25% OFF THE BALE
From now through the end of March, save 25% of The Bale when you use the discount code 25%OFF at checkout. The Bale: http://farmergym.com/the-bale
FAT LOSS Q&A
Question: I want to shed a few lbs. before summer and trim away the fat around my stomach. Is it safe to perform sit-ups and crunches every day in an effort to accomplish my goals?
Answer: Unfortunately, you're asking the wrong question. But the origin for the question is great! You could do a million sit-ups and still be left with accumulated fat around your abdominal area. There is no such thing as spot reduction (at least the research is incredibly sparse and questionable in this area); stated differently, you can't target a specific area, work it to death, and then expect to see that area's fat magically slip away.
What you should do instead: (1) eat better, and consume calories less excessively. Moderation is key. (Perhaps you're already doing this. I don't know.) (2) Incorporate weight training and conditioning into your routine. Many people think that steady state running -- or fill in your exercise of choice -- is the best way to accomplish "trimming". Is it a good means by which to do so? Yes. Is it the best? No. With only steady state exercise, you are apt to lose valuable muscle. Muscle is incredibly important for metabolism. You need it! And, muscle makes the body look more proportional and more fit. It is suggested by us, and a plethora of other personal trainers and researchers, that you add weights to your aerobic work.
My typical routine:
20-ish minutes of strength work. Depending on the day, week, and month, this could look like a number of things. This week, I am performing 5 sets x 5 reps of the "big lifts" -- the Deadlift, Bench Press, Squat, and Overhead Press.
20-30 minutes of conditioning work. The design targets muscles used in the above strength routine. However, with this portion of the work, the goal is to elevate the heart rate throughout the duration. If I were to have performed Deadlifts, above, a conditioning workout might look like this:
(5 Rounds)
15 Pull-ups
25 45# Plate Squat Presses
800-meter Run
This hits the posterior muscles of the body, which the Deadlift nailed, and it elevates the HR throughout. I am torching calories throughout the workout, and due to a cool little acronym called EPOC (Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption), I am burning calories throughout the day as my body attempts to return itself to homeostasis, or baseline.
I realize I just gave you *a lot* of information, but just know this: lifting weights is your friend. Aerobic training is your friend. Combining weights and conditioning is your best friend!
So there your have it! Now, #dowork in the kitchen and in the weight room!
P.S. Can you do sit-ups every day? Surprisingly, you can do abs more regularly than most muscle groups! Would I do them every day? No. However, this area of the body has been shown to withstand multiple bouts of weekly work and it keeps on ticking! (If you have incredibly sore abs, I would stay away from direct work, though.)
BE YOU
Earlier this morning when researching fitness topics I came across a video of an insanely fit guy lifting a ridiculous amount of weight. 405# power clean, no problem! 495# back squat for reps, no problem. As I sat in amazement, I realized this: no matter how hard I train and no matter how well I eat, I will never be be able to do what this guy can. And guess what. That's ok. Yes, that's ok!
I am not that particular individual; I am me. I mean, props to this man. Really. He, without a doubt, got the most out of what God gave him. And it's apparent he works for everything he has. Salute! I can't choose to dwell on what he has or is capable of, or I can focus on and use the gifts God gave me... I am me, and that's awesome.
The older I get, the more I recognize the following: there will always be someone stronger than me; there will always be someone smarter than me; there will always be someone with more money than me; etc., etc., etc... If I were to let one of these drag me down, jealously and bitterness would seep in; I would then be left with being a jealous, bitter person missing out on *my* potential. I would also spend countless hours chasing false passions and succumbing to insecurities.
I am me, and that's pretty dope! Every waking day I will do the best I can with what I have ... getting the most out of my potential! No, I won't ever make the Crossfit Games or become Mr. Olympia, but I will strive to get the most from my genes!
It's all about the mind
Your mind will quit well before your body!
250 Consecutive Kettlebell Swings With a 55# KB...
Brain: 50 reps. Ok, stop.
Body: You got this!
Brain: 100 reps. Ok, that's enough.
Body: You got this!
Brain: 150 reps. You're done. Your forearms are on fire!
Body: You got this!
Brain: 200 reps. This REALLY hurts. Put the KB down!
Body: You got this!
Baby: *Waking up from nap*
Body: Ok, you're done...
(Maybe. MAYBE I could have gone to 300.)
Farmer Gym, Fitness, Rocky 4, and College Football
Before going into a turkey coma, check out the latest Half Room podcast! We talk Farmer Gym, fitness, Rocky 4, and college football. What’s not to love?! And if you’re searching for a great podcast, catch these two crazy-good hosts and put HR on your to-watch/to-listen list!
LOSE FAT, NOT MUSCLE
Is your end-game weight loss? Yes? Then pace yourself; don't try to lose it all at once.
You may have heard that losing weight too quickly tends to cause relapse; a person normally cannot withstand the demands of harsh "dieting", and he or she goes back to his or her ways after a few weeks or months. Or maybe you've been taught that heightened calorie restriction is unhealthy; hormonal levels and bodily chemistry go whack, and your body basically goes into survival mode... There are a ton of other dieting truths out there, but the purpose of this post takes a slightly different angle: muscle preservation.
Losing weight too quickly decreases muscle mass. Yep! When you lose weight, you do so by stripping fat or by stripping lean body mass; there is nowhere else to decrease poundage. When you strip too much weight too quickly, the ratio tips more so to the side of lean body tissue. Why is this less than ideal? Well, if you're stripping away muscle, you're essentially affecting your physique, functionality, and unfortunately, metabolism. Weight loss needs to be a marathon, a fat-losing muscle-preserving marathon!
What's the best weight-loss range? 1-2 pounds per week; 2 actually being on the higher end, in our opinion. Pace yourself; #dowork and eat healthy. If you create a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day, you would run a 3,500 caloric deficit during a week; 3,500 calories equals 1 pound. (Just as with everything, there are nuances to this rule, and some people have different responses, but the calculation holds.) Find a fit that best works for you, and stay diligent! No, it won't be easy, and yes, it may be frustrating — but stay the course. You got this!
Fight fat! Embrace muscle!
"If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says." (WebMD)
"After all, when you lose weight too fast, you risk losing weight not just from fat, but also from lean tissue such as muscle." (USNews)
Muscle-centric vs. Joint-centric
Be a muscle-centric lifter, not a joint-centric lifter. A quick biology lesson:
Our muscles are the contractile units within our bodies that create movement; in other words, they are the engines that drive motion. When contracted, muscles pull on the various levers of the body -- a muscle pulls on an attached tendon, which in turn pulls on an attached bone -- to make us run, jump, and lift.
Our tendons and ligaments, on the other hand, are the fibrous tissues within our bodies that help hold everything together. Ligaments attach bone to bone, and tendons attach muscle to bone. These connective tissues help transfer energy from the muscles throughout the body.
So what do we mean by muscle-centric vs. joint-centric? Although we don't particularly care for the bicep curl, we'll use it as an example. You've seen Mr. Bro Science swinging his body while executing bicep curls, right? That's what we're talking about! He's using a weight that's too heavy, and he needs to contort his body and use momentum to lift the weights. Mr. Bro Science is relying on the leverage created from his joints to propel the weight. Not good!
One way to test and make sure you're being a muscle-centic lifter is to keep your joints stationary so that the only joint movement is the hinge. Being a muscle-centric lifter is better for performance, results, and longevity. Properly executing a lift, without swaying and improperly moving the bodies' joints, allows us to maximize potential and enables us to work out later on in life.
Use your muscles to control the weight, don't let the weight control you!
Train Up A Child
“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he’s old he will not depart from it.”
Why The Bale?
Recently, we were asked, “What’s the advantage of The Bale?” We broke our answer into three easy parts: (1) VERSATILE. The Bale is a single piece of equipment that can change in weight, and it allows you to execute virtually any exercise you can think of! It can be pulled, pushed, tossed, tugged, pressed, and carried. (2) PORTABLE. You can take The Bale with you anywhere, allowing you to #dowork on *your* time. Take it on vacation, use it at home, tote it to work. It can also be easily stored out of sight — you won’t have any pesky equipment lying around. (3) ECONOMICAL. At under $100, you have a gym at your fingertips!
What Is Your Health Worth?
Food for thought:
According to Experian, the average monthly payment for a new car in the US was $523, and $378 for a used car, during the second quarter of 2018.
According to Lending Tree, the average monthly mortgage payment in the US is $1,029.
Cars come and go. And we can always find a different house. But we have only one body. One! Why is it that people seem to frequently complain about the cost of gym memberships, personal training, group fitness classes, and fitness-related merchandise? Is your health and fitness less important than a vehicle or house? (And by no means am I saying your car and especially your home are unimportant; they’re very important. I’m simply drawing attention to the only thing you can’t replace.)
Whether it’s done on a dime’s budget or a million-dollar budget, #dowork. Just don’t underestimate the importance of the only place you have to dwell.
Neutral Back! Contract your abs!
Keep a neutral spine! Contract your abs! We say these two things all the time, but why are they so important?
A neutral spine optimizes safety; it keeps the back in the best position to remain healthy. A non-neutral spine, on the other hand, looks like either the picture on the left or the picture on the right. When your back over-arches or over-extends, the spine can be compromised. In fact, this is how herniated disks can occur! When one side receives more pressure due to the back's position, stress can cause the discs to displace.
Contracted abs, or "tight abs" as many like to say, adds to the safety of the spine. When the four sheets of abdominal muscles contract, they form a tight shield, in essence, around the spine. They hug it; they help negate the slipping and sliding of the discs. When your abs aren't tight, and you bend and twist, the spine is severely compromised. This is when injuries are more likely to happen.
So just remember: Neutral spine! Contract your abs! By doing these two things, spinal integrity is greatly increased!
Weight Loss -- 3 things you're doing wrong
3 things that are prohibiting your weight-loss goals:
(1) Drinking unnecessary, empty calories: It’s only a quick drink — it’s liquid, it can’t be that bad... If only that were the case. Did you know that a 12 oz. Mountain Dew has 170 calories? A 5 oz. glass of wine has approximately 120 calories. And every person’s favorite, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, contains 380 calories in only 16 oz. of liquid!
(2) Nibbling throughout the day adds up: A bite here and there won’t do any harm, right? Wrong. Small bites can turn into big gains! (Not the good kind of gains.) A single bite-sized Snickers contains 42 calories. Popping several of these, or snacks like these, throughout the day drastically increases your caloric intake.
(3) Portion control: My plate is full; it looks like an appropriate serving size to me... Be careful. Throwing what looks to be a serving down on the dinner plate is many times inaccurate. Depending on how it’s cooked, 1 cup of spaghetti can contain 220 calories; if it’s made with excessive butter, the number can be quite a bit higher.
You shouldn’t have to completely overhaul your way of doing things, but you should make consumption adjustments if you’re not happy with where you are or if you’re not hitting your goals. Be cognizant of how easily it is to overdo your daily calorie allotment.
Farmer Gym Football
Farmer Gym Football! Can you make it to the second quarter?
Suggested Weights:
Male DB Front Squat #: 35/50
Female DB Front Squat #: 25/40
Male DB Overhead Press #: 30/50
Female DB Overhead Press #: 20/30
Male Kettlebell Swing #: 35/53
Female Kettlebell Swing #: 20/35
Male DB Row #: 35/50
Female DB Row #: 20/35
Male Manmaker #: 20/30
Female Manmaker #: 10/20
Male DB Deadlift #: 35/50
Female DB Deadlift #: 25/40
Male DB Lunge #: 35/50
Female DB Lunge #: 20/35
