Give Me The Gift of Muscle Part Two

Post Power 90X Workout & Post Shower Recovery Protein Shake






































The Happy Holidays, Give Me The Gift of Muscle, High Protein Moderate Fat Moderate Carbohydrate Muscle Building Diet and Weight Training Plan

I based this nutrition and fitness approach on years of reading, research, trial and error, correction, and finally results. Not just mine but the trials and results of many other amateur and professional athletes, fitness buffs, bodybuilders, and backyard workout warriors. Below (at the end of this entry) is a list of links to a few good bodybuilding, nutrition, and fitness sources if you wish to read more.

My ratios of macronutrients (protein-carbohydrate-fat) differ day to day but stay within a boundary of roughly 40 percent protein 30 percent carbohydrates 30 percent fat on intense workout days to 50-25-25 on off days. A 2000 calorie day would approximately look like this: 800 calories protein (200 grams), 600 calories carbohydrates (150 grams) 600 calories fat (150 grams).

This approach is not intended to lead to measurable weight loss as I’m aiming for muscle gain and these two approaches don’t always dovetail well with each other. They’re certainly achievable together – I did just that this Summer and Autumn with Power 90X - but this round is for muscle gain.

The reasoning behind moderate carbohydrates versus low carbohydrates is based on sound science (one such study is even discussed in Gary Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories) and anecdotal evidence from the bodybuilding world. You can not achieve the OPTIMAL results on an intense weight training program without the quick fuel carbohydrates provide.

On some days, I cycle calories lower and eat a diet more moderate fats and carbohydrates meaning out of 1800 calories roughly 100 grams of carbs and 100 grams of fat a day to support hormones vital to anabolism while lowering calories. And the protein remains around 1000 calories because high protein is like, duh? We’re aiming for muscle building here and that’s what they’re made of.

As for Power 90X, Tony Horton says these aren’t your momma’s workouts. Right now, I’m limiting aerobics to the integrated cardio in Power 90X and walking. No Power 90X Doubles cardio-licious, ass busting, body fat kicking for 60-90 minutes in the afternoon after a demanding P 90X morning session like I did all summer. Muscle building resistance workouts are KING right now. I want muscle.

Here’s an actual (not sample) line up of my present plan of action with my goal being to gain as much muscle mass as possible in 12 weeks (maximum goal of 2.2 pounds gained).

Holiday Muscle Mass Gain Plan

Day One – Thanksgiving

6 am – Meal One: Coffee and Protein Powder 130 Calories, 25 grams Protein

9:00 :am – Meal Two: Homemade egg salad, 2 ounces ham, whole wheat toast, Smart Balance margarine, 400 Calories, 38 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates

12 pm - Workout – P90X Shoulders & Arms

1:30 pm – Meal Three: Recovery shake, 200 calories, 25 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates

4:30 pm – Meal Four: 2 ounces ham, 2 ounces turkey, ½ cup sausage stuffing, ½ cup mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup Heinz turkey gravy, Crescent roll with butter, 12 ounces wine - 590 calories

9 pm – Meal Five: Repeat of 4 pm - 590 calories

Day Two – Friday 11/23

7 am – Meal One: Coffee, ham, eggs – Calories 235, 33 grams protein, 2 grams carbs

8 am – Shopping In Town (No Workout)

11 am – Meal Two – Subway Roast Beef and Cheese Sandwich with water - 290 calories, 18 grams protein, 39 carbs

3 pm – Meal Three: Protein shake 130 calories, 25 grams protein

5 pm – One bottle of wine sipped through the evening – calories below

9 pm – Meal Four: 2 ounces turkey, ½ cup sausage stuffing, ½ cup mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup Heinz turkey gravy, Crescent roll with butter, 1 bottle wine over the evening - 975 calories, 34 grams protein, 57 grams carbs

Day Three – Saturday 11/24

7:30 am – Meal One: Coffee ham and eggs, whole wheat toast, Smart Balance margarine, 400 Calories, 38 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates

10:30 am – Meal Two: Protein shake, fruit 204 calories, 25 grams protein, 19 grams carbs

1 pm - Workout – P90X Back & Legs

3 pm – Meal Three: Protein shake, fruit 224 calories, 25 grams protein, 24 grams carbs

6 pm – Meal Four: ½ bottle wine sipped over the evening

10 pm – Meal Five: 2 ounces turkey, ½ cup sausage stuffing, ½ cup mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup Heinz turkey gravy, Crescent roll with butter, 1/2 bottle wine over the evening - 975 calories, 34 grams protein, 57 grams carbs

Day Four – Sunday 11/25

8 am – Meal One: Coffee and Protein Powder 130 Calories

10:am – Meal Two: 2 ounce Ham, 2 ounce Turkey, ½ cup Potatoes, ½ cup Stuffing, gravy – 431 calories, 42 grams protein, 49 grams carbs

2 pm - Workout – P90X Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

3:45 pm – Meal Three: Recovery shake, 250 calories, 25 grams protein, 37 grams carbs

5 pm – bottle of wine sipped over the evening – 510 calories

9 pm – Meal Four: : 2 ounce Ham, 2 ounce Turkey, ½ cup Potatoes, ½ cup Stuffing, gravy – 431 calories, 42 grams protein, 49 grams carbs

Day Five – Monday 11/26

7 am – Meal One: Coffee and Protein Powder 130 Calories

10:am – Meal Two: 2 ounces ham, 2 eggs, 1 whole wheat toast with SB Margarine -318
calories, 24 grams protein, 12 grams carbs

1 pm - Workout – Power Half Hour Thighs & Buns (1 Hour Total)

3 pm – Meal Three: Protein recovery shake 200 calories, 25 grams protein, 25 grams carbs

5 pm – bottle of wine sipped over the evening – 510 calories

9 pm – Meal Four: : 2 ounce Ham, 2 ounce Turkey, ½ cup Potatoes, ½ cup Stuffing, gravy – 431 calories, 42 grams protein, 49 grams carbs

Day Six

Rest Day – approximately 1800 Calories, 150 grams protein, 150 grams carbs in four meals

Day Seven

7 am –Coffee and Protein Powder 130 Calories, 25 grams protein

10:am – Turkey sandwich 275 calories, 30 grams protein, 12 grams carbs

1 pm - Workout – P90X Back & Chest

3 pm – Protein recovery shake with fruit 220 calories, 30 grams protein, 25 grams carbs

6 pm – Beer, cheese & olives – 283 calories, 9 grams protein, 16 grams carb

9 pm – Pizza (ham & pineapple) & Beer – 590 calories 30 grams protein, 57 grams carbs

Bodybuilding & Muscle Mass Links To Check Out

I'm Pissed Off by The Angry Trainer

In a society where we're led to believe that eating under 1000 calories per day will lead to the best weight loss, or where "working out" for only 20 minutes three times per week will result in a body resembling a fitness model's, or where Ben Affleck is considered to be a good actor, it's no wonder people aren't making the progress they'd hoped for. And that pisses me off.

Day in and day out, people start a diet or head to the gym on a mission to get a lean, strong, and healthy looking body. More often than not, their efforts are sabotaged by false information from mainstream magazines, books, television shows, infomercials, and "experts" in the fitness industry.

People are very eager to follow training/nutritional advice from the most obscure and random sources. As a result, many end up fatter, slower, weaker, and unfortunately, hurt. I'm not a know-it-all, but I have a fair idea of what works and what doesn't.

Carbohydrates & Bodybuilding

If you ask any bodybuilder to tell you about protein’s role in muscle building you’ll get an in-depth response about the way muscle builds, hypotrophy, anabolic rates and more! But what about if you asked the same bodybuilder about the role of carbohydrates and building muscle? I doubt you’d get a very lengthy response.

Carbohydrates are often overlooked when planning a muscle building diet. This is because a lot of people are not aware of the importance of carbohydrates and the role they play in muscle development. The truth is what type of carbohydrates you eat, when you eat them and how much you eat can have a great effect on the muscle building process.

Using Both Protein and Carbs

Dietitians and nutritionists too often look at the percentage of total energy intake for proteins and carbohydrates. It would be better to look at actual intake levels. Both protein and carbs are needed in high amounts in order to gain muscle for all the reasons discussed above.

The problem in giving general advice is that we are individuals and therefore our requirements for different nutrients vary. If you are trying to gain muscle at the same time as trying to lose body fat, your carbohydrate intake will need to be reduced. If you are a beginner bodybuilder who is very skinny, your protein intake will need to be high and you will need to consume high carb foods regularly to gain weight.


Anabolic Nutrition

Lots of times I will open my e-mails and find tons of questions from people who want to know what supplements work as good or nearly as good as steroids. If there was such a supplement, there is no way the FDA would approve it. There is something you can take though that is more anabolic than the strongest steroid. Most people call it food. Nothing packs on lean mass like a load of food


Carbohydrates Are Back

When you restrict carbohydrate intake, your body responds by converting proteins into sugar; too much = fat. That is sweet's revenge. Fight back: rules to consider the next time you think about leaving out carbs.

A Profile In Courage - The Story of A Nine Year Old's True Bravery

If you have a normal healthy body give thanks and remember it's a privilege to be able to move normally without physical challenges. Take care of this precious God-given gift of a healthy body and nurture it with proper nutrition and balanced fitness.

Meet Nick Nelson











NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams today picked up the amazing story--from local affiliate KARE-11--of Nick Nelson, a nine-year-old boy who requested that his leg be amputated.

Nelson was born with a rare inherited condition called Popliteal Pterygium Syndrome that caused a web of skin to connect the back of his leg to his heel. Because of that webbing, Nelson was not able to straighten his leg and was confined to a wheelchair.

Nick still races his friends around the track at school with a special wheelchair outfitted with handheld pedals and often "smokes them."

So he made a decision no young boy should ever face: He asked to have his leg amputated so that he could be fitted with a prosthesis.

"Sometimes you have to make hard choices in your life," Nick told KARE-11 reporter Joe Fryer. "And that's one of them."

NBC Nightly News isn't the end of the national exposure for this inspiring local story--tomorrow morning, Nick will appear on the Today show.

Watch Video of Nick on NBC Nightly News and to read more of his amazing story.

More about the advances in prosthesis design.

The next generation of prosthetic limbs will incorporate technology that provides a more natural gait and greater comfort and efficiency, and may restore certain sensory functions.

Prosthesis.com

Advances In Prosthesis Design For Paralyzed

Flipping The Holiday Calorie Equation In Our Favor

Or Putting The Happy Back In Happy Holidays or Give Me The Gift of Muscle.
















The majority of dieters, weight watchers, and casual exercisers view the holidays and feasting that accompanies them as a minefield. Each get-together or party is a potential calorie-laden bomb to be feared, viewed with suspicion, and pussy footed around. If I had a penny for every stressed out dieter who resented the Holiday season I could buy out Gold's Gym.

This is wrong thinking on two points (not the part about buying Gold's Gym, I could happily live in one). For one creating stress over your diet or anything is a bad influence on the hormones necessary for fat burning and can actually make you fatter. And two it overlooks the opportunity to put those extra calories to work for us by fueling a ramped up workout schedule. (Which by the way is a great way to cope with the holiday stress you can’t avoid).

Am I saying we should abandon all dietary reason and fall face first into the pumpkin pie and gravy soaked potatoes? No, of course not! But relaxing and enjoying the opportunities to eat luscious foods that can aid in changing your body composition is a wonderful thing.

Making judicious food choices like portion controlling calorie disasters like pecan pie and switching the full fat gravy for a lower calorie version are still essential for mitigating damage to your waistline. I am saying an extra serving of lean protein like turkey or ham (many delicious low fat versions are available) and a few extra carbohydrates like potatoes and stuffing can actually be beneficial to a well planned and well executed workout schedule.

To make this work forget about fat loss until after New Years Day and aim for muscle gain. If you gain a few pounds of body fat along with muscle so what. You can burn it off later and the extra muscle gained will help with that. How much muscle you actually gain will depend on your sex, protein intake, adequate rest, stress avoidance, and how intense you make your resistance training workouts.

With six weeks until New Years Day how much muscle could one expect to gain in this short period of time? The opinion on that varies but one informed source states “…know that beginner and intermediate trainers who train hard and train intelligently towards mass gain can and often do receive gains of 20 or 30 pounds over a 10-12 week period.”

Okay, for a little female squirt like me at five foot even and 115.9 pounds, and with little natural testosterone, this may be an unreasonable goal. But my numbers on Power 90X for two 12 week rounds was 9 pounds of muscle gained. That’s 0.375 pounds of muscle a week or almost 4 ounces. This is a very acceptable goal to me especially since I can eat more now and not gain body fat. I WANT MORE MUSCLE! So over six weeks I could expect to gain 2.25 pounds of muscle. That means I can expect to burn roughly 100 calories more a day from adding that much muscle.

Just think if you’re bigger than me, and particularly male, you can beat that number. How much will depend on the factors listed above.

So I’m game. Bring on the turkey, the free weights, and a butt load of Power 90X workouts.

My starting stats: 115.9 pounds (fluctuates between 116 and 114 in a week), 24 pounds body fat, 20.9 percent body fat, and 92 pounds lean mass. Bust 33.5 - Waist 27.5 – Hips 35.8 – Thighs both 19 – Biceps 11.5.

I’ll report on my progress here including what I ate and my workouts.

* Title: blogsticker
* Post: 5b64b6bb651f3f210870787a6cab5810

Thanksgiving Vacation, Mooning Over My Hammy, & Links To Get Fit and Healthy

Autumn In Mills Park, Carson City, Nevada















Thanksgiving looms and I’m about to get really busy. I finish up my shopping tomorrow and start cooking on Monsday to get a head start on the whole process. We’ll have turkey and ham as well as all our favorite fixings.




















Check out this delicious imported gourmet ham we bought last year and again this year, and at 99 percent fat free – a 2 ounce serving has 50 calories, 0.5 grams fat, > 1 gram carbs, and 10 grams protein - you get a good dose of delicious protein for less calories. And this ain’t your momma’s store bought ham, it’s oh so delic-i-o-so.

iGourmet.com Le Cochon d'Or Smoked Ham

This premium Canadian ham is prepared in the classic French tradition in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, a small town that lies between Quebec City and Montreal. The hogs in Cap-de-la-Madeleine are naturally raised with no growth hormones or steroids, which is a rare occurrence these days.

Their premium-quality hams are hard-carved from the leanest, most tender part of the animal and are 99% fat free. They are delicately coated with unique blends of herbed and spiced marinades and slow cured to develop a full rich flavor and uniform pink color. We offer three popular flavors - Baked Black Forest, Honey, and Cracked Black Pepper. Each ham weighs approximately seven pounds, making one perfect for a Sunday dinner for the whole family, a party on the weekend, or a team picnic. Varieties sold separately.

Price: $34.99
Size: 7 pounds

Assuming I don’t find time to blog in the coming week I’m leaving you with this super sized list of links chock full of information on fitness, nutrition, and a reminder to check out the website Wellness For Nancy and donate if you can.

Giving Thanks for All Our Blessings and Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving! Carol



7 Fat Loss Strategies For Busy Moms
Michael Jordan
November 16, 2007
Would you like to "jump start" your metabolism and lose your ‘mommy belly' once and for all? If so, the following seven tips are exactly what you need to improve your workouts and ignite your metabolism. Try some or all of these tips, but beware, the result may be a number of admiring second glances and the need to pull your ‘skinny jeans' out of the closet.

Bodybuilding Fat Loss Tips for Women
From Hugo Rivera

Lose Fat With IFBB Figure Pro Pauline Nordin
Everyone knows what to do to lose fat, right? Then how come so few reach their goals and achieve that lean look if it's so damn easy to get ripped?

I could tell you the very same things as everybody else does, but I definitely won't. It's not only about the perfect diet plan and the right amount of exercise, the best supplements and so on; the most important part of a fat-loss strategy is your mental approach to it.

That's what I'm going to tell you about. Basically, what you've got to do is stick to your plan. Period.

The Most Unusual Way To Build Muscle
By Mark McManus

Can you build muscle without touching a weight?

Imagine the possibility of using your mind to reshape your body size and strength!
Strange? Indeed.

I recently remembered reading about a study a few years ago in Men’s Health in which the subjects increased the size and strength of selected muscle groups by simply ‘thinking‘ about working them out.

They simply visualized the process and their bodies responded in the same manner as if they’d actually hit the iron!

It’s well known by a lot of people in psychology and exercise physiology that the brain cannot distinguish the difference between a ‘real’ event i.e. one that is observed objectively, and a vividly imagined one i.e. one that is created subjectively. The implications of this could be quite exciting for bodybuilders.


Tony Horton’s 11 Laws For Lifetime Fitness

4 Tips To Fat Loss by Gregg Gillies

“Can You Burn Fat And Build Muscle At The Same Time?”

How To Lose Weight By Eating More


Holiday Weight Management Survival Guide
From Paige Waehner


Holiday Pounds Forever - Consistent Eating for Long-Term Weight Control


7 Day Fat Loss Meal Plan


Fat Loss For Beginners-8 Tips For Getting Started

The No Weight Gain Holiday Guide

Harvard School of Public Health On Fruits & Vegetables

Increase Your Metabolism and Curb Your Appetite With This Fat Burning Food Group


99 Tips For Family Fitness Fun

The Season of Thanksgiving and Giving

" I will bless you; and you will be a blessing." Genesis 12:2

Please visit Wellness For Nancy

This is the season of giving thanks and counting our blessings, one of the most precious of which is good health. And it’s also a time of wonderful opportunity to share our good fortune with others who are less fortunate. Our traditional ways of sharing are giving time, money, or food to food banks and soup kitchens, or donating toys or cash to Toys For Tots. All of these are worthy charities.

This year I’d like to suggest another worthy cause we can all support. Many of our friends and neighbors are going through hard times of another kind. They find themselves facing a serious or life threatening illness without adequate resources or health insurance to get the treatment they need. Why not donate a little of your disposable income to these worthy people in need?

Below is the letter I received from my cousin about a friend of hers, a loving woman who is in just such a situation. Please take the time to read Nancy’s story, visit her website, include her in your prayers, and donate what you can to help her get the care she needs to live.

Hey Carol,

I have a friend who is in treatment for a virulent strain of cancer. Follicular Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. She worked for (Big Corporation, Name Deleted By Me) when she was in her 20''s in the "clean room". Her body was polluted by the chemicals that she was told were completely safe. She has had numerous bouts of cancer over the 30 years, but this one is going to take her life if she doesn't get treatment. She doesn't have medical insurance. The only income she has is the residual income from a MLM she sells products for. The treatment is going to take many months and cost her nearly $100,000. Her daughters are trying to raise money for her.

Is there a possibility that you could include her website somewhere in your website so that your audience could read about her and become part of the fundraising effort?

Her website is: www.wellnessfornancy.com There you can see all the information about her.

I met Nancy a year ago in August attending an essential oil boot camp in Salt lake. She was a phenomenal woman and a "healer". I find it horribly ironic that life has taken this turn for her.

If this is way too far off topic for your websites, I understand. No pressure from me at all, I'm just trying to find ways to spread the word about the great financial need she has.

Love,
Linda

Best Links of the Week

This Week’s Best Links

You knew I was going to do it. Cop out on really thinking, researching and writing a blog article because I have a new toy – my ProForm Treadmill. Now that Bruno’s back in school all day I have time to experiment with different treadmill workouts. Today’s goal is to log as many 15 minute sessions as I can throughout the day. And I have a date with Tony Horton. Well, a DVD Power 90X workout date anyway.

So here’s some great reads to check out. Click on the links to read more.


Never Hit A Bodybuilding Plateau Again

by Shawn C. Lebrun
Personal Trainer/Bodybuilder

Hitting a training plateau is much like meeting your significant others' parents for the first time. You know that sooner or later it is going to come, but you will do anything to avoid it. Seriously though, your workouts should be very demanding. They should be intense and very focused. With this intensity comes the need to rest to allow your muscles to fully recuperate from the demand that you have placed on them.

Muscle growth is achieved by progressively overloading the muscles and then allowing them to recover before working them again. This forces them to adapt by adding new muscle to handle future demands placed upon them. However, if you never allow your muscles to fully recuperate, they will not be able to handle any new demands placed upon them. They will start getting weaker from less rest. That is how plateaus happen.

We are going to take necessary steps to combat this problem. We are going to systematically wipe out long-lasting plateaus, forever. We do this by training smarter, not just harder. Proper rest and recovery from working out is so important, it literally is the deciding force behind results and no results. We need an in-depth look as to how to fully recuperate and ensure max recovery. Here are some steps you can use immediately to avoid over training and hitting a plateau.

Metabolism Mistakes

Experts discuss the TOP metabolism mistakes, how they affect your progress or overall health, and why people keep falling into these traps.

Are You Lifting Enough Weight?

If you lift weights, have you ever wondered whether you're doing it right? Specifically, are you lifting enough weight? According to a study done by the University of Michigan, many of us aren't. Researchers took beginners (both men and women) through a series of moves, allowing them to choose their own weight. After assessing their 1 rep max (the general standard for choosing weight), they determined that most chose a weight well below what was needed to stimulate muscle growth.

Are you guilty of going too light? If so, you may not be seeing the results you'd like. Learn more about why lifting heavier weights could change your entire body.

The Low Carb Craze and Other Dieting Mistakes By: Bill Belfert

Low carb this and low carb that’s that's all you hear nowadays. Kinda reminds me of something that was the craze a few years ago. The Low or No Fat Craze. Can you remember where that got us? Still Fat!

Well my friends this Low Carb Craze is going to bring us to the same exact place. Yep. Still Fat!

Listen, anyone who tries Low carb dieting will experience some short term successful but it's only short term. I know some of you are tired of hearing me repeat myself but any diet or exercise machine in and of itself will not work!

A Successful Fitness Program Must Incorporate 5 Strategies:
1. A Compelling Reason to Change
2. Proper Nutrition
3. Progressive Resistance Training
4. Moderate Aerobic Exercise
5. Consistency

If you're missing any one of these strategies you will not experience the success that you crave.

Why the low carb diets without progressive resistance training will not work in the long run.

We need to build lean muscle on our bodies. Why do we need to build lean muscle on our bodies? Building lean muscle will boost metabolism and that is what we want to achieve. You'll even start burning more calories even while you rest. Right now I'm going to let you in on one of the biggest secrets on burning fat ever revealed:
Lean Muscle Burns Fat!

The Muscle Confusion Training Principle

One of the most basic, and most important of the training principles, is the muscle confusion training principle. This principle is all about ensuring you have a variety in your workouts. This will be a variety of sets, reps, exercises, rest periods, etc.

It is also important to train the muscle from the most efficient position, in which it has the greatest mechanical advantage / stress. It remains critically important to supplement those exercises with others utilizing various angles for certain exercises. Muscles should never be allowed to accommodate to an exercise to the point where the exercise is ineffective and doesn’t result in hypertrophy or the goal you were looking for. This variety will improve your motivation, keep you mentally fresh, and keep your muscles growing

The Biggest Dieting Mistakes

If you can avoid the biggest dieting mistakes you will have a much better chance of succeeding in your quest to lose weight and experience a lot less frustration along the way.

Weight Loss Plateaus and Pitfalls

It's kind of like running into a wall - that feeling you get when, after a few months on a weight-loss program, you suddenly stop seeing results.

This is called hitting a plateau and it is not uncommon. In fact, unless you continually update your program to reflect the changes your body has already experienced, you can almost be guaranteed to plateau at some point along your journey toward reaching your goal weight.


The association between exercise participation and well-being

Exercise participation is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and happiness. This association is non-causal and appears to be mediated by genetic factors that influence both exercise behavior and well-being.

Our New (Used) ProForm 740CS Treadmill

We Love Our ProForm Treadmill! Six Thumbs Up!

This treadmill is our latest Craig's List find (and believe me our list of Craig's List finds is long including my 1993 Ford Club Wagon, my Thoroughbred mare, my horse trailer, a travel trailer, Jerry's flatbed truck, a utility trailer, my Chef's Magic double oven / range, and more). We've all tried it and love it. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a high end treadmill. It has a lot of bells and whistles including 6 personal trainer programs and goes from 0.1 mile an hour up to 10.0 miles an hour. I love that you can adjust the speed by 0.1 mph increments. Check out our demo video below.



Before picking up the treadmill we had breakfast at the Sparks Denny's on Nugget Way. And yes, the meal was high carb and oh so good! Hey, we'll burn it all off on our new treadmill.

Click on any photo to enlarge.