MY COACH RUINED ME…..

Here is a great Article written by John Gorman.

Let me preface this by saying, this is where some of you are going to get pissed at what I have to say and stop following some of the content I put out. This is who I am tho, 110% real and I say the things a lot of other people just wont say. If this offends you, realize something- it’s probably hitting home with you then. Most people that get pissed cant take an honest look at themselves in the mirror.

We have all heard the stories from competitors out there about how their coach “ruined them” and it’s been going on for years now. I’ll be honest, it’s a coaches worst nightmare to be called out somewhere on social media with someone claiming things like “my coach had me doing an insane amount of cardio, like 2-3 hours a day, to the point I just couldnt function” or “my coach had me eating under 1000 cals a day to get ready for my show, I cant believe he/she would do that to me!” or my favorite “my coach dieted me so hard that I blew up and gained fat rapidly after my show!”…..Ok, wait, I have an even better one. “My coach made me take DRUGS!!!!!” You may see where I am going with this, but first lets talk about coaches ruining people.

It’s def a very real thing out there, there are a shitload of coaches who have no idea what the fuck they are doing. All they know is low cals, high cardio, starve starve stave, cookie cutter diets for everyone. So, dont think for a minute coaches arent to blame for some of the plans they do with their clients and really playing hell on their hormones, metab, and overall health.

Let’s break down each of those things an athlete will say about their coach, and lets find out who is at fault here.

“My coach had me eating under 1000 cals a day to get ready for my show, I cant believe he/she would do that to me!” – The athlete hired the coach, the athlete ultimately decides if they are going to go that low in calories. If they athlete decides to go along with it, then it’s the athlete who is making the final decision.

“My coach dieted me so hard that I blew up and gained fat rapidly after my show!” – The athlete’s diet coach isnt putting that fucking cookie in their mouth. STOP IT.

“My coach made me take DRUGS!!!!!” This one really pisses me off. If the athlete is not fucking smart enough to decide if they are going to put a drug in their body or not, or if they are going to blame the coach, then they are a part of one of the things that’s wrong with the industry, hell even our nation- lack of taking personal responsibility for our OWN actions. The athlete’s coach is not in their house giving them drugs, forcing it on them at gun point.

Yes I know coaches need to be held accountable and that’s a whole other post/topic in and of itself. One thing I know is always true, coaches get way more credit (good or bad) than they deserve. When a client wins, they get too much credit. When they are out of shape, they get too much credit. When someone gains 30 lbs in a month after their show, it’s the coaches dieting approach that is to blame. While the coach is def tied to the outcome, the athlete is ALWAYS the one making the final decision and needs to take more responsibility instead of pushing it off onto others.

Anyone out there considering hiring a coach, do yourself a favor, research your potential coach before you make the actual commitment to work with them. KNOW what their business and what their approaches look like. If you dont do that up front as an athlete, everything you agree to do with that coach from that point forward is 110% up to you, making most of this your responsibility.

Article provided by John Gorman Fitness and Weight loss Coach

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RAPID POST DIET MUSCLE GAIN

This is a topic you rarely see someone go into detail about so I want to shed some light on what to expect after the diet is over. A lot of people believe in the “post show rebound” and the ability to put on muscle. You have some that say it’s Bro-science (that’s partly true but more on that in a minute), some say that the ability to gain muscle is extremely fast after the diet, and some that just don’t know for sure. Here’s the truth of it all and why there is a period of faster muscle gain after a diet is over.

For almost everyone out there reading, when you diet you are going to lose muscle. Just part of the process. When you come off the diet, it’s way easier to put that lost muscle back on. It’s not “new” muscle, it’s muscle that has been built prior to losing it, so the nuclei are already there and “muscle memory” happens making it appear that there is a post show muscle rebound. Just remember, it’s not NEW muscle, it’s regaining lost muscle at a very fast rate.

After the lost muscle is put back on, that’s when new nuclei have to be added and new muscle starts to be put on. This process takes much longer, esp as you get older. So after the short muscle re-gain period is over it’s back to normal time frames for muscle gain.

A lot of people that compete end up going apeshit after their show for a few weeks and pounding food left and right and they fill out their muscle glycogen stores and for a short period really look crazy. It looks like muscle gain is happening at an alarming rate. It doesn’t last long, and fat gain is happening as well. It’s just an achieved look and not tied to experiencing any sort of magical post diet muscle gain period.

If you look at hormones in the body after dieting, they are set up for FAT gain not muscle gain. Testosterone is low, thyroid hormone is low, leptin is low, ghrelin is high.

Take home point-
If anything this is the time to strive to maximize regaining lost muscle without a ton of fat gain. Even though lost muscle is going to come on faster after the diet there is only so much that will come on at once. Fat on the other hand, that will come on fast as hell and there is no set amount it’s limited to like muscle gain.

Article provided by John Gorman Fitness and Weight loss Coach

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Hitting macros per meal versus macros per day

Folks this isnt going to be the most popular thing to say but I gotta speak up. You may agree or disagree with me here to varying degrees, but I am going to speak through experience over the years with myself, and my clients.

I see so many people struggle with hitting their pro/carbs/fats (macros) that are just eating and logging the food they eat. Sigh….maybe it’s the old school way I learned but what happened to eating X amount of meals a day (however many work for your daily routine) and hitting macros per meal? Do I think there is an advantage for fat loss there? Minimal to none, but that’s not why I think more people should be trying to hit macro’s per MEAL instead of macros per DAY.

When you strive to hit your numbers per meal you will get much closer to your macros per day total than you will just randomly eating food and logging it into myfitnesspal or some other app. I have clients, friends, etc that say “I was under my carb intake today 30 grams” or “I went over my protein today by accident, sorry coach” and I find out they are just eating and logging their food and not trying to hit meals totals I give them. It seems these day’s with flexible dieting that people have abandoned the concept of planning meals out and are just more focused on hitting numbers at the end of the day. The only problem I have with that is when the problem comes up of being “off” your numbers. Especially protein, I mean if you are a guy eating 240 g of protein and you only eat like 15 g at one sitting and then 80 at another your missing out on the point of optimizing protein synthesis from that protein feeding. Balancing your meals with protein at least should be a minimum and there is plenty of data to support that. I give every single client a certain amount of pro/carbs/fats per meal to do 2 things- optimize protein synthesis from their protein at that meal, and to get them more accurately hitting their daily totals instead of trying to figure out how to make them all fit at the end of the day.

I hate to think this way, but it’s almost like people just dont want to plan anything out anymore. If you are a physique athlete, I suggest planning your meals for the day instead of just eating and logging. Sure people will say “but it works for me, I even get contest lean” and that’s fine, but if you are constantly juggling numbers and off that’s not ideal for you. Just plan your meals out for the day or days and put a bit more effort in and make sure your calories and macros are where they should be.

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How many re feeds are best when dieting versus offseason

I get a ton of questions about refeeds wanting to know how to set them up, how much to have, and interesting enough here lately more questions over having multiple refeeds a week which I want to touch on today to help people understand it better. In most situations I believe people have it backwards. Here’s what I have learned over the years and use with most of my clients.

First lets talk about the primary goals of a refeed. They boost leptin (which boost metab), they refill glycogen to help fuel workouts and also help against muscle loss, and they can give a nice mental break from being at a deficit. Refeeds can either be eating back to maintenance cals, or slightly over to promote growth. When dieting I have seen better results getting my clients back to maintenance versus going over to promote growth.

Lets also talk about 2 very important topics that you wont see most people posting or talking about. 1. The difference in muscle loss when you are lean at the end of a diet and when you are in the first half of the diet is very different. This is HUGE to understand. The higher your body fat is, the harder it is to lose muscle. The leaner you are, the easier it is for your body to tap into muscle and burn it. Keep this in mind as I go. 2. Leptin is the hormone that helps boost metabolism, and it’s made in the fat cells- when you are higher body fat leptin levels are HIGH, as you diet and get leaner leptin levels LOWER. This is important to understand that as you get leaner you need to boost leptin MORE OFTEN to boost metabolism because you have less of it available.

When dieting, if someone has just straight calories across the board every day in a caloric deficit, their metab adapts to those calories because they are not giving their body a boost in leptin with a refeed. IMO the worst way to diet is to eat the same cals every day. Think about cookie cutter diets given out to all the same people. The best way to keep metab boosted and from adapting is to throw a higher calorie day back in, to maintenance cals for example. Maybe you are dieting on 225 carbs and your maintenance you started from was 300 carbs a month ago. Going back to 300 carbs would boost leptin/metab but not store as fat and set you behind. I have seen the refeeds work to help people hit new lows as well when they had just been on all days in a deficit.

Here’s the way I recommend starting people. When body fat and leptin is higher in the beginning of a diet 1 refeed day will work, or two smaller refeed days. (I actually am starting a lot more of my clients on 2 small refeeds a week these days, 2 higher cal days that are back to maintenance). Then as you get leaner and leaner you really need to make sure you have at least 2 refeeds a week. Why? As you diet and get leaner your metab will naturally slow, hitting a refeed every 3-4 days is going to help with metab not adapting to lower cals for 6 days for example. (note, some of you are going to have to do this to push through hard if you are a tad behind. I have a couple clients reading this right now saying MFer then why you only giving me 1 refeed a week and I am 3 weeks out!?) Remember the leaner you are, the less leptin your body makes so the more important it is to get more refeeds in.

Offseason should be the opposite, leptin will be higher because body fat levels are higher, you dont need to boost it so often. Once a week is enough. Also, now metab is humming and cals are up to maintenance or above ALL days of the week, having a refeed will lead to fat gain much easier. Refeeds less often as you are in the offseason are best.

Article provided by John Gorman Fitness and Weight loss Coach

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Why Bodybuilders eat Rice Cakes.

As a bodybuilder, you may be more concerned with putting on weight than losing it, so typical “diet foods” like rice cakes might not be on your radar. But rice cakes are a good addition to your diet. They’re a good source of high-energy carbs and low in sodium to help prevent fluid retention.

Rice Cake Nutrition

Rice cakes are not only low in calories, but also fat-free. One cake has 35 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 0.5 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein. It’s also a good source of manganese, meeting 17 percent of the daily value. Although not a significant source of any other nutrient, rice cakes can help boost your intake of niacin, magnesium, selenium and phosphorus.

Carbs for Energy

When it comes to nutrition as a bodybuilder, your focus may be protein. But carbs are an important part of your diet plan, providing the energy your muscles need to lift those weights. Rice cakes are considered a high-glycemic food, which means they digest fast and act as a quick source of energy, so they’re a good pre-workout carb choice. Rice cakes can also be part of a nourishing post-workout meal, which is necessary for replenishing energy stores.

Low in Sodium

As a low-sodium food, with 29 milligrams per serving, rice cakes are a good choice when trying to limit your sodium intake to improve muscle definition. Limiting your sodium intake helps prevent fluid retention and is the safest way to cut weight before a competition, according to Human Kinetics. A 1,500-milligram sodium diet is considered very low-sodium, but you can survive on 250 milligrams of sodium a day, according to Clemson Cooperative Extension.

Serving Tips

You can eat rice cakes plain, but it’s better to combine them with foods high in protein and healthy fat. For a pre-workout snack, top your rice cake with turkey and fresh cranberry sauce or tuna with a touch of balsamic vinegar. After your workout, get the carbs, protein and fat your body needs by topping your rice cake with peanut butter and sliced bananas. Or smear some avocado on your cake and top it with thinly sliced chicken breast.

What’s Your Body Type?

Most people have combinations of the three body types. For example, some have an upper body that is ectomorphic and a lower body that is endomorphic, resulting in a slim upper body and a more fat-prone lower body, creating a pear shape. Sometimes the variation is not as clear-cut as having one body type for the upper body and another for the lower.

Height has little to do with body type, despite the fact that people tend to think of skinny people (ectomorphs) as tall and heavy-set people (endomorphs) as short.

Ectomorph Mesomorph Endomorph
Skinny, linear/ ruler appearance
Naturally lean
Smooth, round body
Lightly muscled
Naturally muscular
Gains muscle easily, but tends to be underdeveloped
Small joints/ boned
Medium to large size joints/ bones
Medium to large joints/ bones
Low body fat (without exercising or following low calorie diets)
Naturally strong
High levels of body fat (may be overweight)
Small shoulders, chest and buttocks
Broad/ square shoulders
Small shoulders, high waist and large hips creating a pear-shaped physique
Long arms and legs
Body fat evenly distributed
Difficult to keep lost body fat off
Difficulty gaining weight
Losing fat is easy
Slow metabolic rate
Fast & efficient metabolism
Efficient metabolism
Attacks of tiredness/ fatigue
Hyperactive
Gaining muscle easy
Lose weight slowly
Difficulty gaining muscle
Responds quickly to exercise

DETERMINE BODY TYPE

Perhaps it was immediately obvious which body group you fell into. But, if it wasn’t think about how you react to food and exercise.

1.   METABOLISM

Do you gain weight quickly if you eat the wrong foods or after going on a lazy holiday? If you lose this weight rapidly after a change in diet or some exercise, you are probably a mesomorph. If you struggle to lose these extra pounds, then you exhibit endomorphic features. If you don’t put on any weight, you most likely are an ectomorph.

2.   EATING HABITS

Compare your eating habits with your appearance. If you consume a large amount of calories and are still thin, you are probably an ectomorph. If you eat a small number of calories and still appear thin and healthy you are probably a mesomorph. If you consume few calories and still appears heavy you are probably an endomorph.

3.   SIZE OF JOINTS/ BONES

To determine whether you are small, medium or larger boned/ jointed, encircle your wrist with your thumb and middle finger. If your middle finger overlaps your thumb, then you are small boned/ jointed (ectomorph). If your middle finger and thumb just touch, you have medium sized bones/ joints (mesomorph). If your finger and thumb do not touch then you are larger boned/ jointed (endomorph).

4.   THINK BACK!

To help determine your body type, think back to your adolescence, a time before age (metabolism slows as you get older, making you more prone to weight gain) and lifestyle transformed your body into what it is today.

5.     PICTURES

Look at some images of the various body types here and see if you identify with any of the body types.

ONE LAST THING …

Everyone has the potential to develop a great shape – regardless of his or her dominant body type. Losing inches, especially off your problem areas, can be accomplished through proper exercise and eating habits. If you are a large-framed person, though you will never be willowy, you can be slender and fit, wear a size 8 with room to spare and look super sexy in a bikini. However, it is futile for a person with strong mesomorph or endomorph characteristics to aim to be willowy like an ectomorph, this will only lead to disappointment and ill health. Even if this target thinness were reached, it probably would not look good, could be difficult in the extreme to maintain and would continue to have adverse effects on the body.

Do the right cardiovascular exercise for your body type to improve your body and get the results you want. Also, ectomorph workouts, mesomorph and endomorphs need to train differently when it comes to resistance training.