Ty's Blog

Back at the gym hard

2012-05-28T22:18:00.000-02:30

Had a weak back day. I was hoping to get this for 8 reps but my callus ripped on my left hand and caused some burning pain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAtktdYXpbw

I'm visiting home over the next 2-3 weeks try, so I'll try to get some videos up. Hopefully a 405x8-10 deadlift and a 500+ deadlift.

Beginner/Intermidiate Bodybuilding Split

2012-04-16T11:00:00.002-02:30

My main goal for this post is to give some folks a starting point when they feel ready to step their workout up to the next level.
I would always suggest starting off, that you stick to light, primal movements and not worry to much about a split. But as people's bodies adjust to the stress placed on it through lifting weights, you may need to switch it up and hit the gym a bit harder. Let's say 3-5 months into training, try switching to this split.r

This split will consist of 4 days, with 1 day or 2 days off. All days start with kinetic stretching and end with static stretching.

Franco Columbo dead lifting over 7 plates

Day 1: Back/Biceps
a. Pull up, 3 sets of 12
b. Deadlifts, 3 sets of 8-12
c. Bent over, single arm, dumbbell rows, 3 sets of 8-12
d. Bent over, barbell rows, 3 sets of 8-12
e. Seated alternating hammer curls, 3 sets of 8-12
f. Standing alternating curls, 3 sets of 8-12

Day 2: Chest/ Triceps
a. Barbell bench press, 3 sets of 8-12
b. Incline dumbbell press, 3 sets of 8-12
c. Cable crossover fly, 3 sets of 8-12
d. Dips, 3 sets of 8-12
e. Rope triceps extension, 3 sets of 8-12
f. Single dumbbell, seated triceps extension, 3 sets of 8-12

If you choose, take a day off now.

Day 3: Legs
a. Squats, 4 sets of 8-12
b. Stiff legged dead lifts, 3 sets of 8-12
c. Standing calf raises, 3 sets of 8-12
d. Seated quad extensions, 3 sets of 8-12
e. Lying hamstring curls, 3 sets of 8-12
f. Seated calf raises, 3 sets of 8-12

Day 4: Shoulders
a. Seated dumbbell press, 3 sets 8-12
b. Standing lateral raises, 3 sets of 8-12
c. Rear delt cable fly, 3 sets of 8-12
d. Barbell shrugs, 3 sets of 8-12
e. Shoulder press machine (any variant at your gym), 3 sets of 8-12

With this split, you have sufficient recovery time as well as hitting large muscle groups with heavy compounds and isolating muscle groups to promote growth.
There is no set day (ex. Monday) for a specific workout. Your scheduling should go as follows, Day 1, Day 2, OPTIONAL REST/CARDIO/CONTINUE TO DAY 3, Day 3, Day 4, Rest and then restart. So week one might have a back day on a Monday and again on a Saturday.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at:
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

N.O. Xplode 2.0 Review

2012-04-13T12:13:00.002-02:30

Preworkouts are the latest boom in the supplements industry. They are huge sellers and too many lifters get them confused with a staple for workouts. They're relatively full of false promises - gain 1100% strength - and the like.
Some folks just get started and think it's their supplement stack giving them huge gains, when during the first 6 weeks or so, their gains would be huge regardless.

I do however, enjoy preworkout when I'm just not feeling in the zone or "pumped" for my workouts. I decided to get one that I have used before - the original N.O. Xplode.

Taste:
When I use this product, I use about 10-12 ounces of water and 1.5-2 scoops (what the label suggests) of the actual product. The result is an extremely flavorful drink. It's like a carbonated fruit punch soda. Some days it's just too intense and I have to add much more water. I think most people will find the same. When compared to a weak flavored PW such as Jack3d, I think the difference is huge. Especially when you look at how large the serving size is. The scoop of Jack3d is about 1/8 the size of the double scoop of N.O.X.
3.5/5

Mix-ibility:
Here's something odd. "Do not mix product, stir" is the general labeling. I shake it anyway. But if you give it more than 10-15 shakes without letting the pressure out, it will get messy. But it mixes easy when you do this though. I give it a low score because most of us use "shaker bottles" and when you can't shake your product, it's annoying.
3/5

Value:
I got a large tub, over 2 pounds at bodybuilding.com for $35.99USD, then they told me I could add another one for $25.99USD, which I did. The local store sells it for $59.99, so I got a bargain. The preworkout itself is to me, good. I've used a bunch of different kinds, this one feels the same as most. It has a bit more creatine and carbs then some, so for bulking it works well. But the feeling I get while at the gym, is the same as most. Hyped to get in there, feels good while pumping and some added endurance. Give it a whirl.
4/5

Overall: 3.5/5

ON Performance Whey Review

2012-03-27T16:47:00.003-02:30

ON Performance Whey

I've always been a ON fan boy. My first true protein love was ON Gold Standard Extreme Milk Chocolate (back when bb.com charged $43.99 for 5lbs).

So when I saw this on sale I had to give it a test.

Ingredients:
It's a mixed blend of proteins including hydrolyzed, concentrated and whey isolate. (As most proteins are these days). 22g protein, 5g BCAA and 3g glutamine.
I am bulking at the moment, which is a good thing as this protein has 4g of fat. The "cheaper" proteins tend to have this.
If you aren't cutting weight, this is definitely a good way to go based on what's in the container.
For my phase of training: 4/5

Taste:
I was expecting amazing flavor out of this. Every product from these guys I've had always does taste great. I ordered the chocolate milkshake and needless to say, it didn't let me down. It's not to thick or watery and it really put meaning to, "look forward to taking you shakes".
4.5/5

Ease of use:
"Mix-ibility", just great. You honestly can mix with as little as 3oz of water. A "shot" ON calls it. I usaully go with around 9oz. Chocolate whey protein is also a staple in my oatmeal meals and it mixes amazing with 1cup of oatmeal and skim milk (amount varies of preference). Actually it mixes better than the original Gold Standard in that scenario.
4.5/5

Value:
BodyBuilding.com charged me $39.99USD for 4lbs/50 servings (shipping was extra as always). Regardless this was the cheapest way for me to go. At that price, it was the best buy. In an ever inflating market, this should be something you should look at. Beginner gym rats and bodybuilders alike.
4.5/5

OVERALL: 4.375 out of 5
Link to purchase here.

Back at it... HARD

2012-03-21T15:18:00.001-02:30

As some know I'm going to compete in Nov '12 in a bodybuilding show. But I moved for 7 months in Oct and am finally back at the gym. When I left I weighted around 230lbs and now have dropped to 213lbs.

The past 3 days have been good, I did a solid split of chest, back and yesterday legs. I did all heavy my heavy compounds and was satisfied with how much I lifted. I realize I won't be lifting what I was when I left, but in a month or so, I should be back and hopefully lifting the same (maybe at 220lbs?).

I'm looking for anyone who can give me advice on show prep diet and posing. I'm certified but have never really trained anyone or myself for a BB show. Please email me or comment with any advice or a contact I can reach you at if you have time available to help me out.

My chest day I didn't go above 75lbs dumbbells (I think I could've upped 90's, but I'm taking it easy. This isn't that big of a drop, although when I left in Oct I was benching 350ish 1RM and doing 275lbs for a solid set of 9-11 (dumbbell about 120+). I could even do my bodyweight for 20+ reps. Video is on youtube here.

My back day I did my DL and only went as high as 315lbs for 8. It felt good but my DL has always been my weak lift. Hopefully be up to 450lbs for 8 in a month or two.

My leg day was the biggest upset. I only squat 315lbs for 5 comfortably. My squat has always been my pride (before I left I maxed at 500lbs). In 4-5 months I want to surpass that and get as high as 550-600lbs, before I start to cut for the show.

Article and progress vids coming soon.

Moving

2012-03-15T15:11:00.000-02:30

I am moving in 2 days which is why no new posts. Been feeling distant from fitness for a few weeks. But I will hit it harder then ever next week. New gym and new goals. Let's do this!!

Let the countdown begin.

2012-03-05T15:47:00.000-03:30

1. Congrats to Branch Warren on the Arnold win. Wish I could've seen it in person.

2. I'll return from an isolated area in 2 weeks and will be hitting the gym hard. And hopefully competing in '12 NLABBA bodybuilding show. I'll keep you posted hopefully youtube wise.

3. Writers block, hopefully article soon.

The Beginning of the Beginning

2012-02-24T18:45:00.000-03:30

The biggest step to achieving your fitness goals is simple. It is the easiest. It just takes a certain mind set. The key?
Start small and specific, then slowly add changes to your life until it becomes a big change.
What does that mean? Well, let me start with the basics. Look at figure 1.1. It show a basic breakdown on the things that need to be focused on to live a fairly healthy lifestyle. Whoa. That’s kind of overwhelming to think about, if you haven’t been living healthy at the moment. It would be hard to alter all of these factors at once and be successful.

Let’s take on section at a time and divide it up. In figure 1.2, I’ve taken the section and split them into certain ways someone may change their life for the best, in order to be healthy. These may not apply to you, but it is now your job to do the same and brainstorm. Maybe you don’t drink coffee, but you may smoke. Or you may not drink soda, but drink more alcohol. The idea is to split the chart up so it applies to you. If you have trouble thinking of ways you could be healthier, then you should consult your doctor or a personal trainer to give you some ideas.

Once you’ve divided up the chart into at least 12 sections (the more the better), it’s not time to take a deep breath and pick one of these changes to start the next day. We will pick only one and we will do this for one week. Let’s assume I choose, “No soda”, for one week I will stay away from soda. It’s a small, feasible change. You can do this. After one or two weeks, we now can successful apply figure 2.1 to our lives. We’ve changed this portion of our lives, and now achieved the first step to success.

For the next week, we will attempt to retain what we achieved in week one, along with one more of our sections. This will continue and we will periodically add one section every week, or second week (depending on how challenging you think the section will be.

By one month, we may have achieved figure 2.2, and made some serious drastic changes to your lives for the better.

After a few months, you might be on track for figure 2.3, and that’s just amazing. Those are some serious health choices and changes.

This method is extremely easy to take track of and because of it’s “many baby steps” approach it will definitely be achievable by anyone. The biggest benefit, it’s maintainable and will change your life.
You can easily lose weight, add some longevity or just feel better in no time. Give it a try.

Ty Pritchard

Gym Ethics Part 2: Return of that guy

2012-02-22T14:09:00.002-03:30

This is a continuation of my first article "Gym Ethics: Don't Be That Guy", which discussed some basic things to avoid while weight training. To find the first article click here.

These are my opinions, but they're based on my experiences and my absorbed opinions of many gym rats and bodybuilders. I strongly suggest following these guidelines!

The Pause

Picture yourself doing a nice set of cable chest flys. It felt great. You go grab a sip of water to kill the 60 second rest period, then trot back to see... the Bicep Twins pumping out straight bar curls on one of the cables you were using. Chatting it up between sets and just throwing you off of your game.
To really avoid being these guys and just be a better gym goer, do this,
1) Pause for a minute if you're unsure if someone is done (anymore and it's fair game). If you see them walk away, just stand there. Yep. Just stand there and when they come back ask, "Hey are you done?/ How many sets do you have left?".
2) This carries even more when you go to a free weight bar that has weight left on it and no one seems to be using it (that issue addressed in article 1, putting weights back). If someone is nearby, ask them in between THEIR sets, "Have you seen anyone using this recently?" Usually you'll get a, "No, I don't think so", or, "Yeah, that guy by the water fountain". If they are gone for a sip of water, go back to stage 1.

This doesn't take a lot of time, it's easy to do and it benefits everyone.

"I Can Try To Spot You"
When you ask for a spot, be specific, then be even more specific. Make sure the spotter is qualified, OR if you're not qualified say so. Ask, "have you ever spotted someone doing this before? It's safer to be honest".
As a spotter, it's your responsibility to make sure you know what you're doing. Don't say... "uh sure!", if you actually have no idea what you're doing and then proceed to put someones life in danger.
As the person requesting a spot, make sure you be as specific as possible. The preferred type of spot, lift help or not, rep goal, assistance percentage and failure word. For example, if I wanted a spot while doing a bench press I would give instructions like, "I'm going to want a lift off of the rack. I'm going for 10 reps, I want you to be prepared to take the weight at all times, but don't touch it unless I give you the go ahead. I'll say 'take it' when I need you to take the bar and rack it." When I spot, I ask these specific questions to make the set as efficient and safe as possible.

Buttinski
As a personal trainer, I followed specific guidelines on when to intervene on someone working out. If I honestly felt like someone was going to hurt themselves, there and then, I would approach them with respect and just question some things on their technique. If someone was doing something out of the ordinary, or a little whacky, you leave them be.
If you aren't certified you're better off going to one of the gyms trainers or fitness staff when someone is HONESTLY at risk of hurting themselves. But when someone is just doing something a little different than you, stay out. Just don't butt in. Just let them be. Just because you touch the bar off of your chest on a bench press doesn't mean they should, or can. Just because you prefer seated curls over standing doesn't mean they do. Just because you think 5 sets is too many doesn't mean you're right (or wrong). Regardless, leave them be. You have no idea what people are training for or how experienced they are. Most times, people don't want your advice, it's patronizing and disrespectful.

Sweaty Betty
Plain and simple, wipe down you machine and equipment after you use it. Gyms provide free wipes and cleaners. If you don't do it, you're lazy. Ironically you're being lazy at the gym. It takes 15 seconds and is a great way to let other folks that you're done using that particular piece of equipment.

You will benefit socially if you follow these guidelines. If you can help spread these tips, we can rid the gym of "that guy", one at a time. That is all.

Contact me with any questions, comments and opinions (Trolls are welcome).
Tyler Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Image from

healthfitness.com

Oats: They're just great.

2012-02-21T10:35:00.000-03:30

Oats have many benefits for bodybuilders, and everyone for that manner. A nice slow digesting carb, with decent protein, low fat and cholesterol. On top of that, it tastes amazing and can be prepared in 3 minutes. 3!

Oats digest very slowly, this will keep you full, for longer. Along with this, our blood sugar levels won't act as sporadically. They'll rise and lower at a slower rate. This regulation will help in feeling better as well as helping prevent our bodies diabetes like symptoms.

Fiber is a fairly deficient piece of our nutrition puzzle (for the average male). Oats are a great way to ensure that we get the proper amount, thus helping transport of other nutrients as well. This will also help bowel movements. Everyone likes a good bowel movement.

Try ingesting oats about an hour before a workout to fuel up for a big workout and to fuel yourself for the full workout with healthy carbs.

Try this easy and quick recipe in the morning to get yourself on the right track.
1 cup of quick rolled oats
1 cup skim milk (might need more depending on preference)
3/4 scoop of your favorite chocolate protein powder

Put in your oats, then you milk so it's almost like a cereal to milk ratio. Then add the scoop of protein and mix for a minute. You will LOVE IT. The best part, it takes less than 3 minutes to make. High carbs and high protein. As well lots of vitamins and fiber. All while keeping the cholesterol and fat relatively low.

Ty
CanFit Pro P.T.S.
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Image from

21food.com

Beer: Bane of Bodybuilding

2012-02-13T17:41:00.000-03:30

One of the top 3 questions I get asked as a fitness coach. “How do I get big?”. The answer takes more than a few articles or 15 minute chat. But the following is definitely something simple that can jump start the road to getting huge.
    Years ago before I was serious about getting bigger, I noticed one of my gym buddies (who was HUGE) always avoiding going out, getting hammered on the weekends. It didn’t make sense then, but now it’s simple. Alcohol is something that needs to be avoided, if you’re serious about being successful in the gym.

Nutrition
    Alcoholic beverages and beers have almost no nutritional value. In a sport where nutrition is the toughest battle to win, bodybuilders should just avoid it. Plain and simple.
    If one were to go out on a Friday night and have, let’s say, 9 beers. The total nutritional value would be around,
1200 Cals, 90g carbs, 0g protein, 0g fat

     Wait...what? 1200 cals? On a 200+pound bulking man that’s around 35% their caloric intake. Why waste that much of a diet, even if it’s once a week. The majority of calories come from alcohol, which macronutrient wise, is just dumb to consume.
Alcohol is also guaranteed to dehydrate you. This is how a hangover occurs. The issue? Dehydration will slow your metabolism -being as little as 5% dehydrated can slow it down- which again is horrible for protein digestion and any weight cutting cycles.
The other downfall to this dehydration? The day at the gym sucks. You’re workouts aren’t as intense or focused. This usually leads to the hung over arm days which aren’t necessary.
It is possible to over-hydrate, but it’s rare and hard to do. So drink that water up.

     Cost
Again, let’s say one goes out and drink 9 beer. They buy a half case and drink 3+ at a club. Depending where you live, the cost will vary but we can easily assume they’ll be spending.
$10 on half case of beer, $4-5 per beer at club, $10 to get into club and $15 on garbage food munchies at the end of the night.
   That’s $50+ just for one night. That’s a reasonable night, I’ve heard of people spending $100-$200 per night. OUTSTANDING. Here’s a list of things you could buy in one month if you didn’t do go out (assuming one night per week),

-3, 5 lbs tubs of whey protein
-A monthly supplement stack
-6 month gym membership
-Your own personal training sessions or nutrition plan
-A really cheap (but brand new car) payment

    A car. If you make the right choice, you could be up a car. And way more progress with your body. No brainer. I’ve had people want training and weight loss, but they wouldn’t give up going out on the weekends. These are the people who get crappy results and whose attitude at the gym is also half-assed. The question is, how bad do you want it? I’ve laid out reasons that make the decision easy. So go ahead, thank me.

Email me with any questions or comments.
Ty Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specilist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Big Arms (Without curls)

2012-02-08T14:37:00.002-03:30

I love walking into the gym on a Saturday from 5pm-9pm. It's hilarious: a line of guys standing in front of the mirror and doing alternating bicep curls like there's no tomorrow. Classic.
But what if I said, you can have huge arms, without ever specifically isolating your arms in a workout?

Ronnie Coleman is a prime example. I've heard time and time again that he rarely works out his just his arms. All the arm work comes from other compound movements and Ronnie's arms are definitely some of the biggest on the planet. So what is he doing that so many others aren't?

Barbell row

STICK WITH HEAVY COMPOUNDS

You want big biceps? Do your heavy rows. You want big triceps? Kill them on the bench press. If you do these compound movements, not only can you work the larger muscle groups like your pecs or lats you can equally work your biceps and triceps.
    The compound movements will use multiple joints. For example, you are doing bent over barbell rows, you lats and you biceps must work systematically to bring up the bar. Not only will you get two birds with one stone, but as you are working more muscles you will help promote more testosterone in the body. This will in turn cause more muscle growth as a whole.
     The same can be said with heavy benching or shoulder presses. The triceps NEED to work hard to help get the weight up. So you can give your triceps an excellent workout without specifically isolating them.
Bottom line: you can exhaust you arms with rows and presses alone.

LOSE THE LIFTING STRAPS

   As for your forearms, you can check out my forearm article (HERE) or stick to this simple guideline. On your dead lifts and rows, leave your straps at home and force your arms to hold the weight up. The single best forearm exercise is heavy dead lifts. You will get bigger forearms if you stick to this alone.

SQUAT, SQUAT and SQUAT

Your lower body contains SO MUCH muscle mass. The glutes being on average the largest muscle in the body alone. So when you work you lower body, like squatting, you are promoting maximum testosterone production. The extra testosterone will help grow your arms alone. So the next time you feel like cancelling a leg day for an arm day, you're the one losing in the end. Make sure you're squatting at least once a week.

If your goal is bigger arms while maximizing every workout, you should try to stick to the guidelines above. Give them a try for a while and see the results for yourself. Enjoy!

Email or post a comment if you have any opinion or question!

Ty Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Image from:

healthtotalbody.com

Improve Your Athletic Performance: Plyometrics

2012-02-04T14:06:00.001-03:30

Plyometrics is a form of exercise that makes use of powerful and explosive movements, typically used to improve athletics. Think of a sport you might play, and then think of any type of explosive movement related to that sport as an example (ex: Jumping in basketball). Plyometrics training will no doubt help improve on these types of movements, transferring to more of an elite playing level by you in those sports.
The outcome of this style of training is to condition our muscle tissue and nerves to perform maximum effort exertion in a minimal amount of time. It is quite grueling on the nervous system though, so make sure you have enough rest and recovery. I suggest doing this workout 2-3 times a week.
This program will contain all lower body plyometrics, although upper body exercises are available. The equipment you will need for this program is:
Jump Rope
Jump box/platform

Don’t forget to warm up and stretch before starting.

Jump Squat

Squat Jumps, 10 sets of 4 reps (30-45 seconds rest)
*Assume a squat stance, slowly lower yourself like a normal squat and then explode up in an attempt to get as much height as you can, while keeping control of your body. As you land, control your weight and immediately lower yourself to the bottom of the rep and explode up again for rep number 2. Etc.

Calf Jumps, 5 sets of 30 reps (30-45 seconds rest)
*Use only your calf muscles (lower leg) to explode up. As you land, lower then explode up again immediately.

Lateral Shuffle

Lateral Shuffle Jumps (Using box), 5 sets of 15 reps (each leg, 45 seconds rest)
*Stand with one leg on the box and one off (both feet square). Jump laterally so that your foot that was on the floor is now on the box. The foot that was on the box is on the opposite side of the floor as your other foot was before the jump.

Box Jumps, 8 sets of 4 (30-45 second break)
*Begin standing in front of the jump box. Squat down, then explode up attempting to land both feet on top of the box. You should be able to support your weight on these feet when they land (Therefore, have body control and even stand up straight if you wanted). Hop back down, take a second, then continue your second rep. Use your own discretion about the height of the boxes.

Skip rope, 5 minutes.
As you get better, do variations like doubles, triples and single leg jumps.

Cool down and stretching
*Static stretches.

After a few months of doing this, you will definitely see your game step up, so give it a try.

Feel free to email me with any comments or questions.

Ty Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Images from:
http://site.hockeytrain.com

womenshealthmag.com

The Stay At Home Workout

2012-02-02T20:50:00.000-03:30

There will always be one situation where we can’t get to the gym. We travel for work, have a busy day where it CAN’T fit, or just those of us who have no access to a gym. I recently moved to a town with a population of less than 200. I have dial up internet, and definitely no gym. Although it’s temporary, I still get a workout in about 4 days a week.

Definitely try this if you:
-Travel a lot
-Can’t access a gym
-Just beginning a workout routine

All it takes is a small investment of about $25 and 1 hour to be able to get in a basic full body workout. An example of the basic workout kit can be found here (This is actually the one I bought). But regardless, all we need for this workout is a pull up bar

WORKOUT A:
All sets are 12 reps, with 60-90 seconds rest between sets. Use a smooth and controlled pace for each rep.

Pull Up

Pull-ups, wide grip, 4 sets
*If you can’t do 12, do as many as possible. When you reach failure, grab a chair, hop up to the top of the rep (muscles contracted), then lower yourself AS SLOWLY AS POSSIBLE for the remaining reps.

Push-ups, 4 sets
*If you can’t get 12, do as many as possible. When you reach failure, instead of balancing on your toes, drop to your knees. This will make it easier, so do the remaining reps in this position.

Body weight squats, 4 sets
Try to really control the pace. Take 4 seconds to get to the bottom of the rep (eccentric movement), pause at the bottom for another second and finally return to the starting position in about 3 seconds (concentric movement).

WORKOUT B:
All sets are 12 reps, with 60-90 seconds between sets. Use a smooth and controlled pace for each rep.

Chin-ups, 3 sets
*If you can’t do 12, do as many as possible. When you reach failure, grab a chair, hop up to the top of the rep (muscles contracted), then lower yourself AS SLOWLY AS POSSIBLE for the remaining reps.

Incline push-ups, 3 sets (put you feet on the chair, so they’re above your head)
*If you can’t get 12, do as many as possible. When you reach failure, instead of balancing on your toes, drop to your knees. This will make it easier, so do the remaining reps in this position.

Lunges, 3 sets, 10 reps each leg
*Keep it slow, taking about 6 seconds per rep, pausing at the bottom of the lunge.

Glute bridge

Glute bridges, 3 sets
*As you raise your hips, extend fully on the tips of your toes (plantar flexion). Again, nice and slow, take about 6 seconds per rep.

Workout 4 days a week, taking one day off between each workout. (Workout A, rest, Workout B, rest...etc). You will definitely feel and be stronger in no time. If you can't at the moment, you will eventually be doing the full 12 reps for the push-ups and pull ups.

Email me with any questions or comments.

Ty Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Images from:

munfitnessblog.com

thatsfit.com

Whey Protein Supplements

2012-01-26T10:40:00.001-03:30

Whey Blend

Whey Isolate

On the supplement market today there are so many types of proteins that it can become mind boggling to decide which one is best for your needs. Whey protein concentrate, blends, isolates, hydrolyzed proteins... It’s just confusing. So what are the differences? Hopefully it’s a little clearer after reading this.
    Whey protein is created through the process of making cheese, this is why is contains fats and sugar (lactose).
    A whey protein concentrate is a form of whey protein that usually contains 60-80% of actual protein per container. The other ingredients being some fat and sugars (lactose). Don’t misunderstand, the quantity of fats and sugars is still extremely low (<1g-3g).
    The protein itself is also at a more undigested state (it isn’t broken down into lower levels), meaning ours bodies must do this. The result is that is will take longer to absorb and digest (But still extremely fast). This type of protein does however contain some immune boosting agents, to help keep us healthy. Although most users don’t take this supplement for this feature, it definitely is a bonus.
    Whey isolate contains more protein in each container, usually from 85-95%. This means there will be less fat and sugars and is usually lactose free. So if you’re lactose intolerant, then isolate will probably be the way to go, so your stomach won’t be affected negatively.
    The isolate protein gets broken down a step so that it digests faster, also a bonus. So if there’s more protein and it digests faster, doesn’t it mean it’s better?
    Not necessarily. The isolation process can sometimes damage the protein in filtration and the whey isolate usually loses all its immune-boosting agents. Also whey isolate is noticeably more expensive than concentrate.
    Hydrolyzed protein is broken down even further than isolate, and is in component amino acid form. It absorbs and digests faster then isolate. This also raises the price even more.
    A whey blend is usually a combination of whey concentrate and whey isolate. The companies usually don’t list which percentage is which, but the label can usually let you know. If isolate is listed first in the ingredients, it’s a higher percentage, and vice versa. Personally, this is the way to go for a good value and very effect protein powder supplement.
   Remember, this is a supplement and a supplement is only necessary when you can’t meet your basic nutritional requirements through whole foods. If you’re unsure about your requirements check out my articles on BMR and Daily Protein Intake.

My top protein supplement recommendation:
ON Gold Standard 100% Whey
    I’ve used this protein for years and it always seems to be my go to. Tastes amazing, mixes AMAZING (by far the best mixing I’ve ever had) and isn’t expensive. It’s a whey blend and comes in many flavors. Some flavors are exclusives, so check around to different locations or online to see what’s available.

Please email me with any questions, comments or concerns.

Tyler Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Shock Your Chest

2012-01-23T11:24:00.000-03:30

Image from amazon.com

    Our bodies are constantly trying to achieve homeostasis, so it will (subconsciously) attempt to make things as easy as possible. This could be by finding little ways to cheat on a common exercise or just the muscles getting used to the receptiveness. Therefore, you must shock your muscles to prevent a stalemate in the muscle growing process.
    A change of exercise type, rep range and quantity of sets is a common way to do this, but the following are some more unorthodox and specific methods to promote growth through shock.

Super Sets
    A super set is a strategic set method where 2 exercises are combined, without a rest period in between. For example, we could perform a bench press for 12 reps and then directly after, we would drop to the ground and perform a set of push ups for another 12 reps. This exertion will be uncommon for the muscle and help shock it. I do recommend however only doing 1-2 of these sets per workout.

8’s
    This single set method is very useful. Our main goal is to confuse the muscle by using unorthodox rep ranges. While on the bench press, we’re going to perform 5 reps of the first 50% of the concentric phase, then 3 full range of motion reps. We’ll explode up on the concentric and lower the eccentric as a normal hypertrophy rep.
    After the 8 reps, we take 20 seconds, then go again the same way. Do 5-10 times. Be careful if using for bench press, and always have a spotter.

21’s
    I’ve mostly seen this in arm exercises, but it can be applied to chest as well. Similar to 8’s in that it uses range of motion to confuse muscles, the 21’s uses 3 different range for 7 reps each, with no break.
Reps 1-7 : First 50% range of motion
Reps 8-14: Second 50% range of motion
Reps 15-21: Full range of motion

Chest Bomb
    This method attempts to overload the whole chest with high reps. You will need an adjustable bench and spotter. Set the adjustable bench to an incline position, preferable 2 notches higher than flat (parallel to floor). We will do 7 reps from this position, then sit up. Our spotter will adjust the bench one notch lower, then we will do another 7 reps. Then the spotter will move the bench to the flat position and we will do out last 7 reps. It’s a killer exercise that will definitely exhaust your chest. I recommend using about 60% of your regular 10 rep max. So if you normally do 100lbs dumbbells for 10 reps, try this exercise with 60lbs.

    If your chest workouts are getting stale, definitely give one of these a try. It’ll feel good to change it up and your muscles will thank you with growth cause by confusion. Email me your feedback on how you found them.

Please email me with any questions, comments or concerns.

Tyler Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Lee Hayward Interview

2012-01-20T17:23:00.002-03:30

Lee Hayward

Q: Can we get some basic info about you for readers?

A: I’m from Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and I’m self-employed and work as an online bodybuilding & fitness coach. In addition to that I also practice what I preach and compete regularly in bodybuilding competitions. I’m very passionate about bodybuilding & fitness and I’m very fortunate to be able to make a living doing something that I love to do.

My website http://www.LeeHayward.com is currently one of the most popular bodybuilding websites on the Internet. I have an Alexa ranking in the top 100,000 most visited websites online, and that includes all the websites on the entire Internet, even including the porn sites LOL.

Q: When did you first start into bodybuilding and when did you realize that is was the sport for you?

A: I started working out when I was 12 years old after seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Conan The Barbarian Movies. I was just blown away that someone could actually be that big and look like a real life comic book super hero. I was determined that I would someday look like that myself.

My early workouts were pretty basic, I would do exercises like push ups and sit ups in my bedroom before school each morning. I can remember thinking to myself…

“If I do this everyday until the end of the school year I’ll be as big as Arnold in the Conan movies.”

As you can see I was a little naïve at the time and thought building muscle was a lot easier then it really is LOL

That year I asked my parents if they would get me a weight set for Christmas so that I could workout and get big. I can still remember how excited I was Christmas morning when I woke up and saw this HUGE box under the Christmas tree.

After ripping through all the fancy wrapping paper and colored bows there was a York 2001 home gym machine and a York barbell and dumbbell set. We set it up that very day and I did my first official weight training workout on Christmas day 1990.

From that point on I was hooked on weight training. I would workout daily with my little home gym, sometimes for several hours at a time. My dad has always been an active person his whole life and this really helped motivate me early on to workout and keep fit as well.

During high school I worked out consistently and I would read every bodybuilding and fitness magazine that I could get my hands on. I’d get bodybuilding and exercise books from the library. I would record every bodybuilding contest that was on television and watch them over and over again. I was obsessed with learning as much about bodybuilding, exercise and nutrition as I could.

While in my last year of high school I entered my first Bodybuilding contest, The 1995 Newfoundland Provincials, I was 17 years old at the time. Since then I have competed almost every year in bodybuilding competitions. With my most recent competition being the 2011 NLABBA Championships.

After high school I went on to do a computer studies program in College. This is where I got my interest in computers and the Internet. Keep in mind that when I started working out and competing there was no Internet. So I can remember sitting in the computer lab in the fall of 1997 when I logged on to the Internet for the very first time.

I asked the guy sitting at the computer next to me: “how do you use the internet?” He said: “you go to yahoo and search for something” 
So that’s just what I did and the first thing I searched for was “bodybuilding”

In the computer studies course that I was doing they taught a basic class on writing HTML and designing websites. I started off creating some very simple bodybuilding information websites. And then in January of 1999 I created my main website: www.LeeHayward.com Since then I’ve just been focused on improving it, adding more useful information, and making it better each year.

Through my website I have had the opportunity to reach out and help literally thousands of aspiring bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts from all over the world with their training and nutrition programs. And over the past 13+ years www.LeeHayward.com has become one of the most popular bodybuilding and fitness websites online.

Q: Lee, congrats on the recent YouTube agreement, can you give us some details on what your channel is about and how you came to be partnered with YouTube?

A: To help complement my bodybuilding website I started posting workout training videos on YouTube back in 2006. And this has really taken off for me and has gotten a lot of buzz. Right now I have over 200 instructional videos posted on YouTube and I’m adding more all the time. I usually post up at least 1 new video per week.

I love video because you can really show your personality and explain things so much better then you can with just written text and pictures. Plus it lets everyone know that I’m a “Real Person” and that I actually practice what I preach. That I’m not just some made up ghostwriter. And trust me there are lots of those types of websites out there.

Just a couple months ago I was contacted by a YouTube rep who saw the potential in my video channel and they asked me to apply for YouTube’s Next Trainer Program. So I did and they selected me as 1 of only 16 fitness channels to take part in the Next Trainer Program. And now I’m getting coached by YouTube directly on how to improve my video channel and online presence. This is an amazing opportunity and I really feel that this is going to help me take my Total Fitness Bodybuilding business to the next level this year.

Q: How do you think the bodybuilding scene in Newfoundland is different than other parts of North America?

A: I’ve been to several of the major bodybuilding events (i.e. the Mr. Olympia, the Arnold Classic, etc.) and I’ve been to watch local bodybuilding shows in other provinces as well. And the big thing that stands out for me is the fan support that Newfoundland has. Newfoundland bodybuilding fans are the best, they root and cheer for the competitors and show their support more then any other place that I’ve ever been to.

I remember the first time I went to watch the Arnold Classic, I was so pumped up and excited, I had VIP tickets and I couldn’t wait to see some of the best bodybuilders in the world get on stage and compete. But when I looked around the auditorium the rest of audience looked as if they were bored. I mean half the people in attendance watching the show didn’t even clap for the competitors on stage. This just blew me away because back home we could have a first time competitor step on a local stage and get a better round of applause from the audience then some of the worlds top pros get at the Arnold Classic or Mr. Olympia.

In addition to the fan support, bodybuilding in Newfoundland is growing by leaps and bounds. Last year we had our biggest show ever with 65 competitors on stage! There are a lot of major cities throughout North America with way bigger populations then we have in Newfoundland, and they don’t even get those kinds of numbers competing at their local shows.

Q: What’s a typical bodybuilders biggest pet peeve?

A: I think the biggest pet peeve for most bodybuilders is from the general public who don’t understand the difference between bodybuilding, powerlifting, and weightlifting. They think that all these sports are one in the same because the athletes perform weight training. But that’s like thinking that basketball and soccer are the same sport because both have 2 teams and play with a round ball.

I can remember countless times when people would hear about me competing in a bodybuilding competition, or see my picture in the local paper, etc. and then ask me: “How much did ya lift?”
They didn’t understand that bodybuilding is a physique competition, not a lifting competition.

Many times I’ve had folks ask me:
“So you’re on da weights are ya? How much can ya lift over ya head?”

A lot of people just don’t understand bodybuilding as a physique sport.

Q: Is dieting the hardest part of being a bodybuilder (if so why?)

A: For a lot of bodybuilders dealing with social settings can be a challenge. Whenever we get together with family and friends it’s usually over food and drink. So if you are trying to follow a clean eating bodybuilding diet plan you’ll often be tempted with junk food, alcohol, etc. And you have 2 choices; either give in and indulge, or be looked on as a social outcast because you don’t want to be like everyone else.

It is like peer pressure on a higher level. Because not only are you tempted by “Bad” things like drugs, cigarettes, booze, etc. but even simple things like junk foods and stuff that average people don’t consider bad will hinder your progress and cause you to gain excess bodyfat.

So hands down the biggest challenge that a serious bodybuilder faces is sticking with a healthy muscle building nutrition program while also dealing with people and everyday life. And the hardest part is that it’s usually our closest friends and family members who are the ones trying to tempt us with the bad foods.

Q: How important is a training partner and what are characteristics of an ideal training partner?

A: The most important person with regards to your bodybuilding success is YOU. You can make great progress by working out by yourself. You don’t need a training partner. In fact, a lot of the regulars at the gym I train at are lone wolves who train by themselves. They got their ipod, their workout journals, and they just crank it out by themselves.

However, if you can find a good training partner it will certainly help take your training to the next level. Ideally you want to have a training partner who is just as serious about working out as you are and preferably someone who is bigger and stronger then you. This will help pull you up to a higher level.

If you workout with someone who is at a lower level then you, the workouts will become more of a personal training session where you are helping them, rather then both of you pushing each other. Now I’m not saying that this is a “bad thing”, but if you want to maximize your gains you need to train with someone who is at least at your level, or more advanced.

A good training partner can help motivate you to get to the gym on those days you probably would other wise skip out. We often do more for others then we do for ourselves. So if you know you have someone waiting to meet you at the gym for a workout, you are going to make sure you get there. But if you are just training by yourself, you can easily just brush it off and skip the gym especially if you are a bit lazy, busy, etc.

Q: What’s the best part of being a fitness coach?

A: In my situation where I work for myself from home and I do all my work online I have total control over my schedule. I don’t have to answer to anyone and I can work when I want. I enjoy what I do, I love helping people, and I enjoy the freedom and flexibility that I’ve created for myself with my work situation.

Q: ... the worst part?

A: Even though I’m in control of my schedule, things can still get very hectic at times when I need to push to get new projects done. For example, when I wrote the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program I worked like crazy to get that program finished in time to launch it as a New Year’s Muscle Building Program. There were many days where I literally worked around the clock and just got a couple hour nap here and there in order to get that program finished in time for our launch.

Now it did pay off for me because it has been my most successful muscle-building program ever. But I worked my ass off for it.

Q: What are the upcoming plans for your training and competing?

A: Over the next several months I’m focusing on bringing up some of my weaker body parts. For me I’d like to improve my arms and shoulders, as they have always been stubborn muscle groups for me. In addition to that I’d like to work on getting more upper chest mass, more back thickness, and more fullness in my quads. As I was reviewing the pictures from my last bodybuilding show these are the areas that are lacking the most in my physique.

I’m going to compete again in the 2012 Newfoundland Provincial Championships. I’ve won the overall title at the Heavyweights Classic, but I’ve never won the overall at the Newfoundland Provincials. So I’m going to keep competing in that show until I eventually win the overall title.

Q: Best piece of advice ever given to you (and by who?)

A: I really like the idea of “CANI” which is Constant And Never-ending Improvement. I first heard about this from listening to an Anthony Robbins tape.

We have to constantly strive to improve and grow. There is no such a thing as “maintain”, we’re either moving forwards or falling behind, there is no middle ground. So regardless if you are focusing on business, bodybuilding, personal development, etc. always look to make Constant And Never-ending Improvement.

To go along with this I often tell my coaching students to “Focus On Progress - NOT Perfection”.
No body is perfect and you can never be perfect, but everyone can make progress. As long as you are consistently moving in the right direction towards your goals, you’ll eventually achieve them.

Q: Best piece of advice you can give to others?

A: My number one tip would be to take action and get started NOW. A lot of people procrastinate and put things off. You’ll often hear people say that they’ll start exercising when they have more time, etc. But the truth is you are always going to be busy and you will always have other things going on in your life. You just have to bite the bullet and DO IT NOW! Don’t wait to start.

To help with this, try to surround yourself with people who are in better shape and more advanced than you. When you are around successful people the positive influence will inspire you to improve. Having friends who are in great shape will help pull you up and motivate you to get in better shape just so you can stay on the same level as they are.

And finally, you need to view bodybuilding and fitness as a healthy lifestyle. This is not some quick fix that you are only going to do for the short term. You have to commit to lifelong fitness if you really want to achieve all the benefits that bodybuilding can provide.

Q: Where can people contact you?

A: You can get in touch with me via my website / blog at: http://www.LeeHayward.com

You can follow me on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/total.fitness.bodybuilding

And you can subscribe to my YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/leemhayward

Training for Endomorphs

2012-01-20T12:30:00.001-03:30

*See below

I was always the fat kid, the little chubby guy who waddled around. But I was always the strong kid. Wrestling and playing around with the other kids, I could toss around the other kids for fun. It wasn’t until high school that I grew, slimmed out and some muscle definition finally took place. For someone who took pride in being strong, I am quite happy that I was born an endomorph.
    Try taking your thumb and index finger, then wrapping it around your wrist. If you can’t do it, you’re likely to be on the endomorphic side of the spectrum.
    An endomorph is a somatotype that is described as having a wide and thick (but “stubby”) bone structure, especially the hips and shoulders. Also, they are prone to gain weight (fat and muscle) and be more “pear” shaped, when compared to an ectomorph or mesomorph. Their muscle is most efficient in strength and power related training as opposed to muscular endurance where ectomorphs shine. The biggest downside of this body type is the ability to lose fat. It’s is significantly harder for a endomorph to shed of excess pounds and increase muscle definition. Thus, giving endomorphs a softer look.
    Now it is rare to get a pure endomorph, as people are usually a combination of multiple of somatotypes, but I will try to give a couple of tips on training as an endomorph.
    Dieting needs to be on lockdown if an endomorph wants to maximize muscle and minimize fat. Arnold once said that it doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as you eat a lot of it. This does not apply to a endomorph. A high protein, low fat diet is necessary to keep fat as low as possible. Try to cut out any unnecessary fats or unclean carbs, and if necessary don’t ingest too many carbs. If you check out my BMR article instead of bulking with a 1.5% increase, try a 1.35%, even if you’re extremely active. The article can be found at:
http://t-y-blog.blogspot.com/2011/12/be-more-responsible-bmr.html
    Cardio. Cardio. Cardio. If you really want to get defined and keep body fat down, you will need to have cardio as a staple for your program, even during a bulk cycle. A solid 40 minute cardio session 3-5 times a week will be beneficial. If you really want to be define, stick to some HIIT sessions. Interval sprints have been shown to be the best when it comes to calories and eventual fat shedding. Don’t be worried about losing muscle, it shouldn’t be an issue for the average endomorph, unless you’re truly starving yourself.
    Hopefully if you follow these basics tips, you can keep the beer belly off and still be the king or queen of power and bulk in the gym. Two simple rules, clean diet (CLEAN) and cardio.

Any question or comments feel free to email me.

Tyler Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist and endomorph
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

*Image from: http://squiogue.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph/

Forearm Growth

2012-01-19T09:20:00.000-03:30

If bulging biceps and a huge chest make someone look like they know they’re way around the gym, huge forearms give the impression of pure strength. Think of a 40 year old mechanic turning a wrench, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, their forearms are HUGE and you know they’re strong as an ox. Now the average bodybuilding won’t have 8 hours a day to train forearms, so what’s the best route to go about when training them? I’ll give you some quick details and tips to help build the forearms for size and/or strength.

Picture from: http://www.nomenclaturo.com/human

The forearm muscles are used to flex the elbow, pronate/ supinate the lower arm and also play a major role in grip strength. Any time you curl or grab a dumbbell/barbell, your forearm is doing major work.

First thing to start if you really want to hit your forearms isn’t something to add to your workouts, rather something to take away. Lose the lifting straps. This equipment is used to release the strain on your grip and lets the weight hang from your wrists, almost taking out forearm use entirely (aside from stabilization and sway of the bar). So during your heavy sets of dead-lifts, shrugs and even rows, lay the straps down and let your forearms hold the bar for you. This will hit them harder then any other exercise (especially those heavy dead-lifts for 8-12 reps).
    But this also comes with a tradeoff. When using straps, the heavier weights might be thrown up for high reps, without straps, a lifter’s weights will drop significantly. It’s up to the person to decide his or herself if the drop in weights is worth the best forearm work, or if he or she will make up for the work later.
    I have rarely (rarely) ever seen a powerlifter with a set of straps. Their forearms is based on grip strength and the best way to gain that is through raw dead-lifts or a farmers walk, as mentioned above. In fact, I’ve rarely seen a powerlifter train biceps of triceps. All their arm strength and size will come from heavy rows and benching. I’ve heard Ronnie Coleman rarely trains arms, as a former power lifter, this makes sense.
    The genetics debate always comes up again with forearms size and ability to grow. I would rather say that, “ectomorphs would have a harder time building up forearms, compared to meso or endomorphs”, but this debate can be said about any muscle group. Anyone can have huge forearms if they’re taken into consideration (See link #1 below for a crazy example). Train them 2x a week, along with losing the straps to really see some growth in your forearms.

    Basic training for forearms:
Do this routine twice a week at the end of a workout, along with losing the straps and see results for yourself.
a. Alternating dumbbell hammer curls, 3 sets of 12 each arm
b. Barbell wrist curls, 3 sets of 15
c. Farmers walk with dumbbells, until failure (a good starting dumbbell weight would be 70-80% of what you can perform a bent over row with)

    If you’re having trouble getting any growth and you haven’t tried the things mentioned above, then go ahead and give them a try. I’m sure you’ll start seeing growth, strength and vascularity in no time.

Email me with any comments or questions.

Tyler P.
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Link 1: This might be fake (I haven't decided for myself), but this kid only trained his right arm for arm wrestling competitions. He looks like an ectomorph but his right forearms is almost 18 inches!!
http://www.odditycentral.com/tag/bodybuilding

Revamped Design/New Features

2012-01-16T10:57:00.001-03:30

As you notice, I've redesigned the site. There are now 3 sections you can access, all with different content.
Ty's Blog will remain the fitness article portion of the site, the one's you will also see on http://totalfitnessexperience.com
The new additions are 14-Day BodyBuilder where I will be posting every second day. The posts will be of a workout and nutritional plan for beginner bodybuilders to follow to help them in getting started in the sport. It will be as detailed as I can make it. Possibly with downloadable content.
The 3rd section will be the Me, Myself and, I section where I will be posting on my own clock, about whatever I want. To give myself a break from the formalities of articles. I will likely to post about sports so if that's your thing head there.

I designed the banners, let me know what you think of those, or suggestions. You will be able to access any of the 3 areas from any of the areas, the links are below the banners.

Another new feature is the "follow by email". Just type your email and you will be notified as soon as new posts are up. You need to sign up for each individually, so if you only want to follow the 14 Day blog, you can, same with the other 2 sections.

I'd like some feedback on if you like this design better. All feedback welcome (even trolls).

Tyler Pritchard
CanFit Pro P.T.S.
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Personal Daily Protein Intake

2012-01-16T10:12:00.001-03:30

Image from: www.cheapproteinpowder.org/

    There’s a lot of debate about this subject. How much protein should I be ingesting, relative to my goals? There’s the old, “1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight”. This is a good staple, but why generalize and why only determine protein? In a few steps you can determine all of your macronutrient requirements (macrowhat?).

What are macro-nutrients?
    A substance required by living organisms (you) in large amounts to survive - fats, carbohydrates, and protein. These are all sources of our energy (along with other purposes).
Basic purposes for:

Fat, 9 calories per gram - high concentration of energy, fat-soluble vitamin transfer, promote healthy hair and skin, and support for organs.
Carbohydrate, 4 calories per gram - ready source of energy, helps brain function, leads to amino acid delivery (insulin delivery).
Protein, 4 calories per gram - build and repair muscle, tendon and ligaments, and creating enzymes. Proteins are made up of amino acids (like the supplement you may take).

Now that the basics are covered, you can easily figure out why the food we eat has the number of
calories it does. Take a protein shake for example (I’m currently using Six Star Elite Series: 26 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, and 8 grams of carbs).

(26 grams x 4cal) + (2 grams x 9cal) + (8 grams x 4cal) = 154cal

Although the calories are on the nutritional information, my main goal was to show you how things get the quantity of calories. So now you can determine how many calories things have based on their composition.

Now to start figuring out our own macro-nutrient requirements.

1) Determining daily needs (Macro-nutrient Split).

Think of your daily eating as a full 100%. Your macro-nutrient split should divide your 100% to be based around your goals (example 50% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein, and 20% Fats).
Always check with your physician about your needs, but there are some general guidelines for someone like a bodybuilder. A bulking bodybuilder’s macro split might look like this:

Protein - 40%
Carbs - 40%
Fats - 20%

2) Get BMR
From the above and using BMR, we know how much of our macro-nutrients we need to eat every day. If you aren’t familiar with BMR, check out my article and determine your own:
http://t-y-blog.blogspot.com/2011/12/be-more-responsible-bmr.html

So, my BMR is 3700cal. My split is 40% protein / 40% carbs / 20% fats.

3) Divide your calories to show the daily intake of each macro-nutrient

(example below of protein),
3700cal x 40% or 3700cal x 0.4 = 1480 Calories from protein,

4) Convert calories to grams

Since protein is 4 calories per gram,
1480cal / 4 grams per cal (protein) = 370 grams of protein per day.

Do the same for the other 2 macro-nutrients and you can determine what to eat and how much each day. You might be thinking, why do I need this when there are automatic calculators out there? Well, I believe it’s better to know how it is derived, so the proof is in front of your own eyes. Is the 1.5 grams per pound rule correct? As shown in my calculations, I actually require more. So figure out your own and take control of your macro-nutrients.
Knowledge is power and knowing how to do little things like this will help in building a foundation in your training.

Feel free to email or comment.

Ty Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Gym Ethics: Don't Be "That" Guy

2012-01-13T11:22:00.000-03:30

Every gym has one (or one hundred). That person at the gym everyone attempts to avoid. Maybe it’s one thing he or she does, or maybe it's a few characteristics that set off the other members. I will attempt to explain a few of these issues and how to avoid being the kind of person that people hate to be around at the gym. These are my personal opinions. Believe me, I’m totally against judging people (you really never know why or what people are training). Hopefully it isn’t you, but if you happen to fall into one of the following categories, it is. It definitely is.

*See below

“Improper” Equipment Use:
    Classic. Just classic. You take your pre-workout and walk to the free weights, a huge smile and a look of determination on your face. Today is the day you’re going to destroy your legs, and get a new PB on the squat rack. As soon as you take the corner... “You killed that one bro!”. Two newbies are banging out curls on the rack. You try your best not to let it get to you, but it does. You just want to shake them.
    The gym is an ecosystem - everyone needs to interact and hopefully get along. An isolation exercise like straight barbell curls can be easily substituted for a piece of equipment that isn’t as rare as the squat rack (don’t most gyms have fixed straight bar weights these days?). Take into
consideration the equipment that is available to you. Don’t be the person curling on the squat rack.

Dumbbell Clingers:
    The person with 3+ sets of dumbbells around their general area. Usually this occurs when someone is drop setting, so not that big of a deal (try to stick to a maximum of two per muscle group per day).
    Occasionally you may encounter “Lazy Larry” who just doesn’t want to waste energy putting them back after use. Another one is “Circuit Sally”, who needs 4 sets of dumbbells for 4 different exercises and you cannot borrow one of them.
    A simple way to avoid this is, “Hey, how many sets to you have left with those?” or “Can I use those for a set while you’re resting?” Usually people are easy-going and will let you jump in.
    Be generous at the gym and put back all equipment as soon as you’re finished.

Make Some Noise!!:
    There are several ways that unnecessary loudness kills a workout. I don’t consider grunting to be one, unless it’s really excessive (or sounds like a tea kettle/snake). On really heavy sets, I sometimes find exhaling can automatically cause a grunt to come out of me. It’s natural and I think it definitely helps some people when the weights get heavy. My major issue is equipment banging.
    Equipment gets banged around - a heavy dead lift is the prime example. You lift 500 pounds then lay it down, so ultimately there’s going to be some noise. But throwing down the 20lb dumbbells you just curled is really unnecessary (especially when they land 4 inches from my toes). It also takes years off the equipment's lifetime. At my last gym, the squat rack bar supports where ruined because a guy was throwing the bar on them after each set of curls. I had to stop using the squat rack at that time because I didn’t trust it to hold the heavy weights I was squatting, and it took forever to get new ones in. Don’t be showy - take care of the equipment like it is your own.

Keep it in the Coffee Shop:
    Socializing happens everyday at the gym. It’s packed with people who have similar interests, goals and who can support one another. So it’s very easy to strike up a conversation. This is fine, when done between sets, as long as no one is waiting to use equipment. The average person aims at a rest between 60-120 seconds between sets. If you stop once to say “Hello”, “How are you?”, “What’s new?” and get a response, you’ve used that 120 seconds. As soon as it goes further than your rest time, you’re messing up your workout. Discussing last night's game, asking for advice or trying to make a new friend can wait. Don’t risk your workout or someone else’s by being too chatty. Keep in mind why you're at the gym.
    One phrase I learned to use is “Hey, I have to get back to my set, if you want to grab a coffee and discuss it, let me know”, then head back to workout. It doesn’t sound rude and you can get back to your workout.
    Another thing to really avoid is talking to someone during his or her set. This will throw off his or her concentration and automatically turn you into an annoyance. Some people might not take it as serious as others but, to be safe, just don’t do it. Wait until in between sets to chat.

    These are just a few of the things to avoid doing (as I was writing I realized I could do 20+ examples and that would take way too long) and I may do a part two. Keep in mind that these are always up in the air as they are opinions on gym ethics.

    Leave a comment with your top gym “do not”.

Feel free to email or comment with questions, suggestions or, opinions.

Ty Pritchard

CanFit-Pro Personal Training Specialist

tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Image from: http://www.home-workout-success.com/dumbbell-workouts.html

Training Your Calves: Things You Should Know

2012-01-09T11:16:00.000-03:30

      The calf muscle has been the most frustrating muscle when it comes to growth for most bodybuilders. There have been times when even I have been confused on exactly how to train them to get big diamonds on the backs of my lower legs. Through some research and experience I have been able to deem what I think best for stimulating lots of growth. For basic reference, we will refer to two muscles on our calves; the gastrocnemius and the soleus (although there are more muscles present).
     The gastrocnemius will be the visible (for the most part) area on the back of our lower legs. When fully developed and at a low body fat percentage, it appears as a “diamond” shape. The muscle has generally been known as a fast twitch muscle fiber when compared to the soleus.
     The soleus lies underneath the gastrocnemius and is known more as a slow twitch muscle fiber, meaning it is used primarily in posture, walking, and basic stabilization of the ankle joint.
     Knee joint angle has a direct influence on how much each muscle is used during training; the more flexion, the less the gastrocnemius is used. Therefore a combination of both knee flexed calf raises
(ex: seated) and knee extended calf raises (ex: standing) should be performed in order to fully train all of the calf area.

Genetics
    I’ve heard a lot of debate on whether or not calf growth is worth attempting, “because calves are 99% genetic”. This is a load of BS. Calf muscle is like any other, and if you train it with the same intensity as a larger muscle you will get results. It is not a coincidence that pro bodybuilders all have large calves due to their “genetics” - they have them because they train them like beasts.
    Another example I’ve noticed over the years is when eying the calves of someone who used to be overweight for quite some time. Their calves are generally much larger than someone of average weight. The constant overload (the extra weight) on the muscles for basic movement, such as walking, has developed their calves into very large muscles. If you know anyone who has lost a large amount of weight, take a look at his or her calves and see for yourself.
    I’m not saying genetics aren’t a factor, but that we all have the ability to get some growth and development in our calf muscles.

Tempo and the Achilles Tendon
    The gastrocnemius inserts into your Achilles tendon and, like any tendon, it can store and release energy. Think of a basketball player dunking; usually they hop step, then explode up. The hop step before the actual jump places a lot of stored energy into the Achilles tendon, then gets released along with the regular muscle output, like a trampoline. This bounce motion can also factor into the tempo used during calf training. Quick and explosive reps will utilize your tendon quite a bit, which translates to less or little muscle utilization. This is one reason why a basketball player who can soar through the air doesn’t necessarily have huge calves.
    To avoid this, do slow and controlled reps.

Repetition(s) and Frequency
    Like any other muscle during hypertrophy (muscle growth), I suggest sticking to the 8-14 rep range. But like any other muscle group, confusion and shock will be needed to promote maximum growth. Always mix up your workouts (I suggest every 4-6 weeks) and the types of movements/training. There are many more exercises than the basic seated and standing calf raises. Try training your calves 2-3 times per week and allow at least 48 hours rest between workouts.

In Bodybuilding...
    To keep both the inner and outer calf proportionate, remember that if you train with a foot position of toes pointing out (uses more inner calf), also do it with toes pointing in (uses more outer calf).
    A good way to base your calf size is to compare them to your upper arm, they should be equal size for competing (ex: both upper arm and lower leg measure 20”). This ratio will definitely benefit you in the proportion category.

Stretching
    Like any muscle, you should stretch the calf often in order to increase range of motion. Once the ROM is increased, you will be able to tap into more muscle fibers to use during training. This means more overall growth as well, and growth is good.

Example Workout:
Warmup
    -Kinetic stretching and skip rope for 4 minutes

1. Standing calf raises
-4 sets of 9 reps

2. Seated calf raises
-4 sets of 12 reps

3a. Donkey calf raises (toes pointing in)
-3 sets of 14

3b. Donkey calf raises (toes pointing out)
-3 sets of 14 reps

4. Stretching for 10 minutes

    The calves will always be a frustrating muscle to me, but once they grow you will be flaunting them at the gym just as much as your biceps. They are not just a sign of strength, but also of dedication to the sport.

Ty Pritchard
Can-Fit-Pro P.T.S.
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com
Feel free to comment or email with any comments, questions or suggestions.

Image from http://www.dangerouslyhardcore.com

Training Logs = Success

2012-01-05T10:53:00.000-03:30

Keeping accurate records of your workouts is beyond important when you are serious about achieving results in the gym. Yes, indeed, a tiny $2 notebook can help amplify results more than you think. Use these tips to help you get started on a training log and it’s benefits to help you get where you want to be.

Pre-workout:

Monthly: At the beginning of each month, make a habit of marking every day you will be working out, and what body parts you will be working out on these day. Take into account days off and a smart muscle group split. For example make sure to have at least 2 days of rest each week, and to let a specific muscle group rest for at least 48 hours.

Weekly: At the beginning of each week, take a look at the training days you’ve marked in your monthly calendar and write out the complete workout for those days. Exercises, sets, reps, weights
and rests.

Daily: Before your workouts, read through your workout and get pumped for each exercise. I read somewhere that Arnold used to make a tick “/” for every set he was to do in his log on a specific day. This is great for visualizing getting ready mentally for sets remaining.

   When you set a goal for yourself by writing out the above, you will be holding yourself accountable for doing what is in your log. You will feel a much greater sense of achievement when you’re done. Also, the continuing use of this will reinforce how strong your mind is (and determined) to make every workout as good as possible. I GUARANTEE going into a workout with a plan on what you’re going to do will reduce those “bad workouts”, as they usually occur when chaos or things are unorganized.

During workout:

Always (always) write the results of each set, with weight and reps. Have one column for your plan, and another for the what you actually achieved.

Example:
Exercise    |    Plan         | Achieved
Bench Press |     Set 1: 200lbs x 10 reps |       200lbs x 9
(Med Grip) |    Set 2: 230 lbs x 6 reps   |      230lbs x 7
                   |    Set 3: 200 x 10 reps         |     200lbs x 12

The end result (when done consistently) is a statistical log that shows growth, strengths and weaknesses. You can see each week the numbers that prove you are lifting more weight or reps (or whatever your goal).
    As I mentioned about Arnold s “/” method in his logs, cross “X” out those ticks as you complete each set. At the end of the day if you had 15 ticks and only 10 were crossed off, you can grade yourself a 67% and know this isn’t going to cut it. A half-assed effort gets you half-assed results.
    Also, lets pretend in the month of January you worked out out 20 times and did chest 10 times, arms 5 times, back 3 times and legs 2 times. You log may show significant growth in chest for that month, but the growth in your legs was negligible. It is clear here that you need to do your legs more to promote growth. So for the month of February you may want to workout legs more. This also aids you in knowing how long you’ve done specific workouts and exercises, so you know when to switch it up or plan a de-load.


Post-workout:

    Another simple tool is at the end of each day to mark jot notes about that day’s workout. Feelings, pains, highs, and lows should all be written. “Today's workout was awesome, I felt great and lifted heavy, but my legs are still sore” or “Today's chest day was sluggish, I couldn’t get the drive I needed to lift as much as I wanted.” This can help drive you to make the next workout better (knowing the last one sucked). Also mark the supplements you have taken (if they aren’t in your food log). This will help make connections to supplements/diet to workouts. For example if one day you note “Sluggish workout” and notice you didn’t take pre-workout, you should pay attention to more days that you don’t take pre-workout to determine if there’s a connection. Or you may note “still sore” and notice your protein intake for the previous days was deficient. Here you can make that connection as well.

I can guarantee that a training log will boost results and help you achieve the results you want. It takes about a dozens minutes at the beginning of each month and week, and you can write during breaks between sets during your workout. The statistic will boost your morale because you have visual proof of growth over time. You’ll also have the edge psychologically as you have daily goals that you’ve written at the beginning of each day. Skip today's coffee and buy a $2 notebook, and start maximizing results.

Tyler Pritchard
CanFit Pro P.T.S
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

Be More Responsible (BMR)

2011-12-16T11:24:00.000-03:30

    It’s great to have a game plan for every day you head into the gym. Your exercises, set and reps should all be recorded to track growths and weaknesses. The exact same attitude should be applied towards your eating and nutritional habits. Your daily calorie and macro-nutrient intake should be recorded on a daily basis to ensure fitness achievements.
    Let’s better educate ourselves with the basics:

Calorie (k cal): used to measure the energy value of foods.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the rate our bodies use energy at rest to keep our bodies running (Things like breathing, digesting food).

    Depending on your fitness goals, the values of these numbers will change so that your nourishment can properly compliment your training. To determine them properly we’ll first determine our BMR. There’s a simple equation that we can use:

Step 1)
Male: (Weight in Lbs x 13.75) + (Height in cm x 5) - (Age x 6.8) + 66 = BMR
Female: (Weight in Lbs x 9.56) + (Height in cm 1.8) - (Age x 4.7) + 655 = BMR
1 inch = 2.54 cm, 1 pound = 0.45 kg

    *I’m 5’11 (~180cm), 221 Lbs (~90.5kg), and 23 years old:

(221 x 13.75) + (180x 5) - (23 x 6.8) + 66 = 2054 cals

    My body uses 2054 calories in one day in a resting state (no exercise). Depending how much exercise you do in the run of a day, you can multiply your BMR to determine daily expenditure. A basic guideline is:

Step 2)
Inactive lifestyle (desk job/ little-no exercise) = 1.15
Below average active lifestyle = 1.3
Average active lifestyle = 1.4
Very active lifestyle (job on feet/ exercise 5+ days a week) = 1.5

    *I live an active lifestyle, therefore I will multiply by 1.5:

2054 x 1.5 = 3081 cals

    THIS MEANS, I must consume 3081 calories every day in order to maintain my current body. Our goals determine if we need to raise, or lower the number of calories we eat. If we want to get bigger we need to eat excess calories, if we want to lose weight we need to go into caloric deficit, forcing out stored fats to be tapped into for energy. I will draw out some basic guidelines to help:

Step 3)
Lose 1-2 pounds a week: -15-20%
Gain mass: +15-20%

    *I’m trying to gain mass so I would:

3081 cals x 1.15 = ~3700 calories per day

    From these basic steps and calculations, anyone can determine the amount of calories to intake in one day. I recommend slowly adding or subtracting the 15-20% calorie change by 5% per week to allow our bodies to adjust our metabolism accordingly. Therefore if I’m used to eating 3000 cals and now I want to gain mass (I must eat the calculated 3700 cals) I would increase over 4 weeks:
Week 1: 3000 cals, week 2: 3225 cals, week 3 : 3450 cals, week 4: 3700 cals

    The key to success here is recording your daily meals and caloric intake. Pick up a pocket sized notebook and start recording. Or there are several websites/programs that can record daily calories for you. Post a comment below showing your calculated BMR.

Tyler Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com