Vlog 075: Responsibility & Forgiveness
This video is to help anyone in their fat loss journey understand the concept of responsibility & forgiveness. The way you look is a reflection of your thoughts and self-esteem. If you think high of yourself, your habits reflect that & the same goes for thinking low of yourself. Good habits follow good habits. If you continue to leave a problem unattended, it doesn't get better, it gets significantly worse. My goal with this video to bring awareness to a reality you're suppressing and taking action to fix it. Forgive yourself for not being perfect and making mistakes. Being human means you're going to fail more times than you can count but it also means you have the ability to overcome. Be the one who figures out the solution vs the one who admits defeat.
No Weak Links Week 1
Making the best of my spare time on the internet :)
Welcome.
I've had this idea for a long time now. One of my favorite trainers on Instagram will get the credit for me having confidence to start this. His name is Ben Bruno. When I find somebody that I admire, I research EVERYTHING I can find on that person. For those of you who don't know who Ben is, the part of me that relates to him is that I am a sarcastic funny asshole (or at least I'd like to think so). He's a personal trainer in California who honestly doesn't look very sharp, but after reading so many articles he wrote, I realize again you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.
So here we are on a late Sunday night. Forgive me if this list isn't extensive, I just started grabbing stuff Thursday night.
Here’s to the beginning of a weekly compilation of things I think that can help your mindset, help with workouts/nutrition, and last but not least, can make you laugh :)
Also, keep in mind nothing works out as good as you think it will the first time. So here's to fucking up on my first at bat...
1. Great Leaders Do What Drug Addicts Do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUnRKf2CemA
Mike explains how 3 principles turned his life around from drug addiction and homelessness to developing a multimillion dollar company that’s changing the health industry. I want to start this off with this video because I love a comeback story and this one made me emotional a couple times.
2. Joe Rogan How To Workout Smarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fbCcWyYthQ
Do you like training intensely or for volume? Meaning would you rather train 2-3x/week hard or 5-6 days/week at a lesser intensity?
3. The Kim Kardashian Vampire Facial
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw8AUiplHTC/?igshid=1lufdgw0i3qpx
4. No one ever increased their squat by skipping their warm ups…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwzoUTXl-WU/?igshid=zilqi2px44je
5. I’ve been thinking about how to make regress/progress this w/o assistance.
Looks simple but you should try this exercise out with your friend when you have the chance
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuAGjTdlOo7/?igshid=16lllmim0oh6c
6A. Here’s a post about form videos I did for a few clients. Maybe this could help you as well
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwXv9i6n-iG/?igshid=troph6f19eby
6B. & a form correction playlist I started
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMZst4Hq-WM&list=PLs7MBQgWkyhvMnN9uVv1x1OaA3Lg7J0_V
7. How my friends imagine when I tell them I started weightlifting…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwhcTMAlvbt/?igshid=nnhiwj4cege
8. Imagine you walk into somebody backyard & see this!?
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwc_uk3hGrR/?igshid=11qtlk3esm8ng
9. No telling what you can accomplish with time & a work ethic to make a this dream come true…
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw8CFpxnPmx/?igshid=coazt65ruir
10. When my clients hit a new PR
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvVUjmFni95/
11. If you don’t hit snooze tomorrow morning, try this morning routine out
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoExXHDD1Gc/
I’m gonna make a point to do this weekly for however long I can.
If you went through this whole list, I appreciate you.
If you think there’s something to add, send me an email & it might just appear in next week’s No Weak Links
Enjoy your week :)
How we got here…
Depression & Being A Personal Trainer
A note I voice wrote in my Evernote App when it happened…
I think I am finally back to operating normally. What I mean by that is I had an episode last week. I’ve never been clinically diagnosed with depression but what I felt last week was the reminder that I need to treat myself better. I go through phases of ups and downs like everyone does but my downs make me not want to come into work, talk to anyone at all, or even leave the bed. I couldn’t fake being positive, I didn’t care for my #gymmornings, I honestly didn’t care to exist at all.
The difference I feel today is the complete opposite. Sleep deprivation amplifies bad to worse and for me I’m no good to anyone when I’m getting 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night. Catching up on Sundays sleeping like 12 hrs is no way to live. Be careful what you pride yourself in because that means this is how you define yourself and how other people see you. Abel works hard, he’s always at the gym, he’s always training, he’s always positive, how does he do it?
The answer is simple.
I know what low feels like. I know what lonely feels like. I know what it feels like to not have money to buy food. I know what rejection feels like. I know what losing a parent feels like. I know what it feels like to not be there for the only parent you have left. I know what it feels like to be a disappointment to someone. I know what it feels like wishing things would get better for years…
I never want to feel those feelings again so I bust my ass to make as much money as I can but at what cost?
I also know that these feelings come and go. It’s the natural ebb and flow of life. I know that where you’re at now is preparing you for what’s to come. I know that today it’s raining but tomorrow will be the sunshine. We just have to wait out the storm and know that the rainbow is on its way.
Here’s a video to supplement my written feelings…
Back & Front Squat Tutorial w/a Barbell
Today's video is a lesson on how to squat with the barbell in the two most common ways.
First up is the barbell back squat, before you even load the bar, make sure that the bar is at a height that can sit on your traps comfortably. Next is finding the right position to place your hands on the bar outside of your shoulders. Don’t think about gripping the bar, think about your hands balancing the bar. If you don’t have the mobility to keep your hands close, then go further out on the bar. Squeeze your shoulder blades so the bar has a strong foundation to rest on. Feet position here is around shoulder width, with your toes rotated outwards slightly. Before you come down, take a big breath and brace your core as if someone was going to punch you in the stomach. As you squat down, push your knees out so they’re stacked over your ankles. Optimally, you’re breathing out when you’re close to standing up. The reason why this is important is because your core is fighting to keep your spine stable and your upper body from collapsing with the weight. I forgot to add in the part about having your heels elevated if you’re not able to squat correctly. Here’s a demo of that video (here).
Second part of this video is the front squat. I use the clean grip, however, you can use the cross grip. Which is better? Whichever you prefer. The same rules from above apply here too. The difference here is you’re focusing on keeping your elbows high so the weight doesn’t fall forward. The front squat variation works your core a lot more and doesn’t put any pressure on your spine so if you’re someone that suffers from lower back pain while squatting, this variation is for you.
Back and front squats have been a staple in my program as well as mostly everyone that I've ever coached. The stronger your lower body is the stronger everything else can become. They are compound exercises meaning they work more than one muscle group which also means you burn more calories. I personally want to do the least amount of work to get the most amount of results so I'd rather work harder for less time than cruise through a workout and it takes forever.
How to Split Squat and What to Avoid
The magic exercise that works your inner thighs and your cellulite as as well as your trainer's patience is the split squat.
Honestly, any type of exercise done on a single leg will not only give you that “toned" look you've been searching for your whole life, but it will also build up strength.
This is important especially if you have one side weaker than the other, weak hips, or suffer from instability.
There’s more than one way to work legs & there’s more than two ways to squat.
The split squat is great for people that have lower back pain doing barbell back squats or don’t have the flexibility to do a proper barbell front squat.
The two variations explained in this video focus on your rear foot being elevated onto a bench or a hip thrust machine.
You don't have to use these two, I just want you to use a height that allows you to use your full range of motion.
What I also want you to focus on is keeping your upper body leaning forward.
This prevents discomfort in your lower back as well as allowing you to work your backside (weak side) more.
What I want you to avoid is letting your heel come off the ground. There's two reasons why this might happen.
The first is not creating enough space between your front foot and the pad behind you.
The second is not bending your back knee enough. Think of your back knee as an elevator going down to the ground but also back towards the pad.
One thing I forgot to mention in this video was creating enough distance between your feet, meaning, if your feet aren't shoulder width apart, it’s going to be harder for you to maintain balance going down and up.
Also make sure your front knee is not caving in as you're coming down and up. Use a mirror if you can or record yourself from the front view if you think this is happening. If it's too hard to control, this is a sign that your glutes might be weak. Deadlifts, glutes bridges or any other exercise that works your backside will help fix this problem.
How To Meal Prep 4 Meals in 6 mins
Meal prep is one of the easiest things you can do to change your body. For those of you that have never done a meal prep, the idea is to prepare as many meals as you can in the shortest amount of time for the most amount of days. That's the simplest way to describe meal prep. To give context, I'm a personal trainer and lived most of my day away from home. This means I'm unable to cook my food as I get hungry which leads me to buying a lot of the foods that I eat. This gets expensive real fast. Personally, the hardest things I think about is how can I stay in a calorie deficit so I can lose weight and how can I get the right amount of protein every day so I don't lose muscle. In this video, my go-to breakfast his overnight oats, my go to post workout meal is chicken and rice after a post workout shake, and my snack is a protein bar. For the most part, I use intermittent fasting as a tool to help me lose weight by limiting my eating window. This way, I'm able to condense the amount of times I'm eating in a day and still hit my macros.
Lunch wise: I don't like soggy chicken so I order cooked chicken from the deli downstairs where I live. I use instant rice for carbs.
Breakfast wise: I use Maple and brown sugar oatmeal packets. I use unsweetened vanilla cashew milk. One scoop of meal replacement protein powder.
Supplement wise: I use a multivitamin with greens powder, Fish oil, Post workout shake with Ignition & Creatine, BCAAs, and a pre-workout without caffeine.
The simpler your diet is, the easier it will be for you to follow it. I don't recommend this for everyone, but I do recommend you try what works and try what doesn't work for others to see what's optimal for you.
Action Steps You Can Take Now
Start tracking you calories for weight-loss today —> Learn how here
Use Intermittent Fasting as a tool for losing fat today —> Here
Hit your Goal Body Weight in protein every day. Find your protein number here
Strength Train 2-3 times a week. Have 1 Day of cardio if you want. Don’t have a routine? Send me an email & I’ll give you a FREE 4 week program here: abel@aymhigher.com with the subject “4 Week AYM Higher Program”
Improve Stability & Strength: Glute Bridge March
There’s more than one way to work your booty. The modalities & variation are endless. One of my clients told me she couldn’t stabilize herself doing single leg glute bridges for extended periods of time so here’s a regression for her as well as for you. Benefits include but are not limited to better posture, less back pain, and a plump booty:
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground and hip-width apart.
Bend your arms, drive your hips up by pressing through your heels and support your body with your upper back.
As you bring each knee up towards your chest, focus on not letting your hips sag & keeping your core braced.
This is not a speed exercise, take your time, breathe through each rep focusing on squeezing the butt of the leg that’s still planted on the ground.
Full Body Workout + The Successful Dieter's Mindset
Welcome,
The full body workout mentioned in this video is going to have a total of 8 exercises:
A: Barbell Back Squat
3 sets x 5 reps w/3 min rest break between sets.
Superset: 3 sets x 5 reps each with a 1-2 min rest break between sets
B1: Dumbbell Chest Press
B2: Kettlebell Prone Row w/pause
C: Barbell Romanian Deadlift 3 sets x 8-10 reps w/1 min break
Superset: 3 sets x 8-10 reps/side w/1 min break
D1: Dumbbell Shoulder Press
D2: Cable Lat Pulldowns (underhand grip)
Arms Finisher:
Dumbbell Bicep Curls 1 set x 10 reps
Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks 1 set x 10 reps
The second part of this video is about the mindset it takes to be successful with a diet.
It’s not easy to give up the foods you enjoy but it’s necessary to control the portions of everything you eat in order to lose weight & ultimately body fat.
The difference I see in people who succeed in weight loss versus those who don’t is patience. Everyone wants results but very few people are willing to do the work it takes. Losing weight is a result, changing your habits is what makes the results appear. Someone who isn’t patient will take every shortcut in the book and become frustrated when the progress they expected to happen in a few days or weeks doesn’t happen. How does one become a millionaire? By working hard, smart, and giving it time. The result you're looking for is planted in the work through the modification of your daily routine.
The body you have right now is the result of eating intuitively, not working out consistently, and spending too much time with people aren't aligned with your own goals. Successful people don't hang out with unsuccessful people in the same way that most people who are fit don't hang out with people who are out of shape. You'll be surprised at how quickly your life turns around when you change the people in circle. We're four months into 2019, how much of you have accomplished from your New Year's resolution list? If you have things still uncrossed, what's one thing in your day you can change right now that's going to get you closer to crossing off that particular goal?
Action Steps You Can Take Now
Start tracking you calories for weight-loss today! Learn how here
Lose weight without a diet. Learn how here
Use Intermittent Fasting to lose weight. Learn how here
Hit your Goal Body Weight in protein every day. Find your protein number here
Strength Train 2-3 times a week. Have 1 Day of cardio if you want. Don’t have a routine? Send me an email & I’ll give you a FREE 4 week program here: abel@aymhigher.com with the subject “4 Week AYM Higher Program”
How To Relieve Muscle Tightness & Soreness: SMR Techniques
Welcome,
What if I told you you could be pain free in less than 10 minutes a day? Is that enough to convince you it’s time to pick up a foam roller or lacrosse ball and get to work? And by work I mean laying down on the ground, scrolling through instagram while you make the most ugliest faces you would never post a selfie of.
For a video explanation, if you don’t have the time or patience to read, watch this:
For those of you with time to read, enjoy :)
Of the many things that could prevent you from working out, you don’t want it to come from something you can control. Muscle tightness and soreness can derail any type of motivation you built up. I find that once you start moving, it’s hard to stop. We’re trying to create momentum for doing something that’s going to lead to a great workout. The potential to have a great workout is higher when you can increase the mobility and flexibility of your muscles, decrease soreness and recovery time as well as decrease the likelihood that you’ll injure yourself.
SMR or Self Myofascial Release, is a therapy technique that relaxes a tense muscle in order to make it more mobile & flexible. Think about it like this, when you wake up first thing most mornings, you most likely roll around in bed a little bit before you start your day. That’s the same idea with SMR, we’re preparing our muscles for the day. What happens when you’re no longer tense? Your body moves with less restriction and your mood elevates because all of the discomfort your body was signaling to your brain, is reduced or eliminated.
Another benefit to using SMR is the ability of your muscles to lift heavier weight. More range of motion = more muscles being stressed by weight which begins the cycle of stress > recovery > adaptation. Unless you work the full range of motion, you’re not working the full muscle. If you don’t use the appropriate amount of stress, how can you grow? I don’t want you to waste years in the gym thinking you're almost at your potential when you’re only 65% of the way there.
In this video (here), for bigger muscles, use a foam roller or the stick, for smaller muscles, use a lacrosse ball or acumobility ball.
Find the “sweet spot” of where your muscle is most tense then stay there for 30 seconds to a minute.
Repeat this for every part of your body that needs TLC.
Bonus:
Here’s a video by Eric Cressey of Cressey Sports Performance demonstrating his foam roller series before working out (here)
5 No-Equipment Back Exercises
We’re here to make back gainz, not go back to our excuses
The best way to prevent back injuries is to strengthen your back before injury happens. The aesthetics of having a toned, muscular back is coveted by nearly everyone… so why doesn’t everyone have one? We have a tendency to work the muscles we see because it’s in our sight of vision. This means the muscles we don’t see, we don’t work as much or as hard, right? On a Monday evening, you’re more likely to see men going all out on chest, shoulders, and arms rather than rows, pull ups, or any other pulling exercise. Too much focus on pushing vs pulling will end up doing more harm than good in the form of front shoulder pain, poor posture & no progress in strength.
If you’re sitting down while reading this, are you hunched over or is your back as straight and flat as a wall?
If you’re reading this while standing up, where is your phone in relation to your face? Down by your stomach or up at face level?
If you sit in a hunched position doing computer work or scroll through instagram more than face to face interactions, try these moves out. You also can’t use the “I don’t have a gym membership” excuse. These 5 no-equipment back exercises can be performed at home, the park, the office…. I think you get the point.
If you need a good analogy to inspire your friend to focus more on back instead of chest… Think about the foundation of a house. You wouldn’t build a house on sand. You’d have a strong, sturdy, reliable base to construct your home, because anything else less trustworthy will result in a collapse. The same applies to your body, the stronger your back is, the stronger your front will become.
Bonus for men: When she digs her nails into your back, it’ll feel like rocks to her instead of warm towel 😉
Good Mornings:
3 sets.
10-15 reps.
Rest 30-60s.
Dolphin Kick:
3 Sets.
5-10 Reps.
Rest 30-60s.
Reverse Snow Angels:
3 Sets.
3-5 Reps.
Rest 30-60s.
Superman/woman Holds:
1-3 sets.
3 reps with a 15-30 second hold.
Rest 30-60s.
Wall Walks (nose & toes touch the wall):
1-3 sets.
3 reps with a 15-30 second hold.
Rest 30-60s.
Send me a form video if you’d like me to check your form or in need of a modification.
Reduce Shoulder Pain with 10 Exercises: Resistance-Band Edition
Here’s a perfect shoulder routine to reduce pain significantly.
Shoulder pain sucks, you know it because you’re on this page hoping to find a solution and to that, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS!
The only piece of equipment you’ll need for these is a resistance band.
Before we get into the exercises, the majority of people I come across who suffer from shoulder pain have similar tendencies. They include:
Shoulders being internally rotated for long periods of the day, think being hunched over a desk.
A lot of pressing versus pulling, think push ups instead of rows or pull ups/downs.
Using bad form with pressing movements. For example: push ups, bench press, shoulder press, and lateral raises.
The remedy for this problem is going to explained below. I want you to learn why these exercises should reduce shoulder pain for you. The reason being most people only work the muscles they can see. If you’re not giving love to the muscles you can’t see, they become weak, jealous, and vindictive. These exercises are going to focus on opening you up, rotating your shoulders out and back. The stronger your upper back and rear delts become, the less pain you’ll have in the front of your shoulders. The better posture you’ll have, the more confident you will be and appear to people.
Banded External Rotation
(1-3 Sets. 10-20 Reps)
You want to feel this in the side of your shoulder.
Don’t let your elbow extend further away from your body as you pull the band with your hand away from the attached point.
Banded Lateral Raises
(1-3 Sets. 10-20 Reps)
You’re going to feel this in the side of your shoulder if done right, not in your traps where some people feel this movement.
Raise your arms up to shoulder height with your palms facing down, arms slightly bent at about 45 degrees in front of you.
The magic here is controlling the descent, the slower and controlled this movement is coming back to your body, the more you’re going to feel this exercise.
Banded Pass Throughs
(1-3 Sets. 10-20 Reps)
Face away from the attached point.
Palms facing in front of you.
Elbows at shoulder height.
Hands above shoulders.
Walk out to a distance where the band feels tight.
Rotate your hands forward till they’re parallel with the floor stopping at shoulder height then return back to starting position with your hands above your shoulders.
Main thing here is to not let your elbows dip as your rotate your hands forward and back.
Banded Pull Aparts (T’s)
(1-3 Sets. 10-20 Reps)
You’re going to feel this in the back of your shoulders, upper back, traps, and lats.
Arms extended in front of you, palms facing down, bring your shoulder blades down to the floor and behind you to feel a squeeze beneath your armpits.
Keep your arms extended and bring them to your sides forming a T shape.
Banded Scarecrows
(1-3 Sets. 10-20 Reps)
You’re going to feel this in the top/back part of your shoulder.
Set the band at or below shoulder height.
Keep your elbows at shoulder height.
Main thing here is to not let elbows dip.
Banded Straight Arm Lat Pulldown
(1-3 Sets. 10-20 Reps)
You’re going to feel this in your upper back, shoulders, lats, and triceps.
Grip the bands with thumbs facing up, hips shooting back, arms extended and aligned with your upper body.
As you bring your arms towards you hips, keep your shoulder blades pressed down and back squeezing the bottom of your arm pits.
Banded Y-Raise
(1-3 Sets. 10-20 Reps)
The Y to the MCA. You want to feel this in the top/back part of your shoulder, upper back and traps.
Keep your elbows slightly bent.
Your arms should finish slightly behind your body.
Be careful not to let your neck jerk forward and control your traps from shrugging.
Standing Banded High Row
(1-3 Sets. 10-20 Reps)
You’re going to feel this not only in the back of your shoulders but also your upper back and traps.
Think about opening up your chest as you pull back with your elbows as well as your shoulders.
If you don’t pull back with your shoulders, you’re going to feel this only in your arms and make the pain in the front of your shoulders worse.
Standing Banded Row
(1-3 Sets. 10-20 Reps)
You’re going to feel this in the back of your shoulder, upper back, and lats.
Palms facing each other, soft knees, pull your elbows and shoulder blades back till you feel a squeeze.
If you don’t pull back with your shoulders, you’re going to feel this only in your arms and make the pain in the front of your shoulders worse.
Standing Snow Angels
(1-3 Sets. 3-5 Reps)
You’re going to feel this throughout your whole shoulder, upper back and traps.
Standing in a T position, arms extended, palms facing in front of you.
Begin with a reverse fly, raise your arms above your head, then back down to your sides in a controlled manner
Avoid speeding up the movement and raising your traps.
If at any point, you feel pain when performing these exercises, skip it or record yourself doing it and send me a video here: abel.y.mezemer@gmail.com. I’ll be able to look at your form and make any adjustments.
Best Dietary Supplements To Lose Weight
Which supplements should you buy for losing weight and dropping body fat is tough. I explain what you should look for in this article.
If you think buying 1, 2, maybe 15 dietary supplements is going to help you lose weight… you’re absolutely right. The question to ask here is why are you spending a shit-ton of money on supplements in the first place? I want to save you money and years of frustration with this one piece of advice. If you’re not strength training at least 3x a week, if your nutrition is not at least 80% aligned with your goals, if you’re not getting a minimum of 6 hours of sleep a night, buying supplements will not be your answer. If you’re new to losing weight or if you’ve been unsuccessful with keeping the weight off, I want to teach you How To Track Your Macros and How to Lose Weight Without A Diet. Hopefully you will learn something new after reading those two quick articles. Now, I’m going to quickly explain the pros and cons of supplements that are most beneficial for weight-loss without boring you to death.
The role of dietary supplements is to complete or fill in the gaps you need help with in your diet. Do not be the old Abel who wasted thousands of dollars on pills like Hydroxycut and other fat burners thinking that if I took these pills, I could eat whatever I want & lose fat. Did I lose weight, yes, but what happened when I got off those pills is that the weight came back and some more. Sound familiar? It took me years to understand my body and nutrition (this process never ends for the person who wants to get better) so my intention here is to help you prevent making the same mistakes I did and years of frustration.
A weight-loss supplement should do a few things:
Reduce Appetite
Increase fat burning
Reduce fat absorption
Increase the feeling of satiety (feeling full)
For all the benefits you can get with a weight-loss supplement, you should be aware they also have side effects that will make you think twice before making a purchase. Supplements aren’t regulated by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which means companies can lie about the ingredients and dosage as well as the damage it can do to your body that isn’t reversible (like death). The most popular ingredients have been banned (Ephedra, Hydroxycut products, Fen-Phen, and Meridia) by the FDA because of harmful side effects like:
Increased Heart Rate
High Blood Pressure
Agitation
Diarrhea
Sleeplessness
Kidney Damage
Liver Damage
Rectal Bleeding
Now for the part you’ve been waiting for. Best Dietary Supplements to lose weight:
Caffeine: Has the ability to boost metabolism and increase fat burning short term. Caffeine is found in a lot of weight loss pills for its effect on blunting hunger & increasing performance during workouts. The best sources of caffeine are found in coffee, green tea and preworkouts. To those that don't know the side effects of overconsumption, too much caffeine can cause anxiety, insomnia, jitteriness, irritability, nausea, and diarrhea to name a few.
Green Tea Extract (GTE): Included in a lot of weight loss supplements. The main antioxidant in it, ECGC, promotes fat burning. Studies show that GTE increases the activity of norepinephrine, a hormone that helps you burn fat, and can target belly fat directly. All of the benefits you get from GTE is also found in Green Tea.
Protein Powder: Your muscles are built by protein. Protein is the one macronutrient that burns the most calories through the digestive process and the one macronutrient that fills you up the most compared to carbohydrates and dietary fats. What this means is by increasing protein intake, you’ll reduce the urge to overeat foods that won’t help your body composition, strength, or staying in a calorie deficit. Protein powder is a great alternative option when you can’t cook or buy protein rich foods. Caution, protein powder is a supplement and substitute in your diet when you need help reaching your protein goals, protein powder should not be your go-to source of protein.
The first two supplements are included in a lot of weight-loss supplements because of their effectiveness. But are you interested in buying supplements or having long-term results? If that answer is yes to results that last forever, you shouldn’t buy another supplement until you have a basic foundation on nutrition, until you’ve tried different meal plans or until you’ve started tracking the calories you eat. If you’re being fed supplements without education, you’ll forever remain a prey to marketing and your life will become one big spinning wheel where progress is dangled in front of you like a carrot but can’t taste it. I want to help you make better decisions that will stick with you for a lifetime.
Here’s a list and explanation of the supplements I take everyday that I think anyone can benefit from, especially those looking to lose weight. Remember, the role of a supplement is to add to your diet, filling in the gaps where you need help the most. In order for you to lose weight, it’s less about buying quick fixes and more about a lifestyle change.
Multivitamin
No one’s diet is perfect and because of this, no one is getting the right amount of nutrients for their lifestyle.
What I use (here)
Fish Oil
I don’t eat fish daily (high dietary fat reasons) so I get my Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) source in pill form. If you like having considerably less joint pain and inflammation, this supplement’s for you.
What I use (here)
Protein Powder
I can’t get 240g of protein from food alone, protein powder provides convenience & eliminates excuses.
Meal Replacement shake (my favorite is cinnamon cookie batter)
Post Workout Shake (Ignition makes the shake taste like ice cream)
Creatine
Increases lean tissue mass (muscles), performance in the gym and strength.
What I use (here)
Coffee
I like my coffee black with liquid stevia. This helps eliminate the need for sugar and milk (calories), blunts hunger so I can extend my Intermittent Fasting (source), and increase focus and energy.
Fat Loss Stack for Men and a Fat Loss Stack for Women from 1st Phorm (optional)
This supplement helped me fall asleep faster with better quality sleep, increase my focus and energy like coffee, and controlled my appetite.
Action Steps You Can Take Now
Start tracking you calories for weight-loss today! Learn how here
Lose weight without a diet. Learn how here
Use Intermittent Fasting to lose weight. Learn how here
Hit your Goal Body Weight in protein every day. Find your protein number here
Strength Train 2-3 times a week. Have 1 Day of cardio if you want. Don’t have a routine? Send me an email & I’ll give you a FREE 4 week program here: abel@aymhigher.com with the subject “4 Week AYM Higher Program”
How To Lose Weight Without A Diet
What would change about your life if you lost weight?
More confidence? More happiness? More sex?
Are you looking for the fastest way to lose weight or the best way?
We want the body we see on the internet only by doing 7-minute abs or a 3 week keto-diet because that’s what is promised to us by “fitness professionals” as achievable.
Anyone with a high social following has a lot of responsibility & for the majority of “influencers”, they are paid on how much they can sell, not how accurate their products are. They want to sell you something that is a quick fix because they have a quota to hit versus someone who takes the time to educate you on a long term sustainable weight loss process.
The fastest way to lose weight is built upon motivation.
The best way to lose weight is sustained through discipline.
This article is going to outline 3 principles to losing weight, they are:
Calorie Deficit
High Protein Intake
Strength Training
Calorie Deficit
A calorie deficit means you’re eating below your maintenance level in calories. Maintenance level is the amount of calories it would take for you to remain the same weight, anything below that is a deficit. There’s two ways you can create a calorie deficit, decreasing input of calories consumed or increasing output of calories burned. How big a deficit you should be in varies based on how aggressive do you want to take it. Someone who is overweight with a high body fat percentage can have a more aggressive calorie deficit compared to someone who weighs less. Why? Because speed is the one thing people manipulate and speed is the reason why most people quit their weight-loss journey. If you’re not overweight, an aggressive diet (more than 25% deficit) is too fast of a drop that it shocks your body & brain. There is such a thing as too few calories & if you eat too few, your body’s ability to function properly will be impaired. Your body is going to think “starvation mode” & your metabolism will shut off. Your body will spare muscle during this phase & hold onto fat because fat protects your organs for survival. Also, with setting too large of a calorie deficit, you get very hungry very fast & can’t maintain that low calorie intake for too long before you binge eat & gain all the weight you lost plus more. Nutrition is 80% of the change required to lose weight, Activity (workouts + non-workout movement) is 20%. Keep this in mind.
How Much Should My Deficit Be?
It depends on how much you want to lose & how fast do you wanna get there. There’s 3,500 calories in 1 lb. If you created a 500 calorie deficit & did that consistently for 7 days (500 x 7 = 3,500), you’ve just lost 1 lb. For example, I weigh 200 lbs, if my maintenance level is 2,500 calories & I only consume 2,000 calories/day (a 500 calorie deficit), I would be on pace to lose 1 lb by the end of the week. If you wanted to lose 2 lbs/week, you’d create a 1,000 calorie deficit & do that consistently for 7 days. With this information, there’s two types of people, one who sees 1 lb/week as doable, & one that sees 1 lb/week as not enough progress. But if you created a 500 calorie deficit & did that for 52 weeks, you’ve just lost 52 lbs. Still not enough progress? Just a reminder, there’s no finish line & you don’t get extra points for getting there the fastest.
How To Calculate A Calorie Deficit?
First you need to know what your BMR is. I’m gonna save you the trouble of explaining how many methods I’ve gone through over the years. I like using the Katch McArdle Formula because it uses lean mass instead of body weight in its BMR equation. Why is that important? Because the amount of body fat one has influences how big a deficit that person will be in. Remember earlier, If you have more weight/body fat to lose, you can set your diet more aggressively versus someone who doesn’t have as much to lose. Instead of trying to figure out the complicated computations you’d have to do in order to get a close-to-accurate deficit, download Mike’s Macros & it will change your relationship with food & your life forever. Another simple way of calculating calories came from my friend Jordan Syatt, multiply your goal weight by 10, 11 or 12. 10 is aggressive, 12 is moderate, 11 is in between.
For example, I weigh 200 lbs, my goal weight is 190 lbs so my calculations would be:
190 x 10 = 1,900 cals (aggressive)
190 x 11 = 2,090 cals (happy place)
190 x 12 = 2,280 cals (moderate)
Do Diets work?
Yes. If you google any type of meal plan for weight-loss, they all work, they’re not magic. The #1 factor that will help you lose weight is counting calories. Also, creating a deficit through nutrition is much easier than creating it through exercise. If you ate an apple every day for 30 days, its calories wouldn’t change. However, if you ran a mile a day for 30 days, you would burn more calories on day 1 vs day 30 because your body isn’t conditioned for it; but, as time goes on, your body adapts to the stress of running and you perform it more efficiently, burning less calories on day 30.
High Protein Intake
Now that we have a better understanding of what you need to focus on when setting up your calorie deficit, next priority is protein. More protein is going to help you feel sexy & strong, here’s why:
Boosts Metabolism
Reduces Appetite
Changes Several Weight-Regulating Hormones
How?
Your brain has many functions, one of it is hunger control. Our brain processes information all day, & it changes after consuming food. We have satiety (appetite reducing) hormones & hunger hormones. The more protein you eat, the less hungry you become. Out of all three macronutrients, protein, carbs, & fats, protein is the one macro that takes the most amount of calories to burn through digestion & metabolism. What does this mean? There’s this thing called TEF (Thermic Effect of Food), & protein has the highest TEF ranging between 20-30%. Let’s say for example, you had a meal that contained 100 calories of protein, 20-30 of those calories are going to be burned through digestion. Metabolism is the process of converting the food we digested into the fuel/energy we need to live. A high protein diet helps us achieve that. Protein helps build & maintain muscle mass, maintaining muscle mass burns more calories at rest than maintaining fat mass does, therefore, by increasing protein intake & building our muscles, we’re boosting our metabolism.
How Much Protein Do You Need?
This is tricky because the best answer for you is “it depends”. The Dietary Reference Intake is only 46 & 56 grams for women & men, respectively. That’s insane but then again, this is the minimum amount to prevent deficiency. What we’re interested in is building muscle & losing fat & for that matter, let’s talk numbers. Men & women process protein differently meaning, men have a slight advantage when it comes to consuming protein (I realized this from working with clients, I don’t have a scientific explanation for it). How much protein you need is based on preference. Some people can eat a lot, some can’t. It’s also harder if you’re vegetarian/vegan. The easiest way to get more protein in your diet is protein shakes so if you’re not at least getting one, one a day is going to make a big difference in your physique over time.
Aim for your goal body weight in grams of protein/day & go from there. For example, my goal body weight is 190 lbs so at the minimum, I’m aiming for 190 grams of protein every day. Keep in mind, the lower your calories go, the higher your protein intake should be. The reasoning here is protein is going to help build or retain as much muscle as you can, the more muscle you have, the less body fat you have as well, & the more calories you burn at rest. The biggest issue with being in a calorie deficit is losing muscle along with weight and the reason why we don’t want to lose much muscle mass is to avoid the “skinny fat” look. Your goal isn’t just to lose weight, it’s to lose weight & look sexy naked. You will avoid “skinny fat” with developed muscles.
Strength Training
"How important is strength training for weight-loss?"
"If I only did cardio, is that good enough to lose weight?"
The truth is you can lose weight doing both.
What’s going to get you there the fastest?
A combination of both with a focus on lifting supplemented with cardio.
If you had to choose? Strength training > cardio.
Strength training 2-3x/week with the right amount of intensity is what you should aim for. What people don’t understand about working out with weights is the calories you burn is not confined to just your time in the gym. You’re burning calories after the gym while your body is recovering, about 24-48 hours. Strength training builds muscles, which in turn boosts you metabolism, & muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does. The benefits of strength training is not limited to body composition. The stronger you become, the better you look, the more confidence you gain, the happier you feel & the better you treat people. Strength training is what led me here. Years of depression & insecurity about how I looked was diminished when I saw the results of consistency. I’ve been blessed & fortunate to help others in their weight-loss journey through paying attention to their own nutrition & working out 2-3 times a week.
Cardio can be supplemented 2-3x/week with varying intensities. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) cardio can be performed 1-2x/week, one example is sprints performed for 30 seconds with 60 seconds of rest with multiple sets. There’s a different type of cardio you can do called LISS (Low Intensity Steady State). LISS is cardio performed at a low intensity meaning your heart rate isn’t working hard. An example of LISS would be walking on the treadmill at an incline & speed that’s not too challenging (5% incline, 2.5 speed). What I love about this type of cardio is it’s a form of active recovery so for people that “need to do something everyday”, this is a great option. It’s an easy way to burn calories & recover from workouts faster.
While most people choose cardio over strength training for weight-loss, what I want you to get from this article is that the progress you want to see is not going to happen overnight. Ads you see about fat-burning pills, new diets, “fat burning workouts” are designed to prey on the weak-minded individuals who are impatient & looking for a quick solution. If you’ve tried to lose weight before & didn’t succeed, it’s not your fault. To the uninformed, everything looks like it could work but the truth is, changing your body, which took you months or years to get into this shape is not going to be solved in days or weeks. You’ll win this game if you have patience, if you can be consistent, & not quit every time you “fail”. You can’t fail if you keep going. You’re going to have many setbacks because life isn’t perfect, but the people I’ve seen become a success story, are the people who never gave up.
Action Steps You Can Take Now
Start tracking you calories for weight-loss today! Learn how here
Hit your Goal Body Weight in protein every day. Find your protein number here
Strength Train 2-3 times a week. Have 1 Day of cardio if you want. Don’t have a routine? Send me an email & I’ll give you a FREE 4 week program here: abel@aymhigher.com with the subject “4 Week AYM Higher Program”
2019: Year Of Offense
I was 24 years old.
I just had a second operation on my chest. I was “diagnosed” with gynecomastia. Some people call them "large male breasts", others call them "Bitch Tits", either way, it was something I struggled with my entire childhood & was going to take over my adult life…
I had this same operation a year prior. Long story short, we decided to take a risk and have a no-scar-surgery that would eliminate this problem that became a part of my identity. It didn’t work and I suffered another year of insecurity because every time I looked in the mirror, I saw two reasons why I wasn’t a man, I wasn’t attractive, I wasn’t good enough…
The first tattoo I got was to cover my scars…
Two years of diet & training. The first time I looked in the mirror shocked at what I saw…
I was 25 years old.
What started out as another night out with my best friend, ended up being the night I met the girl of my dreams, or so I thought. We got into an argument because I took the side of the girl that he was dating at the time. I was always a third wheel, something I've grown accustomed to being, again, I was getting closer to the body that I wanted but still miles away from the confidence I needed. My best friend left me to go do a DJ gig, my phone was on 3%, if felt like my world was coming to an end. I relied on Austin for my social life. I’m an introvert & a homebody by nature. I was also broke as shit so I told myself I was the lucky one that he even wanted to be friends with me & take me places. The only thing that was on my mind was getting to him so I could apologize. Despite having a few drinks in my system, I was able to locate him and we immediately had a conversation. Next thing I know, I get a tap on my shoulder followed by the question: "are you QuoteAbel?”. It was from the girl that I was in love with through Instagram.
Eight months later, on and off dating, the main thing that I feared from day one finally happened. So afraid to lose something I work so hard at making last, I was blind sided with "we need to talk”. It wasn’t the closure conversation that saves you years of frustration & suicidal-depression, it was the type of conversation that fuels insecurity & kills any type of dignity you had. It was the second & last time I gave everything I had to one woman. Despite my valiant efforts, I wasn’t assertive, I wasn’t a man, I wasn’t good enough…
Hollywood Millz
Angela
I was 28 years old.
I was two years into my corporate job, I was making good money for the first time in my life, I was also a soulless zombie. My prior years of creativity were dead. I didn’t care about music, I didn’t care about poetry, I didn’t care about anything besides working, working out & making more money. 6 months prior, I finally decided to study for my personal training certification. I couldn’t last one more second at that job but wasn’t assertive or man enough to leave. The people around me were negative, the commute was always crowded, the gym was always packed, I was living for the weekends.
August 2016, after 6 months of spending all my free time studying, I passed the NASM CPT test. FUCKING ECSTATIC! I spent the next month training a few friends for cheap just to get experience & money in. September 2016, I spent my birthday in Dominican Republic. I could get used to this. Work 9-5 & train people afterwards until I had enough clients/money to leave that soul-sucking job. It’s funny whenever you think you have a plan of how things will go, the universe likes to throw a wrench in there to show you who’s the real boss. I came back from DR & we had a meeting (something that never happens unless it’s bad news). Long story short, no one in that department had a job anymore & we had two months to figure out what to do next. I stayed on for the transition period & after two months, I was offered another position in the company or, take my severance & look for something else. I just turned 28 years old. I didn’t have any real responsibilities. I didn’t have a girlfriend or a child. This was it for me. This was my chance to see what I was made of. It was my time to see if the life I wanted to live was possible. No one was going to baby me anymore. How great do you want to be? How bad do you want it? Are you good enough?
Collateral Analyst. After hours
Puerto Plata, DR
I’m 30 years old.
I’m at my 3rd personal training job.
It took me almost two years to feel comfortable in this profession.
Two years of failing, doubting myself, & grinding.
What I’ve learned is the harder you work, the faster the results come.
What’s overwhelming at the beginning, becomes routine after a few months.
If you do right by people, help out as many people as you can for free, experience & character grows exponentially.
When you focus on becoming a better version of yourself daily, instead of comparing yourself to others, that momentum lands you new opportunities.
If you live in your truth, no one can own you.
OVER DELIVER EVERY TIME!
Consistency > Perfection
Discipline > Motivation
Waiting for closure is like holding your breath, it feels like you’re dying the longer time passes.
If you give up, you’ll never reach your goals.
Which brings us to the title of this blog, Offense. It took me 30 years to realize why I’m not where I want to be yet. I was waiting for someone to save me. I was waiting for things to happen. I was waiting for permission, to be told it’s okay for you to try a little harder now, you’re ready for what’s next. The truth is, you’ll never be ready for what’s next until you start now. I thought surgery was going to fix my body image issues, I thought Angela was going to be the last girl I was ever with, I thought that 9-5 was going to be the last job I ever had… There’s a few things I’m certain of, if you don’t like your body, do something about it. If you don’t like your job, do something about it. If you don’t like feeling hopeless, do something about it!
The road to becoming is a long journey that will test your faith, resiliency & strength.
Every “no” is a speed bump, not a dead end.
& If you’re good enough, NO ONE is stopping you... You’re more than capable.
If you want to lose weight, google is your best friend, or hire a coach.
If you want to get further in business, read a shit load of “how to’s”, or hire a mentor.
You have a gift & a story that needs to be shared, to save someone else’s life, to remind them that things they wish for, dream about, cry about is possible with faith & work. Sacrifice something now for something better in the future.
Here’s to a productive & offensive 2019.
Structure Personal Fitness
Alone For The Holidays
“You’re always in the gym”
I left home at the age of 13. I was lucky enough to receive an academic scholarship through ABC (A Better Chance). It was at a time when I was become rebellious & hated rules. I needed structure.
When I arrived at the ABC house in Swarthmore, PA, it was a culture shock. I moved from the inner city into the suburbs outside philly & it was nothing like I expected it to be. I wasn’t adventurous but I was always up for a challenge (& to get away from home).
Growing up, my dad became sick & it got progressively worse year after year until May 2009. My mom took on more responsibility than she wanted or was prepared for & my brother was doing whatever he wanted.
When we were young, my parents didn’t want me in the streets so they bought me every video game I wanted if I did well in school. Growing up, I couldn’t wait to get home from school, speed through homework & play video games with my brothers for hours on end.
But when I got to Swarthmore, video games for hours until bed wasn’t allowed. It was school, extra curricular activities (for me was football then track), dinner with everyone, 2 hours of study hall minimum then you had an hour ish to get ready for bed then school the next day.
When it came to the weekends, what I was deprived of all week was made up with Madden & Halo. I was a beast. I was also an introvert, shy, & horrible with making friends or talking to girls.
I came home for the holidays & the summer. Home meant taking care of my sick dad, being around my stressed mom & seeing my brother who was amazing at basketball, girls & had a ton of friends. So what did I do? You prolly guessed it. Video games alone. In the summer I’d play basketball with my brother but I wasn’t very good. I was big & loved playing defense so I was a good pick up. I didn’t want the ball unless it was to make an assist.
I’m getting off topic. Why am I posting this?
Because I had no confidence in myself growing up. I stepped into the gym when I was young for vain reasons. I wanted the body that girls gawked over, a star athlete, & to be popular. I basically wanted attention because I wasn’t getting enough of it anywhere else.
I step into the weight room now because I know what hours of sacrifice & discipline will result in. A strong body & mind. The holidays are still a reminder that even when you’re celebrating, there’s people who are suffering with no end in sight. So… If you had the opportunity to spend it with your family, cherish that.
Heavy Is The Head Who Wears The Crown
There’s people in this world who honestly have no friends or family left… then there’s people like me.
I have a Mom, Brother & Niece. I have plenty of friends that I can call or text everyday w/o any limitations.
However, This was me on Thanksgiving Day 2018.
I just checked my photos app from a year ago & also… no picture of food, family or friends.
I like to rely on the descriptions “introvert” & “homebody” as my reasons aka excuses for wanting to be alone a majority of the time & excluding myself from get togethers.
What this technique has brought me is distance vs the things in life we enjoy but can’t buy, love.
If you’re feeling sorry for me at this point, don’t.
I believe every adult is more than capable of choosing his/her fate.
You can’t have your cake & eat it too.
You can’t have the space for quiet as well as the presence of love.
You can't be selfish with other people's time when it's convenient for you.
A day that's created for busy people to connect with the people that they love, I chose to spend it doing the "important thing" that I value.
How did I get here?
I chose myself again and again to the point where I didn't make time for others.
You can't tell someone that you miss them, you have to show them.
You can't tell someone they're important to you, you have to show them.
November 30, 2016, I made a decision that being in an office all day wasn't the best thing for me.
I jumped in without thinking. I took a leap of faith.
I refused to be surrounded with people who were draining me of my energy.
I'm not someone that likes to complain when I know I can control the outcome.
Being 30 years old, I don't feel that much different than when I was 21.
What makes me feel physically good is the decision that I made over a decade ago to start working out and six years ago to change my nutrition.
My mom couldn't cook for me anymore because I refused to eat her food.
I couldn't hang out with my brother as much because I was too picky to eats chips and burgers every day.
I couldn't hang out with my friends because I didn't have the money to afford drinks or eat out multiple times a week.
I didn't want to let family or culture dictate the way did I lived.
When you choose to live life on your terms, it's going to come with a lot of lonely days, it's going to come with a lot of frustration, it's going to come with the days that test your will.
Why would any sane person choose to diet and workout when most of their friends & family will not participate.
Why would you want to put so much stress on your plate, when most of the people that love you will let you down?
Heavy Is The Head Who Wears The Crown
Leave a comment below on how you handle this?
Defining 30...
I’ve been thinking about “30” for a long time now… I thought I would feel old & useless, instead, I feel rejuvenated. I found a path in life that allows me to put forth my best qualities on display to have a positive impact on others. “Influencer”, not the ones you see on social media that make you question the definition or your own worth, but a real-life influencer is what I’ve been told I am. I wanted to spend this birthday on a beach somewhere away from everyone & everything just to decompress or maybe just flex on the ‘gram. A recent conversation with a good friend reminded me that wasn’t necessary & here’s why:
The word “Grind” was something I only saw my Mom do for years.
I didn’t understand it because I couldn’t feel it.
She never complained about her workload to me.
She allowed me for years to follow my passion for words & try to become an Artist.
Years…
We had our arguments here & there but she wanted me to be happy, that’s the most important thing a parent cares about.
When that didn’t pan out how I planned, I went back to the corporate world & she was proud.
But it didn’t take long for that happiness to fade.
I had income but I wasn’t producing or creating anything to be proud of…
What I did for fun/therapy was workout. That’s pretty much the only thing that consumed my thoughts during my 9-5.
I finally decided if there was ANYTHING in this world I would pour my everything into… it would be this lifestyle.
I left my secure job two years ago, to the dismay of my mom, & ventured into the world of personal training.
What’s funny about that situation is that the “secure” job I had folded because the department was sold to another bank.
Nothing on Earth is secure. You wake up everyday & try to make sense of the chaos in this world.
A few months into training, I saw Gary V on the breakfast club & instantly became a fan.
After watching countless #DailyVee episodes, I found out he had a personal PERSONAL trainer. Mike Vacanti. Not the usual “see me x times/week”. He was full on Gary’s trainer EVERYday EVERYwhere. I was blown away.
Now I had a new idol/person to aspire to be.
I watched Mike’s daily vlogs, read his articles on his website, download his app & started tracking my macros.
Nothing happens by chance/coincidence. You’re meant to be exactly where you are.
Exactly one year ago in early September, I finally met this legend & it changed my life forever.
He got me an opportunity at my current training job @structurepf with another great mentor @coachkevindineen.
A year later, we talk regularly, hangout when our schedules lineup & I made two appearances on his vlog.
"This is just a taste of what the life could be”
I don’t know exactly how to describe this.
I graduated from Bucknell University in 2010.
I thought I was going to take my Economics/Sociology degree & do something in finance for the rest of my life.
That was my plan.
I didn’t get the job I wanted for another 5 years. In that time, I went from whatever job to job just to have something to do.
I explored a path in the music industry that revealed I didn’t really have the passion for it.
My mom watched her son struggle everyday trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.
If my dad was around & healthy, I'm sure I would received the tough love I needed to get my shit together.
But he wasn’t around & my mom had too much on her plate. I was selfish.
I was able bodied to do more than her but weak minded.
In that time also, I changed my body drastically & lost 55 lbs in 3 years.
I wanted to be a fitness model because I thought that’s just what happens when your body looks good & you’re strong.
I was told to be a trainer but I told people I wasn’t certified or good enough for that (ha)
I fell in love & got my heart broken twice in that timespan…
I say all that to say this, I learned to be kind & caring from my dad. I learned to work hard & focus from my mom.
This life & lifestyle would have never happened without her.
If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here (literally) or the man I am today.
On my 30th year of life, this feeling I don’t know how to describe is…. I’m Happy.
I’m not lost anymore.
I found something I’m good at & I enjoy doing everyday.
I found a way to connect with other & help people everyday.
I found my way & myself through depression & rejection.
Forever Grateful & Thankful
Love you all.
How To Track Your Macros
The goal after reading this blog post is that you understand the following:
What are macros?
What my macros "should" be
Foods with a nutrition label vs foods without
How to track macros: Measuring and Weighing
Macronutrients vs Calories
For the 60 second reader, here is the app I used that helped me lose 30 lbs in 2017 over the course of 7 months with strength training 3-4x/week supplementing cardio & ab work MAYBE once every other week. Download the (FREE) Macros App by Mike Vacanti. Macros, short for macronutrients, are comprised of protein, carbohydrates, & dietary fats that make up the calories (energy) you consume in a given day. There’s three options you can choose from, fat loss, maintenance or muscle gain.
Fat loss is achieved through being in a calorie deficit over an extended period of time; maintenance is achieved through eating enough calories to stay at the same weight; and muscle gain is achieved through being in a calorie surplus for an extended period of time.
For the rest of you who want to understand WHY this option might be best for you, keep reading ;)
What are macros?
Macros, short for macronutrients, are comprised of three (technically four if count alcohol) components: Protein, Carbohydrates & Fat. They are the foods & drinks we consume that contains calories. Your favorite bacon, egg, & cheese breakfast sandwich, salads doused in dressing for lunch & fast-food chain takeouts for dinner are all made up of macros (in different ratios), some “good", some "bad”.
Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
Think building muscle & appetite control
Its primary function is to build & repair body tissues & structures. It is also necessary for the production and protection of antibodies that prevent us from illness and infections. Additionally, protein can be used for energy if calories or carbohydrates are insufficient in the diet (gluconeogenesis).
Protein can be obtained from meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, nuts, legumes, vegetables, grains, & protein powder. A highly-advertised “good source of protein” that you should be careful with is nuts as they are a great source of fats, not protein. For example, 1 serving of almonds has 6 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbs, & 14… FOURTEEN grams of fat! A high-protein diet during your fat loss journey will help you maintain as much lean mass as possible and can even help build muscle. But, consuming too much protein can lead to harmful effects such as kidney dysfunction, constipation, dehydration & even weight gain.
How much protein should you consume? Good question. It depends where you’re currently at, where do you want to go, & what method (diet style) do you want to choose. Sorry it’s not a simple question/answer. To make this simple, say you are 200 lbs with 25% body fat. You can go as low as 0.5-1.5 g/lb of lean body mass/day. Lean body mass is your total weight minus your weight in fat. For example: 200 - (200 x 0.25) = 150 lbs. So if you weigh 200 lbs & have 150 lbs of lean body mass, 0.5 x 150 = 75 grams of protein.
My go-to sources of protein are skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey/beef, sometimes fish (wild caught salmon), a meal replacement shake & post workout shake from 1st Phorm.
Carbohydrate: 1 gram = 4 calories
Think performance & recovery
If you want to enjoy working out & want to recover at a normal rate, you need to consume carbs. Carbs are compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and are generally classified as sugars (simple), starches (complex), and fiber.
Who cares about simple, complex carbs & fiber, right? Your stomach & body does, duh! What you need to know about the difference between these two is how they’re digested & absorbed. Simple sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose) are best for quick energy because of how fast they are absorbed by the body. Be careful with ingesting a lot of simple carbs because they have little nutritional value (no fiber) so people who are trying to lose weight, should limit their simple carb intake. Complex carbs (polysaccharides) are best for energy that lasts and because they are longer in chain than simple sugars, they take a longer time for the body to breakdown. They come in the form of rice, bread, potatoes, cake, candy, & countless other enjoyable/less enjoyable sources.
Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate. There’s two types: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fiber is dissolved by water and forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract. Soluble fiber has many benefits, including moderating blood glucose levels and lowering cholesterol.
Insoluble fiber does not absorb or dissolve in water. It passes through the digestive tract close to its original form. Insoluble fiber offers many benefits to intestinal health, including a reduction in the risk and occurrence of colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and constipation
The more refined a carb is, the less nutritious & filling it will be. That’s not to say that there are good & bad carbs, that’s just to say that depending on where you are in your body goal journey, certain carbs at certain times of the day will help you or hurt your progress.
How much carbs should you consume? You technically don’t need any or that much (keto) but then again, I don’t promote or suggest cutting anything out of your diet because the internet said so. I do carb-cycling meaning on the days where I train, I consume “a lot” of carbs, & the days I don’t workout, I consume about half that amount. In the interest of simplicity & consistency, aim for 0.5-2 g/lb of lean body mass.
My go-to sources of carbs include cinnamon raisin bagels, sour patch kids, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, brown rice, bananas, blueberries, cinnamon toast crunch, strawberry cheesecake flavored yogurt, & Halo Top.
Fat (Lipids): 1 gram = 9 calories
Think hormone production & regulation, vitamin absorption, energy, brain function & maintaining body core temperature
Fats are a key component to your diet as they are the basic building blocks of your cell membranes. Every cell in your body is surrounded by a fatty membrane that allows the balance of hormones to enter. Cholesterol, aka fat, is responsible for the production of testosterone & estrogen (hormones) so avoiding fats altogether, will result in hormonal imbalances that will affect metabolism, fertility & life expectancy.
Some types of vitamins rely on fat for absorption & storage such as Vitamin A, D, E & K. These fat-soluble vitamins cannot function without adequate daily fat intake. Fat is also your back up source of energy when carbs are depleted, keep this in mind especially when you’re working out. Your brain is made up of nearly 60% fat so at times if you’ve experienced “brain fog”, you’re not getting enough high-quality fats. Where can you get high-quality fats from? Nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut/olive oil & fatty meats.
How much fats should you consume? Aim for 0.25-1 g/lb of lean body mass.
My go-to sources of fat are eggs, beef bacon, vegan cheese, almond butter, coconut/olive oil & fish oil supplements.
Foods with Nutrition Labels vs Foods Without
Every nutrition label will give you:
Serving size
Servings per container
Calories
Total Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Protein
Micronutrient %s
For the purpose of macros, we’re only going to focus on protein, carbs & fats.
1 gram of protein & carb = 4 calories each.
1 gram of fat = 9 calories.
These three macronutrients make up calories. From the example to our right, we find that:
Protein: 14 x 4 = 56 calories
Carbohydrate: 77 x 4 = 308 calories
Fat: 2.5 x 9 = 22.5 calories
So… 56 + 308 + 22.5 = 386.5 calories.
I thought about finding a different label but I’m not going to because there’s two valuable lessons to learn here:
Just because a nutrition label says how many calories there are, mistakes happen in counting.
Due diligence will be rewarded.
The more you practice this, the less time it will take & the less confused/anxious you will be. Also, note that micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) do not contain calories so we don’t have to do any calculations there.
Now, for the foods that do not contain nutrition facts, I use:
last & certainly least, myfitnesspal.com
I think it’s also important to mention that most fast-food chain restaurants have on their website a nutritional database. The more fancy or less popular a restaurant is, the less likely you’ll be able to know exactly how many macros you’re consuming. These are three places I often go to:
Here’s an honorary member to the nutrition calculator (just found this while searching for these restaurants)
How to Track Macros: Measuring and Weighing
The easiest way for you to understand portion size in my opinion is to cook your food using a food scale, measuring cups & spoons. You can order one online from amazon or go to target & pick one up (or order online as well). I measure foods/liquids in grams or ounces keeping it simple, stupid (KISS). The main objection I get from people is that it is tedious & annoying to do. Okay... I don’t disagree with them but… BUT BUT BUT(T), if it took you less than a month to acquire a skill that will benefit you for the REST of your life, would you say no? You don’t need to spell the alphabet out anymore to form sentences; once you get accustomed to your job, you don’t need a to do list to remind you of the basics.
Macros vs Calories
Think about it like this. You wouldn’t work your job without know how much you’re earning an hour, so why eat foods if you don’t know their caloric DNA. You can lose weight just counting calories, but for the purpose of body composition, you’re going to have to increase your intake of protein & reduce your intake of carbohydrates & fats. If we don’t track our calories, it’s very easy to go over in carbs & fats & barely hit your protein goal because we like taste over discipline & (veggies lol).
But I promise you, learning how to track your macros will take the confusion out of life & give you more time to focus on important things like buying slimmer clothes because your old ones don’t fit or responding to tinder/bumble messages because appearance matters no matter how many times people say “it’s what’s on the inside that counts” (btw that’s still important, but it’s much more rewarding to look & feel like a Porsche)
In Conclusion
Tracking macros is not a forever thing. It's something you do for a while until it becomes second nature & you no longer have to think about it. This can be overwhelming if you're new to this so if that's the case, please send me an email at abel@aymhigher.com or drop a question in the comment section, I'll be more than happy to help you out. I am also accepting online coaching clients if you're in need of help with nutrition, don't know where to begin in the gym or you hit the wall & plateaued. You will receive 24/7 access to me & customized training programs.
How to Lose FAT with Intermittent Fasting
Intro
Intermittent Fasting is a meal-timing strategy that can help you lose body fat by a combination of fasting for a longer period of your day & feeding for a shorter period of your day. It’s not magic so don’t think that if you restrict the number of times you eat in a day, you’ll automatically lose weight & body fat. The number one factor in your success of losing weight is by being in a calorie deficit. This is how IF can help with your overall reduction in calories. In your 24 hours of the day, you can go 12:12 or 16:8 meaning 12 hours fasted & 12 hours eating or 16 hours fasted & 8 hours eating. I recommend for anyone starting out is with 12:12, then gradually make your way up to 16:8. You can do longer than 16 hours but personally, that’s when I start to get irritable & my first meal will not only be higher in calories but bad in terms of macros (high carbs, fat & low in protein). You don’t need to be strict with this meal-timing strategy because what’s more important than following “rules” is listening to how your body feels. Appetite suppressants such as coffee, low-cal/zero calorie energy drinks, & BCAAs help with blunting hunger and extending your fasting period.
Research:
The research I’ve done on the internet with IF presented me with 3 popular options people follow:
The "16/8 method” (By Martin Berkhan):
Also called the "Leangains” protocol, it involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours, such as 12–8p. Then you fast for 16 hours until 12p the next day.
"Eat-Stop-Eat” (By Brad Pilon):
This involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week, for example by not eating from dinner one day until dinner the next day.
The “5:2 diet” (By Dr. Michael Mosley):
With this method, you consume only 500–600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week, but eat normally the other 5 days.
TEF (Thermic Effect of Food)
This is a small component of TEE (Total Energy Expenditure) or TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure): The amount of energy (calories) spent, on average, in a typical day. It’s made up of 3 ingredients:
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): The amount of energy expended while at rest; represents the minimal amount of energy require to sustain vital bodily functions such as blood circulation, respiration, and temperature regulation. RMR typically accounts for 70% of TEE.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): The amount of energy expended above RMR as a result of the processing of food (digestion) for storage and use. TEF typically accounts for approximately 6-10% of TEE.
Energy expended during physical activity: The amount of energy expended above RMR and TEF associated with physical activity. Physical activity accounts for approximately 20% of TEE.
Long story short, it doesn’t make a difference if you eat 2 or 6x/day, you still burn the same amount of calories from digestion. Total Calorie intake is what drives TEF.
The Physiological Benefits of IF include improved:
Cognitive Functions
Increases the brain hormone BDNF & may aid the growth of new nerve cells. It may also protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Growth Hormone
Key role in growth, body composition, cell repair & metabolism.
Less body fat, higher GH levels.
Boosts muscle growth, strength & exercise performance while helping you recover from injury & disease.
Insulin Sensitivity
Lower insulin levels make stored body fat more accessible.
Life-Hack Benefits:
You get to spend less time thinking about what to eat, less time preparing meals & less time cleaning up. For example, if 12-8p is your eating window, you can drink coffee, an energy drink, & water with BCAAs up until 12p. From 12-8p is when you get to enjoy calories, then you’re back to fasting until 12p the next day. Two big meals & 2 shakes is what I typically consume on a day where I’m practicing IF.
Who Should be practicing Intermittent Fasting?
In short, almost everyone can. Always consult with your doctor first to understand your personal risks if you have any pre-existing conditions that may negatively affect your health such as: diabetes, blood sugar regulation, low blood pressure, take medications, underweight, have a history with eating disorders, trying to conceive, history of amenorrhea (menstruation problems), or pregnant/breastfeeding.
IF is perfect for anyone who wants to lose weight but hasn’t seen the progress they’d like because their previous diets were too strict. You can also gain muscle/put on weight with IF but it’s much harder because of the small window you have to eat.
In Conclusion:
Can Intermittent Fasting work for you? Yes.
How will you know? Try it out.
What if it doesn’t work? Try being more loose with your eating/fasting window. You can also add FASTED CARDIO to your regimen.
IF is less about WHAT to eat or more about WHEN to eat. If you need further assistance, send me an email abel.y.mezemer@gmail.com or send me a message here