Workout Plans and Intensity

The other day a woman commented to me at the gym that she wished she could work out the way I do. We had a nice conversation about our workouts and talked about the differences in them and a couple of things she could immediately incorporate.

First I'll attempt to describe why I might have even drawn any attention in the gym. My favorite tank top is hot pink. I literally pour sweat. Occasionally I grunt when I am lifting, and when I get fatigued I blow when I exhale, so if you walked in front of me I would for sure part your hair. I'm all over the place using free weights, cable machines and bodyweight exercises. I'm one of about 5 women there on M-W-F that even goes near the barbells. I'm not afraid to ask to work in a set with guys that could probably use me for bicep curls and I use weight plates for swings since they don't have kettlebells. Now you probably have the picture.

However, as I talked with this lady there were two things that immediately surfaced when we started talking about working out. She comes to the gym without a workout plan and she lacks intensity. These are two things that are totally within her control. If she incorporated a specific plan and a higher level of intensity, think of the progress she might make and the sense of accomplishment she would have when she leaves the gym! I get excited about this type of thing.

If I go to the gym without a plan I find that several undesirable things happen.

1. It's hard to get my mind around my workout on the way there because I don't yet know exactly what I'm going to do.
2. I tend to gravitate toward the exercises I like, which means my workout is probably not balanced.
3. It's difficult to keep my rest periods tight if I'm picking and chosing my next exercise.
4. It's easier for me to talk myself out of the last set.
5. I just don't work as hard.

With a plan, I know exactly what I'm going to do before I get there. I can get my mind around it and be ready to work hard. My warm-up is more effective because it's based on the workout itself. I'm compelled to do the exercises that are in the plan (and in the correct order) whether I like them or not and I can keep my speed up because I know what's coming next. I always complete my workout because I'm determined not to wimp out.

Developing a sound, balanced workout plan takes some knowledge, so it's not to be taken lightly. There are several options out there if you don't have that knowledge. Access a certified personal trainer through your gym or community. Join a small workout group. Attend a local bootcamp session. Purchase a plan from a reputable trainer. One I would suggest that you can obtain online is Turbulence Training.

The other component that is easily incorporated into your current workout is intensity. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned athlete you can still step it up a notch. There are many ways to do this. Some suggestions would be:

1. add circuit training workouts
2. choose 2 exercises to superset and do as many sets as possible in 10 minutes
3. add interval training
4. decrease your rest between sets
5. add weight
6. increase your reps or sets
7. add plyometric exercises
8. add a series of bodyweight exercises such as squats, jump squats, jumping lunges, dynamic lunges, mountain climbers (you get the picture) as a finisher at the end of your workout

I could go on and on. I love hearing ideas about increasing intensity! If you want to blast fat, have fun and like kicking your own tail, step up the intensity and use your time efficiently by hitting the gym with a plan!

This post contains an affiliate link. Please see my disclosure statement.

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Burn, Baby, Burn

Which Workout?

Bodyweight Workouts

Barbell Complexes

I've probably lost my mind but right now I am very into barbell complexes in a masochistic kind of way. They are a part of the Afterburn II program I am doing this quarter and they completely wear me out.

This type of workout component includes a barbell, your body and a small section of space. Choose about 5 exercises requiring a barbell and arrange them in an order that flows smoothly. For instance, you might follow a front squat with a push press because it transitions well. You probably wouldn't choose a bent over row followed by a reverse lunge since the transition would be awkward. That is an important part of the structure because the tempo is fast without losing form so transitions should be neat and quick. You will complete each exercise for the desired number of reps (say 6) before moving on to the next exercise. You work through all 5 exercises without resting and without putting the bar down. That's one set. Then put the bar down, rest for about 90 seconds and repeat for a total of 4 or 5 sets with 90 seconds rest in between each set.

It will take your breath away and get your heart rate up. Your rest period is your recovery time, so it's like doing intervals. Another important part of barbell complexes is to choose a weight that is manageable for your weakest move. You likely can squat much heavier than you can manage on a row or a good morning. The point is not how much you can lift, the point is shaking your body up metabolically. Choose a weight that allows you to get all the reps in at a fast tempo without putting the bar down. You should need every second of that 90 second rest period to recuperate and you should be working hard enough that you're trying to talk yourself out of the last couple of sets. If you go too light the first time choosing your weight, keep the tempo up and go heavier the next time. Switching weight between exercises defeats the purpose.

If you've never done barbell complexes, give it a try! I'd love to hear about the experience.

If you'd like more information, here's a great article by Alwyn Cosgrove, Complexes for Fat Loss.

Related post(s):

Complexes for Fat Loss Part II - Sample Complexes

Barbell Complexes Revisited

Plan Your Nutritional Non-compliance

What?!?! It really is okay to be non-compliant with your nutrition plan occasionally. Not only that, but I find it's even better if I make non-compliance part of my nutrition plan.

Dr. John Berardi of Precision Nutrition advocates working on your compliance until you can hit your nutrition goals at least 90% of the time. It makes total sense. Most of the time we put ourselves on something so strict we can't possibly keep it up. If you are eating balanced, it is sustainable over time. So if you find yourself struggling with your fat loss, you may need to review your plan, make sure it's balanced, and then track your compliance. That can be an eye-opening process.

For me, if I eat 5 times a day, 7 days a week, that equals 35 eating occasions. If I can stay on track for 32 of those meals, I'm going to hit my 90% compliance goal, and I should be seeing some progress. I've made tremendous gains in improving my eating habits over the last 3 years, but my default is still not completely set on a desirable track. If I'm not paying attention, I don't get enough protein or water, I don't eat often enough, and I drift toward the nutritionally worthless carbs. Right now I have a chart on my refrigerator to track my compliance. Some people would hate doing that, but there's no greater truth than having to log something on a piece of paper and dangle it in front of the rest of the family.

So why does planning it help? If you take some time on Sunday to look at your week, you will likely know what work and social events are coming up, which days will be particularly hectic, etc. I pretty much know that sometime mid-week I'm going to want a break, and social events typically fall on the weekend for us. By planning a non-compliant meal mid-week, I'm not so tempted to derail on the weekend, plus I'm not waiting until the weekend to have 3 non-compliant meals in a row, turning it into a non-compliant day. I know my body pretty well now and if I did, I'd completely undo a week's worth of hard work. Bottom line is if I plan it, I have control. If I don't plan for it, it's going to happen to me, because it's much harder for me to make a good decision on the spot. Some would argue that it doesn't sound like too much fun, or very spontaneous. Well, spontaneous is part of what got me into this (need to lose fat) and ending a week where I've controlled my nutrition instead of it controlling me feels pretty good.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when you plan a non-compliant meal, you can't go completely crazy and eat enough for 3 of your regular meals. Savor that food you've decided you want, but keep the portions within the context of the other meals you've eaten that day. You will find that as you clean up your eating and finally stop dieting that the irritable, ravenous cravings will stop and you may not even enjoy that meal you've built up in your mind so much.

If you want to make some changes and you've been having non-compliant weekends, see if you can reign it into a non-compliant day. If you've mastered that, try to spread it out where it is a planned treat that you can enjoy throughout the week. I had an interesting conversation with a first place figure competitor this week. She has narrowed herself down to a non-compliant item. She chooses the item the first part of the week and then stays focused during the week. On the weekend, she treats herself with that item, enjoys it and doesn't fret about it. Wow. Interesting too is that her choice of a treat is often a cupcake.

If you have a non-compliant meal or item, what is it you like to eat?

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Fitness and Nutrition Goals

This post contains an affiliate link. Please see my disclosure statement.

Burn, Baby, Burn

Here is my training plan for the next 4 months:

Once a month I will meet and work out with my personal trainer.

January 4 through March 28 I am working through Afterburn II.

March 29 through April 4 will be one week of rest.

April 5 through May 2 I will work through WarpSpeedFatLoss to finish leaning out.

May 3 through May 9 will be one week of rest.

Another program I will be referencing during this time period is Turbulence Training.

Approximately mid-April I will choose another program to begin May 10.

Some of you already think I have lost my mind. Probably so, but I will be losing fat and keeping it off! Afterburn II and WarpSpeedFatLoss are offered by Alwyn Cosgrove, and if you are not familiar with him I would suggest you read his articles and his blog. He's brilliant and he will never fail to challenge what you are thinking and doing. Both of his programs provide exactly what training to do as well as specific nutrition plans. Now if you read my previous post about my nutrition plan, it is not the plan presented in Afterburn II but rather Precision Nutrition, which is a separate nutrition program also with tremendous information and support. Craig Ballantyne is the creator of Turbulence Training and it is a program that provides versatility and multiple options for working out. I'll reference this program to gather fresh ideas for the interval training dictated by Afterburn II so I can keep it motivating. Seeing my personal trainer once a month is not as often as I would like right now, but it will be very helpful to check my form, review goals, discuss progress and generally get my butt kicked by someone other than myself. If you have not developed your training plan, it's not too late!

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement.

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Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss Part 2

Which is your focus, weight loss or fat loss? Here are some of my thoughts simplified.

Weight loss is:

• a great initial motivator (what gets us off the couch and out of the pantry)
• the beginning of the journey
• one part of a much bigger picture
• a super goal when in 5-10 lb increments
• a provider of early victories
• bondage to an arbitrary number on the scale
• a de-motivator when the scales get stuck

Fat loss is:

• a consistent motivator
• a meaningful goal
• measureable progress beyond the scale plateau
• freedom from bondage to the scale!
• change in body composition (less fat, more muscle)
• not for the faint-of-heart
• a path to optimal fitness and better health

Related Post(s) Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss Part 1

Focus on Nutrition

Here is the foundation of my nutrition plan.

• Eating every 3 hours (about 5 times a day for me).
• Combining lean protein, veggies or fruit and a healthy fat every time I eat.
• Placing grains or starchy carbs at my first morning meal or the meal following my workout.
• Choosing veggies to fruit in approximately a 4:1 ratio.
• Drinking approximately a gallon of water a day.
• Taking fish oil and a multi-vitamin every day.
• Aiming for 90% compliance.
• Planning my non-compliance in advance.

More to come on each of these line items, but there are a few things I want to point out.

There is no current, fad diet included here. The plan is based on clean, whole foods, so the effort is in planning and food prep, not fancy recipes. The focus is a positive one - not what I can't have, but what I should be consuming for muscle growth and energy. The plan is balanced and without deprivation. I'm not expecting perfection, but I am holding myself accountable to a threshold for compliance. The plan is balanced and without deprivation of anything necessary to help my body function and thrive. If I focus on eating in this fashion, there's not a lot of room or desire for processed foods out of a bag or box, or candy and other sweets.

My husband said it well after our sporadic holiday eating that included too much bread and too much sweet stuff: "After I started eating the sweets I kept going back for more, and I finally realized it was because they didn't really satisfy me, so it's better to just leave them alone in the first place." This explains well the trigger pattern of nutritionally empty foods, or a carborama as I like to call it!

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Weight Loss vs Fat Loss Part 1

Everyone is talking right now about losing weight but not a lot of people use the word fat. The interesting thing is that we are conditioned to think in terms of weight loss instead of fat loss, and this is how we typically talk about it. I had a break-through in recent years when I finally shifted my focus from scale-based weight loss to fat loss.

When I was focused so much on my weight, it kept me on the scales. What a love-hate relationship! It was exciting when the numbers went down and discouraging when they popped up. When I let it discourage me, it seemed futile to continue pushing forward and I would let it sabotage me every time. I finally changed my mindset when I saw my body and my measurements changing even when the scale weight didn't change. I was able to acknowledge the fact that the scales weigh everything; muscle and water along with fat. So now I use my scales as one gauge over time but not as a primary focus. I certainly no longer let the scales master my mood!

I realized I want lean muscle mass with a healthy percentage of body fat. It is possible to lose weight and still have a body fat percentage that is too high. I know because I've done it. Skinny fat is not what I want to be. By incorporating balanced nutrition (not diets), strength training (weights) and cardio interval training, I'm making progress toward building muscle, dropping body fat and changing the very shape of my body.

I have seen appropriate nutrition and training transform bodies, regardless of what the scales say on a daily basis. Weigh when you need to, but make sure you're taking a look in the mirror, paying attention to how your clothes feel and fit, and please measure your body over time. You will be amazed at the results.

Welcome 2009

As much as I enjoy the last quarter of every year, it's always exciting to me when the new year finally arrives. We get to take the best of 2008 with us, put the rest to bed and begin a nice, fresh start. If you've not yet developed or revised your fitness and nutrition goals for 2009, do it this weekend! If you have, I'd love to see some comments on what you will be focusing on this year.

My challenges with eating and workouts over the past 4 weeks in particular reminds me that this is a journey. Notice my blog name is "get fit with kelley" and not "get fit like kelley". I have come a long way and have a long way to go. However, I love the process and am looking forward to the opportunity of sharing it. If I do it right I should consistently achieve my goals, but will never quite arrive. There is always a higher level!

Two weeks ago when I sprained my ankle I made some conscious decisions: I would rehab my ankle, not allow myself to get frustrated or discouraged by trying to do a workout program I could not stick to, I would relax my eating standards (but not go crazy with it) and I would rest Jan 1-3. Today I feel the brain break was well worth it, my ankle is steady, I'm feeling rested and I'm ready to start my new workout program on Sunday. On the other hand, the relaxed eating was enjoyable, but not really worth it. Anytime I take a break from a conscious eating pattern, I feel like I have to detox from it. It never takes long, but it's really not worth it.

I will continue to post on my own progress and share anything I learn along the way. Tomorrow I will be measuring inches, scale weight and body fat and think I will even take some beginning-of-2009 pictures.

Happy new year!