8 Week Tone Up Challenge Results

Posted on October 12, 2021January 9, 2022 by alwayshungrypt

At the end of August, I threw out a Challenge to my audience that I was hosting an 8 Week Tone Up Challenge designed to help people build muscle, trim fat, and gain strength, energy, and confidence in themselves.

Fast forward 8 weeks later and Ben B completed the challenge checking off each of those marks off his list.

Ben was on his own transformation journey with a primary focus on running, but looking to take on the added challenge of learning the ropes of his local gym and pushing his body to really see what it could do. Hoping to add strength and muscle tone to his frame that was seeing results from running, but lacking in development.

This online/remote training program included 3 workouts per week split into Upper Body Push; Upper Body Pull; and Lower Body workout splits with a goal of not only continuing to trim fat, but build muscle strength and tone in the back, chest, and arms. 8 weeks, 10 lbs., and “too many PR’s to count” later, Ben not only achieved his goals, but came out with knowledge and confidence in what he was doing, why he was doing it, and how it was beneficial to his life outside of the gym. When asked to describe the training, challenge, service, and a little about what he liked or disliked, Ben relayed:

The workouts were quite challenging, pushing me harder than I initially prepared for but the results speak for themselves that it was a successful challenge. It was tough to not have Eric there in person since this is an online training program, so I had to navigate a few new things for myself, but Eric was quick to reply to any questions even providing video breakdowns of ways to make exercises work for me. This was something that had me on the fence about online training, but the reliability, quality, and knowledge Eric has and was able to pass along swatted away any doubts and helped make the workouts even more effective. I would highly recommend Eric’s online training service to friends, family, colleagues, anyone looking for similar goals. He was able to customize the program to my level of experience and the equipment I have available – heck, I even went on vacation and Eric was able to create workouts with the gym at the hotel I was staying at for one of our final weeks to keep me going!

He asked me for feedback on what was lacking, but I had already decided to sign up to keep working with him, so I’m sorry to say there wasn’t much lacking!

The 10lbs. lost was great, but I’m ready to take it even further and am confident Eric will help me reach my goals!

Ben’s achievements were a result of the effort he put in, which I would describe as exemplary. Working out, performing cardio, and eating well can be difficult, but with a guided plan and coach in your corner who wants you to win, is a recipe for success when you’re ready to make that change!

I’m so confident in the results Ben achieved (-10 lbs. in 8 weeks + tone/strength gain everywhere), that I’m sure it’s replicable and after a few tweaks, can be achieved in even less time! And that’s why I’m opening the challenge again!

I’m looking for 4 men or women who are tired of not seeing results and are ready to start the last program they’ll ever need to kickstart their journey. Stop saying “next time” and start saying, “right now!” with my 12 lbs. in 6 weeks Shred Challenge!

Not only will you lose weight, get strong, build muscle tone, but I’m SOOOO confident in this program that I’m willing to slap a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE onto this challenge. That’s right – sign up for the 6-week program, put in the work, and if you’re not satisfied with the results, I will put the money right back in your pocket! The only thing you have to lose is a few inches off your waist!

It won’t be easy, and you will have to work, but if you do, this will be the last “I’ll start tomorrow” you’ll ever have to say to yourself.

If you’re ready to make the change, Sign Up Here and we can get you going within the next 48hrs!

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy, Stay Hungry!

Thank you,

Eric Hinrichsen

Always Hungry Personal Training | Columbus, OH

The Importance of Focusing on Your Health When Recovering from Drug or Alcohol Addiction

Posted on August 23, 2021August 23, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

Guest Author: Jason Lewis

Recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction involves more than just getting clean. To set yourself up for a successful life after treatment, you need to reclaim your body and mind. Allowing fitness and self-care to play a role in your recovery is an effective way to do this. By integrating healthy habits into your daily routine, you can increase energy, reduce stress, and set yourself on the road to a happy, substance-free life.

Establish an Exercise Routine

Regular exercise provides you with an outlet for many of the negative emotions that accompany the recovery process, including pent-up anger, stress, and depression. It can also help you bounce back from the physical damage you incurred during active addiction with a myriad of long-term health benefits:

Better immunity to viruses
Increased bone density and muscle strength
Improved weight control
Reduced pain
Better cardiovascular health
Decreased risk of cancer and diabetes

To reap these benefits, commit to a regular fitness routine that allows you to stay within your target heart rate. Being consistent with your workout regime is the most important predictor of success, so commit to working out four or five times a week. Since the form of exercise is not as important as consistency, choose an activity, such as biking or yoga, that you enjoy and are likely to continue.

In today’s digital age, there are tools to help you on your fitness journey. For example, smartwatches and fitness trackers can remind you to exercise as well as record your progress by calculating your mileage, calories, and number of steps. They can also keep you safe during your workout by monitoring and recording vital health statistics. As a bonus, smartwatches can be enhanced with screen protectors and interchangeable watchbands that allow you to work out in style.

Embrace Self-Care

Self-care should be viewed as a necessary part of your recovery rather than a luxury. Active addiction takes a toll on one’s physical and mental health, so deliberate actions to nurture both your body and mind are imperative.

The first step in taking care of yourself is to prioritize sleep. According to experts, quality slumber impacts almost every aspect of your health, including mood, focus, reflexes, hormones, energy level, immunity, blood pressure, and even cardiovascular health. Aim to get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night to optimize the benefits.

Next, integrate meditation into your daily routine. Not only does it help you feel centered and mindful, but it also provides several mental health benefits, such as reduced stress and anxiety.

The self-care process should also include taking care of your house because your surroundings can impact your mental health. An organized, clean environment promotes healing by helping you feel centered, peaceful, and optimistic.

To improve the energy of your home, let in as much light as possible by replacing heavy drapes with sheer curtains or adjustable blinds. Next, engage family or friends in a designated clean-up day. They can speed up the decluttering process and provide objective feedback when you are trying to decide which items need to go.

The path to recovery is not easy, but integrating fitness and self-care into your routine can help. By focusing on your physical and mental well-being, you not only reclaim aspects of your life that were neglected during your active addiction, but you also set yourself up for a fulfilling life after treatment.

Do you need a little push to keep yourself accountable and motivated, as well as to start exercising safely? Find out how Always Hungry Personal Training can help .

Image via Unsplash

___

I would like to thank author Jason Lewis for providing this guest written article for the Always Hungry Personal Training blog. Jason Lewis is a personal trainer, who specializes in helping senior citizens stay fit and healthy. He is also the primary caretaker of his mom after her surgery. He writes for Strong Welland enjoys creating fitness programs that cater to the needs of people over 65.

Addiction numbers continue to rise year over year and with more programs in place and as it is becoming more visible in the mainstream light, it’s extremely important that we understand and are equipped to help individuals who are in recovery – providing safe and constructive outlets as they walk their new path.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and you need more information about what to do and where to go, please contact a dedicated treatment provider today .

Harsh Truths About Your Fitness Goals

Posted on August 18, 2021August 18, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

In my stint as a personal trainer, one of my favorite things is consultation calls. It’s a chance for not only me to learn more about you the potential client, but also a chance for you to get to know me and make sure that what I have to offer feels comfortable to you. During these calls we dive into a little bit of your exercise history, any information about previous/current injuries or limitations, what you’ve tried in the past, and ultimately What is Your Goal? The best part of any conversation is hearing what it is that you are on the phone with me to solve. What problem you feel you have and how can I help solve it.

Though everyone says their goal in their own words, they tend to fall under 3 categories –

Toning up

Losing weight

Quick transformations

I decided to take some of the top goals I’ve heard and breakdown what they mean vs what it takes to actually achieve them. Let’s take a look at some harsh truths about your fitness goals, shall we?

Toning Up

“I don’t want to get bulky, I just want to get toned.”

“I want to get rid of this!” [points to arm/belly/leg]

What this person is looking for is the visible definition of their muscles being showcased in instances of wearing t-shirts/tank tops, shorts, crop tops, etc. They want to tighten up their body that might feel “flabby” in certain areas. There may be some excess fat in those areas that we would address through proper nutrition and they just want to feel strong and confident in their bodies.

The best way to achieve this goal is through progressive weight/resistance training. These people are often a little shy of the idea of lifting weights based on lack of knowledge. When someone tells me they want to get toned, my first thought is, “let’s lift weights”. That tone that you’re looking for is the visible definition of a muscle. In order to showcase the muscle you have, you need to make it bigger. By making it bigger, and cutting fat (when necessary), you are able to display the muscle underneath. A workout plan that is well rounded to hit all of the major muscle groups coupled with individual isolation exercises to focus on specific areas can help you reach this goal. Workouts should include anywhere from 6-8 exercises performed for 3-4 sets and between 8-15 reps per set. One big secret to helping you achieve this goal is to SLOOOOOW down your movement. It should take you about 2-3 seconds to lift the weight and 2-3 seconds to lower it with control and through a full range of motion on each rep/set. Slowing down the movement causes the muscles to work longer, thus helping them grow quicker.

YOU WILL NOT GET BULKY BY LIFTING WEIGHTS UNLESS YOU WANT TO!

The people you see that you don’t want to look like are special cases. They train 4-7 days per week for 60-90+mins at a time with a lot of additional coaching, specific training focus, 100% dialed in nutrition, etc. It is their job to look like that. Your job is to look like the best version of you. Lift the dang weights.

…Also, most are probably on some sort of drugs.

Losing Weight

“I want to boost my metabolism to lose weight.”

“I want to start eating keto because that’s how I’ll lose weight!”

This person has read a good number of magazines, blogs, or news articles and is in the camp that there are specific reasons and ways in which you gain/lose weight that require special, specific, and drastic changes to see results.

Boosting your metabolism is literally done through the act of moving! If you’re not moving, your body isn’t burning calories and will naturally slow down, causing the energy you’re not burning off to be converted to fat stores. Moving your body and remaining active can keep your metabolism humming even when you’re not active to boost your calorie burn.

Keto is fine, for a while, but I don’t know anyone who’s done keto who didn’t eventually put the weight back on as soon as they stopped. Specialized diets work for the short term, but if you don’t address nutrition habits and lifestyle changes, chances are when you finish or quit the diet, you may end up putting the weight back on and then some.

Ultimately there is no perfect solution to nutrition and weight loss, but addressing food behaviors, choices, and making adjustments while eating in a caloric deficit. As little as 500 calories less per day over the course of time can lead to weight loss. 1 lb = 3,500 calories. Consistently eat 500 less calories per day over 7 days, there’s your 1^st pound gone!

It’s not easy. It’s not super fun.

But it IS 100% worth it.

Quick Transformations

“I NEED to lose 50lbs. in the next 2 months.”

“I’m going on vacation in 2 months and need to be beach ready!”

This person is looking for the quick fix and drastic change in a short amount of time. This is possible but drastic change in a short time frame requires hard core dedication. Strict diet + heavy training routine and little to no days off can help you work toward your goals, but this is the area where we need to discuss realistic expectations. In regards to fat loss, a healthy drop is ~1-2 lbs. per week. Beyond that we are getting into extreme calorie restriction which isn’t healthy or sustainable. Too often this person will either not be able to maintain or as soon as they’re done, go right back to where they were or worse at the beginning. The stress from a hardcore regimen like this can damage the body physically and mentally. There are good transformations, but it requires dedication and commitment.

Real change that lasts can take time if you’re not careful and don’t plan on how to maintain or continue once the transformation is complete. Take heed and make a plan and you should be good to go.

Honorable Mention:

“I want to look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club!”

…Me too dude… me too. 😊

There are a ton of different variations and types of goals that ignite people to pursue a personal trainer, fitness program, gym membership, etc. but these tend to be the most common themes I hear. If these sound like you and you have additional questions, do not hesitate to drop a comment or head to the Contact page and drop me a line. I’d love to speak with you further and help you pursue your fitness and health goal today!

4 Tips to Master Your Bench Press

Posted on August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

WHEN I first entered a weight room with my friend Manuel, the first exercise we did was dumbbell chest press and he handed me the 25lb. dumbbells and said, “let’s do 3 sets of 8.” After looking at him dumbly, he explained what he meant and we got started on our 1st of 3 sets in which we would perform 8 repetitions of the exercise known as dumbbell chest press.

Little did either of us know, 25 lb. dumbbells were going to be a LITTLE too much for me, until we got to around rep 5 or 6… on the first set. At the time my ego was hurt, but looking back I know it was a stepping stone that led to much greater things. Over the years, I’ve done countless repetitions of chest press using many different pieces of equipment and each time I go back, I’ve refined and worked on my technique.

I saw some initial progress over those first months/years but it wasn’t until I began focusing on powerlifting style training of moving heavier weight for lower number of reps specifically on squats, deadlifts, and bench press, that I really dialed in my focus on technique to move the weight efficiently as well as safely.

During that time, I was lucky enough to see great leaps in all 3 major lifts, with my most notable being in the Barbell Bench/Chest Press. Thanks to a few simple cues I had learned through Twitter, Instagram, and trial and error, I found these four tips to be the biggest difference makers in seeing my strength increase, as well as the overall health of my joints and body start to improve.

If you’re having trouble breaking through a plateau or want to make sure you’re keeping your form in check and safe, try implementing 1 or more of these cues and watch your Chest Press begin to skyrocket!

1. Maintain 5 points of contact at all times with a slight arch to your back — Head, Shoulders, Butt, Left Foot, Right Foot.

Maintaining contact with the bench, seat, ground, etc with the 5 points mentioned above ensures you’re able to create the most stable platform in which to perform the movement. You’ve rooted your body down to provide stability under the weight when you go to move it.

When attempting heavier weights as you progress, don’t forget to press your feet into the ground. The leverage you can create from your lower body can transfer up into your shoulders, upper back, and chest to help you press through tougher reps as you get stronger!

2. Keep your wrist in line with your forearm — The weight should be sitting in the crook of your thumb, not the top of the palm

When performing resistance training, one of the best ways to maintain stability in a movement is called “joint stacking”. It’s the process of ensuring that the joints you’re using are in alignment. The body craves alignment and moving in straight lines. This cue focuses on the wrists. Often when doing a chest press movement, I see people resting the bar higher in the palm, forcing their wrist to bend backwards. With lower weights that may not be a problem, but as you get stronger and move heavier weights, you may be adding unnecessary stress to the wrists. By resting the bar in the crook of your thumb at the base of your palm keeps the wrist in line with your forearms and eliminates any stress, keeping your wrists healthy and strong.

3. Don’t let elbows flare out at 90 degrees — Keep elbows tucked at a 45-60 degree a ngle from the body

Common misconception, bred by technique used in push ups that have transferred to other chest pressing movements, keeping your arms up high with elbows at a 90 degree angle from the body is not an optimal position for pressing movement. The elbows high in this position put a lot of undue stress on the shoulder muscles. Similar to the wrist in the previous cue, we want to make sure we alleviate as much stress on the joints as possible. This simple trick involves just tucking the elbows down closer to the body somewhere between a 45-60 degree angle. This lessens the impact on the shoulder and maintains focus of the pressing movement in the chest muscles for a strong press away from the body!

4. Pinch your shoulder blades together — don’t let them loosen up and rotate forward as you press.

Many shoulder injuries from chest pressing movements can be mitigated by this simple technique cue. As you’ve noticed, one of the best things you can do is maintain stability throughout the entire body. As you set yourself up under the bar or on the bench, squeeze your shoulder blades together and dig them into the bench. This is the position they should stay in during the entire lowering and pressing of the weight. Too often, when we press the weight away, our shoulder blades rotate forward around the rib cage. When this happens, our stability in our upper back is gone. This is when shoulder injuries commonly occur. Keep the shoulders pinned back and press through the chest and you should be golden.

As you continue to get better, you’ll refine and dial in your technique more and more. But these are the pillars that got me going and heading toward my own PRs and have helped my clients reach new heights and avoid recurring injuries.

Chest press is a staple exercise in the programming of pretty much any goal you’re working toward and these tips can help you get the most out of each training session.

If you’re frustrated the lack of progress you’re seeing and ready to break through plateaus and build a bigger, stronger self, head over to my client application let’s connect to create your best self today! I am taking clients to join my Online Training Program designed to help men and women build roughly 2″ of lean, toned, strong muscle in just 60 days! https://www.alwayshungrypt.com/client-application

Supplements 101

Posted on July 29, 2021July 30, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

Supplements are products designed to aid performance, primarily seen in the fitness world and rampant with false information and promises. They are products that promote enhancing different abilities by boosting different internal systems of the body to give you an edge and nearly all of it is done without any scientific research.

In the US it is an unregulated industry and of all the types of products in these stores, there’s really only 3 supplements that have been scientifically researched and proven to be beneficial and provide a boost to training performance.

Creatine

is a muscle preserving and building supplement that helps maintain lean muscle mass.

Caffeine works as a stimulant to boost energy and focus.

Protein aids in muscular recovery and provides the fuel to grow strong and healthy.

No one needs to take supplements (unless advised by a physician), but if you decided to try and find an edge in your training, start and end here.

*I personally do take these 2 supplements pictured, but do not endorse that anyone should take them unless they want to of their own volition*

Training While Travelling

Posted on July 21, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

The world is finally opening up and reports of increased travel is hitting record numbers. It’s finally time to stretch our legs and get back to seeing our friends, family, and the world!

But before you go getting too excited, you remember that you’re in the middle of a great training and nutrition plan that is helping you reach your fitness and wellness goals like never before thanks to your awesome trainer (or maybe you’re looking to start – head here: https://www.alwayshungrypt.com/client-application). You’ll have two courses of action to take and neither is incorrect, but you can probably guess which I’d recommend!

Put everything on pause, go balls out and enjoy life to the fullest without a care in the world; come back home and regret those decisions when you start working out again and think, “Fuck.”
Or make plans to continue progressing or maintaining while also enjoying your time away and getting the most out of both your vacation/away time and keeping yourself on track and accountable.

As you can guess, this is the story of Training and Travel: A Story of Co-Existence. But as I mentioned, if you’re in the camp that follows option A, do not fret or feel guilty. As long as you understand the choice you’re making and accept what’s happening, then there’s no need to feel guilty. This is YOUR life to live as you see fit and if you want to throw middle fingers up for a few days then come home and get back to rocking out, then go for it! But if you’re worried about losing momentum or sliding backwards, there are a few easy to implement ways of continuing to train even while on the road!

First and foremost, like you’ve already been doing, you’ll want to make a plan. When you’re home, you take a look at your calendar and schedule your training time each day. There shouldn’t be any change when you travel. Typically you, or someone in your group, will make plans for the trip and have a general outline of WHEN things will be happening. As part of a healthy boundary for yourself, you can take a few moments to look at the itinerary of the group, and compare to your own calendar and make plans ahead of time for when you’ll get a little workout in and can plan your alarms accordingly.

Inviting the others to join can be a great way to add a group social aspect to the activity and let them know you’re serious and help you re-enforce your boundaries when the time comes and you head out to do your thing.

With this planning, take a look to try and plan your stay places with fitness centers or with commercial training locations nearby. Most commercial spots will have daily guest pass options available even if you’re not a member, so you can still head in, wherever you are, and get a good workout in on the go. Try giving a quick call to check on their policy to make sure, or just guilt them into letting you in when you arrive out of the blue.

Or if you don’t feel like traditional lifting or workouts, and where you’re going has the weather to accommodate, plan outdoor activities or fun things to do that will get you or the group active – walks/hikes, going for a run, biking around the city (not those dumb electric scooters…), etc that can combine a great workout with a fun time for you and the group.

Pack your workout clothes first. Don’t let yourself skimp out on taking it with you. Like food in the house, if it’s there, you’re more likely to use it.

Worst case scenario, a quick workout of Squats, Push Ups, and Crunches 3 times through of as many as you can do in 1 minute (each) can be a great way to start your days and get the body moving.

Now that your training has been taken care of, enjoy your vacation and time away.

But as a reminder, it shouldn’t drag you away from fun and relaxation but should be a way to stay on track with your goals or at the very least maintain your current fitness levels.

Until next time – safe and happy travels!

The Best Weight Loss Diet

Posted on July 13, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

If you’re one of my clients or we’ve spoken about nutrition in any way, you may already know my stance on this issue.

At that point, I was around 285 lbs. working a high stress yet sedentary job and took almost zero care of myself physically. When I decided to make the change, I immediately started running through a variety of different “weight loss” diets including:

-If it fits your macro’s

-Low carb

-Intermittent Fasting

-Bodybuilding style meals of just straight up chicken, broccoli, and rice

-Frozen meal delivery services

-Weekly meal prep

-Heck even weight loss pills and powders

Anything I could try to get an edge.

What was nice is that they all worked – in limited capacity. I would see results for a few weeks then it would plateau, I would fall off, then the weight would either remain stagnant or slide back up a bit again. I knew they weren’t healthy options and sometimes the diets were relatively drastic with big cuts and high intensity training – regularly doing 2-a-days at the gym.

Weekly meal prep and the bodybuilding style plan of 4-6 meals a day of the same thing day in, day out had the best effect and helped me see the best results in my own journey to my current weight (~220 lbs.), but the only reason it worked is because it fit my lifestyle.

I was a single.

I was living by myself.

I don’t mind eating the same foods every day.

I was working out twice per day.

I didn’t have a whole lot of social obligations.

I didn’t have a whole lot of other obligations beyond work.

I had the time, energy, and focus that I needed to dedicate to sticking with it… because why not? What else was I gonna do?

It worked for me because it fit my lifestyle.

Anyone who ever tries any weight loss diet will tell you, ultimately the one that worked for them is the one that when you pick it apart, doesn’t change their lifestyle by much.

Keto

Paleo

Atkins

Cleanses

Low-Carb

Low-Fat

IIFYM

Intermittent Fasting

Whatever “diet” you’re trying to follow will ultimately fail if you don’t keep that in mind. As much as people like to complain about “change”, it’s really when we dial in a habit that we thrive the most. Life is difficult. Many of these diets are strict and difficult – making them super easy to slide off of and back into our old habits.

We, as a people, get so transfixed on what’s new, what’s flashy, what’s QUICK that we often neglect the fact that humans are built for distance. Not just physically (we have some of the best cardio endurance of any animal in the world), but in all facets of our life. We know we want the short term solution, but deep down, we know and understand that it’s the long term play that wins us the race.

So to answer the question on what is the “Best diet for weight loss”, I say there isn’t one.

Instead my suggestion is to approach nutrition like we approach fitness – looking to the long term.

Understanding we are at point A and need to get to point B and that the area in between is shrouded in mystery.

Rather than focusing on what diet will help us jump the fog, we should take a look at the footstep in front of us and slowly make habitual changes to our nutrition intake that lead toward better and better choices that cause as little disruption to our current life as possible, that will lead us in the direction of that Point B.

Holding ourselves accountable for where we are and understanding that we can get there, buying in on the system and ourselves, we can change our habits to ensure our bodies are taking in adequate nutrients through protein, carbohydrates, and fats coupled with healthy stress management, sleep, physical activity, and hydration – little by little improving each area of our life and building on top of each other toward a better and healthier us.

If that’s not a good enough answer for you, I guess I can say, the best diet for weight loss is:

The one you can stick to and doesn’t disrupt your life.
The one that fits with your goals and allows flexibility.
The one that promotes “what can we do better in this scenario” rather than, “You can’t have this!”
The one that focuses on quality protein, carbohydrate, and fat sources rather than highly processed, sugary, fatty, salty foods; and limits alcohol intake.
Lastly, The one that helps you understand yourself and your relationship with food and know that it’s not the enemy, but works to help you be a better you.

What’s the main part of your diet you’re struggling with most right now?

Breath Retention

Posted on July 9, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

One of my favorite things about health and fitness is that it’s so much more than physical. Through resistance training and proper nutrition, you’re able to fine-tune your body how you want physically, but the mental, emotional, and sometimes spiritual areas of your life often get elevated at the same time. You’re physically pushing yourself, which makes you mentally stronger and seek out ways to continue improving in other areas of your life. Understanding that getting better in one area affects many others is a trickle effect that has me obsessed. Obsessed with pushing myself in the gym and out, and it’s what led me to my most recent challenge/obse

ssion – Breath Retention Exercise.

If you follow along, you may have seen me post random screenshots of numbers/bar graphs illustrating random times between 1:35-3:00. These are the durations of each round of breath retention exercise I have been doing. Several people I follow on Twitter had been boasting about the benefits of this practice and enough was finally enough. Entering June, I decided to take on the challenge to perform 5 rounds of breath retention every day and I must say, not only has it been one of the best challenges I’ve taken on, but it has also been one of the toughest to tackle!

Following the practices of the Ice Man – Wim Hof – I decided to challenge my body and my mind to see what all the fuss was about with this whole “breath retention” practice.

For those unfamiliar, Breath Retention is the practice of performing a number of continuous deep breaths in/out without break, with the last exhale leading into a timed session of retention without air in

your body for as long as you can hold. Once you reach your max and must breath again, you stop the timer and take a large inhale and hold for 15 seconds before releasing and beginning the next round again. This continues for however many rounds you want and the initial deep breathing can be anywhere between 5-60 breaths.

I had heard about a few benefits of this practice including:

-Stress relief

-Increased alertness

-Better circulation

-Becoming more relaxed

-etc

So I was excited to see if this really was the bees knees or just another fad in the long list and spoiler, it was great!

In doing a little research, I learned that the best way to approach this was to set time aside preferably in the mornings, on an empty stomach. This allowed the breathing and retention to help wake up your body and vascular system to its fullest potential before being introduced to the energy of the day. On days when I could not get to it in the morning, there was a significant difference in my ability to hold in retention. In the evenings, my mind was quicker to wander; I was less focused on the here and now; and just overall felt less mentally strong in the moment so I tried to stick with mornings as much as possible.

After some trial and error, I found that 25 breaths was the sweet spot for me and led to increased retention each day of practice with some interesting physical side effects.

Most days when I would practice, if I was able to cross the 2-2.5 minute threshold, I began to feel tingling sensations throughout my body and even began to experience what I would call, minor tinnitus (ringing in the ear). I never passed out, but a few small muscle spasms of the diaphragm on longer held rounds were not uncommon as I tried mentally to overpower my physical request to inhale.

Aside from these in-the-moment effects, I must say I was pleasantly surprised that the other benefits of the practice as mentioned before were also experienced.

The practice itself through the three phases (deep breaths, retention, recovery hold) increased the flow of the vascular system and the bodies’ ability to transport oxygen through the body while flushing out toxins that may have been held up in various areas. Most notable effects were mental.

The increased flow of blood and oxygen to the head allowed for mental fogs to clear and help me wake up, feeling more alert. A couple of times I had begun my session with a slight headache and found that by the end, the ache was gone. Not only that, but the retention tested me mentally to truly feel my body. Focus on relaxing new areas of the body that I hadn’t paid much attention to. Focus on controlling my heartbeat and keeping my mind on the present moment rather than flittering around on to other things.

Being candid, the increased blood flow and cleansed vascular system has also seen a rise not only in my physical prowess in the gym but has also helped, in conjunction with heavy weight training, facilitate a higher sex drive and stronger and more frequent erections in the bedroom. Something I can’t imagine anyone would complain about.

The vascular systems health and ability to funnel oxygen and blood around the body where it needs to be under any stressor is a fascinating thing and having only scraped the surface of this training, I must say that I am very happy with the results mentally, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually as I’ve tapped into a part of myself I didn’t give much thought to.

If you’ve ever heard or thought about experimenting or trying this, I would highly recommend and would be happy to answer any questions about it that you might have.

As I mentioned, I believe a lot of the benefits I felt with this breath retention were also in alignment with my weight training program which is focused on building maximum strength. Strength training has it’s own benefits for clearing the mind, making the body better, funneling oxygen and blood through the vascular system, balancing and boosting hormones and in combination with breath retention, is helping me reach a new level internally and externally.

Busting Muscle Building Myths

Posted on July 6, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

A lot of people enter the gym because they want to get toned or build muscle but have a few misconceptions on what it’s going to take to achieve those goals. With the internet at our finger tips and literally limitless information, it’s hard sometimes to decipher through the muck to find the real gems of truth.

As someone who thought many of these lies in my earlier days of training, rest assured, I have gone through my own scientific method of trial and observation to confirm the truths that mirror these myths.

Quickly, you may be thinking, “I just want to get toned, this doesn’t apply to me.” To which I’d like to say hold your horses! Not included on this list, but as it probably ranks above the others, I’d like to address the myth that “building muscles will make me bulky” once and for all.

Put simply, the “tone” you’re looking for is the visible presence of a muscle.

If you want to see the muscle, you must have muscle.

Yes everyone has muscle, but if you want to see it better, you have to combine lower body fat and increase size of the muscle. The bigger the muscle + the less fat = the more tone you will see.

The muscle tone that 99% of the world is after can be found simply by following a progressively more difficult training program coupled with proper nutrition to fuel their body without additional calories.

Lifting weights won’t make you bulky unless you’re taking additional supplements that are most likely illegal (steroids), so stop being afraid of getting strong and start lifting those weights. You get tone by getting strong, you get strong by lifting weights (resistance training).

Now that that’s out of the way and you’re ready to dive into building muscle to showcase a strong, toned, lean, sexy physique, let’s dive in and start busting muscle building myths!

Myth: Variety is the spice of life. Each workout should be completely different.

Truth: Boring breeds results. It’s often though that, like everything else in our life, we need variety and change every time we enter the gym. The workout has to be different. Different exercises; different reps/sets; different rest; different is good! But then how to do you know you’re ACTUALLY getting bigger or better? If you create a workout program that has you bouncing all over the place each week, how can you tangibly track that you’re continually progressing?

As I said at the outset, boring is good.

If you want to build muscles, get toned, or see progress in any manner, the best answer is to find a routine that is simple and repeatable. Repeating the same workout at least for a period of 4-6 weeks will allow you to progress and get bigger and stronger.

Myth: Don’t miss the anabolic window – you MUST eat within 30 mins of training!

Truth: When weight training, you are creating microtears in your muscles during the strenuous activity. We know food helps fuel the body and protein is the best source of food to help rebuild your muscles. The misconception lies in the thought that you have to refeed your muscles within 30 minutes of training to ensure that your body doesn’t go into catabolism, which is a state of breaking down the muscle. The truth is that it would only start to breakdown if you went an overly prolonged period without refuel or decided to start training the same muscle area before giving it a full chance to recover. It is recommended that you eat (a protein rich meal) within 1-3 hours of your training session, and you’ll be perfectly fine. So don’t feel the need to pound an extra protein shake immediately unless you don’t think you’ll be able to eat a regular meal within a reasonable time frame.

Myth: Train 7 days a week for 2 hrs at a time – NO CARDIO; ALL WEIGHTS! #NoDaysOff

Truth: Your body needs rest. Rest is when recovery happens. If you recall from earlier in the post, during a resistance training session, you create microtears in the muscle as you exercise. During the days you’re resting, that is when your body works at recovering and re-building – bigger and stronger – muscles to get ready for the next training session.

You can still train 5-6 days per week, but if you’re doing so, each training session should be more highly specialized to a specific muscle group with at least 1-2 days of rest before targeting that same body part again. Training other areas will be fine as the muscles you are resting won’t be used under strenuous loads.

Also, you don’t need to spend your entire life at the gym. Being efficient, intense, and consistent with workouts anywhere from 30-60 minutes can be enough and even more beneficial than marathon training sessions. Keep the intensity up; keep the workout plan simple; and just get it done!

Myth: You must buy the latest stack of supplements to ensure proper growth!

Truth: Just straight up false. Supplements are designed to aid whatever it is you’re doing. Most of them are pointless and the supplement industry in the USA is unregulated, so the amounts and contents of whatever they put in those bottles is very questionable – some of it can be extremely harmful. If you’re focused on proper hydration; whole foods and high protein nutrition; getting adequate sleep and stress management; then you should be all set to reap the rewards of your training sessions. If for some reason you feel you NEED supplements to help you reach your goals, I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, the only supplements with proven results are: Caffeine, Creatine, Protein, and Multi-Vitamins. They are not necessary but:
Caffeine can help provide energy and focus

Creatine aids in building muscle and is safe for men and women. We naturally produce it, but additional supplementation does not have negative side effects and is recommended regardless of training programming.

Protein as mentioned before aids in the recovery and rebuilding of muscle as well as playing an important role in many other areas of the body.

Multi-vitamins can help provide the vitamins we may lack in foods to keep us healthy.

All in all, following a consistent and progressive training program; eating regularly scheduled meals after training; resting properly; and understanding supplements are fine, but largely unnecessary can help you not only get toned and build muscle, but are great building blocks for nearly any fitness goal or journey you may be embarking on.

If you’ve been knocking these out but still having trouble reaching your muscle building or toning goals, then we need to talk! Head over and fill out my quick questionnaire and let’s discuss how my online training program is going to get you built and toned like never before!

https://www.alwayshungrypt.com/client-application/

6 Things All Beginners Should Know

Posted on June 21, 2021 by alwayshungrypt

We’ve all been beginners. We know how scary or exhilarating it can be. We understand that there is an end goal we’re aiming for but there are so many intangibles we don’t yet know. But we also know that in order to get where we want to go, we have to be willing to take that risk and leap of faith into the unknown.

Entering the gym to start your fitness and health journey is no different.

I can vividly recall making the decision that, “I’m going to get myself healthy!” and walking into the gym with confidence that “today is the day” only to be stopped dead in my tracks by the sounds of machines and weights and people doing these crazy exercises that I had no idea how to do.

I realized very quickly that I had no idea what I was doing or where to even start! I had gotten excited to take the leap, but hadn’t planned anything out in order to try and execute! Now nearly 10 years later, I have heard and seen this same story play out in many others that get the gusto to level up, but end up like Deer in headlights with no idea where to even kickstart their journey. With that, I’d like to address a few of the things all beginners should know when starting their fitness journey!

How often do I need to work out?

A very common question that people often get wrong. The gym and traditional working out is very important to building a stronger or better body but time off can be as, if not more, crucial as the time spent training. It is recommended that some sort of activity is done at least 5 days per week, but in the sense of resistance based training, you shouldn’t need to be in a gym setting more than 3 days per week. Resistance training is a method that breaks down the muscle tissue as it’s being worked and though it may seem like going every single day is the answer to reach your goals faster, that time off between training where the muscles get rest is where the repair, growth, and change comes from. Training muscles too often can lead to overuse and stress injuries that could extend how long it takes for you to reach your goals. My general recommendation to beginners is to aim for 3 days a week in the gym + 2-3 days of non-resistance based workouts (like cardio) on the off days.

What kind of workouts should I do?

If you’re working out like the recommended 3 days per week as noted above, there are a couple of ways you can approach it. If you’re taking a day off between training sessions, I suggest each one should be a full body workout that targets muscles across the whole body – top to bottom; front to back. The day off between allows adequate time for recovery before hitting similar muscles again.

The other popular method is to break up the body into parts with a dedicated day of training to push muscles; pull muscles; and lower body muscles. This begins looking like a traditional bodybuilding training split as you’re dialing in your focus more on a specific set of muscles for that one session.

If you insist on extending to additional days of training – 4, 5, 6 days per week – my suggestion is that you continue to dial in your focus of each workout on specific muscle groups to avoid injuring areas that are in recovery or over training.

Regardless of how you approach your split, general goals of fat loss or muscle building alike should follow more compound exercises that incorporate more than 1 muscle group or joint action to perform (squat, bench, deadlift, etc). And if you’d like a little more specificity on which exercises can help get you off the ground, check out my FREE eBook of the 17 Exercises All Beginners Should Know, here.

Finally, it’s a misconception that the longer you’re in the gym, the better the workout session. A proper workout should not last more than 40-60 minutes (not including warm up/cool down). Less than that, the intensity should be dialed up; longer than that you may not get as much out of the workout due to too much rest, or overworking the body if doing too much.

Aside from that, find what works for you, your schedule, and is fun to do. Ultimately the best kind of workout is the one you like and will stick with.

What are the best supplements?

Supplements are designed literally as additional boosts to help you reach your goals in a variety of ways. That being said, there are countless articles dedicated to this exact question, but ultimately, there are only 3 supplements I would suggest (if you were going to take any) that have proven results.

Caffeine – the stimulant provides focus and energy proven in testing.

Creatine – a friend to muscles which helps them build strong

Protein – the energy source that helps muscles recovery, repair, rebuild after training

Other than those, the supplement industry is a largely unregulated industry (in the US) and most products are filled with trash ingredients that don’t have proven ability to boost your performance and in some cases, can be dangerous. The amounts are rarely accurate, and anything with a “proprietary blend” (especially without information about what that blend is made of) should be avoided.

How do I know it’s working?

At the outset of your fitness journey, I’m hoping you planned your goals of what it is you’re working toward. If you did this correctly, one of the aspects of your goal would be to identify how you’re going to measure success along the way. Luckily there are a plethora of methods which include:

-Body Fat measurements

-Circumference measurements

-Scale weight

-Progress pictures

-Clothing fit

-Energy/Stamina/Endurance levels

And the best one to go with is the one that works best for you and your goals and that you’ll be able to stick with accurately. For most people I highly recommend the progress pictures as it can often tell the best story with tangible evidence of where you were and where you are. But again, pick the best one that fits your goals and you can do consistently without issue.

Consistency or Intensity?

As the last sentence of the last section alludes to, consistency is key. In learning anything new, consistently showing up, putting in time and energy to learn and build and grow will lead to the best results. The intensity will vary depending on what your training plan calls for and how your energy levels are feeling. But consistently showing up gives you the best chance for success. You may have a ton of energy today and crush an intense workout that hits you harder than expected, but if you show up to the next session in a couple of days, and you’re still sore/tired but put in some lower intensity work, that’s still forward progress that you wouldn’t have if you sat on the couch instead.

Consistency always over intensity.

Why am I not as good as that other person?

One of the most common feelings beginners get is imposter syndrome and comparison syndrome. It is SOOO easy to see someone doing an exercise that you have planned and they’re doing it A) easier than you or B) with heavier weight than you, which throws you into thinking, “Why can’t I do it that easy?”

Nothing kills progress, motivation, consistency more than comparing yourself to the person doing the same thing next to you and them doing it better than you. Negative self talk of all kinds need to be left at the door, but if you can’t manage to get past this one, you’re gonna have a heck of a time. The best thing to remember is that this is NOT their Day 01. You are not them. They are on a completely different journey, reading the same book. The ONLY difference is, they are probably on page 50, while you’re just now cracking the spine. Everyone is built differently; Everyone has different starting points; Everyone has different adaptations;

Every. Person. Is. Different.

If you can kill the comparison, you’ll level up faster than you ever thought.

Beginners at the gym are great because they’ve decided to take control of their lives and start building a better future. Stepping foot on the gym floor can be intimidating and anxiety-inducing if you don’t have the right plan and mindset. If you follow along the advice laid here and put together a plan of exercises that that follow your goal, you can take over the world.

Ultimately the only thing you can do is take off your water wings and jump into the deep end and know that you’re going to float as long as you try.

If you’re still really nervous, remember to start slow with VERY light resistance to learn how your body moves and build from there. Showing up is half the battle, and hopefully this has helped win the other half. Now get to the gym and start kicking butts!

And if you’re still not sure on where to start, let’s connect and start clearing the fog right now! Apply for Online Coaching with me and let’s get to work today!