Core stability should be one of the main focuses of everyone’s programs. You have most likely already seen Palloff presses, rollouts, landmines, ect. But what if you don’t have a cable station or just want something a bit more challenging? Here is something I partly stole from Mike Boyle when he was talking on the Strength Coach Podcast. All you need is a band and a sturdy pole.
We received an e-mail a few weeks back asking about ways to track progress and to enforce accountability. This goes along with the upcoming FitCast Accountability Blog/Contest, if you haven’t already give it a look and check it out.
Use FitDay: One of the first tools I have found to be very effective is FitDay.com. FitDay is a free service that you can use from any internet browser. Why do I like it so much? It allows me to enter in as many custom foods as I like instead of guessing if I am eating exactly what they have the macronutrients for. Fitday also has a software program you can use on the PC, at this time they do not have a similar offering on the Mac.
Buy a Food Scale: The second tool which I use multiple times daily is a GOOD QUALITY digital scale. Food scales don’t leave room for error, or as Leigh Peele mentioned in the past, eating that extra 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter you just happened to leave on the knife. Why digital? Digital scales allow you to “zero out” at any time so there is never any math involved. Need to measure out 120g of greek yogurt, 28g of almonds, 20g of protein powder, and 10g of blueberries? You can do it all in one container with a digital scale. And then there is the point of getting a good quality scale. I made the mistake of going to Target and buying a cheap ass $30 scale. The measurements were off, it always was -3 or -5g when I turned it on, just a pain in the ass. I then went with this scale from Amazon.com: Escali Primo Digital Multifunctional Scale
It was $10 cheaper and has worked perfectly since I bought it 11 months ago. And for those looking to spice up the kitchen, it comes in a bunch of cool colors…
Have a plan: Take a guess at how many people’s new years resolutions are to “lose weight.” Then guess how many of those people go into this resolution with no plan what so ever! Nothing, maybe if they are lucky then bought a gym membership. Most of the time it is just a, “this time is different,” sort of a plan. And guess what? They fail. Every time. It sucks to say, buy you might as well unless you pick a plan to stick with it. Here is what I wrote in a previous blog for recommended programs: The Fat Loss Troubleshoot, Turbulence Training, Warp Speed Fat Loss, Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle.
(I know, I was looking for a picture for planning, and I remember this game from when I was a kid)
You can even pick up a physical book at Amazon like The New Rules of Lifting, the New Rules of Lifting for Women, the Female Body Breakthrough, The Body Fat Solution, and tons of others!!! Just don’t buy Skinny Bitch or anything the Big O recommends (this video is must see!!!)…
Support: Finally we come to support. You need to have some kind of support. Unless you are part of that special 1%, you will not be able to do this all on your own. Think about it, you are actually depriving your body of calories it wants to maintain where you are! That alone doesn’t sound easy. Not to mention getting your lifting in, your intervals, steady state cardio, planning the meals for the week, staying away from the birthday cake at work, only drinking water and diet coke when you go out with your friends who tend to drink, your mom’s cooking which is just so damn good you can’t resist that banana break she makes and her world renowned spaghetti and meatballs. See. Told you it wasn’t easy. Get a support group. It can be on a forum, a group of friends, a blog with readers, or something like what we are trying to do here with the accountability blog.
Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments?
We have been talking about it for a while and you guys have been asking for it…Here it is…
When Leigh Peele and I put together Destination Abs there were three main components.
1. Leigh Peele’s Amazing nutrition books The Fat Loss Troubleshoot and (later on) Body By Eats.
2. The training program that I wrote up in accordance with the nutritional guidelines that Leigh Provided.
Yeah, that’s right, I just made that huge to prove a point, no easier way to do that than to use big font.
Because of how important #3 was to me I thought I would give you the same opportunity to you to finally get that body you desire and the support you need to achieve that goal. There are some rules and guidelines to all of this. This is only for those who are dedicated and are willing to work their assess off, literally. I will be there to support you and so will all of the listeners. I hope most of you know you can always e-mail me anyways through my personal e-mail address: kevin@thefitcast.com. Please use it if it is for this contest or otherwise. Same thing on Facebook (http://facebook.com/KevinLarrabee) and Twitter (Http://twitter.com/KevinLarrabee). Both of these sites are great for accountability, staying in contact, and talking about your progress and goals. I will personally follow every-single-one of the contestants.
Now For The Rules…
Here are the rules and how we will be selecting the 10 contestants:
How we Decide the Winner
Now it it time to ask yourself the question: Do you want to be accountable and finally obtain the body and physique you desire? Let’s find out together.
BONUS: Video of me talking about the Iron Gym Extreme:
Are we back? Yes, we’re back.
It has been a long time since I have done a Destination Abs update. Too long. Some have even e-mailed me to ask me what the hell was going on with this project Leigh and I set out on 9 or so months ago. Well, I took some time off from counting calories and worrying about every single calorie I consumed. It seemed like it was much needed, but after regressing a bit, and putting on some more muscle, Leigh and I think it is time to rev up the engines again for one more 16-20 week journey to reach our Destination.
January 13, 2009
Another long break in between posts. That is what happens when I am working on so much other stuff behind the scenes. Anyways… Now just a recap for those that missed it. I had a bit of a slip up over the holidays. I was suppose to have a 4-day refeed at about 5,000 kcals/day. I was probably up towards 6,500. And I went 5 days instead of 4. I really have not excuse. I could say that I am human, but I just got weak. Plan and simple. There is no doubt that Leigh’s info in The Fat Loss Trouble Shoot and Body By Eats works. It got me from this to this.What was the real issue? Getting out of my routine. Not going into work really messed me up.
You will eat better if you are going to be out in public or around your peers, especially in this industry. Period. So when that added accountability wasn’t there, the shit hit the fan.
I have been back on track for about two weeks (minus a little extra eating on Saturday with some family and friends while out). Feeling a lot better. I talked to Leigh and after the first phase of the Redux, we can to a few conclusions.
1. I personally can’t do four day refeeds. It was just too habit forming (sounds like a drug…) and too difficult to break.
2. I want one meal per week while doing this. Something that will fill me up. Something that will come on Saturday night after training. I am talking BBQ turkey tips with lots of vegetables. Mentally it gives me something to look forward to each week and will keep me sane and more importantly, sociable.
Being social is important if you are on a diet or are a regular at the half price wing night. I literally didn’t want to go out sometimes because I knew I wouldn’t get to eat with the rest of my friends. I would be ordering water after water or would be portioning a chicken Cesar salad without dressing.
Will this approach make the goal take longer to achieve? Yes. But for now until I am ready to go all out again, is what I will be doing.
Next week I am going to go into how the training has changed and where we go from here. Until then here is a video of some of the battling rope circuits I am doing:
Questions Anyone?
That wraps it up for this week’s blog, let me know if you guys have any questions in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them.
If you are liking what you see here and want to jump in as well check out Leigh’s book The Fat Loss Troubleshoot and her new book Body By Eats.
(Quick Edit: The audio version will still be available each week on this site and on iTunes)
Bear with me…
I am running off about 4 hours of sleep and it is 11pm right now.
The last few days have been very busy for me with my full time job
coaching and training clients as well as the things I have been
doing outside of work for The FitCast. So…Here it is, what is to
come…
Here is a video talking about what we are going to be doing in a
little more detail: http://bit.ly/8xDzCb
So in short here is what we are doing.
From now on all episodes will be LIVE and in streaming VIDEO
through USTREAM.TV. I also hope to offer a download of the video
via iTunes by this weekend so you can watch the show on your iPod,
iPhone, computer, ect.
This also means that we can now do something even more beneficial
for you. VIDEO MAIL BAG!!! Yep! Now you can e-mail us a video or
post it on YouTube and we will answer it live!
Think about it, you can send us a video of yourself squatting and
we can actually analyze it to help answer your questions. Got a
cool new exercise and want to share? We can do that too!
We are accepting video questions immediately, just send the video or
link to: thefitcast@gmail.com
Please let us know what else you would like from The FitCast in
2010! Thank you so much for your support these last 3+ years!
We got an e-mail this past week in the mailbag asking for what my favorite episodes of The FitCast were. Off the top of my head I could think of about a thirty that I would consider to be prerequisites for new listeners. I also needed more blog content…So…Here… We… Go…
The first group of episodes are going to focus on a very popular topic as we head into the new year. Fat Loss. We have had on some of the best and brightest in the field who have a reputation of getting people to drop pounds of body fat. Here is my list of must listen fat loss episodes:
1. Anything with Alwyn Cosgrove: This includes Episode 14, Episode 82, and Episode 151. The author of The New Rules of Lifting has come on consistently to drop knowledge bombs of immense proportions. Alwyn being one of the most entertaining guests is purely a bonus.
2. The Destination Abs Podcasts: You may have heard that Leigh Peele and I have been working on this project titles: Destination Abs. Along with a (mostly) weekly blog update, we have done a few audio podcasts to answer questions from the listeners. Here are the two interviews: Episode 129 and Episode 159.
3. Tom Venuto’s Episodes: Tom is one of the best, if not the best, when it comes to talking fat loss realistically. Tome first came on the show on Episode 100, Episode 116, and Episode 146. We also hit on bodybuilding, fructose, and other topics that surround body composition.
4. John Berardi’s Episodes: John Berardi was one of our first guests on the show back on Episode 5. That was three years ago! On that first episode JB talked to John Williams and I for 90 minutes about nutrition, super shakes, green tea, greens plus and more. He returned four more times on Episode 25, Episode 46 (With Dave Tate), Episode 100 (with Tom Venuto), and Episode 134.
This is part 2 of the things I learned in 2009. It is going to be just 9 things (even though I learned countless things). If you haven’t already, read part 1 then hurry back!
#6 If you are in a Position to Help Others, Do so.
This is an actual conversation that I had with someone a few months ago:
Dude: What is up with all of that stuff you have that says, “Lift Strong,” on it?
Me: Oh, yeah, it is for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. A friend of mind put together this project that started out as a book to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society and now they are doing the same with t-shirts and shakers.
Dude: Oh sweet man can you hook me up with one of those shirts?
Me: All you have to do is go to EliteFTS.com and they have them for $15
Dude: Come on man, I am not made of money, I know you can get me the hook up with your contacts!
Me: Well…It is for charity…You know…To find a cure…I paid for it…
Dude: OK man, thanks anyway.
Me: (In my head) You got plenty of money to buy a f**king $50 bottle of Super Pump, I can see why you can’t help out a good cause.
I really was dumbfounded after this conversation… If you are sitting in front of a new laptop or on the couch while watching the game on a new 50″ plasma, you can probably spend $25 on the Lift Strong ebook. OK, you don’t need to read the articles because you already know everything the authors have written. Right… OK… Fine. Then go to Elite and buy a sweatshirt, t-shirt, wrist band, shaker, or go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma website and donate $5. Every little bit really helps.
I hope it doesn’t sound like I am preaching, but this is something my parents and my mentors have instilled in me. If you are in the position to give…then give. Even if it is a few bucks to the kids trying to raise money for the local high school sports team or your co-worker who is walking or running for charity. You can make a difference in other peoples lives with what you spend on a cup of coffee or a new DVD.
(Side Note: Also please check out the Michael J. Fox Foundation. I pray that no one in your family is affected by Parkinson’s Disease. It took the life of my grandmother, who was like a second mother to me, a few years back. It was torture seeing her in the years, months, weeks, and days she battled with it.)
#7 CNS Activation is a Big Deal (And you Probably Aren’t doing it)
It was a weird day when I sat down and watched Nick Tumminello’s CNS Activation DVD (for one, it was 70 and sunny out, I had no right to be inside). As I watched it I had one of my own ah-ha moments. Oh sh*t, ya, that makes sense, why the hell aren’t I doing that?. You can’t just foam roll, do some mobility, and a, “warm-up set.” You have to wake your body up with something other than Spike (although it is a good first step…).
Even doing something as simple as jumping jacks, clap push ups, or med ball work will prime your CNS allowing you to recruit more muscle fibers and make you perform better. Check out Nick’s DVD, in it he goes through a bunch of movements like the tight rotations show in the video below (KILLER CORE STABILITY EXERCISE!!!)
#8 Metabolic Training Can and Should be Fun
If you find your training getting stale or you want to challenge yourself. Throw in a strongman or metabolic circuit at the end of your training session. The first circuit I ever did was a punishment from Eric Cressey back in 2007 when I asked him, “Eric, I want to lose fat faster, what can we do?” Here is the result:
Here is another one that I did on New years Day 2010:
You can really use anything, TRX, kettlebells, bands, sleds, valslides, barbells, body weight..Anything! Check out Dos Remedios’ new book, Cardio Strength Training for some great circuits that will push you harder than ever.
That is all for this edition, number 9 is a big one and needs it’s own post.
Yep, it is another one of those, “things I learned last year” posts. Hopefully I have some things that aren’t on those other lists, and at least you get to see a dude with abs on his back (so I guess Lumbar extension is OK!). I myself have been on a fat loss quest for about a year. Actually it was more of a body transformation as I was also able to go from a 205 lb skinny fat guy to a 195 lb guy who actually has some muscle on him as well.
In the past year The FitCast has also grown quite a bit thanks to our guest listeners (you!) who have spread the word and our solid cast of Dr. Jonathan Fass and Leigh Peele. I can not tell you how much fun I have doing the show with these two and how much I have learned from them. Rounding out the cast is Tony Gentilcore who comes on when he isn’t in his basement watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and attentively listening to the commentary from the cast and pretending that they are in the room with him to the point where he is having conversations with his cat…OK, that may not be entirely true… And is defiantly a run on sentence. Also Cassandra Forsythe who rivals Jon with how much time she has spent learning post graduate brought some awesome insight on topics like pooping. Finally, one more thank you to all of you out there that download the podcast, come to the website, and support us by buying t-shirts and other products from our Recommended Resources Page.
#1 Fat Loss Isn’t as Simple as Most Make it Out to Be
The Destination Abs project was a real eye opener when it came to fat loss. I really didn’t realize how specific guidelines needed to be to really burn body fat to reach a goal of seeing abs. Especially as a former fat kid who clocked in at 210 lbs at the age of 15, that day seemed like it would never come. It still hasn’t. I have more work to do with Leigh Peele. I really hope you guys check out her website and her books The Fat Loss Troubleshoot and Body By Eats as her realistic and no BS take on fat loss has really helped me get to where I am now.
#2 If you Don’t Deload Your Body WILL Break Down
After leaving Cressey Performance at the end of 2008 I went balls to the walls in my training for 3 months, no deloading, and I got hurt. My hip flexors started to get very pissed off if I wanted to squat or or anything that involved any kind of hip flexion. Do yourself a favor and schedule a deload week every 4th week. That doesn’t mean you have to take the week off. Just cut back on the volume, around 50%. Instead focus on technique, form, and working on any mobility issues you have. Eric also has a great manual on the subject at his website. Taking a week off will not make you gain fat as long as you eat accordingly. Most of the time you will come back stronger and leaner!
#3 Buy a Whiteboard
Sounds simple, but having a white board right next to me (actually on my left…) helps me keep track of what I need to get done. Some are long term tasks, some I can get done in 5 minutes. I have learned that I need to constantly remind myself of things because I literally can be distracted in an instant, need to feel like I am doing 3 things at once, and find myself forgetting to do important things because something more important just landed in front of me or in the e-mail box. It is the best $5 productivity tool you can buy.
#4 Invest into a Home Gym
Another simple one, but it has saved me countless hours in the car and money on gas buy putting together a decent home gym. What does it consist of? TRX, four Kettelbells (8kg, 16kg, 24kg, 28kg, KB buddy 2kg), an old airex pad, 12lb medball, valslides, 1/2″ band, 1″ band, pair of 40, 50lb dumbbells from the early 90’s (still weigh the same), and a old piece of rug to lay on while warming up or doing various pus ups, planks, ect. I shot a video of what it looked like a few months ago.
#5 Hip Mobility Should be Your Priority
Do you warm up before you lift, run, play, or compete? A little bit of soft tissue work (foam rolling), some stretching, and a few things you saw in Assess and Correct? You are doing a hell of a lot better than most, but you could probably be doing better. One of the biggest issues for my new clients and even myself if hip mobility, both flexion and internal rotation deficits. For the coaches out there, you should be testing your new clients and athletes with something that will evaluate this. The Thomas Test, hip internal and external rotation asymmetries, and something as simple as a body weigh squat with their hands over their head.
Inadequate hip mobility can lead and contribute to common issues like low back pain, poor glute function, and a weak ass deadlift. If you find that the issue is at the hip and not the glutes or tight quads here are my favorite mobility exercises but first here is a great video from Eric Cressey on testing hip internal rotation:
Now some mobility exercises:
That is all for this edition, come back later this week for the final four (or six…)
By: 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
By: 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)
