Training Goals: What Are You Training For?

One of the most vital things to know when developing a training program is to know exactly what you are training for. Even more importantly are knowing what you should be training for.

Let me explain. When you are, for example, writing a short novel, and someone asks how you are coming along on it, would you say, "great! I was ready to fall asleep after writing two full pages."

However, none of those things are actually relevant. You need to remember that training is about training, not working out. It's not an activity done for the sake of doing, but strengthening you for particular actions, and causing you to adapt. It's this adaptation that causes growth. In our example, we have no way of knowing whether the person who fell asleep after writing was mentally strained, bored, or narcoleptic. All we know is that perceived effort does not indicate progress per se.

Today I'm going to be discussing the methods often used to evaluate bodybuilding progress, and why they are (or at least can be) problematic.


1. "Intensity"/Soreness

This is essentially the same example that I gave above; we've all read articles by bodybuilders in the pro ranks talking about the crazy pumps they get in the gym, how unbelievably intense it is--"I got these intense, skin-splitting pumps, bro!"

Disregard this. These methods might sell supplements effectively, but they will not give you gains optimally.

Soreness is nothing more than a lack of adaptation to a new stimulus. In fact, people who train more frequently generally don't get sore as easily, simply because of the fact that they adapt quicker to stimuli. I don't have any citations to back that up...so go ahead, and try it! You'll notice a difference. However, that's for another article.

2. Scale

In linear terms, for a beginner or intermediate level trainer, there is definitely some value in measuring bodyweight with a scale--however, it doesn't tell you everything. Even if we assume you're gaining weight or losing weight in the right places, it doesn't necessarily mean we know for certain you're gaining (or losing) weight at all.

Even if you weigh yourself around the same time every week or two weeks or whenever you do so, at the same time, under the same conditions, this doesn't mean you're going to know whether it's just water or even food.

Consider this. It's entirely possible, for someone who's cutting, to get leaner, and lose very little weight until some more significant amount of that fat is gone--then, boom!--five or six pounds are gone. This is sometimes called the "woosh" effect, where you continue to lose fat, but retain the water stored in the fat cells. The water doesn't leave until the fat leaves. You can learn more about this over here,  in this article by Lyle McDonald:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

Means that You Should Be Using

1. Mirror

The mirror will tell you everything. If the skinfold calipers you are using tell you you're 3% body fat (if that's even possible), but you don't have etchings and lines in your glutes, then you're not shredded. If it says 15% and you can still see your abs, even you though you vowed not to get fatter than 12% in the off-season, then whatever. It is what it is, and you'll be judged on how lean you look. Nothing else.

However, the mirror can still be tricky. Eating less one day can cause us to get a little freaked out and think we're losing muscle, when we're just a little flat. Likewise, suddenly eating off-season levels of calories and carbs can definitely cause a little bit of a difference in the way people perceive body composition--they might think they gained a significant amount of muscle, when it might be just water and glycogen. It usually is.

And Most importantly...

2. Gym Performance.

90% of the time, gym performance is going to be the biggest indicator of whether you are gaining, maintaining, or losing muscle. By gym performance, of course, I am not referring to the first line I mentioned in this article, the "that was intense" type of perceived effort.

What you need to ask is, am I or am I not progressing in:

-weight lifted?
-reps at a given weight?
-Is my form improving?

If you can say yes to any (if not all) of these, and you're not a complete beginner, the odds are you are gaining as much muscle as you realistically can. In fact, most recommendations for a NATURAL, advanced bodybuilder, say that gaining significant amounts of weight shouldn't even be a major goal. The focus should be on adding weight to the bar as best as you can.

Anyway, that's all for today. Also, an update:

We're starting the new Facebook page at the link bellow. The Facebook group will still be around, for discussion and the like, but if you haven't, be sure to like the Facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/ManitobanMuscl

Joe Marcoux Interview

Hey, hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! I've also got another gift for everyone: an interview with competitor Joe Marcoux. He got back about a month ago from Bulgaria, ready to make improvements and kick some ass! Here you can listen to the interview bellow.

https://soundcloud.com/manitobanmuscl/joemarcouxinterview-l

I got the impression that Joe really knows what he's doing. He's working with some great people, and I've seen this guy do well. If he can make the improvements that he says that he can make, then we'll see a much bigger and badder Joe in the not to distant future!

Photo courtesy of Manitoba Muscle (Duane Riz)

Holiday Huge

Holiday Huge

Around Christmas, Hannukah, the Winter Solstice or whatever winter celebration you partake in, let's face it: you're going to get fat. With gallon after gallon of rum-spiked egg nog, turkey, mashed potatoes, pie, and those little chocolate oranges that always break if you don't slam 'em on the table just right, there's gonna be a lot of calories going in you. However, this can also be a great time to make solid muscular gains. After all, it's winter, no one's gonna see your abs anyway, so what the hell! Time to get big.

Still, when you're running around to parties and get-togethers, shopping, as well as just the ordinary demands of work and life, finding time to lift can be a little bit of a drag. Thankfully, there are a number of activities you can do everyday (and probably will) that can by all means benefit your physique. Let's look at these:

1. Gift Shopping

Basically this is the deadlift of Yuletide weight training. This, when done correctly, will do a lot for improving grip strength, as well as developing the traps, forearms, and lats. Simply take two bags or baskets, and use that as the limit for how much you can carry. If you must make two or more trips, so be it: sacrifice to win!

Note: make sure you use correct form when picking up and carry the shopping bags. This will prevent unnecessary strain on the lower back.

2. Trees

Most people today use a fake plastic tree, however if you're interested in going old school, give it a shot with a trip to a good place that sells fresh trees (note: cutting one fresh might be great exercise, however you should be careful of where you get it, depending on whether the area is protected or not. Consult the Forest Branch of Manitoba Conservation before doing anything with a wild tree). Carrying this thick slab of wood will do wonders for your shoulders, lower back, and legs; ideally, you should carry it with two people at a time, for the sake of safety. If you're really hardcore, though, on the way to the house you can set the big old thing on your shoulders and do walking lunges towards your house. (Be very wary of the size of the tree when doing this!)

(Not pictured: a tree that anyone can do walking lunges with)

3. Food

No, I'm not talking about eating food...actually, yes, I am talking about eating food. Specifically, the act of eating food. The sheer mass of food consumed at this time is a physical labour in itself. The constant, high repetition of food to mouth is great for getting a pump in the biceps and forearms--and, that being said, we've all heard of the importance of food following a heavy lifting session--therefore, getting food in during the lifting session would be even better!

Of course, these are only a few of the ways in which we can use the holidays to benefit our physiques and ultimately enter the new year more massive, ripped, and striated than ever before! So gulp your egg nog, lift your shopping bags high above your head, and sing jolly carols of cheer for strength and fitness!

　

Disclaimer: This article is satirical in nature and the aforementioned methods are by no means meant to replace a proper resistance training program. Manitoban M.U.S.C.L is not responsible for any injuries (or stomach aches) incured as a result of our advice. If you think any of this advice is of any real value, we strongly encourage you to get in the gym right now and start picking large, heavy objects up, then putting them right back down. Repeat, for several months, years, and decades. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Metabolic Adaptation and How to Make it Work For You: Part 1 (Cutting)

You've all had it happen before: several weeks of dieting flawlessly and the weight is coming off the way you want it. However, eventually you hit that point--nothing. The sticking point. The "plateau". Your metabolism has slowed down a little. Not to worry though--it's still not a big deal. You can always add more cardio, or cut back some of your carbs and/or fats--this is all normal.

Thing is, is it? Yes, but the thing is that fat loss isn't always a linear path of calories in vs. calories out. The problem here is that while caloric deficit will always garner fat loss (provided protein, EFA, micronutrition, rest, etc. are all taken care of), calories IN are the only constant factor--it's the calories out that is variable and often gets played with the most.

The simple fact that you're a smaller animal alone is going to decrease metabolic rate--even if you keep all of your muscle. This is just a survival mechanism--the leaner you are, evolutionarily speaking, the less likely you are to survive.

So, what do you do? I'm going to address some courses of action when dealing with these issues, and the pros and cons of each.

1. Eat less.

The simplest solution, one that generally is a lot more fool proof, simply because as long as you're accurately tracking your nutrition, there's not much room for error. The dissadvantage being that you get to eat less food--which generally isn't going help hunger, not to mention makes you more likely to be deficient in nutrients (an extra bit of 300 calories may be all that's needed for micronutrient sufficiency--would you really want to deny your body that?

My personal experience was that when I was only doing to minimum amount of cardio, I tended to be more hungry (at least at first) from less cardio and less food. Once I started implimenting the third strategy, I started to change my tune and felt a little better. Not a lot better, but a little.

2. Add more cardio, keep calories the same

This is another way to go, and it's going to have to happen eventually. Now, depending on how much cardio you're doing in the first place, or what kind, you might need to add a lot right away, or just a couple of thirty minute sessions a week. This is dependant on what you're doing in the first place. Also keep in mind the fact that over time, your body is going to a adapt to large amounts of cardio, so be careful with adding too much from the get-go.

And then, there's a third method, rarely used, but in my experience, actually quite effective...

3. Eating more food, and doing an equivalent amount of extra cardio.

This seems strange, and I honestly don't see any real reason why this would ever work--it just, somehow, does. What it entails is just that: adding cardio (say, one 20-30 minute session a day) and eating just a little extra to compensate. The result, for me, was actually suprising.

At around 10 weeks out, my macronutrient breakdown averaged around 125 carb/250 protein/60 fat (2040 calories). I felt miserable and sluggish. Once I added a little extra carbohydrates and fats back in (300 cals worth), along with adding thirty minutes of cardio, I started losing fat again. Granted, I had to hack away the calories even harder the further I went through the cut, but it was worth it. I got out of my rut and started losing fat again.

Anyway, whichever way you choose to diet, the one constant I think everyone should take from this article is this:

-Diet as long as you need to (preferably longer).
-Eat as much food as possible.
-Do as little cardio as possible, while still losing fat.

That way once you do hit a sticking point, pulling yourself out of it will be all the easier.

In the next part, I'm going to address the polar opposite, namely metabolic changes while in a bulking phase, and how these will actually help you instead of hinder you when it comes to getting leaner.

Manitoban M.U.S.C.L Recipes: Apple Onion Chicken

Hey guys, it's Alex from Manitoban M.U.S.C.L here with a new recipe video, this time for Apple Onion Chicken, an interesting spin on traditional, boring ol' chicken breast. Enjoy the video!

I was really wondering if anyone else mixes cooked fruit in their dishes regularly. It seems like a really great way to add flavour, and very grossly underestimated. Leave a comment bellow or respond/comment on the video in the main Youtube page as well if you do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAOF_D5EitY&feature=plcp