Favorite Supplements

I am just curious to see what are everyone's favorite supplements of the past and present.  I am planning on doing a post about supplements, but I would like to get an idea for what my readers use for their supplement usage.  So please share what your favorite supplements are by commenting to this post!

What to Consume After Your Workout?

Along with blogging about my training experiences, I would also like to start adding information on nutrition.  I have done some pretty extensive research with my nutrition in the past, and I would just like to share my findings, along with the results that I have gotten.  Along with training, I feel as if you should have established goals for nutrition, in order to help get the physique that you want and the most out of your training.  Are you interested in bulking up, improving recovery, getting leaner?  These are some questions to ask when planning out a nutrition profile.  This post will focus specifically on post workout nutrition - the window of time following your workout.  There has been a lot of buzz in the fitness community about the "45 minute window" following training, where your body is most susceptible to flooding nutrients to your just trained muscles.  I am in 100% agreement with this.  However, I do not feel that it is absolutely necessary to start eating or drinking immediately once the weight is set back on the rack.  Within about 30 minutes following a workout, however, I feel one should most likely get some type of food source in them, containing both carbohydrates and protein.  I am currently on a supplement hiatus, and I honestly feel better with just using high quality, all natural food sources for my meals including post workout, as opposed to supplements.  Depending on how hard you worked, and how long you worked determine roughly how much protein and carbohydrates to consume.  Typically for an hour and ten minute strength training session, I usually try to get 45 grams of carbohydrates and 35 grams of protein in as my post workout meal.  The protein and carbohydrates work synergistically to promote the repair of damaged muscle fibers and to restore glycogen lost from the training as well.  This is due to the carbohyrates spiking the hormone insulin.  Insulin is a transmitter hormone, and thus transmits the nutrients from the food you eat into the blood stream.  Being in a trained state, muscle cells are much more receptive to nutrients, thus the benefit of both carbs and protein to promote the recovery process.  I have been incorporating this practice for some time, and I have noticed that I not only do not get as sore, I also feel as if I get stronger for my consecutive workouts.  I also follow a lower carbohydrate diet plan with other meals other than post workout, and I have noticed that I have lost more body fat on top of increasing strength gains in my bench press and squat.  My current post workout meal includes 2 or 3 Chobani Greek Strained Yogurts and Fruit.  They are 100% natural and supply both protein and carbohydrates to my body after my workout.  What are some of your favorite post workout meals and why???

Tonight's Workout - 1/19/2012 - Improve your Bench Press and Squat!

Tonight's workout idea comes from a page out of Adam Archuleta's training book.  I have been fascinated with the types of methods used when Adam Archuleta did his training for EvoSport with Jay Schroeder as he became an NFL football player.  This workout I found through a forum posted about this training about 4 years ago, and I seemed to put a nice spin on it with much success with our training group.  The workout focuses on two movements, the bench press and basic squat.  You work up to roughly 90-95% of your 1RM in both exercises, one at a time, however.  You perform singles at that percentage with the intention of moving the barbell as fast as possible.  You can focus on multiple aspects of training including form/technique, rate of force developed, and also being able to handle a heavy weight for multiple sets.  We typically do up to 20 sets of 1 with each exercise.  Much of the workout is dictated based off of "feel."  Depending on how someone "feels" physically and mentally will determine the duration of the workout.  You should give it a try and let me know what you think.

A1.  Bench Press - Work up to 90-95% of 1RM and do multiple sets of 1 rep.  Focus on bar speed and technique.  When bar speed is considerably slower or technique fails, move on to next exercise

B1.  Squat - Work up to 90-95% of 1RM and do multiple sets of 1 rep.  Focus on bar speed and technique.  When bar speed is considerably slower or technique fails, stop workout go to cool down exercises prior to workout completion.

Cool down exercises include hip flexor, hamstring, glute/piriformis stretching, as well as pectoral, delt, and lat stretches as well.

Please comment on this and what helps you improve your bench and squat!
Pete

New Years Resolutions

So we are about 3/4 of the way done with January, and I am curious to see what people's New Years Resolutions are, and how well they are sticking to them.  Any one trying to lose weight or become more fit?  Please share.

Where I Train At

Plenty of benches and squat racks!  Where work gets done!  Until next time...

Tonight's Workout 1/17/2012

Tonight's Workout - Lower Body Emphasis
Dynamic Warm Up - 5-10 minutes
A1.  Cambered Bar or Safety Squat Bar - Work up to 1RM, then 5-8 sets of 93% x 1
B1.  Glute Ham Raises - 5-8 sets of 5 (Weighted)
B2.  Russian Lunge Jumps - 5-8 sets of 3 each leg
C1.  Body Weight Walking Lunges - 4 sets of 20 Yards
D1.  Heavy Weighted Russian Twist - 4 sets of 5
D2.  Sprinters sit ups - 4 sets of 10 each side

Reason For Starting My Blog

I have decided to start a blog on the topics of exercise, nutrition, and also sports performance.  I am planning on making posts of my own training, as well as those who I am training as well, including accomplishments, goals, and videos.  I am looking forward to people commenting and asking questions about why I train the way that I train, and why I diet the way that I do.  I have acquired over 6 years of consistent training since I was a junior in high school, and throughout college, until now currently.  I guess I will start with opening up a question about people's New Years Resolutions and how they feel they are going to stick with them throughout not only January, but continuing on throughout the year.  Until next time.
Pete Miller