Workout, Nutrition Q&A from IG
IG stories has been acting a fool so we decided to answer some questions here.
1. Any lifting books to learn programming? I have science and practice of strength training. - Supertraining, Practical programming for strength training, power speed endurance, NSCA books. OPEX has a pretty decent coaching course as well but it's a lot more than just programming.
2. You paleo? counting my cals all the time is not optimal IMO. - I spent many years being pretty strict with paleo. I noticed I needed more carbs in my life and rice works well with me. Now I eat "clean" 85-90% of the time. Counting calories definitely has a place. Once you've done it for a while you can eyeball food when you go out or when you meal prep and get pretty damn close.
3. What does a normal lift session look like for you? Honestly this depends on the time of year and what my goals are at the time. But the majority of the time it looks like this: A- Main Lift ex: squat, B1- wtd rev lunge, B2- RDL, C1- wtd box step up, C2- 2xKB RKBS heavy, D- conditioning
4. How much cardio do y'all do in a week when bulking up? - That depends on the person and what else you have going on in life; schools, going to the field, preparing for a competition, etc. But I separate the zone 1 stuff and do shorter, harder, or grindy metcons.
5. How do I juggle running and lifting? - Which one needs the most improvement?
6. Best method for improving pack marching when it comes to adding weight and distance?- As with most of these questions it really depends on the individual. If you aren't the strongest person you may want to focus on getting stronger so that the total weight you are carrying isn't close to your max. Then everything will be much easier. But, slowly adding weight and distance over weeks is one method. You will also want to vary pace, load, and distance in there as well.
7. How do you eat when traveling a lot? Meal prep or eat as best you can with what you have? - Ideally some type of meal prep. Try to hit the grocery as soon as you get in town. Get stuff that you can take anywhere and eat at any time if you're going to be out training all day. If you go out to dinner or lunch just make smart choices.
8. Meal plan/prep to lean out? - First off, get a baseline of where you are at. Track your calories for 4-5 days including a weekend. Get a scale to weigh and measure everything if you don't already have one. There are a few companies like renaissance periodization that have macro templates you can follow. Check out "Flexible Dieting 2.0" by Krissy Mae Cagney. It's a pretty easy read on macros.
9. Veggies you recommend if you hate eating healthy? - Just like meal prep, most people get bored eating the same thing over and over. The issue I always see is in the preparation of the food. You don't want to eat the chicken you cooked, why? You didn't season it for shit. That's why. The same thing goes for veggies. Steamed broccoli with nothing on it is pretty boring no matter how dedicated you are. Play with the preparation and seasoning of different veggies. My go to preparation for broccoli, cauliflower, brussels, and asparagus is to sauté it with a little bit of butter and garlic in the pan, onion and herb seasoning, then finish with some fresh squeezed lemon juice, maybe some lemon zest.
10. Best way to get beefy and jacked'y? - Eat all the food, lift all the weight.
11. Protecting low back for cops? - Stretch and move around while you are on patrol. Don't skip training. Core work is a must for all tactical athletes. Not crunches. Stuff like suitcase carries, single arm front rack carries, sand bag carries, dball or stone work ... the list goes on.
12. Best way to get better at longer runs? Feel like I'm capping out on the cardio side. - Without a proper assessment of your abilities it's hard to see. The most common issue I see is not varying pace, distance, and types of runs.
13. I don't know how to eat enough. - As I hard gainer I feel your pain. If you want to gain weight you have to make it your job. In language school I was able to put on weight since we were in a classroom all day. This is what worked for me. It doesn't mean it will work for you. Breakfast- eggs, bacon, rice, coffee and a pice of fruit. 10am - 3pm I would bring 1lb of turkey or chicken lunch meat and dip it in hummus. During that 5 hour period I would eat the entire pound and half a container of hummus. 5-7pm workout then have a post workout shake using weight gainer (only 1/2 the actual serving size) Dinner - Meat, carbs, veggies. Then I'd have another shake or yogurt and fruit before bed.
14. Trying to reduce/cut the soft drinks out of my diet. Any tips? - Replace it with something healthier. Sparkling water or La Croix might give you that fix you're looking for. But hold yourself accountable.
15. Been gluten free and dairy free for 15 years. What's my chance of pulling it off in the military? - Definitely going to be tough when you're in the field. Close to impossible because you will need calories and MRE's aren't exactly gluten and dairy free.
16. What preworkout do you take? - Usually just coffee.
17. For someone that just wants to get in better shape, where do I start? - Find a program and gym that you like. You have to enjoy it before you will make it a habit. If you like the community aspect I would look into a Crossfit gym.
18. Alcohol and working out? Does it actually mesh in any way? Or just bad? - When you workout, you damage your muscles. Your goal after that is to get them to recover quickly so you can do it again... alcohol does not help you recover faster and can greatly inhibit recovery depending on how much you drink.
19. How to get passed that plateau? Not seeing any results. - Have you been doing the same thing for years? Have you tested lifts to see the different ratios of push/pull, squat/hinge? Have you focused on unilateral work?
20. Tips on getting my appetite back after being sick? Feel like I'm back to square one. - You may have to force yourself to eat in the beginning. Once you are back to training normally your appetite should come back pretty quickly.