Archive for May, 2009

Episode 135: I Hope You Like Off-Topic…

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On May - 31 - 2009

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo

Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Jonathan Fass,

and Leigh Peele

Sponsors:

FitCast NEWS

  • Kelly Rippa
  • Congradulations to Dr. Fass
  • Interviews Update

Mailbag

  • Hi everyone, I have a question regarding conditioning for dancers-something I don’t think has been addressed. I know Leigh has mentioned being a dancer so hopefully you can help me out here. I love dance and I love weight lifting but can’t seem to find the connection between the two.
    I am a pre-professional dancer studying at the college level. For years my only cross-training was hour long sessions on the elliptical followed by a ridiculous number of crunches and body reflected reflected that style of training. Luckily, I realized that the repertory of contemporary dance companies requires full body strength and power.

    I have been doing primarily full body work outs for a year (starting with NROLFW-which is great!) and have made significant gains. My dancing has improved and I am finally not scared of choreography requiring upper body strength. I’m pretty sure I’m stronger than half the guys in my dance department! At this point, I want to continue strength training but am interested in shifting my work-outs towards exercises that will benefit my dancing. Can you point me towards specific exercises or a program I could follow that focuses on explosive and jumping movements? Also, do you have any additional suggestions regarding nutrition and training for athletes who are looking for strength but need to keep body weight low?
    Finally, I just want to say how great it is to hear you talk about soft tissue work. Most dancers carry around a tennis ball and foam roller and it’s nice to hear that at least some of our crazy methods are based on science.
    Thank you so much for any advice you can give me! You guys are the best!

    -Kristen

  • Greetings from splendid and sunny old England my American comrades!Basically I have a question concerning strength goals. At the moment I am training weighted pullups and weighted pushups/dips. After achieving the one arm chinup, i am trying to get it more consistent and hopefully work up to doing one rep of my bodyweight eventually of a normal pullup (70kg). My split is pulling/pushing/legs/ twice a week with sunday to rest. I want to increase my max strength and power with pulling and pushing, but at the same time I want to develop my endurance for repetitions. Will doing one day of max strength training per week and one day of more endurance based training per week for both pulling and pushing be beneficial? Or do you think I will plateau and not really get anywhere? I heard you can increase endurance with max strength training, but not vice versa. Would I be best just training max strength for each twice a week instead? I realise they are kind of opposite ends of the scales, but I would like to break past the 20 rep pullup range as well as increase my weighted and one arm chins!
    Loving the podcast, great to have quality and consistent content available such as this.

    thanks very much!

  • Kevin,
    I am having a lot of trouble with constipation while dieting. I know that you have mentioned products that have helped, I think something from Trader Joe’s… Can you help me out?

    Mike

  • Kevin and co.,I currently do conventional deadlifting directly after back squatting in my workout. Am I retarded for doing this? Is there an especially large injury risk at play there?

    Thanks,
    Dan

  • Hey guys. I am getting ready to start lifting again after a long time off. I just bought some stuff through bodybuilding.com last night. I was up kinda late when I placed the order, mostly the normal stuff like Omega 3, multivitamin, ect. But I looked into an HGH supplement called “Fountain Of Youth Presents:HGH Complete”. They had it on sale buy 2 get 1 free and I took the bait. Did I get taken or is this a actually going to help me? It sounded good before bed, but it doesn’t now that I’ve been awake for hours. I know it isn’t actual HGH but will it have any positive affect? Thanks, love the podcast!! At least I do right now, if you rip into me I’ll go to Louisiana and find a voodoo lady to hex the whole lot of ya. j/k
  • Hi Kevin and Crew,I was listening to a podcast and a lady you have on the show I could not get her full name it sounded like ” lepel hill” but I cant find her anywhere. I am trying locate her fitness website

    Many thanks -Matt

  • Hey there,
    Great work on the show…keep it up…I thought you guys might like to chew on this article. -james
  • Hi Kevin and Crew,I am a 48 year old former marine living in Australia and I have been exercising regularly for about a year. My weekly program consists of 3-4 days of cardio primarily running and 3 days of resistance training.

    I am 174 cm tall and weigh 70 kilos having lost about 23 kilos over the last year. I have recently discovered an inguinal hernia and I have been scheduled for surgical repair in a few weeks.

    My question is can you suggest any exercises that I can do post op to keep my fitness and strength gains up with out risking recurrence of the hernia?

    I have been researching hernia post op recovery and the information is very conflicting, varying from now heavy lifting for at least 6 weeks to starting exercise as soon as comfortable letting pain or discomfort be your guide.

    I really love the show and learn something new every week. I especially enjoy the off topic (really Jon).

    Keep up the good work.
    Dennis
    Port Hedland Western Australia

  • Hey guys,
    Love the show!
    One quick question: how many post-exercise calories are burned due to EPOC? The more I read about EPOC, the more I confused I am. Everyone seems to be hailing the benefits of EPOC, with few (if any!) cites to research data to substantiate their claims. Not too long ago, Kevin wrote that EPOC burns an extra 200+ calories (http://tinyurl.com/ok5upx) while Jen Heath wrote that EPOC only helps burn 7-14% of total calories burned during the activity (http://tinyurl.com/ooockx). So, is the 7-14% figure wrong or is Kevin, the beast, really burning 2857 calories per workout session?!
    Keep up the great work,
    Felix
    South Bend, IN -Felix
Episodes

Destination Abs: Week 11+12

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On May - 27 - 2009

the-fat-loss-troubleshootBy: Kevin Larrabee, CSCS

I guess we can officially say Phase 3 is over. We shot the calories back down for 2 or 3 more weeks after the “bulking” phase and my body has just had enough. Also I have been itching (and bitching to Leigh) about wanting to go back to the upper/lower splits and energy systems training I used to do at Cressey Performance (Where I have been driving 2 hours roundtrip to train there 4 days a week, making sure that my free time suffers. But when you find a crew that will push you and drive you to perform better, that time spent in the car is well worth it.).

Leigh Peele has put together the nutrition portion of this program and I have constructed the training program. If you haven’t read her book The Fat Loss Troubleshoot, you have no idea what you are missing. Leigh has a no bull shit approach when it comes to this stuff. If you are one of those dieters who has smothered the furnace that is your metabolism, Leigh’s book will do the trick to get that fire stoked.

Leigh put together a statement about the transition and where we are going from here:

The Abs are about two things.

1-Being lean enough to see them

2-Having enough of them to see.

My goal for you is to not have to get to a Christian Bale Machinist state for you to see that. In my opinion there still needs to be a little more mass put on and we have to be extra careful of the pace of the fat we lose.

Not everyone just loses fat into an amazing six pack. That is another common myth. Some people lose fat into just more flatness. While you do have a good ab base, I feel personally that pushing it on a more extreme plan at this point would lead to your starting to push it with mass loss and I would rather you have more abs at a higher body fat percentage.

Because of this I think it would be best to move you to more of a cyclic program for the short term, and visit more extreme bouts as needed when you feel recoup rated.

Your progress has been fantastic. The difference in your flex pictures alone should speak for the programing. You have managed to clearly put on mass and improve strength and mobility during a pretty intense nutrition program.

If anyone following thinks this progress is anything short of brilliant, they are watching to many steroid manipulations or people who have years of bulks before that cut. You never took that route. The majority of your training has been in a deficit or maintenance. You never had the virtue of what a lot of those types gain. This makes this journey ten times harder for you and is what is labeled as “hardgainer.” Harder maybe, impossible no and with  smart planning it will have ten times faster than the other claim.

So be proud, and get ready to move to the next phase. I couldn’t be happier with the progress thus far and your dedication.

Check out the pictures below, and I will be updating again next Tuesday or Wednesday.

The following pictures are from Day 1, Day 28 (Last day before the 4 week “bulk”), and Day 79

kevin-may22-flex

Articles, Blog Posts, Destination Abs

Episode 134: Punch-Out!! With Dr. John Berardi

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On May - 24 - 2009

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo

Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Leigh Peele,

and Dr. John Berardi

Sponsors:

FitCast NEWS

  • Guests (John Berardi, Dan John, Alan Aragon, Mike Robertson)
  • T-shirts
  • Destination ABS update
  • Ultimate Answer
  • Off-Topic T-shirt winner is: mark.seguin19@gmail.com “talk about boobs….”

Mailbag

  • What are the general guidelines for post workout protein and carbs? -@kc5ohg From Twitter
  • I know you guys have talked about Jillian Michael’s Wii game in the past, but I was just wondering are any of these even worth buying/using as a means of actual exercise? -Kim from Toronto
  • Hey Kevin and crew, love the show (especially when Jonathan just loses it lol!), I have a question about types of fat. Should I be taking both flax and fish oils? What about coconut oil? Are there different uses for each? Thanks!Stef- Colorado
  • Hey Kevin, What is this PB2 stuff that you talk about on your Destination Abs blog? Is is a peanut butter substitute or something? -Tom
  • This one is for Leigh- I listened to your binge eating podcast the other day and wanted to know if you could elaborate on the whole “it is OK when your body NEEDS it,” verses when you are just hungry. Keep up the great work guys, and send me a free t-shirt! – Sean
  • Hi FitCast! I am 19 and going to school to get a degree in exercise science to hopefully do what you guys do when I get older. I am still 3 years out from graduating, but I was wondering what some good books would be to increase my knowledge over the summer. And off topic, can you guys talk about your childhood memories of games? I know Tony and Jon both said they played Nintendo or something as kids. – Luke

Questions for John Berardi

  • Here’s a Q about G-flux…
    The principles of energy balance are very intriguing to me right now. I’m struggling severely with a plateau..and I don’t know which way to go.. (No rhyme intended)
    I’m hunting for answers.
    I’m 40 years, 198 lbs. Stuck in the low dbl digits of BF%… I want to bust through down to 7-9 and just maintain. I’d like to stay in the 190’s weight range as it’s a good size for me.
    I’ve been eating super clean for a long, long time and working my a$ off every week on a lot of heavy lifting and metabolic work.
    Cals have been less than 2500 for a very long time. Mostly proteins, fats and fruits and veggies. Very few starch based carbs…occasionally grains. Refeeds once per week on a total day-off.
    I thought that increasing the weekly workload would create the needed deficit and get things moving, but after about a month…no change..other than being very tired and frustrated. My kids haven’t seen me for weeks without a barbell on my back.
    Are the secrets of g-flux what I’m missing here…

    Signed,
    Old and Tired
    Tom

  • Where do you fall in the sweetener debate? Splenda vs Stevia, which one should I be using as an alternative to sugar? -Sarah
  • I’ve noticed the issue of carb cycling has popped up on the Precision Nutrition boards lately. What are your thoughts on this approach in general, an also how it compares to a ketogenic diet?
    Nick

    Sydney, Australia

  • Hi Kevin,
    Could you ask John to speak about his vegetarian experiment. Also, could you ask John for his ideas on the best way to cook beans to reduce the amount of “gas” produced during digestion.
    Thanks,
    John
    Calgary, Alberta.
  • Having just completed the 2nd cycle of your Lean Eating program, could you share with us what you’ve learned or have been reminded of in the process and how you’ve gone about making it better.
    Thanks,

    - Roger

  • Has there been any new studies that have peaked your interest?
  • Now let’s talk about the Lean Eating Coaching Program. What is it and why are you doing it?
Episodes

Do you LiftStrong?

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On May - 19 - 2009

liftstrong_copyBy: Kevin Larrabee, CSCS

Alwyn Cosgrove put together the fantastic Lift Strong collection of exclusive articles.

This CD contains articles from the leading fitness specialists of our day including:

Adam Campbell; Alan Aragon; Bill Hartman; Bob Youngs; Brian Grasso; Chad Waterbury; Charles Staley; Chris Mohr; Chris Shugart; Craig Ballantyne; Dan John; Dave Tate; Dax Moy; The Doorman; Eric Cressey; Gray Cook; Brett Jones; Harry Selkow; Jack Reape; James Smith; Jason C Brown; Jim “Smitty” Smith; Jason Ferruggia; Jimmy Smith; Joe DeFranco; Joe Dowdell; Joe Stankowski; John Alvino; John Berardi; Julia Ladewski; Keith Scott; Lee Taft; Lori Incledon; Lou Schuler; Lyle McDonald; Mark Philippi; Michael Stare; Mike Boyle; Mike Mahler; Mike Mejia; Mike Robertson; Mike Rousell; Nick Grantham; Pat Beith; Pavel Tsatsouline; Robert Dos Remedios; Ryan Lee; Steve Shafley; Susan Hill; TC Luoma; Todd Hamer; Tony Gentilcore; Tony Reynolds and Zach Even-Esh.

And the CD is less than $25. Even better, all of the proceeds go directly towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.You can also donate directly to the L&L society by clicking the picture below.

top_leukemia_logo

Blog Posts

Destination Abs: Week 10

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On May - 13 - 2009

the-fat-loss-troubleshootBy: Kevin Larrabee, CSCS

It has been ten weeks now since I started this with Leigh Peele. It has been quite a journey. Some ups, some downs. This past week I have been doing great. Yes, I still see the ice cream in the fridge and my family ordering takeout and I want to cheat, but I have stayed strong. Again, as I have mentioned before, much of the willpower to do this has come from the accountability this journal put upon me. I think everyone needs to have some kind of support group or light pressure to stick to the path that will help them achieve their goals. Luckly I have you guys to bitch me out if I do not post my update each week.

I have added one thing to my diet, Miracle Noodles. Danny Verna recommended them to me after I was starving last week. Basically they are glucomannan (plant fiber) made into noodles that you can cook (kind of) and they taste great. Just like real noodles. And they have no caloric value as they are 100% fiber.

Leigh Peele has put together the nutrition portion of this program and I have constructed the training program. If you haven’t read her book The Fat Loss Troubleshoot, you have no idea what you are missing. Leigh has a no bull shit approach when it comes to this stuff. If you are one of those dieters who has smothered the furnace that is your metabolism, Leigh’s book will do the trick to get that fire stoked.

The following pictures are from Day 1, Day 28 (Last day before the 4 week “bulk”), and Day 70 (10 days after bulk/slip up ended)

kevin-newfron

kevin-nnew-flex

Articles, Blog Posts, Destination Abs

Episode 133: Tony Makes a Visit to Talk Shop

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On May - 10 - 2009

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo

Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Jonathan Fass,

and Tony Gentilcore

Sponsors:

Mailbag (Questions@thefitcast.com)

  • Hi gang,
    I e-mailed a couple of weeks back about helping my friend lose some weight. This time it’s a question for me though as I managed to pull my hamstring playing rugby. A little bit of history, a couple of years back I spent a lot of time pulling my hamstrings every other month or so. I started being more diligent with training and stretching on off days, and this is the first time I’ve pulled the hammie in a while. My posterior chain work includes deadlifts, rack pulls, and glute ham raises. Anyways, do you guys have any advice with regards to to rehab and then eventually preventing this from happening again?
    thanks, Blaine
  • Hey Kevin, Great progress on destination abs, keep it up. I heard you mention some special probiotics that Cassandra recommended, and I was waiting to here more. Are they helping you with digestive issues? I have had GI issues for years and am willing to give anything a try. Thanks, Joey
  • Hi, First off I want to say that I really enjoy listening to your podcast. I have learned so much from all of you and look forward to learning something new from each podcast.

    My questions are: I am a 38yr old female and weigh 150lbs. I have high blood pressure and am on medication for this. I would like to lose 10lbs and 10%body fat. I recently signed up with a trainer and feel that he is not taking into consideration my high blood pressure. I have read previously that when someone has HBP they should not lift heavy weights or over exert themselves. Is this true? Also, is there a polite way to ask my trainer about the exercises he has me doing and my HBP? I dont want to make it seem that I am questioning his experience. In addition, any tips for someone with HBP that would like to lose weight and get stronger are welcomed!

    Keep the excellent information coming via podcasts and I look forward to your repsonses. -Shannon

  • Hey guys,
    the last few months i have been swimming, running and stuff like that but I haven’t been in the gym for 6 months! I lost about 20lbs of muscle! All that had to do with some time and health problems (flu >8lbs, stroke >5lbs, exam,…). Everything is OK again! But I just can’t stand what I see in the mirror! I got enought time to work out, I’m healthy and I’m determined!
    My question is how would you start training wise?
    (I think about doing mainly Bodyweight exercises, Core work etc.; basickly light Stuff for the first 1 or 2 weeks and start a Joe DeFranco type of Westside program afterwards.)
    Thank you for your answer!

    best wishes from Steve in good old germany

Round Table: Tony talks about Perform Better RI.

Episodes

Cressey Performance: Why I drive Two Hours to Train

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On May - 7 - 2009

I hear people compain about not having enough time to train almost every day. Maybe I am just lucky right now that I don’t work 50 hours a week and have a wife with 2 1/2 kids, but either way, I still find two hours to drive the the best training facility in Massachusetts at least once a week. I do have my reasons, let me list a few.

1. Getting to have a back and forth conversation with Tiana, one of the female CP athletes. And who knows after she turns 30 (I don’t think I will wait that long though, sorry Pookie).

zi6_0237

2. Getting Revenge on Tony for posting my 300 pound bench failures. You really want to click on the video and watch the high quality (HQ) version.

Blog Posts

Destination Abs: Week 9

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On May - 5 - 2009

the-fat-loss-troubleshootBy: Kevin Larrabee, CSCS

Welcome back to Destination Abs. As you may have noticed, I have not updated this journal/log for about two weeks. There are two reasons for that. I won’t get into that too much. Last week, I kind of fell off the wagon while celebrating my grandfather’s life with family. I have no regrets about that. Since Friday I have been back on track with the nutrition. For the final four weeks I will be going back to a full-body strength program I designed which helped me gain strength while in a big deficit a few months back. Nothing too special, just focusing on some main lifts (front squat, trap bar deadlift, and bench), and adding in some accessory stuff at the end for abs, bis and tris. So far, I seem to have dropped weight very quickly in the first 5 days. Training has been great with an increase in my deadlifts and front squats after the first week.

Leigh Peele has put together the nutrition portion of this program and I have constructed the training program. If you haven’t read her book The Fat Loss Troubleshoot, you have no idea what you are missing. Leigh has a no bull shit approach when it comes to this stuff. If you are one of those dieters who has smothered the furnace that is your metabolism, Leigh’s book will do the trick to get that fire stoked.

The following pictures are from Day 1, Day 28, and Day 62

kevinupdate05f

kevinupdate05

Articles, Blog Posts, Destination Abs

Episode 132: Mama Cass

Posted by Kevin Larrabee On May - 3 - 2009

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo

Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Jonathan Fass,

and Cass Forsythe

Sponsors:

FitCast News

  • Thanks for your thoughts
  • FitCast T-shirts now in and shipping. $20, free shipping in the US, $7 outside of the U.S.
    • e-mail me through the contact page or just send the funds via Paypal to: kevin.larrabee@gmail.com (Include your size and address)
  • Destination Abs Update

Mailbag

  • I’ve got a question for Jonathan. . Let me give you some background. I’m 5′6″, 160lbs and unlike Kevin, I hate benching (mainly because I suck at it, my max being 200lbs on a Close grip 1-board press – which is as close as I get to full range of motion benching).

    My current goal it to reach a triple bodyweight deadlift (480lbs), and I do tons of rows and pullups for this goal. I’d like to know if tight lats can affect my front squat technique, as I seem to have problems driving my elbows up high to keep the bar in the groove of my shoulders. This causes the bar to start slipping forward during the set. This sucks balls especially with heavier weights, as it starts to mess up my wrists. (I use the clean grip technique, the cross armed technique just feels very unstable). (P.S. sorry for the long question. Also I really love your show, as it fires me up before my training session)

    Cheers,
    Jin (pronounced like “Gin”) from the UK

  • “I’m going Back to the Future!”

    I finally arrived at the present! I have listened to every episode of The Fitcast during the past 5 months. From Diet Soda Shakes, to “Bigger Faster Stronger”, to “Kevin’s California Vacation”, to the addition of the ladies, to Final Destination Abs … I have listened to it all and loved it. I started using NROL (THANKS FITCAST) right at the end 2008 and I am loving the new approach. I haven’t given up on my curls completely, but I focus more on functional lifting. Cutting back on my 3 day a week benching routine has been a big shocker (I know that was a routine you would love), but I think I am getting great results. All the freaking deadlifts and Bulgarian Split Squats have my back feeling better than ever. I have been eating according to Precision Nutrition (THANKS FITCAST) and I have been using some diet modifications based off of a lot of your guest’s methods.

    HERE IS MY QUESTION:
    STATS: I am 33, 6’2”, 196 lbs, 9.4% bodyfat (18 months ago I weighed 250 with 30% bodyfat)
    DIET: I eat a very strict diet for most of the month and I eat no refined sugar sweets (cakes, cookies, ice cream, etc.). The thing that keeps me going is that 1 day per month I blow it out. I eat over twice my daily intake of calories (~6000). Most of these calories are in the form of junk (half dozen donuts, batch of sugar cookies, cupcakes, etc.). This has worked for me for the past 18 months. Does this style of cheat day pose any obvious risks? I do feel like crap by the end of the “sugar day,” but it reenergizes me for another month of healthy dieting.

  • Hi guys,

    My name is Mark, I’m from Salt Lake City, Utah, I am 6′2″ 230lbs. I am probably about 18% body fat, though I can’t be 100% sure. I can’t tell you guys how much I love the show! It really has been a huge part of my motivation to get into better shape, specifically stronger, this year. My question is about my training. I am currently doing Cressey’s Maximum Strength, I am 3 weeks in and already am seeing significant gains in strength. I have decided that I want to participate in a sprint triathlon this September. I am going to have to start training in June at the very latest, which would cut my Maximum Strength program short by a month. So what do I do? Should I complete Max Strength and only leave myself 2 months of time to prepare for the triathlon, or should I cut the Max Strength program short? Another element to consider is that there is an Ironman Triathlon taking place in St. George, Utah in May 2010. I would really like to do it since there has never been an Ironman in Utah before. I have never done a triathlon or any kind of endurance race like that before, and I imagine about a year of consistent training would be enough to prepare for an Ironman. What do you all think about that as well? One more question, will triathlon training make me lose strength gains I have made? Any advice for training for a triathlon is greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long questions, but I really respect your opinions and needed to ask them.

    Thanks again, you guys are the best!

    -Mark

  • Hey guys, love the show. I have a couple of quick questions for Leigh:

    What is your take on the “Beef Protein Isolate” that is now available (trueprotein.com)?

    Everybody is always saying that during a mass gaining phase you should eat more beef….. so would this be a good option during a mass phase or is it the other components of beef that are of importance?

    Is this something worth looking into, or should we just stick with the staples (whey, casein)?

    Thanks,
    Ryan

  • I love the podcast and it is going to be tough waiting for your shows to get released now that I am all caught up! -Ben

  • I am fired up!
    I am 203 lbs. down from 245 just 6 months ago.
    I have been lifting weights in my basement every day and doing light cardio to lose fat.
    Now I am ready to improve my gains. I started out with just 3 sets of 10 reps on bench, shoulder press and pushups & curls. Since I found your podcast, I have added squats, lunges, shoulder flys and purchased a pullup bar (but can’t do much with it yet). I have also changed my weight liftinng routine to 3-days a week. I have established a base but would like to add more muscle. I am changing my routine to more sets & fewer reps. I also need to lose 13 more pounds but I started with nothing after 25 years of no excercise & eating anything & everything. I have added creatine & fish oil.
    Do I need to drop the cardio to maximize gains? My weight and my gains have plateaued. I am considering a re-feed or re-fuel to get rid of the rest of the fat. Any other suggestions?

    I love your podcast. Particularly when you & Leigh share learning from scientific studies. Keep up the good work. -Larry

  • am a college student and I have a hard time getting the right foods (healthy foods) because I am the only one in my family of five that cares about nutrition on a serious level. I have a job, but my parents don’t want me spending my money on food, so I eat what my mom buys. It is not entirely bad, but she still buys Jiff instead of natural peanut butter and white instead of wheat bread. My biggest problem is getting enough of the good food because it is limited, so I have to dip into some not so healthy food. In your guys opinion, should I just wait it out until I live on my own or find some other way to get healthy food even if I have to spend my own money? How much will dipping into the not so healthy food effect my overall health. I lift 3-4 days a week and do cardio 4-5.
    Thanks in advance for the help.
    -Shane
  • I’ve been listening to your podcast for a while now and find it very informative – good job! When I turned 40 I was 230 pounds with a 42″ waist, six feet tall. Turning 40 was hard and I made it my quest to get fit. I am 44 now, 185 pounds with about 14% body fat, 32 inch waist. Since I turned 40 I have cut out all refined foods – no sugar, white bread, etc. and eat pretty good – about 1,800-2,200 calories/day. I also don’t eat after 7 PM. I am trying to get rid of the roll and handles around my midsection without losing muscle. I know this is a balance act, but finding it difficult to attain. I do 20 minutes of cardio every morning to get me going. Six days/week I do 20 minutes of cardio at Noon as a stress releaser mainly. Three days/week I do about 45 minutes of strength training. I am into supplements: fish oil, 5-8 g creatine, whey protein (plus lean meats), multi-vit to name a few. What do you advise as I run out of energy to get a good strength training session in, but when I eat more I am not losing the roll. Should I concentrate on one or the other – roll reduction or muscle building or continue balance both?
    Burt in Napa Valley, CA. -Burt
  • Hello Kevin and Crew. I love the Fit Cast, though Jonathan Fass will be missed. Here’s a question for the panel:

    How do you progress on chin-ups and pullups? I’m stuck at about 4-5 pullups and around 6 to 7 chin-ups with bodyweight.

    I tried a ladder approach, starting by doing half the total number of reps I can do. E.g.: 3 reps, rest 15 seconds, 2 reps, rest 15 secs, 1 rep, rest for one minute and repeat. This approach builds up the total volume, but I’m still stuck at the same level. How do I increase my strength-endurance on these? -Bob

  • My name is Lindsay and I’m a big fan of TheFitcast, you all do great work so keep it up!  My wife and I exercise regularly and enjoy trying different programs, right now I have her doing The Perfect Body Diet by Cassandra Forsythe (whom is absolutely AMAZING!), she is interested in losing a few inches for graduation in June.  However my question is specifically about her leg and gait.  Her left leg is 1/2 inch shorter than her right (this is not due to past injury, she was born that way and is something that seems to run in her family).  She wears a lift in her left shoe daily to help even everything out and also wears it while she works out, but still experiences aches and pains every once in while in her hips and lately her right knee.I’m worried about how this 1/2 inch difference is affecting her when she is squatting, doing lunges, and any other exercises that involve similarmovement patterns.  I know we should get in to see a physical therapist eventually, but I first wanted to see if you had any advice regarding exercises that she should absolutely not be doing given her “condition” and/or anything else you would recommend to prevent injury, and aches and pains.
    Thanks!
    Lindsay
  • Hello Kevin, I’ve been a loyal listener of The Fitcast for some time now, I usually listen past episodes in the morning as a I walk to the subway station and ride it to work. I know you mentioned in the past how you thought you would never be really cover model jacked and ripped. While you have made very definite progress over the past 6 weeks, I was wondering how you feel about it now? Do you still feel that despite the massive amount of effort you have put in, the results are still not in purportion to what you’ve put in? Please don’t misinterpret this as any sort of discouragement at all because I just wanted to get your perspective. I (and others) really appreciate the effort you’ve put into The FitCast and like it very much!

    Gerald

  • where can I go to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist is this a mail in degree or are there schools out there? I tried googling it and came up with no schools.. I am in California. Thanks -Cain
  • I’m a female amateur boxier getting ready for my 1st fight. I’m currently dieting and have lost 10 of the 20 pounds I need to lose to get into a good weight class for my height. My question is about strength and conditioning. While my trainer is great at teaching the sport and science of boxing, his strength and conditioning advice is vague at best. I was hoping you could shed some light on a good program to increase my strength, power, and endurance. I train with my coach 3 times a week for an hour to an hour and a half doing all the traditional stuff you see on the “Rocky” movies. Programs I already own: Afterburn, New Rules of Lifting for Women, KettlebelleBody, Josh Hillis’s Fighter Workouts for Fatloss, and Turbulence Training. . . just to name a few. :) Thanks in advance for any advice you can share. -E
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