There is so much mis and dis information circulating thru the general public about”losing weight”. Even the basic concept of “weight loss” is a misnomer in and of itself.  The terminology is useless and a great cause of confusion.  Western Society in the 21st century is at a crossroads because most people through the aid of technology are basically sedentary.  In the same regard, people usually eat the simplest most available food stuffs ie what’s on grocery and convenience store shelves.  Most of them are highly refined, processed and laden with trans-fats. When you combine these two basic concepts, you can visualize the impending disaster facing the health care industry for the next 50 years.

The issue is not something concerning the Bodybuilding/Life Extending/and Fitness communities. What they are looking for is the quickest and most effective way to get lean/shredded. The general goal of this series of articles is to offer a an informed perspective using 20 years of empirical application which have yielded such results.

Bio-Chemistry and Thermodynamics

There is no “cookie-cutter” approach to altering ones body composition. Notice we didn’t say weight loss because what we are after is adiposity reduction/elimination.
The Human body’s weight can fluctuate in multiple ways rarely linearly with a persons individual response either positive or negative.  In the simplest of terms, the Human Body can alter its physical composition by reducing or increasing kcal intake. It doesn’t matter the types of energy used for such a purpose. Regardless of what the many and various diet guru’s say about the composition of the nutrients and macro-nutrient ratio %’s— The LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS prevails 99.9% of the time.

If you take in less kcals than you need for maintaining “BASAL METABOLIC RATE“(BMR), you will lose weight(Skeletal Mass(Muscle) and Adipose Tissue(Body fat). The inverse is also true.

Accepting this as a universal truism, how do we establish a *Normal Persons BMR*?

How does a Normal person differ from a person reading this site? (We need to establish guidelines here…we’ll address and augment this answer in a future installment covering the diverese population groups reading TMC and looking for help)

General Guidelines

Determining BMR is multi-factoral and often confusing because of our favorite term in the world of molecular biology and food and nutrition. “Biochemical Individuality“. No single person burns kcals the same.  Humanity is so different in this regard. (And if you knew how Reptilian shape shifters burned wow..:) Understanding the diversity of caloric burn, self experimentation and accurate record keeping is of paramount importance to understand how individuals **process nutrients**(more on this in a future article)

To illustrate “How to diet”, it’s easiest to create a fictitious 200 pound recreational bodybuilder as a mean.  First we need to determine body composition before we investigate anything else.  We must have a basic starting point. Goals are formed after a thorough assessment of a persons condition.  This is the crucial step because most people who fail on their diets(even performance athletes/bodybuilders)do so because they lack a starting point of accuracy. (Much More on this topic in future installments of this Series).

Anthropomorphic Measurements are Essential and the only governing scientific process for a productive diet.  Read that line 100x and memorize it.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  We must figure out a person’s Body Fat Percentage(Adipose Tissue) and his Lean Body Weight(Skeletal Muscle and Bone Mass) taking into effect bone/hip structure(more on understanding this later) before we can formulate an intelligently designed diet.

Once you’ve gathered this data you can do some basic math.

200 pound Average Bodybuilder

We will assume is 15% body fat. This means he is somewhere in the range of 155-170 pounds of Skeletal Muscle Mass including bone weight.  Knowing these things you can begin to measure the factors that affect his BMR.

In TMC’s opinion these are the most important factors effecting BMR.

• Sleeping Patterns
• Mental Outlook
• Activity Levels in Day to Day living
• Consistency of Diet
• Genetics

It usually takes a competent exercise professional to understand and account for all of those factors. Once these are understood it’s safe to assume you can come up with a rough approximation of Daily Caloric Requirement to maintain BMR. Let’s say (hypothetical only) 15 kcals per pound of total bodyweight would mean he needs 3500 kcals per day to maintain his present condition. If 15 kcals per pound of bodyweight is the mean to maintain homeostasis(current body weight) we can now calculate the method of attaining the “crucial element” of any body fat reduction plan.

*Losing Body fat while avoiding/minimizing Muscle Loss*

How is this best achieved?(Initially and you can augment further depending on a persons condition-to be discussed further soon)

***15% Kcal reduction +***10% increase in Movement Patterns =’s Net 25% Energy Deficit.

There are many factors to discuss from here and rest assured they will be addressed in the articles to come.  Topics such as, the TYPES OF DIETS to employ, MAINTAINING AN ANABOLIC METABOLISM, CRUCIAL ERGOGENS ACCELERATING FAT LOSS, OPTIMAL DIET FOR WOMEN etc.

As always with everything TMC relates, formulating a strategy when dieting is only specific to the goals of the individual and his/her present state related to attaining such.

In our professional experience its safest to lose body fat gradually in order to not throw off the body’s equilibrium in maintaining its augmentation long term.

We hope you found some of this helpful and encourage you to respond by leaving a comment on the blog or on Facebook fan page.

Off to the LA Fit Expo!

MIHWCS

We encourage all of our readers to read it.  It’s more candid and deeper than much of what you’ve seen and heard from us previously.  We’re quite proud it was published unedited.

A huge thanks to Natalie for her incredible eye behind the camera lens and also her unwavering focus to give our story, our site and and the TMC brand significant global exposure.

You can read the interview in its entirety here.

With permission from Natalie we’re republishing it along with “select photos” from our shoot with her.

<NOTE>The photos she chose are different from the ones we’re running here on the site.  She is amazing and took so many great photos it’s hard to pick and choose.

Enjoy!

The Muscle Couple is at it again!  One of my favorite married couples showing us all how they enjoy life in Las Vegas with two young daughters (yes, Anh had 2 children!) while keeping up on a fit lifestyle. Anh and Jay are back for round 2 Interviews and a special photoshoot together in Sin City.  This year has been special for them as they have taken a leap into the competitive fitness world and they are ramping up to their big show, Model America, at the end of November.  I went in a little deeper this time around with their fitness, diet, and scheduling methodologies and as you can see by the pictures, it’s working like magic. Check out the interview below to learn all of the juicy details.

The Interview

1. You have inspired a lot of people to stay in shape. Are you working with any clients now for personal training/coaching? Do you train them in a gym, at home, or where?

In the late 90′s Jay was licensed by ACE and also had his CSCS license. He was a independent trainer at Gold’s Gym Pasadena working at night after his normal “office job” as a Digital Media and Advertising Sales Manager in Los Angeles. Currently both of us are studying for our personal trainer licenses through ACT. We do currently consult with a number of people (gratis) in Las Vegas and So Cal offering advice and instruction relevant to HIT Training. Upon receiving our licenses before the end of December, we plan on training people in Las Vegas at a number of gyms. LVAC, Anytime Fitness, Golds Gym and some additional independent studios. We will also offer fitness instruction, program design and nutritional/diet consulting through our website within the next 4-6 months.

2.  You’ll both be competing in and Model America in November, tell us what your preparation is like? What is your dieting approach like before the big show?

It has been a very busy year for both of us in maintaining “contest ready” body fat levels for much of the year. Thankfully we only took the last 3-4 weeks off (Anh’s last contest Miss Fitness Long Beach was on Sept 17th and Jay’s prep for our photo shoot with Natalie was on Sept 13th). Yesterday Oct 10th was the official “start date” for our contest prep for Model America/Fitness Universe. Our prep is three pronged. Training moves from 3x every 7 days to 4x . Our diet moves to 4-8 feedings a day (depending on daily training level). And our cardio moves to 2 a days on non lifting days. You can see our new pre-contest workout program Hybrid Training Day 1, Day 2 and Days 5&6 on our site.

We will also be writing a very detailed breakdown of our pre-contest diet soon as well. Our nutritional strategy is based on limiting kcal intake and increasing clean EFA and protein consumption. Caloric cycling is an important component. We will usually move anywhere between 9-13kcals per pound of lean bodyweight. Protein comes from Chicken, Salmon, Tilapia, Egg whites and lean cuts of Red Meat. Carbs are very redundant coming from sweet potatoes (Korean Yams are Anh’s staple), brown rice, and oatmeal. We will eat lots of greens primarily broccoli, green beans, spinach and salads. All processed food and bread is out. Fats come from Udo’s Oil (thrown in shakes, salads, and used as cooking oil), Ultra Oil Capsules, Almonds, Almond Butter, Sunflower Seeds and Natural Peanut Butter. We will use MRP shakes up until the last 14 days. The last 14 days we switch to solid foods completely and eat as much Asparagus as possible due to its diuretic qualities.

3. Anh, you placed 2nd in the 2011 Miss Fitness Hollywood Contest, how does it feel? Can you tell us more about your experience?

Actually I placed 5th in Miss Fitness Hollywood (out of 18 contestants) and 2nd in Miss Fitness Long Beach (and was told by everybody judging the event I should have won). It was truly an incredible experience for me. For the first time in my competitive life, I realized I wasn’t just another girl on stage but somebody with the conditioning and know how to win. I owe a lot to Jay as he has experimented with my diet, supplement routine and last 7 day strategy for the better part of a year now. He has truly helped me “dial everything in” to where I feel confident I have a shot to finish in the top 5 every time I step up on stage. I actually would recommend him to any female or male competitor who is looking to shore up and solidify their last couple of week strategy so that they hit the stage in peak condition.

4. From your past contests, what have you learned you need to correct or improve that will help you prepare for the next show?

Great question. Probably the greatest learning curve was building my stage presence. I usually have solid conditioning due to my focused HIT training and good genetics. But there is so much more that factors into winning/placing in a contest beyond just your appearance. There are many other components in which you must appear razor sharp like, makeup, your strut/walk, your connection with the judges and audience, your grace under fire (such as questions from the MC) and remaining happy, positive and upbeat no matter the circumstances. All of these components can only be improved upon with time and experience. There are few who get it all right the first time they step on stage.

5. Are your diet & training routines different now from when you first started doing fitness competitions?

In some ways our training is, yes. We now train our abs differently trying to focus on areas where we are not as “sharp” like the obliques, serratus. We still utilize HIT principles and challenge each other on almost every rep and set. Anh targets her hamstrings and glute-ham tie in which is a traditional weak area for many women due to estrogen fat deposition areas. (Anh due to having two children is no stranger to this issue). From a diet perspective, we’ve just stopped messing around with “Lowered or Restricted carb” diets and focus more on the total kcal’s in and out equation.

6. You started using HIT in your training program, how is it different from the other programs you’ve followed?

Nothing compares to focused and scientific HIT Training. Jay has been involved in resistance training design and implementation for close to 15 years and experimented with multiple methodologies and protocols such as Periodization, Bulgarian Training, German Volume Training, Doggcrapp Training, HST (Hypertrophy Specific Training) and Full Body Blood Volume Training. After utilizing HIT principles and techniques over the last 18 months, none of those other philosophies compares.

With true HIT training (and it’s not something you can learn from just reading a book or observing a video), you learn a way of life designed to maximize every second your muscles are placed under tension. Once you can apply the 2 Core HIT Principles – maximal muscle fiber contraction and elimination of momentum,  consistently to your training, your physique will improve by leaps and bounds.  You will realize genetics is not the be all end all many make it out to be.  We could write an entire article <HINT-HINT> on why HIT Training is  the great equalizer for sub standard to average gene trainees everywhere.

7. How do you balance your life between fitness and parenting? What activities do you do together as a family?

The parenting of our beautiful daughters comes first and is above all else. Many people believe we must live in the gym to look the way we do at our age. It’s not true at all. When not preparing/training for a show, we are “at most” in the gym together 3x a week. Due to our hectic work/life balance, sometimes it only amounts to 2 training days every 7. During the last 10 weeks it’s been incredibly difficult as Jay has been traveling to Phoenix AZ for work usually from Monday to Thursday evening. This has made us become incredibly mindful of our time together and limited our “free time” away from the girls.

We’ve also had to be very creative with our training. Lots of weekends in the gym for sure. But we always find time for the girls. Usually that time consists of Thursday Night dinners at iHop. Trips to the park on Friday Evenings and then most of our Saturdays are spent with them on family shopping excursions, trips to our local Summerlin Community Pool and dinner at of course iHOP! Sundays in the summer is usually “Jay and Anh time”. We try and do a Vegas Hotel Pool Party for about 3.5 hours finishing up with Dinner with Friends at Blue Martini. The 5-6 hours we spend together away from Alex and Gabbie keeps our passion and love for each other strong and at the same time allows us to reconnect in ways we are unable to during the busy work week.

It’s important to understand especially during the last couple of months how hard Anh’s job has been trying to maintain her razor sharp condition, balance the everyday requirements of maintaining our house and somehow having enough left over to see to the care of Alex and Gabbie. Both of them are just bundles of energy and they can wear you out quickly. Anh is truly a Super Mom to be able to keep it all together while Daddy is away during the week.

8. What is it like to train & compete together? How do you both go about supporting each other during this time?

We absolutely love training together. Our motto has always been “couples who train together-stay together”. Sometimes after a long day, having 25-35 minutes together with a singular focus of crushing some iron or achieving one more rep than the previous week, is all we need to stimulate positive energy and renew our zest for life and each other. As far as supporting each other during contest prep time, it’s kind of funny. Reduced kcals and restricted carbs can definitely do a number on brain chemistry and often times can make you irritable or prone to “react” at the dumbest thing. We both try to critique each other once we observe reactionary behavior or moodiness brought on by something inconsequential. And we will definitely jump all over one another if we see any kind of reactionary anger or behavior toward Alex or Gabby.

Please don’t misunderstand us. Crying and wining babies during pre-contest time can definitely test even the most level headed and even keeled person. It’s not easy. But you persevere and make due trying to think about the end game. Often times Daddy or Mommy will just grab both of the girls, strap them into the car and just drive leaving the other parent with some solitude and “alone time” even if for only 30 minutes while the other parent drives the girls around the neighborhood hopeful they’ll stop crying or perhaps even fall asleep.

9. Working towards similar goals in regard to your fitness & training lifestyle has brought you closer together as a couple. Have there been some challenges along the way? If so, how did you overcome them?

What marriage doesn’t have its share of challenges? We have had relationship issues and like most couples -turbulent times. Our marriage has been tested by a number of factors. At the end of the day, we know we love each other and more importantly love our children. They are an absolutely priceless creation and an actual physical part of us and our legacy as a couple. They are now the most important part of our lives and we live every day striving to be positive role models and loving parents to them in every conceivable way possible.

We also engage in regular weekly Marriage and Family Therapy sessions to make sure our communication is open and honest and being objectively guided and critiqued by an outside and neutral party. Our therapist is truly amazing and we’re thankful to have her. We recommend M&F Therapy for all married couples regardless of the stage of the relationship. Open lines of communication are truly the best way to to maintain trust and loyalty which are crucial to the relation prospering for decades.

12. Any shout outs?

We definitely like to make a number of “Shout Outs” if we could. First off a a huge Shout Out to Natalie for without her incredible talent behind the lense, our likeness wouldn’t have been captured in the essence we are currently representing.

Another one to Mike Torchia for wanting to integrate his incredibly worthy cause with the TMC brand.

To the HIT Master Practitioners who have shown us the way to both better physiques and a way of life.

To Alexandra and Gabriella Campbell for being forgiving and loving children through it all.

To Mike Cernovich and Jason Greene for being in both of our corners when few were willing to choose sides.

To Josephine Dalton aka Trainer Joe for her pre-contest coaching and stage awareness preparation.

To Rebecca Narinen for being a friend few people ever get a chance to truly experience.

We also wanted to say we are truly thankful for the awareness and exposure Natalie has given us.

We will try and return the favor as often as possible.

MIHWCS

Here you go:

TMC’s Diet- Down to a Science

M1. 2 Scoops Muscle Milk, 1Scoop Pro Complex, 1+ tbspoon Udo’s Choice EFA oil

M2. 4-5oz Turkey breast or tuna 4oz. Sweet Potato, 1 tbspoon Peanut Butter

M3. 4-5oz Chicken or Lean Beef, 1-2 cups veggies or salad

M4. 4oz  Turkey breast (maybe few veggies)

M5. 1.5 Scoop Pro Complex, 1 tbspoon Peanut butter, 1+ tbspoon Udo’s Choice EFA oil

M6. TRAINING DAY ONLY 1scoop Muscle Milk

Gallon of ICE COLD water
Supplements Bone-Up, VPX Redline, Multi-Vitamin, and Fish Oil Caps are the only additional supplements.

Cardio Only Day 2000cal  65g fat 103g carb 245g prot
Training Day 2100cal  70g fat 111g carb 260g prot

I’m finding that I’ve lost any and all major cravings for anything else at the moment…..very satisfying diet.  Haven’t so much as thought of having a diet coke or a coffee either, although I’m not purposely denying myself those things.  My body just wants that water, and my caffeine fix is taken care of by the VPX.  (I’m still hooked on my morning, pre-cardio, diet red bull…just a small one though!)

A word about daily fasted morning cardio:

This is going to sound cliche’, because I could have gotten off my ass and done this at anytime if I hadn’t been brainwashed into drinking the “no-cardio kool aid”, but the cardio has been life changing. (Of course, I’m an intelligent, independent thinker so I only have myself to blame).  By the second day, I went from almost 30 years of morning grouchiness to being a morning person.

I obviously have not seen any immediate physique changes, but as far as energy levels, lack of “stiffness”, and mental state, I have seen amzing improvements.  I keep telling myself that I can take a day off on the weekends, but I actually look forward to doing it Saturday and Sunday,  followed by a relaxing “cool down” on my back patio with the weekend morning paper.  Honestly, its been a revelation.

For the people out there harping on the fact they “ARE NOT A MORNING PERSON”, re-read what he just said. 

Here are a couple of pics from this morning upon waking up.

One more day of “Two-a-Day” Cardio and then no more.  Getting to the point where muscle preservation is now most important.

• Maintaining 204 pounds and now about 6.8% body fat.
• Still eating about 10-12 kcals per pound.
• Carbs in the form of Oat Meal, Brown Rice and Veggies and none after 6PM.
• Protein from Chicken and Casein Protein Powder in Oatmeal.
• Fats from EFA Caps and Udo’s Oil
• 8 Minutes of “filtered UV Tanning daily from our good friend Michael Jennings @ Club 1 Tanning in Summerlin. *For any of our Vegas Friends, hit me up for the BEST TANNING DEAL IN VEGAS*
• 1.5 Gallons of Distilled water per day
• Only 3 Days of HIT Training this week (Chest-Triceps-Rectus/Back-Biceps/Obliques|Intercostals/Delts-Legs-Calves)
• Considering some IF(Intermittent Fasting) during the 3 Day Carb Down. (More on that methodology soon)

Hoping to do a daily post from here on out.

Stay tuned.

MIHWCS

We’ve had little time to write instead pursuing interviews with renown folks inside the Fitness Industry.

Today’s interviewee is definitely a guy who’s well known amongst many camps and circles inside Fitness and Strength Training.  Drew Baye.  Drew and Jay have known each other for close to two decades through the power of the interweb when they were each respected posters on sites/news groups such as “Misc Fitness Weights” , “Cyberpump and the “Low Carb and Exercise List“.

Drew, touted by many as “one of the premier personal trainers in the world,” is a high intensity training icon and proponent of “the minimum amount necessary”, adhering to many principles that would shock most athletes. Drew proves you can have ripped abs without performing direct abdominal exercise nor cardio.  While his training principles largely go against conventional training and wisdom, his vast knowledge, experience, and results with personal training make it evident the adage “what is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right” applies as much to fitness as to any other aspect of life.

<TMC Note>Pay special attention to what Drew talks about in his discussion of “mental preparation” and “fat loss principles”.  Drew is incredibly intelligent and his views are cutting edge.  Anyone reading this site can learn a lot from what he has to offer.  If you’re in Florida you should hit him up for a training session or if anywhere else, a scientific discussion about “maximizing your training by going beyond accepted norms and protocols”.

You can reach him here.

INSPIRATIONS

Drew Baye cites Mike Mentzer and Ken Hutchins as the two people who had the greatest impact on his life, first learning about HIT through Mentzer’s Heavy Duty column in Iron Man magazine.  The owner of the gym Baye worked for while in college was a phone client of Mentzer and introduced the two, leading to phone and e-mail communication until Mentzer’s death in June of 2001; the Heavy Duty training philosophy that he learned from Mentzer “influenced my general training philosophy.”

In 1996, Baye moved to Florida to work for Ken Hutchins, a former Nautilus employee and researcher who developed the SuperSlow protocol; “Ken’s understanding of and attention to the details of exercise form is on a level most people, even trainers with decades of experience, don’t even know exists.”  His work with Hutchins greatly influenced him and left an irrevocable impact on the specifics of how he teaches and instructs exercise form.

PERSONAL HIT PROTOCOL

Baye considers the defining feature of his HIT Protocol to be adaptability, adapting a general set of guidelines to an individual based on their goals and how their body responds to exercise, rather than strictly employing a specific repetition method or routine; “Depending on various factors, I might have one person doing very brief, Heavy Duty style routines using rest pause reps, and another doing something very different like 3×3 metabolic conditioning routines or even SuperSlow.”

He advocates that “people should try to keep their training as simple as possible,” focusing on “hard work and progression and a few basic exercises and getting plenty of rest,” rather than focusing on “unnecessarily complex” high volume and high frequency routines; “Arthur Jones summed it up pretty well when he wrote, ‘…work harder, but very briefly and infrequently.’”

MENTAL PREPARATION

Drew Baye outlines the underlying mental warfare that must take place in order to employ proper HIT technique and principles, winning the battle in the mind before the war can be won over the body.  He describes the necessity of “dialing in” focus before a workout, taking a few minutes to mentally relax and rehearse the exercises, enabling them to “train harder, with better form, and push themselves further.”

In order to “maintain strict form in the face of extreme discomfort and really dig deep and give 100%,” it is necessary to hone focus and determination, exerting as much mental effort as physical effort to truly high intensity training.  By quelling distracting or negative thoughts and making yourself present in the workout, you prepare your mind for a high intensity workout.

Drew Baye’s Weekly Training Routine

Baye alternates between two brief full-body workouts performed once every 3 to 4 days.

Currently, they are:

Workout A:

• BB Squat
• Weighted Chin Up (Nautilus OME)
• BB Standing Press
• Arm Curl (Nautilus OME)
• Weighted Dip (Nautilus OME)
• BB Stiff-Legged Deadlift (Standing on two 2×12 boards for extra ROM)
• Gripping (Ivanko Super-Gripper)

Workout B:

• Shrug-Bar Deadlift
• BB Bench Press
• BB Bent Over Row
• DB Side Raise
• BB Pullover
• Standing Calf Raise (Nautilus OME)
• Wrist Curl (Nautilus OME)
• Wrist Extension (Nautilus OME)

Baye performs only one set of each exercise, aiming for between seven and ten repetitions done at a “strict 3/3 cadence” with a pause and squeeze in the fully contracted position and a five to ten second rest pause between repetitions.  Although he does not rush between exercises, he does not rest much either, pausing only “as long as it takes to unload the weights after free weight exercises and set up the next bar or machine.”  Baye performs each exercise to failure, defining failure as “the point when I can’t complete a repetition in reasonably good form after a rest-pause of not more than ten seconds,” continuing contraction for five to ten seconds after failure or continue with two or three negative-only reps on exercises like weighted chin ups and dips.

He usually performs the exercises in the outlined order; however, if his progress slows on a particular exercise, he moves it up to the beginning of the routine for a few workouts, adjusting the rest of the routine accordingly.  Another consideration for the order of his routine is to perform direct forearm and grip exercising last, so that grip fatigue does not become a limiting factor on pulling exercises.

CARDIO

Baye’s views on cardio stand in complete opposition to all traditional teaching, finding that “‘cardio’ burns so few calories I don’t feel it is worth doing for achieving or maintaining low body fat” calling it “generally a waste of time.”  He propones that anything that can be accomplished with cardio “can be accomplished far more effectively, efficiently, and safely with proper strength training,” finding that although his workouts are not specifically geared towards metabolic and cardiovascular conditioning, “they are effective for that purpose.”

DREW BAYE’S DIET, NUTRITION, AND FITNESS TIPS

Drew Baye propones eating beef “and plenty of it,” preferably grass-fed, whether your fitness goal is to gain muscle or to keep muscle while losing fat.  He cites the biggest mistake “skinny guys” make when they are trying to gain muscle as the failure to intake enough quality protein and calories.  For those trying to cut fat, the biggest mistake is the failure to get enough protein to maintain lean body mass or enough fat to maintain testosterone levels.  “Eating plenty of steak solves both problems.”

He cites rest as one of the most underrated aspects of getting into great condition; “the biggest mistakes most people make with their training are doing too much, too often.”  It is an often overlooked fact that exercise does not directly produce any improvements in the body, serving only as the stimulus.  In order to produce the improvements that were stimulated during an exercise routine, “the body requires adequate time for recovery and adaptation between workouts, and most people underestimate the amount of rest they need and overestimate the amount of exercise required.”

FAT LOSS PRINCIPLES AND GETTING RIPPED ABS WITHOUT PERFORMING DIRECT ABDOMINAL EXERCISE

To produce effective fat loss results, it is necessary to create a hormonal environment that is “conducive to fat loss” through eating meat, fish, and leafy vegetables, consuming plenty of water, and getting as much sleep as you can.  Training should reflect fat loss goals by training all of the major muscles groups as hard as possible to maintain lean body mass while fat is lost.

While exercise can be utilized to strengthen the abdominals and increase their muscularity, it produces no direct effect on the overlying fat; “all that is necessary to have ripped abs is to have a low enough level of body fat.”  Baye accomplished the highly coveted “ripped abs” look without performing any direct abdominal exercise by modifying his diet to reduce fat and making no changes to the workouts that he was performing at that time.

Although some bodybuilding websites have cited the effectiveness of spot reduction through increased blood flow during direct abdominal exercise, “the effect is so incredibly small as to make no noticeable difference at all… People who do set after set of various abdominal exercises thinking it is going to make a difference in the appearance of their abs are wasting their time.”

Baye has embraced and proponed a lot of training principles that go against traditional training and mindsets, which has sparked a wide range of reactions, making him both revered and lambasted in the fitness world.  He has received reactions from “all over the board” challenged with ridicule, insults, and hate e-mail from people who follow “the popular nonsense” and are “upset at being told they’re wrong.”  On the other end of the spectrum are “people who seem to view me as some sort of guru (I’m not)” and clients who react with “disbelief at how fast or how much their bodies and the way they feel improves when they actually start eating and training properly – especially the ones who previously experienced repeated failure with conventional approaches.”

He finds it rewarding to help people improve their lives through exercise, which “contributes to everything else that they do.”  When properly performed, HIT is more effective, time efficient, and safer than traditional forms of exercise, “so in addition to helping people get better results from their exercise program, you’re allowing them to do it in a way that gives them more time to spend with family or friends or to pursue other interests” and helping them achieve their fitness goals “in a way that isn’t going to undermine their health in the long run like some training methods can.”  Baye is the consummate master of HIT, using his vast knowledge to greatly influence and change lives, establishing himself as a leader in the fitness industry.

Incredible stuff from Drew.    Take heed to what you just read.

TMC is going to be making some announcements soon.  We’re going to be competing twice this year and will be announcing both venues shortly.   We have some incredible interviews just around the corner as well.

Have a great weekend!

MIHWCS

TMC: Discuss your nutritional beliefs. Explain how someone can become shredded on a Twinkie Based Diet.

Hate to disappoint diet fans, but it is all OVERRATED.

The Diet Industry may be the most unsuccessful industry in History (key word may). Yes, it is prudent to stay away from “processed” foods or foods that are rendered with a bit of a longer shelf life, but other than that, a balance of “real” foods still works best. So those of you that prepare your foods and demand the way you like it (clean) at restaurants – Bravo! But this aside, dietary intake has always been the amount of food and if you freeze dry all the food stuffs, it’s not all that terribly different.

Rules I go by:

1.     Avoid any “diet system” that has a word or phrase before the word “Diet”

2.     Eat a wide variety of a balance of foods, be it frozen, fresh, cooked etc.

3.     Protein supplements or any supplements for that matter are neither necessary nor desirable, and if you eat as suggested in rule 2, you are simply supplementing a well balanced diet

4.     Protein supplementation is a total waste of your money and bodily resources.  You literally have to live below the poverty level to not get the adequate requirements of protein

5.     Eating smaller meals (4 – 5 – 6) daily actually works rather well, but you must gradually adapt over several months to this process – but if you still enjoy the “three squares,” I’m sure you will be perfectly fine – sometimes eating many meals is like a part time job to some – but the bottom line is again – AMOUNT of kcals!

The Twinkie Diet link to my site is because of the conversation I had with Rush Limbaugh which is transcribed towards the end.

If one were to eat one package of Twinkies (300 Cals) as a “supplement” to their daily intake, as long as the calories are on a steady reduction and balanced, it would be by and large, very safe and effective for most homo sapiens.

Again the gist of dietary intake is all about the amount of kcals consumed. Don’t be obsessed by your diet, have fun and eat less of what you like and more of what your body has adapted well to eating. Your body is genius at networking its nutrition, and anything not needed is excreted or stored as fat.

TMC agrees with 100% of this commentary.

This wouldn’t have been the case before experimenting with a carb based but severely restricted kcal diet for our competition in November.

A couple of notes about David’s beliefs.

• Protein supplementation while definitely not needed or desired(more on that in a second) is usually substituted for convenience purposes only.  Most busy people just don’t have the time necessary to continually prepare solid nutritious based meals.   Many of us (myself included when not dieting for a show/photo shoot) will substitute Casein/Whey Protein Isolate and/or an isocaloric MRP like Muscle Milk for a couple of feedings a day because it’s easy to prepare and quick to consume.

• Protein powder is not desired (as mentioned above) because the speed of which it is assimilated  lessens the optimization of your metabolism compared to the break down of proteins from solid food consumption.  The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) from chewing and digesting solid food is very under estimated when it comes to maximizing BMR.

• Your body does need essential vitamins and minerals.  A good multi vitamin/mineral daily dosage is still a good idea to ensure you get what is required in lieu of not getting it from your daily diet.

• The more meals/feedings you have over the course of the day, the more you will stimulate your metabolism.  You must maintain a significant kcal deficit in order to get super lean/shredded.  Markus Reinhardt was eating 7-8 times a day the last month before his show.  If you have the willpower to eat multiple small meals every two to two and half hours over the course of the day(Obviously the type of job you have also impacts this ability), you will do well in leaning out.

• Thermogenics also need to be taken into the equation.  To get their maximum benefit (enhanced BMR and dulled appetite), you can’t eat 7-8 times per day.  So good thermogens go hand in hand with the “3 square meal approach” mentioned by David.

We hope your enjoying this interview as much as we are.

Monday we’ll drop Part 4!

MIHWCS

These are amazing and can be served chilled, frozen or room temperature.

Make them at any Holiday Party and you’ll have your guests screaming for more.

No Bake Oatmeal Protein Bars

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups of Oatmeal or cooking oats
• 2-1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 4 scoops of Protein powder(we use Cinnamon Bun Muscle Milk)
• 1/2-1 cup of water

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl

Line square baking pan with wax paper. Spray cooking spray over the wax paper. Spread mixed ingredient all over the pan with a spatula.

Freeze for 30 mins or more.

Remove from freezer and cut into your preferred bar size cubes.  They are absolutely delicious.

Enjoy!

MIHWCS

Jay is headed to Chicago for training for a new job with AutoTrader.com at 6:20AM tomorrow.  Lots of packing and preparation for that.

We also need to get our first depletion workout in today before 1:30PM.  So things are going to be interesting for Jay as he makes final preparations from an Embassy Suites in Chicago.  ;)

As promised, here is the “Carb Up Phase” structured based on both of our requirements.

Carb Up Phase: Wednesday thru Friday at 10AM

Wednesday

• Salt-We now liminate as much salt from our diet as possible, eating only trace amounts.  Remember the discussion about Aldosterone?  After eating salty foods from Sunday thru Tuesday and drinking lots of water, we’re now going to drastically reduce both in effect (hopefully) tricking the body to eliminate water and salt from inside/underneath the skin.  Think of the goal as having your muscles wrapped in saran rap by the skin.

• Carbs-Starting with the first meal Wed, it’s time to EAT CARBS! It’s important to eat the same carbs we’ve been eating during our prep.  So are only options are Brown Rice, Yams or Oatmeal.  Jay is partial to Oatmeal while Anh loves YAMS.   There are numerous schools of thought on how many carbs you should consume.  We’ve seen recommendations of 4gms per pound of body weight all the way down to 1.75.    It really comes down to your individual biochemical reaction to carb consumption.  Do you hold water or appear soft/mushy readily after eating carbs?   Many people do.  Obviously understanding and keeping an accurate record of what happens to your body within 4-8-12 and 24 hours of carb consumption is the only accurate way of gaging what will work for you.   Both Anh and Jay are decent responders to carb consumption and can get away with a higher amount provided the carbs are clean and not combined with any garbage preservatives or fillers.  A good rule of thumb recommendation is below.   Jay will consume 575 gms of Oatmeal, mixed with Cinnamon and Casein Protein.  Anh will eat about 350 of Yams mashed up with Chicken.  Our goal ( schedule/children/work)permitting is to eat about every 2-2.5 hours).  It’s imperative to carry your food around with you in a oversize tupperware container.   Preparing out exact amounts by the day and having it all in one container also minimizes over-eating/consumption.
  • Bigger Men 500-750gms.
  • Smaller Females 200-400gms

• Fat and Protein- We obviously reduce to try and keep our kcals the same as before the carb load (Lowered Carb Days).  We want to maintain at least .75gms of Protein per pound of bodyweight.  Fat will be very minimal and likely only coming from the meat/oatmeal.

• Water-1 Gallon for Jay and Half a Gallon for Anh.  This is reduced by half from the previous 3 De-Carb Days.

• Insulin Potentiators/Mimics-ALA, R-ALA, Cinnamon, Metaformin, Chromium (a couple of these are great to take with every carb meal/feeding)-Jay will be using Cinnamon in his oats and Anh will swallow R-ALA with her feedings.

Thursday

• Water-1/2 Gallon for Jay and 1/4 Gallon for Anh

• Carbs-We will cut our carb intake by about 20-30% (Some who are really sensitive to carbs, might need to reduce even further-you need to monitor your condition).  Jay is targeting about 325gms of Oatmeal and Casein and Anh will get about 200gms from Yams and Chicken.
  • Bigger Men 375-550gms
  • Smaller Females 150-300gms

• Insulin Potentiators/Mimics-We will both consume the same as Wednesday

• Fat and Protein-Here we need to add back in 20-30% fat/protein to balance out total calories from the carb reduction.  This will mean more Casein for Jay and more Chicken for Anh.

Friday

Anh has preliminaries at 1PM and Jay’s are at 6PM.  We both have Media Sessions on Thursday and want to appear full/muscularly dense and close to stage ready.  Friday is the day we want to look our best and hopefully hold our condition into Saturday late evening.  (easier said than done)

• Water 2-4 ounces before 10AM. After that only sips or ice cubes all day long.

• Carbs-Snacking on Carbs only thru out the day (judging by condition)-Simple sugars are usually best as they will produce a veiny/vascular appearance.  Red wine about 20-30 minutes before a stage appearance will also help vascularity as it increases blood flow and is a vaso-dilator.  You are only taking minimal amounts obviously as you don’t want any spillover creating a watery/soft appearance under bright stage lighting.

• Fat and Protein-Low fat and protein.  Again you’re basically only snacking on simple sugars all day long.   Some people depending on how they look upon awakening on Friday AM, will have Steak and Egg Whites to keep themselves full all day.   Again, it depends on how you look.  It does help to have a neutral observer/unbiased opinion of somebody who knows the game and can be honest with you.   A coach or trainer can be invaluable at this time.

<NOTES>

***Cardio is essentially a waste at this point.  You’re either in condition or you’re not.  A case can be made for some long, low intensity EEW on Thursday night if you feel you’re holding too much water from the carbload.   But any cardio for further fat loss at this point ain’t gonna help.

***Supplementation/Thermogenics can still be used.  It depends on your individual tolerance.  Both of us will be using Glucose Disposal Agents all the way through our carb load.  We’ll also continue with our morning vitamin and mineral usage.

***No weight training.  The last session ends after Tuesday’s Depletion workout.

***Posing and Isometric Holding should be happening during your free time. Going over your holds, routines, flexes, poses etc should be your primary goal both physically and mentally.  Imagine doing it and it will help you visualize achieving it once on stage.

***Tanning-By now you should have already experimented with Pro-Tan-Jan Tana-Dream Tan et al to see how your body holds the color and what kind of hue your melanin/skin produces.  Both of us put our first coat of Pro-Tan on last night and will put another one tonight.  Based on how we hold through the week, we’ll apply more at night before bed.  You can continue to fake bake but make sure to not burn.  If you burn your skin, your body will retain water in the area burned.  So make sure you develop a great base tan well in advance of this last week.

***Shaving/Using an Ex-Foliant-This needs to be done daily at night before tanning application.   A great product to try and help avoid razor burn is “Tend-Skin“.  Search the blog as we’ve written about it here before.  The last thing you need before hitting the stage is unsightly red bumps or irritated skin.

We’ll come back later today and post some pictures/video from our Depletion Workout. (time permitting).

<Update>

We made it through the first depletion workout.  We only got through 3 Circuits but it’s down and there are two to go.

Check some of the photos.   It will be interesting to see how much flatter we appear in the photos as muscle glycogen wanes.

Thank you all for your patronage.

The site has seen it’s strongest unique visitation and page views in the last 10 days.  We continue to be blessed and excited so many people are following us along our journey.

Happy Sunday!

MIHWCS

6AM

Wake Up-VPX Redline Black on Blue, 4 Fish Oil Caps, 3 Green Tea Caps, 3 ALCAR Caps, 8 Ounces Distilled water, apply Ami-Lean to abs and obliques.

6:15

Cardio for 20-30 Minutes of EEW. (Energy Expenditure Work)

6:45

Vacuum Ab holds sometimes also doing Ab Roller for Obliques and Intercostals

7AM

1st Meal/Feeding 2-Egg White/Oatmeal Pancakes,1 Tablespoon of “Naturally More“(Omega/Flax Seed Butter Spread), 12 ounces water.  Vitamin and Minerals including Bone Up, 800ius E, 2gms Vitamin C (35-40gms Protein, 30gms Carbs, 11gms Fat) 379kcals (estimated)

7:30AM-6PM

Work from home office or on the road visiting clients. (If on the road, carrying food in cooler and water in Gallon jugs)

9:30AM

2nd Dosage of VPX Redline Black on Blue, 4 Fish Oil Caps, 3 Green Tea Caps, 3 AlCAR Caps,

10AM

2nd Meal/Feeding-Same as Meal #1 379kcals

12:30PM

If working from home office, and a Non Training Day will do another 20 Minutes of EEW Cardio.

1PM

3rd Meal/Feeding-Broiled Chicken-Brown Rice and Broccoli/Green Beans-12 ounces Distilled Water (40gms Protein, 40gms Carbs, 10gms Fat) 410kcals (estimated)

1:45PM

3rd Dosage of VPX Redline Black on Blue, 4 Fish Oil Caps, 3 Green Tea Caps, 3 AlCAR Caps

4PM

4th Meal/Feeding-Same as 3rd Meal (last feeding with starchy carbs)410kcals

6-6:30PM

Spend time with The Muscle B’s. (If training day, this time might be cut a bit short)

6:-8PM

3 Days a week, training with MR at LVAC or Anytime Fitness. (Will lay out this 3 Day HIT Paradigm on Friday)

7-8:30PM

5th Meal/Feeding-Chicken/Fish and only Broccoli/Green Beans.  Time varies based on whether it’s a Training Day or not.  On Training days, I’ll also add a Large Apple with 1 tablespoon of “Naturally  More” to wash it down. 45gms Protein, 15gms Carbs (35 with apple on training days), 20gms Fat(training days) 330kcals NTD 500kcals TD Total kcals vary between 1940(Non-Training Days) to 2150 on Training Days.  At 200 pounds I’m eating between 9-10.5 kcals per pound of body weight. This ultimately proves it comes down to KCAL REDUCTION + or -- ENERGY EXPENDITURE when dieting for SUPREME FAT LOSS/SHREDDITIVITY.

7:30-10PM

Chasing The Muscle B’s, Web Surfing, blogging, editing movies/photos, emailing, sending out proposals, tying loose ends together from the previous workday/week.

10-11PM

Jay and Anh time-during non-training days-3rd Cardio Session if energized enough.  EEW for 20-35 minutes. Ami-Lean rubbed onto the lower abs, intercostals and obliques. Sometimes it depends on how interested I am in the show we’re watching on DVR determining the length of my EEW.   At times, I feel like I’ve been hit by a train.

11:15PM

Shower, relax and shave.  (Hope to not hear crying babies screaming for us to tend to them)

11:30-12Midnight

Lights Out in Summerlin!

Here is Jay’s Back Training video from Tuesday night.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7gGZSqEUR4

For the many of you whom are familiar with both Jay and Anh’s physiques, can you tell the difference we’ve made EVERYWHERE since employing the services of MARKUS REINHARDT and HIT?

All of these changes have happened in the last 5 months.  We can only imagine how much we’ll improve over the next 5-10-25 years of our life, training in a fashion allowing for continual progress, low risk of injury and minimal time spent in the gym.

Imagine how much your life can improve gaining two hours back every week from the time you’re currently spending in the gym now?  This translates to 8 hours a month.  It’s like finding an entire day of free time out of thin air.

And with more free time, you can spend it with the people who matter most:

If you live in Vegas or Southern CA and you’re looking to dramatically alter your physique and ultimately improve your life, contact Markus ASAP.

Markus Reinhardt-702-325-8972-mrhighintensity@yahoo.com

Next articles coming:

• Chest-Triceps-Abs Training Pics/Videos with MR, TMC and Kini Kim
• Depletion Workout
• De-Carb/Carb Up Phase
• Daily Pics of both Anh and Jay leading up to the show

MIHWCS

As promised with our daily new content up to the day of the show, we wanted to relay what Anh’s current “maintain present condition” day looks like.

5:30AM

Wake Up, chase and feed Muscle Bs.   Take Thermogenic Supplements VPX Redline Black on Blue and Drink Coffee. (More on the new VPX RL Black on Blue version in an upcoming post.  Suffice it to say, IT’S THE BEST THERMOGENIC SUPPLEMENT WE”VE EVER USED

6AM

Cardio on stationary bike for 30 Minutes empty stomach.  We call this EEW.  Energy Expenditure Work.  Anh isn’t working past moderate intensity forcing her body to burn free fatty acids and also ensure any carbs she may over consume to keep muscle glycogen stores full is burnt off.  We’re also trying to preserve as much muscle glycogen as possible so we can still effectively weight train during the week.

7AM

First Meal/Feeding-Egg White/Oatmeal Pancakes (2) 30gms Carbs, 20gms Protein, 7-10gms Fat -Vitamin and Multi Mineral Supplement, 2gms Vitamin C, 400ius Vitamin E, 2 Capsules Bone Up-12 Ounces of Distilled Water

8-10AM

Spend time being a wife, mother and Domestic Goddess!  Clean-Clean-Clean, change diapers, feed Muscle Bs, laundry, make sure meals are ready in the fridge for Daddy and Mommy-surf web and conversate on Facebook(if time)

10AM

2nd Dosage of VPX Black on Blue, Coffee if drained from the previous night due to Muscle B’s not sleeping. (Gabi is currently teething, so nights are an adventure right now)

10:30AM

2nd Meal/Feeding-Egg White/Oatmeal Pancakes (same as first meal)12 Ounces of Water

11AM

Nap time for The Muscle B’s-Anh tries to abide by this daily schedule but neither Alexandra or Gabriella are very cooperative on most days.  ;)

12Noon

Cardio on Stationary Bike for another 30 minutes of EEW.

12:30PM

15 Minutes of Ab Wheel focusing on obliques and intercostals

12:45-1:30PM

Anh’s “downtime”.   She usually naps until she is awakened to the sound of a baby or babies crying.

1:40PM

3rd Meal/Feeding-Boiled Chicken or White Fish with a Sweet Potato and some Sunflower Seeds-35gms Carbs, 25gms Protein, 15-20gms Fat-12 Ounces of Distilled water

2PM

3rd Dosage of VPX Redline Black on Blue

2-5PM

Mommy and Domestic Goddess time again.   Feed the Muscle Bee’s, clean up after them, take them to the park, stroll them through the neighborhood, run errands.

5:15PM

4th Meal/Feeding-Boiled Chicken or White Fish with a Sweet Potato-Same as Meal 3 kcals-12-15 Ounces of water-Last meal with starchy carbs

6PM

Feed Muscle B’s dinner.   If non-training day (only 3 days a week now), wait for Daddy to stop working, hand off the Muscle Bee’s and run to the tanning bed for a 12 HIT Tanning session. (You better believe HIT Tanning is the best-LOL)

6:30-7:30PM(Training Day Only)

Training at LVAC with MR.  (Current training paradigm to be revealed in an upcoming post with videos)

8PM

Last Meal/Feeding-Chicken/White Fish and either Broccoli/Green Beans or Salad with some Udo’s Oil/Sesame Oil thrown in for EFA’s.

9PM

Muscle Bs go down! (For the count or Daddy instills “discipline”.

9:30PM

If Non-Training Day, 3rd 30 Minute Cardio Session of EEW.  If Training Day, relax and surf web, finish what didn’t get done that day-ensure bottles are ready for Muscle B’s through the night.

10-11PM

Mommy and Daddy time.  This is usually watching a couple of TV shows on high speed through DirecTv DVR.   Our current shows are:  The Event-Dexter-Fringe-Weeds-Hawaii Five-O-Chase-Mommy usually falls asleep on the Couch while Daddy is riding the bike.

11:30PM

Lights Out in Summerlin!

Here is a nice little ab video we recorded on Saturday at LVAC.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qCA3LkIRcs

Coming tomorrow: Jay’s Daily Schedule

MIHWCS