As I compose this entry, I am on an elliptical at my hotel fitness center. Today marks my 16th day away from home within the last 3 weeks, and third location. It is not normal for me to travel this much EVER, but my work life is normally spent in a car traveling to client's homes at different times anyway. Needless to say, the majority of my training is not consistent in terms of times nor frequency much of the time albeit training clients or the most current, being out of town.
If this had been a few years ago, I would be having an anxiety attack about not having my "normal" training schedule, normal gym, normal food, etc. Over time, however, I have found different methods of working with my circumstances and surroundings to keep fit not only aesthetically but in terms of performance. Granted, nothing can replace having a specific schedule and regular location, home prepared food and no time changes, to name a few, BUT the longer you have been training and eating healthy 90% of the time (must allow 10% for treats to stay balanced) the easier it will be to afford slight deviations and compromise.
The reality is that many people travel the way I have been this month, all year long! I tip my hat to those who keep up with their training and healthy eating because it is hard both mentally and physically, no doubt about that. What's more, most people have very busy schedules, kids and jobs that do not make gym or exercise time easy.
Acceptance of life restrictions is only half the protocol. It is easy to say "I have no time, my job makes it near impossible to workout," but the fact is either you do it or you don't. More than likely you will not ever have it "easy" and "accommodating." Heck, not even I, where staying fit is my sport AND job, have it easy. So what next? You FIND a way. You MAKE it happen. If it means waking up even earlier than 5 am so you can still have family dinners, training during your lunch hour or training later in the evening, that simply might be your only option.
Look at athletes in high school and college. The majority are balancing school, sports and a social life. I am sure many adults out there had to juggle several activities as kids and teens. If not, it is a critical life skill to balance activities and responsibilities, not to mention health and longevity. Have kids? Give them a good example to follow as they embark on new and varying goals and activities in life.
Today, I knew the only way I could train would be to get up earlier in the day (6 am, not bad) because I have a busy day ahead visiting family. Let me also mention, my family is Italian and we will be going out to eat (and I don't mean for basic salads). I am used to double workout days, doing cardio in the morning and weights in the evening. To give you an example of how I am coping with that in one workout, I am doing 30 minutes of cardio, then about 20 minutes of weight training with whatever is available here (dumbbells, medicine ball) and finish off my last 30 minutes of cardio, all on an empty stomach. There is not enough time to eat and digest first. Because I am not training (lifting) as much as I normally would at home, I am simply limiting the amount of carbohydrates I am consuming. When we go out to eat, which is the majority of the meals, I simply order a big salad, with dressing on the side, with added lean protein of some sort, or a lean protein entree with vegetables, even if I have to substitute. Restaurants will almost always accommodate, you just have to ask. If there is dessert, I have a little taste and share the rest. This way, I am still engaging with my family while not totally sabotaging my eating habits. Some nights before bed, I have done jumping jacks, push-ups and an exercises if I couldn't make it to the fitness center.
My point of sharing is that life is about compromise, and fitness and nutrition is no exception. For most of us, success in being fit and healthy is all about troubleshooting -- working with what is available to you and having back up plans to keep you on track.
Additionally, the more strict you are with your diet and training at home, the less deviation your body will be able to handle and more likely you will be to gain weight.
Be balanced! I have TASTES of desserts and "bad" food all the time!! A "sliver" of something won't ruin your efforts, but if you know you haven't the will power to walk away, stay away until you feel you can handle it without feeling bad about yourself.
As a final side note, I have actually lost a little weight, imagine that!
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Monday, March 11, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Shaping for the Long Term
I am currently preparing for a fitness photo shoot that is just under four weeks away. You could say this shoot is taking the place of a bodybuilding show as my one main event with a purely aesthetic goal. In the last four years or so, I always set goals for specific bodybuilding shows to compete in at a frequency of 1-2 shows per year.
In the last year since my last body building show, I progressively lost 10 lbs from the 5 that were gained just after. I truly did not try to lose weight, my body simply healed from the excessive cardio and dieting and metabolism became the best it had ever been. I finally accomplished what I always knew, since I started competing, I should do after a show, which was, incorporate more variety of food, more food overall, keep the cardio at a moderate, healthy frequency and let my metabolism heal and recharge to operate as it should. Well, it worked!
Just after my show, I tapered my cardio down over a few months from over two hours a day to about one. My carbs and fats increased. To this day, I have still not increased my cardio and only slightly reduced fat and carbs (I'm talking maybe 10 grams of each less) and that with being 10 pounds lighter.
By simply changing up my workouts (lifting schedule, rep range, exercises, rest times) and changing some food sources (not quantity) I have made noticeable changes in the last 1-2 months.
At first, I thought of this photo shoot as I always have for a bodybuilding competiton---I need to do whatever it took to get as dialed as my body can get, even if it meant near starving and doing two hours of cardio. Almost as quickly as I thought this, I thought to myself,
"I don't want to ruin all of the progress of my metabolism and conditioning by becoming extreme."
Furthermore, I do not want to get trapped into this unhealthy practice again, like I have done over and over again.
I know many people in bodybuilding who do not believe in the role of genetics on accomplishing such a symmetrically lean and muscular physique. Many believe all you need is the "right" diet and the "right" training and the "right" supplements (legal and not) and you can achieve all you dream with your physique goals.
Let me tell you, this is WRONG!!!
The best diet, training and supplement plan will only take you as far as your genetics will allow. Period.
Personally, I have always been successful at gaining muscle mass. Some areas more efficient than others, but overall I can gain muscle pretty easily if I try. Consequently, my body has always had a hard time maintaining low body fat. Even as a young kid, I was always chubbier than the rest, and that with being highly active and eating very healthy since pre-teen years. I have a curvy, Hispanic and Italian frame and hold fat mostly in my hips, butt and thighs. Building muscle has helped tremendously, and the more solid mass I have built over the years, the more conditioned I have become.
Still, while I have been training for bodybuilding for the last 7-8 years, there are still certain areas that, even with extreme dieting and training, have just never been "dialed in" for shows. As one might guess, fat on my hips and butt and overall body has been a little higher than some if not many.
I will admit, that what I feel I really need is simply TIME. I have faith that someday after some years I will maintain lean little glutes year round without extreme effort, but that time is not now!
My point is that my body is more prone to carrying more body fat than others in the sport, and will always need a fair amount of cardio just to maintain a healthy body weight.
Now, how this all relates to the present...
I have come to an agreement with myself that I will stick to a healthy exercise and nutrition program until this photo shoot. I have chosen certain numbers I will not exceed (cardio) or fall under (calories and carbs), and however I turn out is how I will turn out.
The goal of this photo shoot is to get promotional images for my new website that is under construction. Aside from having great images, I need to stick to my mission statement which is all about being balanced, healthy and fit for the long term --finding your "happy place" among body image, fitness, nutrition, emotional health, family and friends.
Most of all, I need to stay focused on what is to come AFTER the photo shoot, and that is a training and nutrition program that is not too far from what I have been doing. I have made great improvements in my metabolism and body this year and I would hate to ruin that.
I do not plan to compete in a bodybuilding show again unless my conditioning is at such a level that I am maintaining 5-7 lbs or so from stage shape year round. Who knows if that will ever be. I have proven to myself that I DO have the discipline, perseverance, physical and mental toughness necessary to compete and do not need to push my body into something it is not wanting to do anymore.
Until then, I will be keeping my head focused on the long term of my body's health and shape maintenance...as well as this photo shoot! :)
- Posted using BlogPress
In the last year since my last body building show, I progressively lost 10 lbs from the 5 that were gained just after. I truly did not try to lose weight, my body simply healed from the excessive cardio and dieting and metabolism became the best it had ever been. I finally accomplished what I always knew, since I started competing, I should do after a show, which was, incorporate more variety of food, more food overall, keep the cardio at a moderate, healthy frequency and let my metabolism heal and recharge to operate as it should. Well, it worked!
Just after my show, I tapered my cardio down over a few months from over two hours a day to about one. My carbs and fats increased. To this day, I have still not increased my cardio and only slightly reduced fat and carbs (I'm talking maybe 10 grams of each less) and that with being 10 pounds lighter.
By simply changing up my workouts (lifting schedule, rep range, exercises, rest times) and changing some food sources (not quantity) I have made noticeable changes in the last 1-2 months.
At first, I thought of this photo shoot as I always have for a bodybuilding competiton---I need to do whatever it took to get as dialed as my body can get, even if it meant near starving and doing two hours of cardio. Almost as quickly as I thought this, I thought to myself,
"I don't want to ruin all of the progress of my metabolism and conditioning by becoming extreme."
Furthermore, I do not want to get trapped into this unhealthy practice again, like I have done over and over again.
I know many people in bodybuilding who do not believe in the role of genetics on accomplishing such a symmetrically lean and muscular physique. Many believe all you need is the "right" diet and the "right" training and the "right" supplements (legal and not) and you can achieve all you dream with your physique goals.
Let me tell you, this is WRONG!!!
The best diet, training and supplement plan will only take you as far as your genetics will allow. Period.
Personally, I have always been successful at gaining muscle mass. Some areas more efficient than others, but overall I can gain muscle pretty easily if I try. Consequently, my body has always had a hard time maintaining low body fat. Even as a young kid, I was always chubbier than the rest, and that with being highly active and eating very healthy since pre-teen years. I have a curvy, Hispanic and Italian frame and hold fat mostly in my hips, butt and thighs. Building muscle has helped tremendously, and the more solid mass I have built over the years, the more conditioned I have become.
Still, while I have been training for bodybuilding for the last 7-8 years, there are still certain areas that, even with extreme dieting and training, have just never been "dialed in" for shows. As one might guess, fat on my hips and butt and overall body has been a little higher than some if not many.
I will admit, that what I feel I really need is simply TIME. I have faith that someday after some years I will maintain lean little glutes year round without extreme effort, but that time is not now!
My point is that my body is more prone to carrying more body fat than others in the sport, and will always need a fair amount of cardio just to maintain a healthy body weight.
Now, how this all relates to the present...
I have come to an agreement with myself that I will stick to a healthy exercise and nutrition program until this photo shoot. I have chosen certain numbers I will not exceed (cardio) or fall under (calories and carbs), and however I turn out is how I will turn out.
The goal of this photo shoot is to get promotional images for my new website that is under construction. Aside from having great images, I need to stick to my mission statement which is all about being balanced, healthy and fit for the long term --finding your "happy place" among body image, fitness, nutrition, emotional health, family and friends.
Most of all, I need to stay focused on what is to come AFTER the photo shoot, and that is a training and nutrition program that is not too far from what I have been doing. I have made great improvements in my metabolism and body this year and I would hate to ruin that.
I do not plan to compete in a bodybuilding show again unless my conditioning is at such a level that I am maintaining 5-7 lbs or so from stage shape year round. Who knows if that will ever be. I have proven to myself that I DO have the discipline, perseverance, physical and mental toughness necessary to compete and do not need to push my body into something it is not wanting to do anymore.
Until then, I will be keeping my head focused on the long term of my body's health and shape maintenance...as well as this photo shoot! :)
- Posted using BlogPress
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