When you think of a person who is very physically fit, who do you see? An ultra-marathoner, a sprinter, a weightlifter, a gymnast, a professional football player, or maybe a guy on the beach with a six-pack?

You may be surprised to learn that the simple question “What is Physical Fitness?” has confounded exercise physiologists and fitness organizations for decades who have tried to respond with an equally simple answer. More recently, the answer has been reduced to the following simple definition:

“Physical Fitness (D/F) – A measure of the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, resist hypokinetic diseases (diseases from sedentary lifestyles), and to meet emergency situations.”

Sometimes added to this definition is the ability to transmit genes to the next generation.

While this is the short answer for “What is Physical Fitness“, there is a longer and more interesting answer when you dig deeper. By looking at the individual components of physical fitness, we can get a better picture of what physically fit means in terms of how to identify it, measure it, and assert its significance.

The following are the top 10 facets of physical fitness that are adapted from sources that include President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, CrossFit, and the National Strength & Conditioning Association. The first 5 facets are health-related and can be improved through proper training and the last 5 are skill related, which can be improved through practice of motor skills – aside from power #9 and speed #10, which require both.

Physical Fitness | Health-Related:

Physical Fitness #1 | Body Composition

Definition: The relative amount of fat, muscle, bone, and other vital parts of the body.

Measurement: Skin fold calipers, BIA, DEXA (See: 5 Ways to Measure Body Fat Percentage)

Significance: Of all 10 facets of physical fitness, body composition is the only non-performance metric. For this reason, it is sometimes not included in other physical fitness lists. While it is possible for an individual to have a high degree of fitness and still have excess body fat, losing body fat while retaining lean muscle will improve all other physical fitness metrics given the strength/power to weight ratio will be improved, along with other general health markers.

Physical Fitness #2 | Strength

Definition: The ability of a muscle group to exert force

Measurement: Multiple tests must be completed to test more than one muscle group. Examples include max effort on exercises like the squat, bench press, or deadlift from 1-6 repetitions.

Significance: Strength is required to perform basic functional movements in our life like squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, and bending are important in our everyday life. In addition, as we age muscle size and strength tend to decrease along with bone mass, which can be reversed with strength training.

Physical Fitness #3 | Cardiovascular Fitness

Definition: Ability of the circulatory systems and respiratory systems to supply oxygen during sustained physical activity.

Measurement: VO2 Max Test, sub-maximal YMCA Step Test

Significance: Improved cardiovascular increases lung capacity so the heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood to the muscles. Also important for overall heart health and prevention of lifestyle diseases.

Physical Fitness #4 | Flexibility

Definition: The range of motion at a joint

Measurement: There is no specific test because there are many joints in the human body, but a range of stretches can identify flexibility like the sit and reach test, shoulder reach etc.

Significance: The optimal range of motion about various joints has a direct effect on almost all other facets of physical fitness. For example, if one’s hip flexors are tight, that can affect the ability to reach maximum speed, or perform agility drills to maximum effect.

Physical Fitness #5 | Muscular Endurance

Definition: The ability of muscles to continue to perform repeated contractions against submaximal resistance.

Measurement: Given there is more than on major muscle group, testing muscular endurance requires testing each individual muscle, or group. Examples include maximum number of push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and dips.

Significance: Performing repetitious physical activity such as gardening, raking leaves and washing your car will become less fatiguing.

Skill-Related Physical Fitness:

Physical Fitness #6 | Agility

Definition: The ability to rapidly change the position of the entire body in time and space with speed and accuracy.

Measurement: Shuttle run, zig zag run test

Significance: Agility is not only critical in most sports such as a boxer dodging a punch, a wrestler finishing a take-down, or a running back changing on a dime could all be considered examples of agility. In addition, changing directions is a common cause of injury, so proper movement control from high levels of agility is essential.

Physical Fitness #7 | Balance

Definition: The ability to maintain equilibrium while moving, or stationary

Measurement: Tests can be performed on a balance beam, or on the ground while holding various positions. Tests can be dynamic, or static.

Significance: Especially as we age, balance becomes increasingly important to prevent falls, which can result in serious injury. Balance is one of the most overlooked areas of fitness.

Physical Fitness #8 | Coordination

Definition: The ability to use the senses, such as sight and hearing, together with body parts in performing motor tasks smoothly and accurately.

Measurement: There are many different types of coordination, some of which require different movement patterns, muscle groups, and body positions such as juggling, dribbling a ball, or hitting an object.

Significance: Whether you want to play a musical instrument like the drums, or just get into your car while balancing your morning coffee, coordination is involved in many daily activities.

Physical Fitness #9 | Power

Definition: The ability of muscular unit or a combination of muscular units to apply maximum force in minimum time

Measurement: Many different tests can be employed to test power, which can also be split into various movement patterns. For example, testing power could be done by using exercises like hang cleans, or push press, the height of a vertical jump, or the amount of time it takes to sprint up a staircase. The components of power are strength and speed.

Significance: The ability to move a body quickly through space is very important in all sports, and is also required in daily living such as getting out of a chair, which requires not just strength, but power.

Physical Fitness #10 | Speed

Definition: The ability to perform a movement within a short period of time

Measurement: There are many different types of speed, which including running, swimming, and speed of hand, or foot movement.

Significance: Some sports are based purely on speed, and most sports require speed. Speed is also helpful in everyday life, especially when you leave your wallet in a cab and need to run after it.

Other Facets of Physical Fitness to Mention:

Stamina – Also referred to as anaerobic capacity, the ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy. There are three metabolic pathways of energy (1) phosphagen (2) glycolitic, and (3) oxygen. Cardiovascular fitness relates primarily to the 3rd pathway, while stamina is primarily a measure of the first two, which are involved in speed and power related activities.

Accuracy – This is partly covered by the definition of agility, but accuracy refers to the ability to control movement in a given direction at a given intensity.

Reaction Time - Also closely related to agility, is defined as the time elapsed between stimulation and the beginning of the reaction to it. Essential in times of emergencies.

Health, Nutrition, and Wellness – While mental fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being are not on this list, they are integrally tied to optimal physical fitness. In fact, optimal fitness could never be achieved without adequate mental fitness and proper nutrition.

I hope this list has provided a more comprehensive view of what physical fitness is all about so you can apply it to your own exercise regimen. At the end of the day, physical fitness can help us all live longer, fuller, and happier lives.

Could you use some work on one, or a few of these facets of physical fitness?

When I first started lifting weights at 16 years old, I used a fitness model workout routine I learned from reading Muscle & Fitness magazine. Almost 15 years later, the same workout routine is still used by most fitness models today. I know this because I’ve met many fitness models (male and female) in the last few years and combed through over a hundred workout routines of well-known fitness models on various bodybuilding websites.

By writing this article, I don’t mean to belittle the time and effort many fitness models put into achieving very impressive physiques, I just think there’s a better way for most people to get 95% of the results in far less time. I have done fitness modeling myself and will likely continue doing so in the future without following the standard approach. In addition, I know of fitness models who use training methods that are almost the exact opposite to the typical fitness model routine I’m about to present to you.

The “Standard” Fitness Model Workout Routine

The following is the typical fitness model workout routine, which requires a minimum of 5 workouts per week, oftentimes as many as 10, or more. The routine of a fitness model can be very similar to that of a bodybuilder, but less calories are consumed and the desired body proportions are different.

Below are 7 reasons why you should NOT use the typical Fitness Model Workout Routine, especially if you are a normal guy, or gal with a desk job:

1) A Fitness Model Workout Routine Uses “Straight Sets”

“Straight Sets” is a strength training term that means completing an exercise, resting for 1-2 minutes, then complete the same exercise again. While this approach does have its merits to help increase strength, it’s terribly inefficient when done every workout. For example, a much more efficient approach would be alternating between exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups with minimal rest, or even pairing together multiple exercises in a circuit. You will get a lot more exercise completed in much less time with minimal sacrifice to overall strength.

2) A Fitness Model Workout Routine Focuses On One Muscle Group Per Workout

This photo is of top fitness model Greg Plitt who trains one muscle group each workout. He could have likely achieved similar results with training protocols that required much less time investment (but still a lot of effort!)

While this isn’t always the case, most fitness models split their workouts so one muscle group is being worked each day (excluding abs) as shown in the preceding chart. For a fitness model who is looking to shape every square inch of his, or her body, this does make sense…but it’s not efficient at all. Even alternating between a small muscle group and a large muscle group is a far better idea, which cuts down your gym time.

For example, you can do a chest/biceps, back/triceps, and shoulders/legs body part split each week, alternating between the large muscle group and small muscle group every set (I did this for years). This allows more exercises to be completed in less time while still allowing control over sculpting your physique. If you want to be lean and fit, but do not care about scuplting your body with the precision of a fitness model, you should even consider full body workouts (See: Full Body Workout vs. Body Part Splits: Which Is Better?), which offer the added benefit for some people of working a muscle group 2-3 times per week vs. just once and burns significantly more calories.

3) A Fitness Model Workout Routine Uses “Steady State” Cardio

It’s amazing that many fitness models still do cardio 1-2 hours in the morning on an empty stomach in an effort to lean out before a photo shoot. While this strategy certainly works, the time allocation simply isn’t necessary. Interval training, which alternates between light exercise and intense exercise can help burn fat faster and burn more calories in much less time. If you are busy, interval training should be the preferred cardio of choice. I’m not saying “steady state” cardio at light to moderate intensity is a complete waste of time, it’s just not ideal.

4) A Fitness Model Workout Routine Has Too Much Volume

Back in the day, I would follow the arm workout of a guy I saw in a magazine who had 18 inch guns and was probably taking steroids. So I completed an insane number of exercises, sets, and reps for each muscle group, which resulted in the following: (1) made it impossible to recover properly, (2) led to overtraining, and (3) I didn’t get the results I wanted. Even now, most fitness model workout routines have far too much volume (the total amount of exercise in a workout), which invariably leads to overtraining for someone who doesn’t take an ergogenic aid like steroids, or doesn’t have a very high fitness level.

For example, many routines call for 16+ sets focusing on just the biceps muscle, which is a tiny muscle even on a bodybuilder! That type of volume is completely unnecessary whether you are trying to lose fat, or build muscle.

5) A Fitness Model Workout Routine Lacks Functional Exercises

By separating a workout routine into muscle groups with 100% focus on aesthetics, important movement patterns may be neglected. For example, you can get a killer fitness model body without ever doing a twisting motion in the gym. The problem is, however, if you play in a game of hoops with some friends, you may find your core is quite weak and you have trouble changing directions quickly. This is one of many examples of how focusing simply on muscle groups can lead to muscle imbalances and lack of functional strength that are useful in your everyday life.

6) A Fitness Model Workout Routine Requires Training Almost Every Day

If you are strength training 5x per week and miss only one workout, you may go another week without working a given muscle group. If you are strength training 2-3x per week yet hitting your entire body over the course of these workouts, it’s a lot easier to reschedule a workout if you have something come up. This is a big reason I recommend most busy people complete either full body workouts, or a body part split that covers the entire body in only 2 workouts.

7) A Fitness Model Workout Routine Is Not Sustainable

Unless you are getting paid a 5 figure supplement endorsement deal and have a lot of free time, exercising as much as a fitness model can be very difficult to sustain for many years. The good news, however, is you can have a body that looks like a fitness model, performs very well, while spending a lot less time working out. You can follow much of the advice on this website and other websites that emphasize efficient strength training protocols and efficient workouts like in my BuiltLean Program.

I hope this article provides enough reasons for you to consider changing your body part split if you currently use the fitness model workout routine, or if you are searching for one, to reconsider other alternatives that may be a better fit for your fitness level and goals.

Maybe it’s a much needed vacation getaway, or just another one of those business trips, maintaining healthy eating habits while traveling can be a big challenge. Avoiding unhealthy foods is tough enough as it is, but it can seem impossible if you are rushing to a long flight and will be spending the next few days running in and out of meetings.

Well, fear no more! I have 7 tips to help you eat healthy while traveling and keep you going strong.

Eat Healthy While Traveling Tip #1 | Pack It In Advance

At the moment, food is still allowed in all forms of transportation (plane, bus, train, boat) so use it to your advantage by packing easy to-go meals and snacks to keep in your carry on. If you are traveling through the airport, all foods must be wrapped, packed, or contained. Also, the no liquid over 3.5 ounces rule applies here so leave dressings, sauces, or creamy substances at home if they are greater than said amount.

Here are 7 healthy travel snack examples:

1) Dried fruit and nut mix – Mix your favorite combo and throw them into the perfectly portioned snack bags. Some of my favorites are pistachios (shelled) and dried cranberries OR raisins and almonds. For a lower calorie, crunchier option, add a high fiber cereal (> 6gm of fiber, < 8gm of sugar)

2) Nut butter sandwich – Choose your favorite and slap it between 2 slices of 100% whole wheat or whole grain bread. I love Justin’s Nut Butter travel packs as an option too!.

3) Fruit – Make it easy by throwing a portable fruit in your bag. Apples and bananas are great go-tos for this.

4) Turkey sandwich – Try a low-sodium turkey breast (nitrate/nitrite-free is also a great choice) on 100% whole wheat or whole grain bread with your favorite mustard. Hint: adding mustard in between turkey slices will prevent soggy bread.

5) Veggies slices – If you don’t have the time to cut them, buy them pre-cut and throw them into a sandwich bag. Here’s an article on the best healthy snacks for the office that can also make a great travel snacks.

6) A health food bar – Choose ones that are made from whole and minimally processed ingredients and at least 8 grams of protein. Also, watch the sugar in these bars. Try to aim for less than 12 grams of sugar per bar. Some of my favorites include KindBar Protein Plus, Think Thin, NuGo Bar, Oskri Bar, Clif Mojo, The Good Bar, Luna, Luna Protein, and Simply Bar.

7) Protein powders – These are great if you have a re-usable water bottle. Throw powder in with water or skim milk and you’ve got a great treat. Tera’s Whey and Vega offer great to-go packs!

If you are traveling by car, bring a cooler. This will expand your options tremendously!

Eat Healthy While Traveling Tip #2 | Buy It On Your Way

If you weren’t able to pack in advance, which is ideal, you CAN make the right choice when purchasing food at the airport, train station, gas station, or bus station. A few items that are available at most terminals and stations are:

Limit alcohol – I would suggest not doing this while you are in travel, especially if you are driving. If you have other modes and must partake, go for a glass of wine; lite beer; or a small a liquor with club soda, water, or on the rocks.

Healthy Airport Restaurant Chart

If the airplane is your mode of travel, here is a top 10 list of the latest rankings from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

To read the complete report, visit wwwPCRM.org/AirportFood.

I hope you now have more confidence to eat healthy while traveling. Safe travels and don’t forget your exercise gear!

]]> http://www.builtlean.com/2012/02/14/eat-healthy-while-traveling/feed/ 3 http://www.builtlean.com/2012/02/07/post-workout-meal/ http://www.builtlean.com/2012/02/07/post-workout-meal/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:18:43 +0000 Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT http://www.builtlean.com/?p=6563

This article is a follow up to my pre-workout meal article written last week and a Q&A I did with Men’s Fitness on the subject of pre and post-workout nutrition.

While the world of nutrition is rife with controversy, most experts agree a proper post-workout meal can improve results versus no meal at all. The challenge is simplifying all the nuances to consider so you can eat a post-workout meal that works well for you.

What are the specific benefits of a post-workout meal? What meal ideas can work best for you? These questions and a lot more will be answered in this introductory article on post-workout nutrition. For more reading, I’ve linked to several research reports throughout the article.

Post-Workout Meal Benefits

Numerous studies have shown the benefits of post-workout nutrition, which include:

1) Prevents Muscle Breakdown – A tough strength training workout will create microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. If adequate nutrients are not supplied before and/or after the workout, these muscle tears can lead to further muscle breakdown, which means your muscle is broken down to form protein that your body uses as energy to repair itself.

2) Increases Protein Synthesis – After a strenuous workout, your body is biochemically primed to suck in nutrients. Your muscles are highly insulin sensitive, which means those carbs you eat can help shuttle protein into your muscles, instead of getting converted into fat. Insulin is a storage hormone that has a bad reputation because it is integrally involved in fat storage. After a workout, however, insulin is your friend and a proper post-workout meal can improve muscle building and increase fat loss.

3) Faster Recovery – A properly timed post-workout meal with the right nutrients can help decrease soreness in your muscles for a given amount of training. For example, if you are able to recover in only a day as opposed to 2-3 days, that means you can train harder and more frequently, which will lead to better and faster results.

4) Glycogen Replenishment – Regardless of the type of workout, if you are working out intensely, your body will use glycogen as fuel. Glycogen, which is stored in your muscles and liver is best described as your body’s preferred fuel source for workouts. Depending on the duration, type, and intensity of exercise, glycogen stores can become depleted. Eating ample carbs after a workout can not only promote protein synthesis, but also help replenish energy stores to keep you feeling energetic the rest of the day.

Post-Workout Meal Timing

There is a lot of debate as to the proper timing of a post-workout meal, but the preponderance of evidence suggests eating immediately after a workout as generating superior results.

A 12-week study conducted with previously untrained men examined the effects of consuming supplemental protein “immediately after versus two hours after a strength-training session. Those who consumed protein immediately after their workout gained significantly more muscle size and strength than those who consumed it two hours removed from their workout.”

Because of studies like this one, the 30-60 minute period after a workout is known as the “window of opportunity” to help maximize the training effect.

Post-Workout Meal Size & Breakdown

Given that the speed with which nutrients reach the body is critical, we need to take into account rates of digestion to maximize the nutrient delivery effect. Dietary fat slows down digestion, so a post workout meal should be low in fat. While protein in the form of meat can take a good 3-4 hours to digest, whey protein takes as little as 20-30 minutes to hit the bloodstream. Fast digesting carbs are ideal post-workout to help maximize the insulin effect and replenish glycogen stores. The only time when eating processed carbs is a good idea (other than on the occasional cheat meal) is post-workout. Fruit can also work well, which is what I prefer.

Whey protein combined with a fast digesting carbohydrate in liquid form has emerged as the top post-workout meal of choice for anyone from athletes to bodybuilders to recreational exercisers. Consider a carb to protein ratio of anywhere from 1:1 to 3:1, with an average of 2:1 depending on the duration and intensity of the workout (i.e. 60 grams of carbs to 30 grams of protein). Sports nutritionists will typically recommend consuming 0.25 to 0.40 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight.

Your post-workout meal is the only meal in my opinion where a protein shake should be considered. Whole, natural foods are superior for getting a lean, healthy body for a number of reasons ranging from greater satiety to increased thermic effect (food burns calories during digestion whereas shakes do not).

Please keep in mind focusing on total calorie intake, smart food choices, and proper exercise are far more important than maximizing the “window of opportunity” of the 30-60 minute post-workout period. I can’t emphasize this enough. Sadly, pre and post-workout nutrition has sabotaged many fat loss programs because of excess calorie intake. People lose sight of the forest amidst the trees.

Post-Workout Meal Ideas

Let’s tie everything together we’ve learned so far to create some effective post workout meals:

16 ounces of chocolate milk (not as effective as whey shake, but adequate)

…and don’t forget to drink plenty of water! A good 16+ ounces can help you optimize your performance.

In addition to whey protein, there are two other supplements worth mentioning that are supported by research (1) creatine and (2) glutamine. As I’ve discussed in depth, I’m not a huge fan of dietary supplements in general, for a number of reasons. With that said, ingesting 5 grams of creatine post-workout has been shown to increase strength & hypertrophy and 5-10 grams of glutamine post-workout can help improve recovery from a workout. In fact, some people swear by glutamine substantially reducing muscle soreness in the days following a workout (delayed onset muscle soreness).

While I didn’t cover all the minutiae with post-workout nutrition, I tried my best to cover the basics that are most relevant. Feel free to ask any questions if you need more detail!

]]> http://www.builtlean.com/2012/02/07/post-workout-meal/feed/ 22 http://www.builtlean.com/2012/02/02/healthy-snacks-for-the-office/ http://www.builtlean.com/2012/02/02/healthy-snacks-for-the-office/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:38:47 +0000 Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT http://www.builtlean.com/?p=6538

When I was at my finance job, I had a lot of trouble avoiding some of the eating pitfalls that come with working in an office. The major challenge was not the meals I ate, which toward the end of my 5-year finance career were reasonably portioned and included mostly whole, natural foods. Instead, it was very poor snack selection.

I have below what could be one of the best healthy snacks for the office for you to try.

The Problem | Unhealthy Snacks At The Office

Shortly after lunch and a few hours later around 4pm, I would get hungry and drowsy. I bet you know the feeling when you start nodding off in your chair, struggling to keep your eyes open while staring at your computer screen. I didn’t know this at the time, but my strong hunger pains had less to do with hunger and more to do with low blood sugar levels, lack of sleep, and lack of hydration.

To satisfy my hunger and give me a jolt of energy, I would grab a Sunkist from my office fridge that had a large stash of soda. Then around 4pm, I would grab whatever else I could get my hands on that was in the pantry; anything from cookies, to Hershey Kisses, to sugary candy like starbursts. This would of course compound the already big problem of my unstable blood sugar levels throughout the day. On a good day if these foods weren’t around the office, I would feel like I was starving for several hours until I left the office around 7, or 8pm.

To sum it up, I completely messed up my eating habits because I didn’t plan in advance by bringing healthy snacks to the office, which forced me to snack on sugary garbage…to put it bluntly.

More recently, a close friend of mine, Dave, was making the same poor snack choices at his office, which slowly started to expand waistline (along with late night drinking and eating). As he was approaching 200lb (he was 175lb in college), he became increasingly concerned about his food choices. Fortunate for him his girlfriend Emily came to the rescue.

Emily who also has a demanding office job completed a fitness consultation with me early this year. While she was already in solid shape, I told her she could get to the “next level” by eating more whole foods and veggies to refine her diet. She took my advice and ran with it.

The Solution | Quick & Easy To Prepare Veggie Bags

Emily came up with an ingenious solution that is simple, but goes a very, very long way…and even a dude can do it with a little effort.

Here’s what she does…

She goes to Whole Foods on Sunday and picks up the following items:

She then does the following:

1. Cleans all vegetables and cuts celery and peppers into bite size pieces.
2. Separates vegetables into 5 sandwich-size ziploc bags.
3. Adds dill and lemon juice to the Greek yogurt and mixes well, then stores it in a tupperware container.
4. On Monday morning, she brings all 5 veggie bags and the yogurt mix to the office.

Easy enough, right?

Dave is not quite as industrious and well organized when it comes to planning as Emily, so Emily prepares and packs the bags for him and puts them in his fridge. Instead of bringing all the veggie bags at once to the office like she does, Dave just puts one of the snacks in his coat pocket when leaving for work in the morning. He has already noticed a difference in how he looks and feels from such a simple change to his diet.

The Benefits | A Nutritious, Low Calorie Super Snack

Now let’s take a closer look at why this is such a simple, healthy snack:

1) More Veggies In Your Diet – If you are like most people, you don’t get nearly enough veggies in your diet. These veggie bags are a simple, easy way to get more fresh veggies in your diet.

2) Start To Love Veggies – If you don’t like veggies and this healthy snack idea does not sound appetizing, I’ll make you a bet that eating fresh veggies every day will grow on you. The first few days it may taste like eating grass, but over time you will start craving veggies as nature intended. Give it a try and let me know what you think. It can be one of the smartest food choices you ever make.

3) Low Calorie – The veggie bag is around 50 calories. The dip is also only around 25-50 calories for a whopping 100 calorie snack. Compared to a cookie and a soda, you’re saving a good 400-500 calories easily.

4) VERY Nutritious – I see people carrying around protein shakes, and protein/energy bars, then I think how whole foods – especially veggies – are a 10x better food choice for overall health and longevity, not to mention getting a lean body. For example, a cup of bell peppers has 195% daily Vitamin C requirement, 57% Vitamin A along with several other essential vitamins and minerals including potassium, manganese, vitamins B1, 2, and 4, and magnesium.

5) Fills You Up – These veggies are high in fiber, crunchy, and have high water content, which helps fill you up. If you find this veggie snack does not quite fight off your hunger, consider adding a couple hard boiled eggs for some protein and healthy fat, which is only 150 calories.

Of course, you can choose to add, or subtract vegetables to this snack as you desire. If you have a snack that checks all these boxes, then you have a super snack that helps you get lean my friend!

Finally, I want to send a special thanks to Dave and Emily for sharing this story and taking the photos you see on this page.

If you have a healthy snack creation of your own that works well for the office, leave a comment and share your idea. You can leave a comment using your name, or just your initials, whatever works for you.

In January, there were a number of news items and research articles that ranged from the supposed discovery of “exercise in a pill” to how 36-year-old football star Ray Lewis continues his on the field domination with help from a very strict exercise and nutrition regimen.

Enjoy!

Fitness News & Research | January 2012

General Fitness Articles | January 2012

Must-See Fitness Videos | January 2012

Fitness-Around-The-Web Column
The last day of every month, we include links to news, research, articles, and videos that we find during the month that are informative, useful, entertaining, or a combination of all three. If you ever come across an article or video that is worthy of being added to this column, let us know!

Tracking your workouts with a workout log template is one of the most effective and simple ways to help ensure you maximize your results. If you are working out for fun, or to maintain your health and fitness, a workout log can be overkill. But if you want to change your body, whether it’s to improve strength, build muscle, lose fat, or increase performance, tracking every set of every exercise of every workout is the fastest way to help you get the best results.

Over the years, I’ve used tons of different workout log templates to help track my workouts. I’ve also experimented with several different workout logs as I was creating my BuiltLean Program. While there are endless fitness apps that make workout logs digital and dynamic, call me old fashioned, but I prefer writing everything down on a sheet of paper.

The workout log templates below are my favorites, but I am biased because I created them from scratch and tweaked them for years. You can view the workout templates by clicking on the image, download them for free, and print them out as many times as you want.

Here’s some more information so you can understand how to fill out each workout log properly along with some tips:

Workout Log Training Calendar

The first workout log isn’t really a workout log, but a 12-week training calendar to plan out your workouts. Again, if you are just working out to stay fit, this is probably unnecessary. But if you are trying to create a specific result, planning out your workouts and adding progression is absolutely essential!

In a perfect world, your training regimen would change overtime so as to keep the body guessing and prevent overuse injuries. So over a year long period you could change your regimen from an endurance focus, to strength, to hypertrophy, to power. You could consider focusing each 3 month period on a certain theme, or change the theme every month (technically this is called a macrocycle, mesocycle, and microcycle periodization approach).

How to use the training calendar – fill in the workout name under each day you plan to complete it, then mark days where you will not be working out as “rest”.

Workout Log Template #1: Daily Workout Template

The most common way of creating a workout log is to have a single workout on one sheet. So for example, if you are doing a full body workout, than all the exercises, sets, reps, rest periods for just that workout is included in the sheet.

In this particular log, I include a section for workout paramaters such as primary muscles used, total # of sets, total # of reps, and length of workout, a warm up section, an aerobic/intervals/stretching section, and a comment/notes section.

The downside of this template as you will learn from the next workout template is that each workout is on a single sheet. If you do a workout 4x, then you will have 4 different sheets, which can become annoying as you need to flip back and forth between the sheets to see how you are progressing.

How to use the daily workout template – before starting your workout, fill in the sheet with all your workout information, leaving just the boxes in the center of the sheet under “Exercises” blank. When you are at the gym, fill in all the blank boxes.

Workout Log Note: “TR” stands for Targeted Reps, or the number of reps you plan on completing for a given exercise set, “AR” stands for Actual Reps you complete, and “W” stands for the weight you used, and “RBS” stands for Rest Between Sets. Finally, brackets are used to connect exercises that are completed as circuits. If all these terms are getting you confused, check out this list of strength training terms on BuiltLean.com.

Workout Log Template #2: Monthly Workout Template

What if there was a way to combine most of the information in the preceding daily workout log, but include the same workout 4 times on one sheet for easy comparison?

Well, that’s exactly what my monthly workout log template is able to accomplish.

The reason I call it the “monthly” workout log template is that if you complete 1 workout per week, then you are done with the sheet after one month. Given that research has shown the effectiveness of a given workout can diminish in as little as 4 workouts (for those in shape), 4 is a great number of times to complete a given workout before recycling.

This workout log is my favorite because you are easily able to track the sets, reps, and weight you complete from workout to workout for a given exercise, which makes creating progression in your workout a breeze! In fact, this makes the sheet downright brilliant! I must give credit where credit is due because this template was based off a workout template created by Alwyn Cosgrove in his “The New Rules of Lifting” book.

How to use the monthly workout template – before starting your workout, fill in the exercises you plan to complete along with the targeted sets and reps. Within the first Workout 1 row, you will write down the actual weight and reps you completed for each set. You will then move on to the next exercise and fill in the weight and reps for each set for the row Workout 1. If you intend to pair exercises together in a circuit, you can use brackets as I show in the example sheet, which I filled in.

Workout Log Note: You’ll notice that I have 10 exercise rows and with 5 sets across, which equates to 50 total sets that can be completed on this sheet. For your workout, you will likely only use about half, or less of the sheet. I included these extra exercise \rows and columns to give you more flexibility when creating your workout.

I hope you use these templates to help get your body to the next level.

Let me know what you think of these templates and if you have any questions!

I just finished up an expert Q&A for Men’s Fitness on the topic of pre and post-workout nutrition for optimal results. I spent several hours conducting in depth research to prepare for the Q&A, so I wanted to share with you what I learned about pre-workout meal nutrition. Here’s the follow up article on post-workout meal nutrition.

Pre-Workout Meal Benefits

A pre-workout meal is a whole foods meal that falls within 3 hours of your workout. When you eat the right foods in the right amounts as you will learn shortly, these nutrients can offer a number of benefits, including:

1) More Energy During Workouts – Filling up your glycogen stores (body’s energy tank) before a workout can help improve your energy levels significantly during a workout. If you have a very low carb diet, an intense workout can turn out to be very difficult to handle because glycogen stores are low. Energy levels are also affected by sleep patterns, when you have the most energy during the day, and hydration to name a few.

2) Protect Your Hard Earned Muscle – When you workout hard, especially with heavy weights, the body is in a catabolic environment, which can break down muscle tissue to use it as energy. A solid pre-workout meal can prevent muscle breakdown and improve energy repair and recovery.

3) Increased Muscle Growth – Eating protein during your workout meal can help slowly release amino acids into your blood stream, which can promote protein synthesis. If you are breaking down muscle and eating enough calories, muscle growth can be improved.

While there are benefits of a pre-workout meal, if you are on a fat loss program, you must budget in the calories of your pre-workout meal.

Some guys will have big pre and post-workout meals without any appreciation for how those extra calories effect their total calorie intake. These guys then wonder why they are not losing any fat!

Whether you are trying to lose fat, or build muscle, having an appreciation for the calorie implications of your pre and post-workout meals can be very helpful for you.

Pre-Workout Meal: What & When To Eat?

To construct the best pre-workout meal possible, we need to understand the rate of digestion of different foods to determine meal timing.

In general, dietary fat takes around 6-8 hours to digest, protein 3-4 hours, and carbs 2-3 hours (depending on the source). In this context, digestion is the amount of time it takes for food to move from the stomach to the small intestine. Of course, the food is still not totally digested, because from the small intestine food makes its way toward the large intestine for further digestion and absorption of water. Total elimination of food residue can take anywhere from 24 hours to several days.

Before getting into specifics, the good news is that your meal does not have to be “fully” digested to have a great, energy filled workout.

Here’s a breakdown of what your pre-workout meal should look like:

Dietary Fat – Because fat takes the longest to digest, the pre-workout meal should be relatively low in fat, so stay away from fatty meats and oils.

Protein – A moderate amount of a meat (4-8 ounces) or dairy sources that are low in fat can work. A major benefit of meat, or dairy is they contain Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA), which can help increase the rate of protein synthesis and decrease protein breakdown during and after your workout.

Carbohydrates – Low Glycemic (slowly releases into blood stream) carbohydrates should help fill up glycogen stores to help you power through a tough workout and also create a more anabolic effect.

The challenge is knowing how much food you can eat pre-workout, which is based on your own response. Some people can eat a full meal as little as an hour before a workout, while some others who have sensitive stomachs can wait 3-4 hours. In general, a meal around 500-600 calories for a 180lb man 2-3 hours pre-workout should suffice as a solid pre-workout meal during a fat loss program. You should experiment with the timing to suit your individual needs.

If you are fueling for overall performance for an intense athletic event, more carbs should be added. For muscle building, a larger pre-workout meal combined with a pre-workout protein shake can be very helpful.

Pre-Workout Meal Ideas

Let’s put together everything you’ve learned so far into simple meal ideas: