Your Healthy Reminder: Don’t Forget This!
November 16, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
As I’ve talked about previously, there are a number of reasons to workout and eat healthy…
The hard work is worth it!
-To improve performance
-To look better to attract others
-To look better to feel good and confident about yourself
-The high that often comes from a good, hard training session
-Improve energy
-Reduce stress (this is huge factor for many people!)
-To reduce the risk of all kinds of health problems
Now, the last one I mentioned unfortunately is the an afterthought for many people. But it should be high on the “reason to workout/eat healthy,” list. A couple reminders of why this is so important…
The Real “Main Reason” to Workout – This was a blogpost that I did awhile back talking about a guy that I used to train in California (currently training him on-line). When he came to see me, things looked bleak. His doctor told him that he was 48 seconds (give or take a few weeks) away from developing diabetes. and had a bunch of “red flags” when the doc checked all of his numbers (cholesterol, glucose levels, etc, etc). Anyway, this all GREATLY changed after a few months of good, hard training, and much improved eating.
It’s All Muscle Mark Young talks about how dangerous it is to carry around a bunch of abdominal fat, shows us some scary pictures (like what a “fat” heart looks like), and basically scares the bejesus out of us.
Sometimes fear can be a good thing.
Now, I do want to point out once again – if you are currently not living a very “clean” life, it doesn’t have to miserable and boring to workout and eat healthy. For example, you best believe that I’ll be having some fun with friends and family over Thanksgiving week (i.e. beer will be consumed, mashed potatoes will be consumed, and I plan on eating 4 pumpkin pies… not pieces, pies). Work hard, be disciplined, be consistent, and PICK YOUR SPOTS when it comes time to getting a little crazy. If you hop RIGHT BACK ON the clean living wagon, it’ll be all good. Scroll up and review the benefits of training and a solid nutrition plan, they’re well worth it!
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Follow me on Twitter >>> @DannyMcLarty
What Did I Eat Today?
November 4, 2011 by danny · 6 Comments
Over the last few days I’ve been, well, less than perfect with my eating. I walked by the Halloween candy we had in our house about 376 times, and I dug my hand into that pile more than once. And then last night after I lifted in my home gym, my post-workout meal was a mix of count chocula + cheerios + almond milk with a little protein powder sprinkled in there.
Don’t get me wrong, I still incorporated a lot of protein, veggies, and healthy fats throughout the day. BUT, I did cheat more than I should have.
This is the key to success in this health and physique “game” >>> If you get back on track right away, a little cheating here and there is perfectly fine. Problems arise when a bad night of drinking beer and scarfing down pizza turns into a pancake and syrup infested morning, followed by a quick run to Micky D’s for lunch, and finished off with a family dinner at Olive Garden where you start with 14 breadsticks as your appetizer. Moderation, moderation, moderation! Let’s just not forget what moderation really is… i.e. don’t kid yourself into thinking that cheating 50% of the time = moderation.
Tell Others About Your Goals. Don’t Keep It To Yourself.
Since I splurged a bit over the last couple days, I told myself that I would not put one thing in my body that even resembled a cheat food. I walked by that Halloween candy pile another 34 times, but didn’t give in to temptation once. Another motivating factor was the fact that I knew I was going to blog about what I ate today and didn’t want to look bad when I logged this for you all to read. Sometimes “putting it out there” is great motivation and can be a very powerful tool in helping you drop a few pounds (or whatever your goal is). I know not all of you have a website to share this kind of info, but try something like this; when you start your fitness and nutrition plan, tell a few (or many) people close to you and let them know that YOU ARE GOING to reach your goal. That way, if you give up or don’t hit your goal, you also feel like you are letting them down. It’s a great way to help hold yourself accountable.
Believe it or not, you (my readers) helped hold me accountable today. Again, I knew I was going to be blogging about this later in the day and that REALLY helped me walk away from the Halloween candy. So thanks for the help my peeps! 
What I Ate On This “Bounce Back Day”
First Feeding #1
- ~ 1 cup of oatmeal
-apple slices mixed in
- ~ 1/4 scoop of chocolate protein powder (cinnamon added)
-4 whole eggs
Supplements: 1 fish oil capsule (just under a gram of combined EPA/DHA) + 1 Vitamin D Capsule (1000 IUs)
Green Tea with 1 tsp of creatine (sometime between feeding #1 and #2)
Feeding #2
- ~ 3 ounces of steak (grass-fed)
- ~ 3 ounces of turkey
- 1 small/medium red potato
- green beens + broccoli (organic)
Snacked on a YouBar as I was driving around doing some errands.
Feeding #3
- ~ 8 ounces of beef (grass-fed)
-2 Ezekiel English Muffins with almond butter spread on them
-green beens + broccoli
- ~ 10 almonds
Supplements – 1 tsp Carlson Liquid Fish Oil (lemon flavored) (1.3 grams combined EPA/DHA)
Feeding #4
-2 scoops whey protein powder (chocolate)
-2 strawberries + a handful of raspberries (both organic)
- ~ big spoonful of almond butter
-1 scoop of Superfood (veggie powder)
All mixed into a blender – tasty!
On top of this I had a bunch of water all day.
So there you have it, a typical day of what I eat.
Look similar to what you put down your pie hole on a daily basis? You eat cleaner than me? Does a day in my eating life look WAAAAY more clean than yours? Let me know!
And don’t forget the above message… put your goals out there for others to hear. It will really help you stick with it!
Follow me on twitter >>> @DannyMcLarty
An Interview with Jen Comas Keck: Girl Gone Strong
October 27, 2011 by danny · 9 Comments
I have a GREAT interview for you today. I tracked down Jen Comas Keck, and not surprisingly, she delivered in a big way. Jen is a great inspiration to all the females out there (and to many males as well)! Jen puts a big emphasis on weight training, which has been a key factor in achieving her outstanding physique. She proves that females can lift hard and heavy, and still look feminine and beautiful. With that said, lets get to it…
1) Jen, what got you involved with fitness?
I was insanely lazy when I was a teenager. I was a book worm and all I wanted to do was read and eat junk food. I despised the idea of doing anything physically active. While I had nearly straight A’s in every class, I failed gym class not once, but twice! I started packing on the pounds and when I was 17 years old somebody that I was very close to looked me in the eyes one day and said, “Ya know, you’re getting kinda fat.” I was completely devastated and cried my eyes out. The next day I begged my mom to help me get a membership to the gym, to which she obliged. I didn’t have a clue as to where I should begin, so I started taking aerobics classes. I was intimidated by the people in the weight room, so I’d go back to the gym around 8 or 9pm when nobody was there and I’d mess around with the machines and the weights. I initially fell in love with group fitness classes, so much so that I started instructing. I taught every class you could ever think of while living in Las Vegas, up to 13 classes per week, and had the time of my life! I decided I also wanted to work with people individually and got my personal trainer certification from NASM and started training clients, which I also loved. I’ve always been eager to challenge myself which led me to my first Figure competition and that is when I fell in love with strength training.
2) What are some of the early training mistakes that you made?
The biggest mistake I made was doing way too much cardio, thinking it would melt fat off of my body. I was cranking out around 5 hours of cardio a day for an entire year while I was teaching classes, and I think I lost a whopping total of 2 pounds!
3) And how did you modify your training to “turn things around” with your physique?
Late 2008 is when I did my first Figure show and I became obsessed with strength training. In early 2009, I abandoned all cardio and starting following DeFranco’s Westside for Skinny Bastards program. This is an awesome and simple to follow program that is geared towards gaining strength. It is centered around the “three big lifts”, which are squat, bench and deadlift. I gained a ton of strength, lost significant body fat and realized that this style of training is the golden ticket to a nice physique.
4) What do you consider to be a couple of the biggest mistakes that females make in regards to their training and nutrition?
Most females make the same big mistakes that I made. They think that cardio will get them their dream body, and they think that they can out-train a poor diet. Neither has an ounce of truth. I feel like the paradigm is slowly starting to shift and women are starting to see that that an ideal physique is created in the weight room… not on the cardio machines or in the classes! In regards to nutrition, women make the mistake of under eating, and it’s all of the wrong foods – too many carbs, not enough protein or veggies, and too many processed foods like granola bars and yogurt. If I could offer just two pieces of nutrition advice for women, they would be:
1. Eat whole, unprocessed foods.
2. Eat vegetables with every single meal, no exceptions.
5) Alright, lets have a little fun…
-What’s the one cheat food that you have a hard time saying no to? And how do you avoid “going there” too often?
I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth! My favorite thing in the world is probably carrot cake, with cinnamon rolls coming in a close second. However, I have recently eliminated gluten from my diet, which has caused my new obsession to be chocolate covered nuts. Whole Foods has chocolate covered pecans and they are so good that I dream about them! I never keep foods that are “off limits” in our house so I don’t have the option to consume them without planning for it.
-Speaking of food, I know you have a ton of great, healthy recipes. Care to share one of your favorites with us?
Yes! I’m very passionate about making clean treats to keep people sane while dieting. I also like to create delicious stuff in hopes that people will offer these to their children instead of sugary candy and cookies. I have so many recipes that I love, but I think my favorite is the pumpkin muffins. They are perfect right now for fall and delicious topped with natural peanut butter. They are gluten, dairy and sugar free, and I swear that you’d never know it!
-What is the one exercise that pumps you up the most to perform?
Deadlifts! They are, what I feel to be, the most bang for your buck. They work every muscle in your body and make you stronger overall. If somebody was only going to do one of the three big lifts, I’d highly recommend the deadlift. Something about locking out a heavy deadlift just feels so good and empowering!
-What is the one exercise that you dread to perform – but of course, you do it anyway, right?
Uh oh! Getting called out on this one! 
Truthfully, I hate to squat. I always have. Of course I force myself to do it albeit not as often as I probably should, which is why I’m pretty awful at them.
-As you walk onto the stage in a competition you have people in the crowd and all the judges, well, judging you; what area of your body do you feel best about?
My mom has the most beautiful legs I’ve ever seen and lucky for me she passed her genetics on down. That, paired with the fact that I absolutely hammer my legs twice per week, has blessed me with a set of legs that I’m pretty proud of.
And we all have that one area that just won’t cooperate the way want it to. Yours is?
Without doubt, it’s my midsection. My legs and back stay pretty lean, even if my weight swings upwards about 10 pounds, but in order for my abs to be visible, I’ve got to be around or below 15% .
6) Switching gears to the performance side of things, what are your current PRs (Personal Records) in the:
-Deadlift – 295 (it just kills me that I didn’t go for 300 that day!)
-Bench Press – 145. I’ve attempted 150 twice over the last 6 months and barely missed it both times. 150 will be mine before this year is over!
(Danny’s Note: A few hours after we finished up this interview, Jen sent me an e-mail saying that she hit 15o pounds in the bench press! Wow, talk about the power of putting a goal in writing – nice job Jen!)
-Squat – 215. I haven’t tested my squat max in about a year, so this is from last November.
7) What does your future in the field of fitness look like for you? Where can the readers find out more about you, Jen?
I have a fitness bucket list that seems to keep growing! There is so much I want to do. I am definitely planning on participating in Tri-Fitness next fall, and I can see myself doing some type of Strongwoman event and/or Powerlifting meet in the interim.
On another similar topic, I’ve recently teamed up with 6 amazing and strong females to create a women’s mastermind strength group called, “Girls Gone Strong”. We plan on putting on seminars & workshops, educating women on strength training and building a strong female network and support system. Our website should be up by the beginning of next year.
To find out more about me, you can visit my website www.JenComasKeck.com , where I have all of my recipes, articles and interviews posted. You can also find my daily training log on EliteFTS.com, hear me ramble in 140 characters on Twitter, or find me either at Facebook.com/jencomaskeck or under our female strength fan page which is Facebook.com/GirlsGoneStrong.
Danny’s Note – It is GREAT to see females like Jen passing on the message that embracing weight training will not make a girl “too big.” And that when done properly with progressive overload (and a solid nutrition plan), weight training plays a HUGE role in building a healthy and attractive female body! Girls like Jen have been a big inspiration to some of my young female clients over the years. Here’s a video of my client Coco, lifting 300 pounds in the rack pull…
One less female that we have to worry about becoming a “cardio queen!”
Thanks for the interview, Jen!
For more training, nutrition, and basketball information, you can find Danny on Twitter.
Things I Like (or maybe even LOVE)
September 14, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
If you read yesterday’s “Things I Hate” post, you know I had good reason to be a little moody. Well, last night I got better sleep and am in a better mood today. So it’s time to change gears to the positive. Things I like/love…
#1) The pump. All of us guys that make training a big part of our lives have a little meathead in us. I’m no different. It feels great to get after it and see your muscles temporarily swell up. Just don’t make “chasing the pump” too big of a goal in your sessions. Lifting heavy (with good form) will pay big dividends – it will allow you to lift more weight when you do your higher rep, “pump sets.” Again, the pump will happen, just don’t make getting a good pump the sole purpose of your training session.
#2) Watching a girl throw some BIG weight on the bar and seeing her getting pumped when she hits a PR (Personal Record). Here is one of my former clients Coco (I trained her in California before I moved back to Illinois), hitting a PR of 300 pounds on a “rack pull.” …
And what do you know, she still looks as feminine as ever. i.e. heavy weights will NOT turn a female into a dude.
#3) Da Bears! Great start to the season. Now, I’m not saying that they’ll go 16-0, but I loved what I saw in week one. (although they’ll probably go 16-0 )
#4) The WHOLE egg, yolk ‘n all. In short, a lot of the nutritional benefits come from the yolk. So do NOT throw out your yolks. For a more complete report on why I prefer the whole egg over just the whites, check this out… “Are Whole Eggs or Whites Better for You?”
Also, check out BSP’s blogpost on, “The Best Eggs”
#5) The grocery store bill in Rockton/Roscoe Illinois compared to San Ramon/Danville California.
#6) The Jim Rome show.
#7) People who choose exercises that are VERY difficult; exercises that test your wo/man-hood; exercises that make you wanna cry; exercises that build character like no others. For example, Anderson Front Squats…
Yep, we all like performing curls for the girls (I’m no different, see #1), but sometimes you have to man-up and KILL IT with the most difficult exercises even if they are not as fun!
#8) The lacrosse ball. By now, most people have found out just how beneficial a foam roller is (if not, get one and use it daily – life changing!). To take it a step further, get a lacrosse ball (tennis ball is cool too) and use it to hit the areas that the foam roller just doesn’t “get at,” like the LAX ball will (namely the hip flexor area, glutes, calves, feet, pecs, upper back/rear delts).
Here’s a good blogpost with all the benefits of “self myofascial release”
#9) My dad’s Swedish Pancakes! I haven’t had them yet since returning home, but I can’t wait!
#10) Sleeping babies!!!!!!!! I’m only on #10 but I’ve had to stop to go “tend to them” 47 (ish) times so far. Hush little baby don’t say a word, daddy’s gonna……..”
#11) This picture of my wife on the day we got married…
#12) Eric Church
#13) Jay-Z
#14) Justin Bieber, err, ah, um, I mean Pearl Jam
As you can see, when it comes to genres of music, I don’t discriminate.
#15) The fact that my brother (Chad) made a highlight video of me on my birthday…
#16) A protein shake made with; chocolate whey protein, almond butter, water/ice, Superfood (veggie powder), and organic blueberries.
#17) The first beer I consume after not drinking for a month. You should try it, it makes it taste so much better and THAT night much more fun; saves you money; your 6-pack doesn’t turn into a keg; tests your discipline, etc etc. Join me in the, “pick my spots,” lifestyle.
If you have any likes/loves that you wanna share, let me hear them.
That’s all folks!
Things I Hate
September 13, 2011 by danny · 2 Comments
It’s 3:52 a.m. right now and I’m up tending to both babies. Their crying just woke me… AGAIN! I’m feeling a little ornery right now, so I decided to vent and share, “Things I Hate.” I just gave them each a bottle, so for the time-being they are happy and I have a few minutes to get a few things off of my chest…
Things I Hate
#1) Guys that have big upper bodies, but legs that resemble Spongebob’s. C’mon dude, real men squat, deadlift, perform lunges, etc.
#2) People that spend months putting together the “perfect” workout plan, yet don’t move an inch ’til they get it juuuust right. There is no such things as the perfect plan guy, so in the meantime, just hit the weight room and get SOMETHING done!
#3) Celery
#4) People that don’t re-rack their weights.
#5) People that walk REALLY slowly across the street (when I’m driving the car). I get that you have the right of way, but c’mon, pick up the pace juuust a touch please. Pretty please?
#6) The fact that the first question out of a guy’s mouth is ALWAYS, “how much ya bench?” There are other exercises, you know. See #1.
#7) The fact that the ref that goes to the replay booth has to a) stop and tell us what he is going to review, THEN b) run WAY over to the replay booth, THEN c) run all the back to the field of play to announce the result of the play. Why doesn’t another ref just describe what they are looking while the other ref goes and checks out the verdict? C’mon NFL, be more efficient with your time (ok, I have patience issues).
#8) Red lights. I CAN’T WAIT for the light to turn green! (again, I need help – I’m more antsy than a 1st grader).
#9) Women that are afraid to move from the 8 pound dumbbells to the 10 pound dumbbells because they are afraid that they are going to get too big. C’mon, throw some weight on the bar, your curves will thank you!!!
#10) Mosquitos! My move from California to Illinois has brought mosquitos back into my life. Nope, still not a fan of those little bastards!
#11) People talking on their cell phones… DURING their sets! What a joke!
#12) Snakes
#13) High rep squats. If you’ve ever busted out a set of 20-25 rep squats and really gave it your all (full ROM!), you’ll know what I’m talking about!
#14) The fact that reese’s pieces are not good for us. Damn! I shared a pack the other day with Carson and said a little prayer afterwards; “God, if you could grant us one thing, please make reese’s pieces healthy.”
#15) People that use their right hand on the left side of the hoop to finish lay-ups… when they are practicing. Don’t your realize that every time you do this you’re missing an opportunity to get better with your left!?!
#16) When my shoe comes untied. Don’t know why, but this always pisses me off! I’m mean, it only takes me 2 seconds (I’m fast) to tie it back up, but still, it REALLY annoys me!
#17) Entourage’s series finale was only 35 minutes? What! Although I thought it was as great send-off episode, they could have at least made it an hour.
#18) High schools that place records on the wall in the weight room, yet form and range of motion are COMPLETELY ignored on “max out day.” Alex can get 92 push-ups? Really? I think not! Get your chest down to the floor on EVERY rep! Oh, and get your ass down on those squats. And by the way, you look like you are having a seizure while doing those “chin-ups.” And… the list goes on and on and on.
Alright, I’m getting really tired. The babies are sleeping again and I feel a little better now. Thanks for listening!
P.S. Yes, the twins have contributed to some REALLY LOOOOONG nights over the last 15 weeks and 4 days (who’s counting?), but they are definitely worth it…
Must Try Bar (YouBar)
September 2, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
I came across the YouBar on Brian St. Pierre’s blog awhile ago. While I’m a big believer that most of what we put in our body should come from whole foods, there is a time and place for a protein bar here and there. Plus, unlike most bars, the ingredients in YouBars ARE real ingredients.
This is not usually the case with the typical protein bar. Here’s an example …
Marshmallow Cream Layer (Maltitol, Milk Protein, Sorbitol, Palm Kernel Oil, Nonfat Dry Milk, Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavor, Calcium Carbonate), Chocolate Coating (Maltitol, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Cocoa (processed with alkali), Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose), Hydrolyzed Collagen, Protein Blend (Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Whey Protein Isolate), Glycerin, Soy Crisps (Soy Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Maltitol Syrup, Water, Natural Flavor, Marshmallow Pieces (Sugar, Corn Starch, Fructose, Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Natural Flavor, Salt, Soy Lecithin), Milk Chocolate Drops (Sugar, Whole Milk Powder, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor), Canola Oil, Peanut Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Ascorbic Acid, Tricalcium Phosphate, d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin), Salt, Sucralose, Soy Lecithin, Milk Protein Isolate, Wheat Germ, Almond Meal.
That is over 60 ingredients, most of which you don’t want in your body. Anyway…
I bought my first box of YouBars just before my drive from California to Illinois… great timing! I ate a couple a day, which made it not only very convenient while traveling, but obviously much more healthy than a quick Mickey D’s run.
When you go to YouBar’s website, you can create your own bar, or just do what I did, and go to an “already proven” bar that is healthy AND tasty. I went with Tim Ferris’ “Training 33” bar found HERE. Although I plan on doing a little mixing and matching in the future to see if I like and other combo better.
An added bonus, you can type “dmc” into the coupon code and receive 10% off!
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
MUST HAVE Cookbook For The Fit Food Lover! And a Great Salad Dressing Recipe
June 29, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
Just like you (I’m sure), I LOVE food. Did you know tasty food can also be healthy? Most people associate healthy food with boring, nasty tasting food. Another serving of plain chicken breast and broccoli anyone? This doesn’t have to be the case. There are MANY great tasting foods that are also healthy. In our household, we use Gourmet Nutrition quite a bit. As it says on the cover; “The Cookbook For The Fit Food Lover.” There are 100 recipes in there, and the vast majority of them taste great… except for the recipes that call for tomatoes, celery, or mushrooms. I’ve always hated those foods. I wish I didn’t, because they are all healthy. But lucky for me, there are plenty of other great ingredients/recipes throughout this book.
I’ll give you a quick healthy salad dressing to try;
“Balsamic Vinaigrette”
-Extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup
-Balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup
-Shallots (finely diced) 1/4 cup (we like to use garlic in place of the shallots sometimes – your call though)
-Fresh parsley (finely chopped) 1/4 cup
-Salt and pepper, to taste
People quite often make their “healthy” salad, not so healthy because of the dressing. Try the above dressing and you can now MAKE SURE your salad truly is healthy.
I can’t recommend this book enough. If you love to grub, but also need to eat food that tastes great, then Gourmet Nutrition is just what you need!
The Most Important Factor In Achieving Your Physique Goals?
June 22, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
When it comes down to being as sexified looking as possible, there are many factors that come into play. But what is the most important factor?
Is it weight training? Soft tissue work (i.e. foam rolling)? Cardio? Protein? Veggies? Active Recovery? Explosive work? Adequate sleep? Something else?
All of the above are important, obviously. But numero uno on my list may just be…
How we respond to a bad day of eating. We are all going to have a set-back here and there, but will your set-back turn into two days of pure crap eating? How about a terrible Saturday and Sunday, followed by a below average Monday and a not-so-good Tuesday? Sound familiar? If it does, then you are probably frustrated with your results. If you have a bad day, don’t worry, get RIGHT BACK ON the plan asap! If you do this, you’ll be fine. Don’t stress, just brush it off and again, get back onto clean livin’.
Here’s an example – I ate really clean for the two-weeks leading up to the pool party that I attended on Father’s Day. But at this party, I drank a few beers, had a couple of snacks, and basically just enjoyed myself. Now, here’s the key, when I woke up Monday morning, it was oats + blueberries + protein powder (with a little bit of cinnamon added) + 1 fish oil capsule. Then, when I had a break between clients, I headed straight to the store to stock up for the week.
In this trip to the store, I picked up;
-Old Fashioned Oatmeal (I forget to include this in the picture above)
-2 cartons of cage-free eggs (36 total eggs)
-8 free range frozen chicken breasts
-Bag of frozen organic blueberries
-Bag of frozen organic berry mix (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
-BIG Bag of organic “bean trio” (1st time trying this, it is a blend of lentils, adzuki, and mung beans. Hmm? We shall see how it tastes)
And then, already stocked up in my fridge/freezer at home are some veggies (cauliflower, green beans, etc), apples, and some more meats.
Anyway, as you can see, I jumped RIGHT BACK ON the healthy-train right away. I didn’t stress about having a less than stellar day on Father’s Day, and I feel no guilt – BECAUSE I didn’t let this snowball into something big ‘n ugly.
See, if you play your cards right, you CAN have your cake and eat it too!
Randomness From Around The Web
June 9, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
From facebook, to twitter, to YouTube, to blogs, I usually come across some great information that I think you all would benefit from. Here are four random topics that I have contributed to, or run into via the wonderful world wide web…
1) My good friend Sarah Hoffman, posed this question on FitStudio’s facebook page; “I’d love to have a great conversation about the USDA’s my MyPlate. What are your thoughts on it?! Good? Bad? Agree? Disagree?”
My response …
“I think it’s a step in the right direction, but still nowhere near perfect. I agree that healthy fats should be added. But most important to me, FOOD QUALITY IS NOT DISCUSSED. For example, “grains” – I think of grains as oats, quinoa, etc., whereas the average person that doesn’t study this stuff for a living may say, “I need to add grains huh? Cool, I’ll start my day off with a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.” After all, it does say “whole grains” right there on the box.”
Let me know if you agree or disagree with any of the above? I’m here to help make the world a mo’ healthy, mo’ buff, and mo’ sexy place. So if you like the info that I’m putting out, I’d appreciate it if you share my blog with your friends and family. Ya’ll have a great night! I’m out for now…
Preparation For “Beach Season”
May 23, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
With Memorial Day, trips to the beach, and pool parties right around the corner, it’s time to get lean. I’ve spent the last ~ 6 months trying to add a few lbs of muscle, even if it meant I added a little fat in the process. But, my mind-set has shifted – now is the time to shed any extra body fat in attempt to let the muscles show through. If you’ve been reading my work for any period of time, you know that I am the guy that has a VERY difficult time adding size, but can get lean relatively easily. So I’ve only just had to make a few simple adjustments. Simple as in; simple in theory, difficult in practice. To get lean, all I have to do is decrease my calories a touch and maybe add in a little cardio (if I am strict enough with the nutrition, I really don’t need any cardio, unless I’m trying to get uber lean).
But this is still difficult because like most any other human being out there, I’ll be craving pizza, desserts, beer, etc. I find that I crave this stuff less when I can have it – like during the winter months when I’m trying to add a few pounds. Don’t get me wrong, I still eat mostly clean in the winter, just not as clean. But when I’m trying to get ripped and eating really clean, I seem to crave some of the foods that I mentioned above. Like the song says: “You can’t always get what you want…”
I’m no robot, so I will make sure to enjoy life and treat myself to a beer(s) and pepperoni pizza from time to time. But I just have to “pick my spots,” making sure my “cheats” are few and far between. After all, goals and behaviors must match, right!
As you can see in the picture above, my abs are showing, but I have a little excess flab to remove. So, that is my goal right now: get as lean as possible without muscle loss. It’s going to be extra challenging since our twins are about to enter the world. Sounds like a good challenge though. And who doesn’t like a good challenge!
Below is what my nutrition looked like yesterday…
-Oatmeal + Blueberries + Protein Powder + Almond Butter + 1 Fish Oil Capsule
-Ground Turkey + Sweet Potato (just a little bit) + Broccoli
-JayRobb Bar
-Beef + Sweet Potato + Broccoli + 1 tsp liquid fish oil (I’m currently using the orange flavored by Carlson)
-Beef/Chicken + Broccoli
-2 pieces bread (sprouted grain) + almond butter + chicken + 1 scoop “Superfood” (a veggie/fruit powdered mix)
-Steak + Cauliflower
Oh yeah, a ton of water all day.
I try to make sure my beef is grass-fed as much as possible, and I buy organic fruits/veggies as much as possible as well. And by the way, this was a non-training day.
I can get away with eating a decent amount of carbs/cals and still get pretty lean. But as June approaches I will probably reduce them a touch. And probably increase my cardio a bit. You know, from once every 4 months to one every week or two.
That’s about it for now. You all have a great day and go stock up that kitchen with healthy foods, as preparation may be the biggest key in getting that sexy beach body!
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