives to describe how delicious the stuff is, I could probably dedicate a whole blog post to the subject.  However, I just included that picture because I feel like people consider it to be a food that should be eaten only on special occasions if at all.  The stigma of bacon is essentially that it's a heart attack on a plate.  Now while all bacon isn't created equal, and you should buy the best quality you can find preferably without nitrates, I'll have you know that I personally eat pounds of the stuff every week.

"What's that, Mr. Personal Trainer?"... You read right, I eat bacon.  I eat whole eggs.  I eat chicken wings with ranch dressing.  What don't I eat?  Carbs.  And I don't just mean I don't eat bread.  I'm telling you on an average day, I eat 15-20 grams of carbs or less.  Why?  Well, a few reasons.  The first reason is the human body doesn't actually need them to survive no matter what you've been told.  The next reason is when you keep your carb count that low, your body becomes a fat burning machine, and in conjunction with proper intake of protein, you lose very little muscle mass.  

Fat loss.  Not weight loss.  The two are very different things.  On most traditional diets, you lose weight.  "Weight" means fat and muscle.  You count your calories (of which most come from carb sources), do all the cardio you've read was great for you, half heartedly lift some weights and you see the number on the scale change to something lower.  This is weight loss.  Unless you're a trainer like me, have a good trainer, or are very knowledgable on the subject, you see this as a positive sign.  And it very well may be if you're dedicated to your cause.  There are plenty of people out there who have used the first 2 diets listed, as well as others, and are in great health and carry a preferable amount of lean body mass (muscle). 

However, there are ways to take chance out of the equation, and in turn, achieve true fat loss.  When you switch your body over to a fat metabolism by incorporating a diet extremely low in carbs but very high in fat and protein, like our hunter-gatherer ancestors, the fuel source it will use as long as it's there is fat.  There are a few cultures still roaming the planet who use these methods, and are the pinnacle of health.  A very interesting article about the Inuit people can be found HERE. 

Ultra low-carb (ULC  from here on out) people are generally a much healthier sort for a few main reasons.  ULC people tend to eat less, which in scientific research, generally leads to longer life as opposed to people who overindulge too frequently.  This has a lot to do with fat being a lot more powerful in satiating hunger than carbohydrates.  Another reason ULC is healthy is because of the aforementioned muscle sparing qualities of the diet.  The more muscle you have, the more calories your metabolism burns at rest, which makes it easier to lose weight and keep it off.  People with a generous amount of muscle and a less generous amount of body fat are healthier as a whole and develop disease less frequently than our less muscular counterparts.

Another beautiful thing about ULC is the ability once or twice a week to eat whatever you want, whether it be pizza or donuts (see: high glycemic carbs), and not only not gain fat, but in many instances to ramp up fat burning.  I'm aware it sounds too good to be true, but strategically timed carbs will only assist in fueling and building your muscles and turning your metabolism into a jet engine while almost completely avoiding the fat cells.  It works this way because you haven't punished your pancreas like I spoke of yesterday, and your body is wholly adapted to using the fat in the junk food as it's primary source of fuel, while using the carbs to store as fuel in your muscle tissue instead of your fat cells.  

There are several ULC methods out there, all of which I believe to be a very high quality, but I also think there is one that is better suited to each individual person on a case by case basis.  Once again, if you're interested in knowing more, contact me HERE.  
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CONCLUSION

This is my no means the last time I'm going to write on the subject of carbs.  However, these 3 pieces I've written serve to provide the general public with a certain understanding of the general principles behind carbs and how eating them affects you as well as a few of the diet options available to you as it pertains to eating or not eating them.  One thing is certain.  There will always be people are for or against using them as the primary source of fuel and energy in their diets.  Which diet is right for you?  I don't know.  However, I am certainly here to help you figure that out.  If you have any questions on setting up a program or just general questions about any material covered in these posts, feel free to CONTACT me at any time.  I hope you've found all this informative.  Check back tomorrow for a new post!

-Doug
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7 YEARS TO A NEW ME (MY STORY)...

9/18/2013

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If you've found your way to my page, I just want to say first that I truly appreciate it.  There are a million fitness pages, personal trainers, and "gurus" out there.  I am but one of many, but I feel like I have a more unique perspective than most of the subject of health and fitness.  "Why," do you ask?  Well, because that picture above is of me in 2006.  

I was 23 years old.  I weighed 350 pounds, had a nearly 50 inch waist, chest pains, and felt completely hopeless.  I had basically never set foot in a gym.  Heck, I couldn't run up a flight of steps without getting completely winded.  I could go into any number of fast food restaurants where they knew my name and what my order was.  I drank 2-3 liters of soda per day.  I would estimate my calorie intake at upwards of 5,000 a day.  

I was also a walking heart attack waiting to happen.  I used to have constant chest and jaw pains.  The first sign you're in trouble is when your jaw starts aching horribly, and I'd say this was happening to me at least every other day if not more.  I also can recall a few times getting up to go to the bathroom and nearly passing out.  One night, I blacked out for a brief moment just long enough to slam my head into the wall.  Scary?  Yes.  However, it still didn't get me to wake up and realize I needed to do something.

That moment didn't come until New Years Day, 2006.  That's the day my grandfather died suddenly in the car on the way to eat lunch with my mom.  He was in his 80s, so they didn't do an autopsy, but he clearly died from a massive heart attack.  He had had a couple pacemakers and several heart related hospital visits in his older years, so it was just a matter of time before the "big one" hit.  That was the day he died, and it was also the day I would tell people I was born for the second time.  I would have never made it to 87.  Hell, I am not sure I would have made it to 30, and I truly mean that.  It was time to change my life before it was too late...

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This is January 15, 2006.  Starting weight: 350 pounds.  I went out and bought the Atkins Diet book, read it cover to cover, and decided that was how I was going to lose my weight.  This isn't necessarily an endorsement of the Atkins Diet, as my methods and ideologies about dieting have changed quite a bit over the years.  However, that was the starting line for me, and I'm extremely glad it was the method I used.  

I essentially quit it all cold turkey.  Junk food.  Soda.  Everything.  I look back now and I'm not sure that was the way to go because I had some pretty killer withdrawal symptoms.  Withdrawal symptoms, you ask?  Yes.  Junk food is a drug.  Soda is a drug.  Sugar is a drug.  All as powerful as any illegal drug out there.  A lot of professionals liken their effect to that of cocaine.  I can't argue with them, because I felt awful for several days.  My body had literally been running on sugar and bad dietary fat for so long it thought I was killing it when it went away.  

However, I persevered.  After 4 or 5 days, the headaches and craving subsides, but it was a long few days!  Then something strange happened.  I had more energy than I'd had in years.  I slept better.  I felt better.  Eventually, I even started looking better.  I'll skip the boring part about my daily meal routines and just fast forward to August, 2006...

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This is me about 8 months later.  I didn't have one single cheat day, meal, or anything else.  I lost 100 pounds almost on the dot.  I very literally felt and looked like a new man.  My pants size went from a 50 in dress pants down to about 38.  XXXL shirts became XL shirts.  For the first time in years, I had confidence.  It was amazing.  

However, I was also at a point where the scale wouldn't budge another pound.  Problem was, I didn't lift any weights during this time or really do much exercising at all except for the occasional walk.  I was what you would call "skinny fat," and I literally had no idea what to do in the gym, or really how to even exercise.  Thankfully, my friend Tony invited me along to work out with him at his gym and teach me some things about lifting and exercise.

Now picture this.  A 6-foot-5, 250 pound man struggling to bench press 15 pound dumbbells.  I had ZERO strength.  I dieted away not only a massive amount of body fat, but also a massive amount of lean muscle mass.  So here I am, 15 pound dumbbells, struggling for my life to bench press them.  A few times, my left arm literally died and if it weren't for Tony I would have a black eye more than once.  I also did my first time on the elliptical at the gym.  I did 7 minutes.  It was the worst 7 minutes of my life, and I literally couldn't stand up, sit down, or do anything without leg pain for a week.  

I know this all sounds completely terrible, being sore and weak, but it lit a new fire inside of me.  15 pound dumbbells quickly became 25 pound dumbbells, which quickly became 40 pound dumbbells.  People started asking me if I had been lifting weights.  If it was possible, I felt even better about myself than I did after the initial 100 pounds.  I became something I thought I'd never live to see the day it happened.  I became addicted to fitness.  That was 2007.  Let's fast forward to 2011...

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August 2007-August 2011.. It may not look like much.  I don't have abs.  I don't have hulking muscles.  However the guy on the right weighs the exact same amount as the one on the left and instead of bench pressing 15's, he can bench press 80's.  I had never been in such good shape, and frankly I would have never thought such a thing was possible.  I felt (and still do feel) incredible, and wanted everyone to feel as amazing as I did.

It was about this time I started thinking about becoming a personal trainer.  I had a wealth of knowledge I had acquired through Tony (I can't thank him enough), reading countless books and articles, and through my own trial and error.  I wanted to share this with people and help them achieve the goals like I never imagined I would reach.  So I asked my dad to help me pay for the program to get certified, and in early 2012, I got certified through the National Federation of Professional Trainers...

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This is me.  Right now, as I'm typing this.  I'm in the best not just shape of my life, but in the best HEALTH of my life, both inside and out.  8 years ago, I never would have imagined I'd have my own fitness website and be doing something I love in personal training.  I wake up every day happy to go to work, and I literally get to work out like it's my job, because it is!  

However, had I never got off the couch and applied myself to this thing, I truly fear I may not be here to write this.  If you're ready to get healthy, you don't have to do this alone.  I've spent the last almost 8 years teaching myself everything I need to know to help YOU get in the best shape of your life.  All you have to do is quit saying "tomorrow."  Eventually, and unfortunately, there may not be a tomorrow for a lot of people because they didn't say enough is enough.  You owe it to yourself, your family, and your friends to be the best you you can be.  Are you ready?  I am!

-Doug

P.S.- Contact me HERE with any questions or inquiries.  I hope to hear from you!
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WORKOUT JOURNAL 101

8/12/2013

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If you aren't keeping a workout journal to track your progress... START!  Above, I've listed an example of what I did at the gym today.  As a rule of thumb, all workout journal entries should include:
  • Date
  • Exercises performed
  • Weight used
  • How many reps were completed

If you include these basics in your journal, you'll be able to look back at past workouts and see where you are, or are not, progressing.  Also, unless you have a photographic memory, you may have no idea what weight you were using last time around.  If you keep a journal, you can just look back at your last workout of that particular body part and there it is!  


This is a very basic journal entry for me.  If you were to look on other pages of my journal, you may see notes I've written, details of positioning used for exercises such as calf raises, or a simple star to symbolize a new personal best or an ideal weight for an exercise I haven't tried before.  There's no wrong way to do this, as long as you're including the basics.  Now start your own journals, friends!

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My Top Fitness Suggestions

7/25/2013

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Someone asked me to give them my 5 most important things I would have to share to someone who is trying to get in shape.  These are a few key points I feel like were worth sharing…

1.  Set Small Goals:  People go into a program and say "I'm going to lose 100 pounds" or "I'm going to be able to bench press my body weight."  Well, losing 100 pounds is a massive goal that you can't reasonably see and being able to bench 250 pounds when you can currently only bench 100 is also not reasonable.  Set a goal such as "I'm going to lose 1 or 1.5 pounds per week" and stick with it.  1 pound a week means eating at around a calorie deficit of 500 a day.  You need to figure out your basal metabolic rate, which is just a fancy way of saying, "if I woke up today and never left the couch, how many calories would I burn?"  Get that figured out, and generally try to eat around that many calories a day because like I said, that measurement is assuming you never left the couch.  Walking/working/giving the kids a bath etc. all burn calories.  So, just assume you're burning your BMR + about 500 calories a day on days you don't exercise and figure out your calorie intake from there.  If 2 or 3 weeks go by, and you either notice the scale going up or even going down too fast, adjust your eating as needed.  1-1.5 pounds a week of weight loss is generally about the only acceptable amount to lose if you aren't classified as morbidly obese.  Anything more than that, and you're probably sacrificing muscle mass as well as fat.  The goal with losing weight is all fat loss, little to no muscle loss.  Which brings us to…

2. Exercise (especially muscle building exercise) is NOT optional:  People, mainly women, are obsessed with the "cardio and abs" gym workout.  They think doing countless hours of cardio and even more countless amounts of crunches will miraculously result in a slim figure with six pack abs.  There's just one problem.  It will most likely result in the exact opposite.  You will more than likely just wind up burning off muscle instead of fat with the cardio and abs routine.  Fact is, you CANNOT spot reduce fat.  Fat is burned evenly along the whole body when you're losing weight.  Cardio is beneficial to your heart and overall general health, and doing crunches can help you build a stronger core which is also a good thing.  However, your muscle is your metabolism.  If you're not using it, you're wasting it.  If you're not building it, you're not progressing your fitness, and losing weight will be infinitely more difficult. 

You have to lift weights/ perform resistance exercise of some kind.  This doesn't mean you have to go into a gym and get under a barbell.  This simply means you have to perform exercises that put stress on the muscles.  And not just a few of them.  Ideally, working all the muscle groups at least once or twice a week is the goal.  Like I said, if you can't get to a gym, that's okay.  Google is a wonderful tool.  Search for "at-home workouts" or "home fitness."  Those fancy programs like P90X and Insanity are very good, but only if you're experienced and somewhat in shape.  Otherwise, you're going to be way in over your head and too sore to get out of the bed after the first workout.  Being sore isn't a bad thing.  Being so sore that you're miserable may cause you to never want to work out again.  Start slow, then build your way up to more challenging things. 

If you do have time to get in the gym and are relatively novice, hire a personal trainer.  Often times, they are people who are very dedicated to helping you achieve your fitness goals.  They are also very knowledgeable and will show you the correct way of setting up a proper fitness program.  A personal trainer can often be the difference from seeing limited results to seeing great results.  They will also show you correct technique and form for exercises, which will reduce the likelihood of injury. 

3. Conquer your insulin, conquer your weight: Most people only associate insulin with diabetes, which is true.  But it's so much more than that.  The best way to define insulin would be to call it your "growth hormone."  Depending on your dietary and exercise habits, that growth could be in the form of muscle or fat.  Cram your body full of processed foods, refined sugars, and high-GI carbs (sweets, white breads, starches) and watch your waistline expand because you're spiking your insulin to dangerous levels.  Eat more whole food, whole grains, vegetables, and have those high-GI carbs at the correct times combined with a daily  calorie deficit and sufficient exercise, and watch your waistline shrink.  It's basically as simple as that. 

Once again, Google is your friend in this instance.  Search "glycemic index" and it will give you a detailed overview of how insulin reacts to the foods you eat.  Learn the difference between high GI and low GI carbohydrates.  The only time you should really be ingesting those high GI carbs is after an intense muscle depleting workout to help replenish and repair your muscles.  Those carbs should be something like a small bottle of gatorade, a handful of gummy bears, or white bread with jelly.  Keeping your insulin under control the rest of the time will help you lose weight, as well as help you maintain much better general health.

4.  Eat right: Fad diets DO NOT work.  There's no magic diet.  There's no magic pill you can take.  The only real diet is a healthy balanced diet.  Period!  You never let your car run out of fuel, because you'd be stranded.  Eating enough and often enough is the same concept.  Keep your body fueled, and it will keep running much more efficiently.

In the past, I was a big proponent of eating many small meals a day, and I would NEVER dream of skipping breakfast.  However, as I've expanded my knowledge on the subject of nutrition, I've learned a few things I would like to share.  Breakfast isn't necessary.  In fact, for some in might be downright damaging to your progress.  When you rise in the morning, the stress hormone called cortisol is at it's highest that it will be all day.  Cortisol is responsible for a lot of different functions, one of them being the storage of fat in your body.  Insulin sensitivity is also very high in the morning. 

Remember, as I stated above, insulin can have damaging effects on your body fat.  So assuming you rise from bed, go in the kitchen, and immediately have the traditional eggs, oatmeal and fruit breakfast, you're essentially stoking the fire that is insulin.  In combination with high cortisol levels, the insulin created by the breakfast you just ate can cause you to gain and/or keep some of that unwanted fat around.

So, I usually recommend to my fat loss clients to have more of a late breakfast that is fairly low in carbs if the opportunity is available to them.  Cortisol levels generally ease a few hours after rising, so having a late breakfast or skipping it altogether is optimal if fat loss is your goal.

Now that I've turned the breakfast theory on it's head, let me touch on another subject.  You can have 1 giant meal a day.  You can have 8 small meals a day.  Your metabolism isn't going to run any faster or slower based on the number of meals you consume.  There's plenty of science behind this that's easily searchable so I won't go into the details.  Just know that the "old school" 3 meals a day diet that was once the staple of American eating is perfectly acceptable.  The little hamster on the wheel in your metabolism isn't going to run any faster by eating a bunch of meals.  End of story.

Protein, fats, and carbohydrates are all important for your body to complete natural processes, however, cutting back carbs is a great way to help release some of those extra fat stores.  If there is one of those nutrients that is extremely misunderstood, and also not completely necessary, it is carbohydrates.  The FDA recommends many more carbs than are necessary on their food pyramid.  You body could live on literally ZERO carbs per day if you were so inclined.  However, 100-125 grams a day is fairly acceptable to eat for most people who are looking to lose fat and also participating in an exercise program, based on personal experience.

Carbs should be low on the glycemic index (whole grains, brown rice, vegetables) except after intense resistance exercise.  Protein should be from eggs/egg whites, leaner cuts of meat and fish.  Fats are a sore subject.  20-25% of your diet should come from fats, and ever more if you are participating in an ultra low carb/ketogenic diet (a subject I will cover in the weeks to come).  Not only are fats more than twice the calories per gram compared to carbs and protein, certain fats are very beneficial to heart health and brain health.  Eggs are a perfect example.  Look for eggs that say "Omega-3" and "free range" on them.  They are more expensive, but pack much greater health benefits than the traditional 99 cents a dozen eggs. That being said, fat sources should be from eggs (1-2 whole eggs daily), nuts, natural peanut butter, avocados, and once again, leaner cuts of meat and fish.  Obviously, there are much more expanded lists of acceptable foods.  Research on the subject, and tailoring your diet to your individual likes and dislikes is imperative.

4.2. Cheat to win: Wait.  What?  Yes, that's right.  You HAVE to cheat on your diet sometimes.  It's not optional for several reasons.  The main reason is the mental benefit.  Let's face it.  Dieting is boring.  None of us like to do it.  Some of us are just better at it than others.  The reason many of us who are very disciplined don't fall off the wagon is because we keep a deep, dark secret.  We cheat.  But let's clarify this.  We don't fall off the wagon for days at a time.  Most of the time, it's 1-2 meals a week up to just one entire day a week where we eat unhealthy.  As I've said, cheating is mentally satisfying.  Eating foods we love spark the pleasure center in our brain.  Dieting for weeks on end is mentally draining.  Sparking the pleasure center can somewhat "refill" your ability to be disciplined. 

The other benefit to cheating is it can shock your metabolism into running faster.  When you're trying to cut fat, you lower the levels of the hormone called Leptin in your system.  Leptin essentially communicates with the rest of your body to let it knows your nutritional status.  Eat too few calories for too long, your leptin levels fall, and you can actually wind up with some unwanted fat or inability to burn fat.  So, that high calorie cheat meal or meals can get your leptin levels and fat burning metabolism back on track.  So, treat yourself once or twice a week, just don't overdo it.  You don't want to ruin all that hard work you did the other 6 days of the week, do you?

4.3. WATER!: Drink at least half your body weight in ounces per day.  Tea, sodas, and sports drink are not to be included in this total.  This needs to be regular water.  Being just 2% dehydrated can take your body's performance down 10-15%.  You can buy a 64oz jug to fill up daily if it helps you keep track of your intake.  Just know that this may be the most important thing you do for yourself.  Your body is almost all water.  Dehydration is bad for your body and your diet.

5. You control your own destiny: Getting fit is just like anything else in life.  If you want it bad enough, you can do it.  Dieting isn't necessarily the most fun thing in the world, and neither is exercise for some people.  However, if you do it correctly, you can and should attain the body you always wanted.  Along with a strong, healthy body, you will have a much stronger mind and much less stress in your life.  There are zero excuses.  I don't like eating the same foods day in and day out.  Trust me.  There are days when I don't want to step foot in the gym.  The difference between a motivated and a non motivated person is the motivated person will be at the gym cursing the weights even when they don't want to be there and thanking themselves at the end.  They will also be the one who goes home and eats a healthy dinner and wakes up the next day feeling accomplished.  This can be you.  You just have to ask yourself what you're willing to do to make it happen.  Take no prisoners.  Make no excuses.  Go out there and make it happen!


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