Well well well… It’s almost been 10 days since my last post. I SUCK! But seriously, my bad. I’ve just been lazy about writing in this thing. No more excuses. At least for now.
So, today I figured I’d let you in on some fun stuff going on with me…
First, I’ve been studying the book of Revelation with some friends from church. Let me tell you – if you think Revelation is all about the end times and not much else, well, you don’t know the half of it. Did you know that the book of Revelation is the only book that specifically states you’ll be blessed when you read it? It’s true! Check this out:
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” – Revelation 1:3
Revelation has so many great passages about worship, the nature of God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus, and it very well may be the most convicting book in the entire Bible! Of course, with all the symbolism and metaphors, it also leads for great discussion time. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be jumping back and forth in my musings about scripture and what God is teaching me from both the book of Revelation and my daily study passages in my quiet times.
In the meantime, I read a passage of scripture that really hit me hard the other day. I’ll type it, then you just ponder it and let it soak in, as I did. Think about your entire day…
“… in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thess 5:18
Wow. Just wow.
Secondly, my workouts have been going great! Shane, my buddy from work and I have been hitting the iron hard, and after 6 weeks we’re seeing some results! Six weeks may sound like a long time already, but for most folks it takes years to build real, quality muscle. We’re both gaining lean mass and strength, which is basically the goal. I’ve been extremely happy with my progress.
Many of you have asked me a few questions about my fitness and training. I answer these with the understanding that I don’t have the body I desire… yet. Nor do I know everything about strength training and nutrition. I am novice at best, but I know people and trusted sources, and I know what’s worked for me. So, let me answer a few questions…
1. How did you lose all that weight?
The short answer is hard work. Plain and simple. Obviously there are many things that took place. For starters, I was convicted by how I was taking care of my temple, and I knew I needed to do something about it. I started with light strength training, better eating, and LOTS of cardio. As far as my diet changes, my first steps were cutting back on eating fast food, drinking roughly a gallon of water a day, and getting rid of the junk in the fridge and the pantry. A very wise friend told me, if it’s in your house, you will eat it. Don’t kid yourself. You probably wouldn’t drive to the store for a box of cheez-its, but if they’re around you’ll eventually rationalize it to yourself and chow down. I went pretty much cold-turkey and cut out soda – one of the best decisions you can make if you’re trying to lose weight. Sodas are empty calories. PERIOD. They have no nutritional value whatsoever. All they do is pack the pounds on in the form of fat from simple sugars.
I mixed up my cardio with running and bike riding (both indoor and outdoor), and using the elliptical trainers at the gym. I think I started at around 15-20 minutes, and at the end of my heavy cardio time in the gym I was doing and hour or more in a single session. If you’re looking to straight up lose weight, crank up the intensity and do interval training. It’s the best for overall fat calorie burning over a short period of time. It’s also great for improving your heart health and O2 capability.
With weights, I was more concerned with building a foundation of strength by learning some basic dumbbell and machine exercises. I used typical split training, usually working 1-2 muscle groups a day over 4-5 days, and doing cardio 6 days a week. While I was trying to lose weight I did cardio before weights. Now that I am training to gain muscle mass, I have reversed this. I have also lessened my cardio and altered the type. More on this some other time.
So, that’s obviously the long answer. Questions still?
2. What supplements do you take?
Currently, I take GNC Mega Men multivitamins (though I will soon change bc I think I’m basically peeing it all out). I also take NaNO Vapor by Muscletech for my pre-workout supplement, and use Cellmass by BSN for my post workout creatine and recovery. As any good weight lifter knows, you have to suck down some form of quick digesting protein within the hour after your workout, as your muscles are primed for nutrient uptake, so I use Optimum Nutrition 100% whey protein isolate (around 40g) with about 10-12oz of fresh pressed apple juice. That’s pretty much it! If you think you don’t need supplements… try it. Don’t cry to me when you don’t get the results you want. There are no magic pills to lose 50 pounds in a month or gain 20 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks, but the body needs help after it’s been broken down. Questions? Hahahaha…
3. What’s my diet like?
First, it’s fairly simple, but requires cooking ahead, and planning. Obviously everyone’s caloric intake needs are different. Mine are much higher due to my size and training. One thing is for certain – eating 5-7 smaller meals a day filled with lean protein, good carbohydrates and fats will crank up your metabolism and help you shed fat and add lean muscle. Maybe a sample day would help:
6am – Wakeup! 1:15 before workout – 2 servings of oatmeal, with ground cinnamon, skim milk, raisins, walnuts, and 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein
7:15am – NaNO vapor pre-workout supplement
9am – Cellmass post-workout supplement
9:30am – 2 scoops ON whey protein with 12oz fresh pressed apple juice (protein shake)
12:30p – turkey sandwich, with double protein whole grain bread, baby spinach and mustard. Whole apple
3:00p – Protein shake with Cellmass – mmmmmm! Handful of natural almonds
5:30p – Grilled chicken breast, cooked broccoli, black beans
8:30p – 8oz lean ground beef burger (93/7), sweet potato with brummel and brown butter, splenda and ground cinnamoni, fresh pressed unsweetened apple sauce with ground cinnamon
10:30p – Bedtime! (or earlier) – 1 LARGE glass of skim milk directly before bed
So that’s it! It comes out to around 3000 calories… I know that sounds like a lot, but muscle don’t come from thin air. You have to grow it. And by eating clean and eating a lot, training hard and resting plenty, that’s what I plan on doing.
I welcome any and all questions! Wow, this has been a wicked long post, but there you go. If you’ve made it this far, comment! People helped me reach my short term goals. Maybe we can work together and make 2009 your healthiest year too!
God bless and be fit!
Jarrod
fitness for both the body and soul 