Getting Wedding Fit

IT'S WEDDING SEASON! 
(Not literally)

After turning 30, it seems like everybody is getting MARRIED and having kids! I'm excited to hear about many of their impending marriages and have been fortunate to have been a part of a few special days.

In an ideal world you would have an unlimited budget and a year to get in the BEST shape of your life. This can be difficult with the go-go nature of our society today.

Well my friend and future Mrs., here are a few options for you to get you moving in the right direction.

Former client of mine looking extra fabulous on her special day.

What We'll Target

Shoulders and Back:
Especially if you have a dress that accentuates these areas of your body. The added benefit to training these areas of your body is improved posture! No one wants to be the slouching bride.

Legs:
Even though most dresses don't show off your stems, if your goal is to incinerate body fat as quickly as possible you're going to have to take full advantage of the metabolic impact heavy leg training will have on your physique. 

A double dip for brides who might change during the reception or wish to look exceptional in a bikini on their honeymoons.

Arms:
This one will vary for each woman depending on their preference for how defined they want their arms to be. The plan below doesn't highlight the arms too much, but if you want slightly more definition in your triceps or deltoid area I would throw in isolation work for them. 

Time Frame: 1 Year

This bride planned ahead and has the best chance at walking down that aisle exactly the way she envisions. She won't have to feel too pressured to be super strict, but you also aren't allowed to fall off the wagon every month only to panic 3 months out. 

Cardio will NOT have to be the cornerstone of your plan, and while you will have to do some not as much because you planned ahead!

Nutrition wise you have some wiggle room for error. The biggest luxury will be the ability to experiement with your dietary breakdown and find one that works for your current lifestyle.

I.E: You're a doctor and work crazy hours, eating every 3 hours isn't really feasible. For this individual I would recommend the typical 3 times a day eating style, with a snack somewhere in there. 

Time Frame: 6 Months

6 months is plenty of time to look great for your big day. Yes you should have started 6 months ago, but like the saying goes, better late than never. 

The biggest change will be the cardio and nutrition components. 

You'll have to exercise at minimum 4-5x a week, starting with moderate-heavy weights and finishing off with cardio each session. Nutrition will need to be a little more aggressive and on point (hey that's what you get for procrastinating). 

For this woman I would suggest a carb/calorie cycle (a diet where you alternate between high and low level of carbs and calories) diet like this:

125lb woman interested in RAPID fat loss (this type of dieting works for those who are already fairly lean >24% body fat)

MENU 1 Baseline: 1000cal, 150g protein, 33g carbs, 30g fat
MENU 2, Higher Carbohydrates: 1250 cal, 150g protein, 95g carbs, 30g fat
MENU 3, Higher Carb and Calorie: 1500 cal, 150g protein, 125g carbs, 45g fat
MENU 4, Higher Calorie 1500 cal, 150g protein, 33g carbs, 85g fat

With the weekly distribution of those menus

Monday: 1
Tuesday: 1
Wednesday: 4
Thursday: 2
Friday: 1
Saturday: 1
Sunday: 3

Time Frame: 3 Months

3 months is still enough time to make significant change, it will however be very dependent on your level of commitment to a plan. Nutrition and exercise will need to turn the dial to an 11.

You now have to be active 5-6x per week and every session needs to include some form of cardio, high interval or steady state cardio.

The nutritional outline described above will need to be altered to include more lower calorie menus if greater fat loss is needed. I would be sure to structure the menu so the highest intensity days correspond with the highest calorie and carbohydrate days. 

Sample 6 Week Workout plan (For Bride #1, One Year Time Frame)

Week 1

Day 1:
A1) Squat 5x8
A2) DB (Dumbbell) Row 5x8
B1) DB Split Squat 5x8 ea side
B2) Face Pulls 5x15
C1) Dead bugs 4x12
C2) Side lying clamshell 4x15

Day 2:
A1) (sumo or conventional) Deadlift 5x8
A2) Lat Pulldown, supinated (underhand) grip 5x10
B1) Cable Pullthroughs 5x12
B2) Paloff Press 5x10
C1) High-Low Farmers Walks 4x

Day 3:
A1) Hip Thrust 5x10
A2) Push Ups 5x5 (elevated if needed, never on your knees)
B1) KB Swing 5x10
B2) Farmer's Walks 5x
C1) Deadbugs 4x12

Day 4:
A1) Step up x 8 ea side
A2) Chest Supported DB Row 8x
A3) BB (Barbell) RDL (Romanian Deadlift)  8x
A4) Waiter's Walk 5x
A5) Med Ball Slams 10x
Repeat circuit 5x, rest 1-2 minutes between circuits, 15 seconds between exercises. 

Week 2

Day 1:
A1) Squat 6x6
A2) DB Row 5x8 ea side
B1) DB Step Up 5x8 ea side
B2) Farmers Walk 5x
C1) Dead bugs 4x12
C2) Seated Band Abduction 4x15

Day 2:
A1) Deadlift 6x6
A2) Lat Pulldown, supinated (underhand) grip 5x10
B1) KB Swings 5x10
B2) Paloff Press 5x10
C1) Kneeling Banded hip thrust or Side lying clamshells 5x15

Day 3:
A1) Hip Thrust 5x10
A2) Push Ups 5x5 (elevated if needed, never on your knees)
B1) Squat jumps 5x3
B2) Single KB (Kettlebell) racked walk 5x
C1) Deadbugs 4x12

Day 4:
A1) BB RDL x 10x
A2) Med Ball Overhead Throws 8x
A3) Reverse Lunge 6x ea leg
A4) Med Ball Slams 10x
A5) Plank 30sec-1 min
Repeat circuit 5x, rest 1-2 minutes between circuits, 15 seconds between exercises. 

Week 3

Day 1:
A1) Squat 4x8
A2) Chest Supported DB Row 5x8
B1) DB Step Up 5x6 ea side
B2) Farmers Walk 5x
C1) Dead bugs 4x12
C2) Seated Band Abduction 4x15

Day 2:
A1) Deadlift 4x8
A2) Lat Pulldown, supinated (underhand) grip 5x10
B1) KB Swings 5x10
B2) Paloff Press 5x10
C1) Kneeling Banded hip thrust or Side lying clamshells 5x15

Day 3:
A1) Hip Thrust 5x15
A2) Push Ups 5x6 (elevated if needed, never on your knees)
B1) Waiters Walk 5x
B2) Side Plank 5x
C1) Clamshells 5x15

Day 4:
A1) Landmine Squat x 10x
A2) Landline Push Press 8x ea side
A3) Landline single leg rd. 6x ea leg
A4) Landmine Anti-rotations 10x
A5) Plank 30sec-1 min
Repeat circuit 5x, rest 1-2 minutes between circuits, 15 seconds between exercises.

Week 4

Day 1:
A1) Squat 5x5
A2) Inverted TRX Row 5x8
B1) Seated DB overhead press 5x8
B2) Farmers Walk 5x
C1) Dead bugs 4x12
C2) Seated Band Abduction 5x20

Day 2:
A1) Deadlift 5x5
A2) Lat Pulldown, supinated (underhand) grip 5x6 (go a little heavier)
B1) KB Swings 5x10
B2) Paloff Press 5x8 breaths
C1) Kneeling Banded hip thrust or Side lying clamshells 5x20

Day 3:
A1) Hip Thrust 5x12
A2) Push Ups 5x6 (elevated if needed, never on your knees)
B1) KB One Arm Racked Walk 5x
B2) Face Pulls 5x15
C1) Clamshells 5x15

Day 4:
Round 1, 3 sets
Treadmill at 8mph, 8% incline for 25 seconds. 
Goblet Squats (10 reps) and Push Ups (5 Reps)
Rest 2 minutes

Round 2, 3 sets
Treadmill at 9mph, 9% incline for 20 seconds. 
KB RDL (10 reps) and TRX Inverted Rows (10 reps)
Rest 2 minutes

Round 3, 3 sets
Treadmill at 10mph, 10% incline for 15 seconds
Deadbugs (10 reps) and Medicine Ball Slams (10 reps)
Rest 2 minutes

Week 5

Day 1:
A1) Front Squat 5x8
A2) DB chest supported Row 6x8
B1) Seated DB overhead press 5x8
B2) Farmers Walk 5x
C1) Paloff Press 4x12
C2) Seated Band Abduction 4x25

Day 2:
A1) Deadlift 6x8
A2) Seated Cable Row, 6x8
B1) KB Swings 5x10
B2) Bear Crawls, 5x
C1) Kneeling Banded hip thrust or Side lying clamshells 5x20

Day 3:
A1) Hip Thrust 6x15
A2) Push Ups 6x6 (elevated if needed, never on your knees)
B1) KB One Arm Racked Walk 5x
B2) Face Pulls 5x20
C1) Clamshells 5x20

Day 4:
A1) KB Swings 10x
A2) Inverted Row 10x
A3) Kneeling Banded hip thrust 20x
A4) Med Ball Slams 12x
A5) Lateral Raises 15x
A6) Plank, 30sec-1 min
Rest 20sec between exercises, 2 minutes between rounds. 5 rounds total. 

Week 6

A1) Squat 6x6
A2) Lat Pulldown, supinated grip 6x8
B1) Waiters Walk 5x
B2) DB Split Squat 5x8 ea side
C1) Paloff Press 4x12
C2) Seated Band Abduction 4x25

Day 2:
A1) Deadlift 6x6
A2) Chest supported DB Row, 6x8
B1) KB Swings 5x10
B2) Bear Crawls, 5x
B3) Broad Jump 3x
C1) Kneeling Banded hip thrust or Side lying clamshells 5x20

Day 3:
A1) Hip Thrust 6x15
A2) Push Ups 6x6 (elevated if needed, never on your knees)
B1) KB One Arm Racked Walk 5x
B2) Face Pulls 5x20
C1) Clamshells 5x20

Day 4:
Round 1, 3 sets
Treadmill at 8mph, 8% incline for 25 seconds. 
Goblet Squat Reverse Lunge (10 reps) and Med Ball Slam (10 Reps)
Rest 2 minutes

Round 2, 3 sets
Treadmill at 9mph, 9% incline for 20 seconds. 
KB Swing (10 reps) and DB Overhead Press (10 reps)
Rest 2 minutes

Round 3, 3 sets
Treadmill at 10mph, 10% incline for 15 seconds
Paloff Press (10 BREATHS ea side) and Squat Jump (5 reps)
Rest 2 minutes

Notes

• The first movement (A1) of every workout is meant to be the main "strength" movement of the day. Each week breaks down into less total reps with the idea that the top sets are a heavish weight. Here's an example: 

Each main movement should be ramped up to a top set.
So you would warm up on say a deadlift as such: bar 5x, 75lbs 5x, 95lbs 5x, 105lbs 3x, 135lbs 2x, 165lbs 1x. You would base your reps off of that heavy single for the day. 
Week 1: 5x8 (40 total reps) 65% of your "max" for the day placing your 5 sets @110lbs
Week 2: 6x6 (36) 70% 115lbs
Week 3: 4x8 (32) 75% 125lbs
Week 4: 5x5 (25) 80% 135lbs

• The Squat is merely the movement pattern. Depending on your skill level and what's available you can use dumbbells, kettle bells and/or barbells. 
• If you need more cardio, I would perform it AFTER the strength training. 20-30 minute of a moderate intensity should suffice. Increase as needed. 

If you have any more questions as this is simply a broad starting off point, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll be more than happy to walk you through this so you can walk down that aisle with confidence. 

Is __________ healthy? How to Read a Food Label

Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/05/upshot/is-sushi-healthy-what-about-granola-where-americans-and-nutritionists-disagree.html

This list was recent published alongside the article "Is Sushi "Healthy"? What About Granola? Where Americans and Nutritionist Disagree by the NY Times.

Occasionally we stand in an aisle at the market and we're wondering, is this healthy? I don't see why technology can't be of some help there, but what's most alarming is that most of the list is  either a raw ingredient or a pre-packed item which usually means it has a food label. 

Of the 50 foods, assuming you aren't cooking from scratch, usually come prepackaged with a label.

• hummus
• popcorn
• peanut butter
• nutella
• granola
• chocolate
• coconut milk
• canned tuna
• feta cheese
• beef jerky
• greek yogurt
• turkey bacon
• yogurt
• dried fruit
• tofu
• cottage cheese
• polenta (it's technically cornmeal, but if it's polenta, that means it's now been cooked and seasoned, thus should come with a food label)
• smoked salmon
• sparkling water
• brown sugar
• rye bread

I left out pizza, as it could or could not be frozen so I didn't add that. 

And of the 50, here are the raw, typically unprocessed ingredients:

• couscous
• quinoa
• shrimp
• tuna
• rice
• honey
• tilapia
• watermelon
• pork
• chicken
• salmon
• basmati rice

My two big take aways from this article:

1. Most people have an extremely vague sense of how to select food for a balanced  nutritious diet. I understand this is a small sample size, but definitely indicative of the fact that we are extremely undereducated when it comes to knowing what is a solid quality source of protein, fat and carbohydrates. Sadly this article only covers the glaring issue of not knowing WHAT to eat and not how much to eat. We should know chicken (not fried) is probably a solid choice and possibly not know the portion sizing, instead the majority of Americans don't know either!

2. We don't know how to read a food label, or interpret a food label. 
(Note: I understand that this has been a problem for years considering all the rumblings about attempting to redesign the label to make it even easier to understand. Sadly I don't think it's that difficult to understand but a'las sigh.... 'Merica.)

Starting from the top: Serving Size

Many manufacturers try to pull one over on consumers by listing 12g of sugar in one serving, not the whole package which contains 8 servings. Whatever imaginary label this comes from (I took this label off the FDA website) it contains a whopping 96g of sugar per package. 

Your daily allowance of sugar should remain below 10% of total calories.

Total Calories

Learn to use percent Daily Values (DV) to help evaluate how a particular food fits into your daily meal plan. The calories and percentages listed are based off an adult consuming 2,000 calories a day. 

A food item with 5% of DV of fat provides 5% of the total fat that this individual should consume a day. Percent daily values are for the entire day not only one meal or snack. 

YOU may need more or less than 2,000 calories per day, so for some of the nutrients you're going to need more or less than the listed 100% DV.

You should also aim for lower amounts of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol and sodium. Look for higher amounts of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most Americans do not consume enough fiber, which should be 35g/day for all adults. 

Goes without saying but if a majority of your diet comes from fruits and vegetables without labels, you'll be better off. 

Other Nutrients

• Protein
  A percentage Daily Value for protein is not required on the label. Eat moderate portions of lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese, plus beans and peas, nut butters, seeds and soy products.
• Carbohydrates
  There are three types of carbohydrates: sugars, starches and fiber. Eat  fruits and vegetables plus whole-grain breads, cereals, rice and pasta.
• Sugars
  Simple carbohydrates, or sugars, occur naturally in foods such as fruit juice (fructose) or come from refined sources such as table sugar (sucrose) or corn syrup.

It stands to repeat again: Added sugars will be included on the Nutrition Facts label in 2018. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming no more than 10 percent of daily calories from added sugars.

Ingredients List
Decide what you want (and don't) in your food.

• Hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils (source of trans fats)
• High fructose corn syrup (not necessarily because it’s handled much differently than other sugars, but it usually indicates a non-nutritious food)
• Added sugars (including hidden sources like syrups)
• Artificial colors (example: FD&C Yellow #5)
• Canned items not labeled BPA free
• Atlantic or farmed salmon (instead of wild caught)
• Products from China (which has recently been busted for many food safety violations, such as melamine in baby formula and heavy metals in various foods and herbal preparations)
• Animal ingredients
• Gluten
• Non-organic
• Nitrates/nitrites
• High sodium

Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on Unsplash

When in doubt remember the following

Prioritize Ingredients Over Calories

Saturated Smaturated, Dark Meat>White Meat

I have dreams about this chicken from adHoc

I'm speaking here not just from a culinary stand point but also a fitness professional. Now before you pick up that d-a-f (dry as fuck) see every protein strand because its overcooked chicken breast and come at me, hear me out! 

The average piece of chicken breast contains:
231 Calories
43g Protein
5g Fat
0g Carb
1.5g Saturated Fat

And dark meat:
287 Calories
38g Protein
14g Fat
0g Carb
3.7g Saturated Fat

If you look at it based on those numbers, you'll notice that you can squeak out a bit more protein out of chicken breast while keeping your saturated fat intake down. The increase in calories from dark meat comes from fat. (Note: If you have a physique based goal and are watching calorie intake, I would go white meat.)

As a cook, I much prefer cooking dark meat for two reasons: I think it tastes better and it's pretty difficult to overcook thighs and drumsticks. But the SATURATED FAT!!!!!!

And saturated fat is BAD right?! 

Here's a few points on Saturated Fats and why you should include them in your diet.

1. Saturated fat seems to support the enhancement of good cholesterol.
2. Fats from palm oil and coconut oil are highly saturated, but not necessarily bad. Palm and coconut also contain medium chain fats, which can support health and optimal body composition.
3. Eating saturated fats showed direct improvement in mood and cognition. It's why comfort foods are often very fatty.

The biggest problem with saturated fats seems to be the sources (processed food and oils) combined with refined carbohydrates which as a result causes your health to suffer. If you do choose to consume tropical oils like palm and coconut oil, I would attempt to eat them in their native form. The refinement process often creates hydrogenated fats in an attempt to make the products more shelf stable. 

Saturated fat should make up no more than 10% of total calories.
 

I can't stress that enough....read that sentence above one more time. NO MORE THAN 10%

For someone eating 2000 calories per day, that would be a maximal intake of 200 grams of saturated fat per day.

As a fit pro and common sense weilding human, I know that a bucket of fried chicken or pizza on a weekly basis isn't healthy, but I'm also a lover of good food. And sometimes it comes in the form of a pizza or chicken. I don't deprive myself of these types of foods because of some fad diet. 

Always, everything in moderation.

Master Chef 105: Stir Frying

Stir frying or Sautéing is often considered the chef's microwave. Sauté means to jump, which is what you'll be doing (sort of). Quick, fast and tasty dishes are created using this high heat method of cooking and I would say it's my go to cooking method after a long day of work and no leftover prepped food in the fridge. 

The MOST important part of stir frying is having all you ingredients ready to go. Dice all proteins and slice all vegetables even before putting the heat to your pan or wok. Any sauces should be pre-mixed as well. Once all prep work is done, you are ready to begin cooking. 

Mushroom Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb chicken breasts, cubed into bite sized pieces

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp Canola Oil

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

8 oz mushrooms, sliced. (Crimini or white button both work)

1/2 onion, sliced thinly

1 Zucchini, cut into half moons

1/4 c Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar

4 Garlic coves, minced

2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, minced

METHOD:

1. Toss chicken with corn starch

2. Heat the pan over medium and add Canola oil. Cook all the chicken. 

3. Set the chicken aside and turn the pan/wok up on high. 

4. Cook the mushrooms, zucchini and onion until browned.  

5. Add garlic and ginger and continue to cook.

6. Once all the veggies have softened a bit, add back in the chicken and mix well. 

7. Add in the soy sauce and vinegar. Cook until it reduces a bit to a thicker sauce like consistency.

8. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed
 

NOTE: If you watched the snapchat video I added above, you see that I forget to prep the onions. Which took maybe a minute while I was cooking the chicken. Well that minute where I left the chicken unattended allowed some of it to get crispier (because of the cornstarch and subsequently left the pan too burnt to continue cooking with. So I had to remove all the veggies and get a new pan. Take home lesson? DON'T START COOKING UNTIL ALL PREP IS DONE!

Master Chef 202: Roasting

This Christmas dinner is not possible without the use of an oven and proper roasting technique

Roasting is one of the most versatile cooking techniques. You can prepare oven roasted vegetables or an elaborate roasted turkey for Thanksgiving. Here's a breakdown of the basics behind each of them. 

Roasting Vegetables

Roasting vegetables all follow a simple procedure.

1. Preheat oven anywhere from between 400-500 degrees
2. Toss with oil
3. Season salt and pepper
4. Enjoy!

Nicely roasted vegetables need higher temperatures to get the caramelization desired. Here's a batch of roasted Broccoli I made the other day. 

Roasting a Whole Chicken

By age 30, I would say every adult should be able to roast a whole chicken. I was planning on creating a video but I always share this video with anyone who asks "what are the basics to cooking a whole chicken?" Who better than Thomas Keller to explain how to do just that!

Basic components of roasted poultry

1. Truss chicken (optional)
2. After room temp, season with salt and pepper. 
3. Place on bed of vegetables or on a wire rack baking sheet. 
4. Roast in your oven for 40-60 minutes depending on the size of the bird. 

I will confess that when I'm pressed for time and want to "just eat", I love to butterfly the whole chicken. As the video will elaborate, it allows the chicken to cook at a more even rate and most importantly, much faster.