It's a game of patience

We see the adverts on most sites "Tips to loose your belly" or "Something's that the fitness pro's won't share". Well firstly if you click on them they usually take you to the same site where you have to pay through your nose to get a book or video on what is effectively a diet and exercise regime to shock an awe you - but in effect it's nothing different than paying for a few training sessions with a REAL health and fitness pro.

I also take offence to the notion that by clicking on some link you will go to some site which promises you something that a professional otherwise wouldn't want to tell you. Ask yourself this, why wouldn't they want to tell me? It would be like going to the garage to get your car fixed but then the mechanic saying "I can make it perform more efficiently, but I am not going to tell you how". Would you trust that mechanic? Nope I wouldn't either.

I said in one of my posts a few weeks ago that I would share what some of my tips for training have become, what the acquired knowledge of this experience coupled with the knowledge I had before this 20 week stint would bring out of me.

Well, I thought to share one today.

1. Patience


Achieving your goals be it in getting stronger, faster, more muscular etc it all requires patience - in my honest opinion. I don't believe in taking short cuts and I do believe that if you aren't strict with yourself on the days when you are meant to be doing exercise of such then, ultimately you will never achieve the results you were looking for.

Let me put it another way, if you want to achieve your degree in higher education, you know that you will set out on a course with a specific time duration. In that you will need to attend the lectures, classes, workshops, work on assignments, and finally take your exams. If you want your degree you NEED to follow those principles to the letter. You can't not hand in an assignment one week, and not do several exams expecting to achieve the same outcome, for you to get your degree you need everything working in your favour.

Bodybuilders train for years, in that time they eat a strict diet, they have a regimented structure of supplements (and other not so legal supplements) they rest when they can and they know that to achieve their goal it comes with hard work and time, for them it's all about being patient until the moment is right. So why should you look at doing this any differently?

Olympic athletes train for 3.5 years to aim for that Gold medal. Football/Soccer stars most of their childhood to make it professionally and with the hope of representing their nation. You could apply this to nearly every professional sports person on the planet - they had to wait to achieve their goal.

That for me is what training is, you can't afford to take the short cuts when it pleases. I don't mean throwing in an extra rest day or treating yourself every now and again to something not specifically in your diet. What I am trying to get at is understanding what your goal is. Understand how long it will take to achieve your goal - realistically - and work towards it. Set out a plan and work hard to achieve it.

Anyway, I would say that this is one of the foundations of training that I have discovered. I would ask any of you who has a personal trainer & ask them what they think about the patience principle and then ask yourself, if I want to achieve my goals am I being patient enough about it?

A good article on "functional training"

So as you could see the other day I engaged in a conversation with Mr Murphy (murphy_fitness) about functional training.

It's quite obvious where I stand on this. I don't prescribe to the "functional" phenomenon. And I'll explain. In my limited knowledge of training and sports exercise I have spent a lot of time at looking at my own personal goals and so in some ways have become "blinkered" in different training approaches - ultimately I will do what works for me and avoid exercises which don't. Fair point. But what I have always done is try to assert basic common sense and the most scientific sense based on pier reviewed articles/journals.

So here is where I stand on the subject of functional training.

Functional training experts will advise you to use everything but a machine in your weight training routine. So the use of training bands, balls, human bodyweight, resistance and plyometrics thus creating an unstable environment for your body to then exercise in.

The principal of functional training is to "mimic the function of the human body be it in life or a sporting context". (This is the most commonly defined term used among professionals for the term "functional").

However as the article which I will link to will show there is a better definition.

Functional - Func.tion.al
1. capable of operating or functioning
2. capable of serving the purpose for which it was intended
(Webster's Encyclopedia 2nd Edition, 1996)

So to not let me ruin the rest of the article which you can read at your hearts content, I just want to ask this question. 

At what point does doing a push up on a bosu ball with weighted arm bands actually replicate anything you would have done in your life to reading this article? 

Updated Routine

Finally my updated workout is here. Send me your thoughts and ideas to how I could look to improve any of it. Like I said in a post a while back I have switched to 2 total body workouts a week so that I could gain emphasis on my training but also give me slightly more rest time the possibility to work out whole body in one week twice rather than run the risk of missing a session and then panicking!!!!

All workouts are done on machines unless otherwise stated. I believe in the mechanical revolution - a term my friend James gave to me one day about weight lifting.

Workout A 

Incline Chest Press
Single Arm Fly's
Pulldowns
Lateral Raise
Leg Extension
Leg Curl
Tri Dip Machine
Tri Rope
Open arm curls (Dumbbells)
Rope Crunch
Woodcutter
Leg Raise

Workout B 

Upright Press
Pulldowns
Pullovers
Shoulder Press
Lateral Raise
Leg Press
Tri Rope
Machine curls
EZ Bar curls
Incline Sit Up (with weight)
Oblique Twist or Lifts
Jacknife

As you can see where I have 1 exercise for a body part in Workout A I have made it 2 exercises in Workout B and vice versa. I have done it this way to provide a little more balance. As before, all exercises will be performed to failure, 1 set.

Whilst I haven't done accurate figures, I would point out the following my strength gains per whole are averaging 48% - that's correct 48% and that's after 11 weeks of training! If you were to ask anyone who trains what that means in the timescale I've done it in, they would be very impressed!

I have currently laid off the back, shoulder and leg exercises for a little bit due to slight injury and my ongoing treatment for my muscular condition at the back of my neck. Prognosis on this is good by the way. Johnny believes we are making good progress and the myofascial tissue can start to be displaced appropriately.

I always like to add a picture where I can to my blog, but nothing seemed appropriate this week, which means I will start snapping soon enough to keep myself if anyone else entertained.

Peace,
G

Functional training...really?

Okay so let me begin with a statement. “I am not a health and fitness professional”. Now that this drama is out of the way let me also say “I however do have a passion about health and fitness and believe anyone willing to develop their knowledge and understanding on how the human body works and how it responds to training, be it specific or general fitness purposes is completely harmless and should otherwise be thought that way.”

This latest post whilst not totally related to 20weekhit I will however state this - there is no way I will be performing any form of “functional training” in this routine as I have yet to come across any benefits to strength gains and muscular development - and even more importantly, I have not come across any pier reviewed papers which systematically show that functional training benefits your skill sets in your sports or day to day lives.

So where did this begin?

I came across a twitter account when researching some fitness people to follow - if they had anything worth saying. To my surprise some did (applying constant science to everything they said) and some were to say the least, not.

The account in question is Murphy_Fitness and to be honest he fits into primary category and not the later. He tweeted “Add more single arm & single leg exercises in your fitness program. You'll perform more reps, burn more calories & it's more functional”

Functional. Oh boy we have a difference of opinion.

So I questioned it. “functional training...really? The science behind this is where?”

It’s a simple question. No, really it is. You see, all I am asking for is the science to be applied to this reasoning. The twitter conversation ensued;

MF: @ginodb functional training is common sense: look at the way we walk, pick up something, step up & reach for anything, rotate to look over..


GD: @Murphy_Fitness sorry but I disagree. You are talking about balance/motor function in your examples. Train your muscles develop your skills.
GD: @Murphy_Fitness http://bit.ly/iqTNAt a good article on functional training


MF: @ginodb their nothing for you to disagree about. You obviously don't understand the definition of functional training. 

(Yep, this is the bit that every fitness professional seems to have in common, pure blinders)

GD: @Murphy_Fitness "to perform a set of weighted exercises that mimic the movements used in sport" men's health uses that definition.
(This is what happens when you google “functional training definition” by the way it was 2 am in the uk and I was half asleep) 
GD: @Murphy_Fitness If you can demonstrate how "functional training" applies to sport benefits PLMK. It's not a criticism of you just the term 
(PLMK - please let me know - and yes I was not criticising the health industry professional just the term functional training) 

MF: @ginodb thanks for proving my point. That is the most incomplete definition of functional training I've read. I will proper definition soon. 
(I think he missed the point when I clearly pointed out that Men’s Health and not me had made this definition)

@ginodb Functional training is an xercise continuum involving balance & proprioception, per4rmed w/feet on ground & w/out machine assistance such that strength is displayed in unstable conditions & the body weight is managed in all movement planes. Functional training is a spectrum of activities that condition the body consistent w/ it's integrated movement and/or use. Thus referring back 2 first tweet, integrating more single arm & single leg exercises is more functional than traditional exercises. Machines are artificial modes of stabilization and do not mimic the real world and our daily activities. If you don't understand what I'm conveying and want to learn, ask other fitness pros or agree to disagree. Wish you the best!

So basically he was calling me an idiot with a limited knowledge of the health and fitness industry and the limited capability to learn, understand and develop a knowledge on any of this stuff.

My response

@Murphy_Fitness well I am always trying to learn, questioning leads to that, disagreeing is a natural process and nothing to say either of us is correct. It's only natural to find some points we can and can't disagree with. I believe in building the strength & then harnessing your skill. An f1 driver can't realistically functionally train he can only better stamina and strength & then harness their driving ability. Their movements are not natural to the real world. I guess you would point out that f1 driver is part of your definition, and (I) totally agree so let's say you want to develop your ability to sprint. You would argue to use arm & leg weights & pull a weight aswell (whilst running) but if that's the case you are asking your muscles to perform differently to their biomechanics because your movement is altered due to having the weight placed on you. Hence develop your glutes and shoulders then your running technique. I think this calls for a blog post, but Thanks for your feedback, no matter the demeanour of some responses.

(F1 driver part of your definition - what I meant to say was “F1 driver is not totally part of your definition”. )

Can I just say that the “demeanour of some responses” was totally uncalled for and I apologise in advance to Mr Murphy. He didn’t deserve that, after all he was an answering a question/criticism of his tweet.

You see, the biggest issue I take with Mr Murphy and he has every right to correct me, it is after all a free world, is that he has not actually provided a scientific response to my primary question. Instead he has;

• Given me a definition of functional training (thanks by the way) 
• Told me that Machines provide an artificial mode of stabilisation and do not mimic the real world.
• And then told me that if I can’t be bothered to learn from him, go ask someone else who will totally back his point. 

He wished me well.

Now, time to be honest.

I did not point out science in my answer either.

My bad.

However in one of my tweets I did ask him to refer to a blog post by James Fisher (yes, my friend.) Now I chose James because he has used science to back his point. I wont go into detail for that click here. James summarised “functional training” as the following:

movement patterns, and neuromuscular recruitment are HIGHLY specific. Our movements though seemingly simple, are highly complex. And the ones which appear complex, are very very complicated. 

Now to paraphrase James, the article boiled down to “train the muscle, develop your skill” If I am wrong I am expecting some total shit storm to hit me when I see him next.

I put this to Mr Murphy. Is shooting a heavier basketball into a net going to develop the muscles to shoot a ball better than actually training the muscles through isolation or to fatigue? Is the ability to shoot the ball placed in the strength of the throw (therefore the “function”) or the skill required?

Is a baseball player able to hit more home runs because he has learnt to swing with a bat that is 5 kilos heavier in the hope that he acquires the strength to hit it out of the park (the function) or would it be better to train the skill of hitting that ball with a regular weighted bat?

If we pick up a shopping bag from the ground every day are you saying that we need to lift weights to mimic the movement in the gym and place in an imaginary car trunk (boot for those in the UK) or is it better to strengthen our core, abs, lower back, legs, arms through conventional training and actually apply a lifting skill/technique to place such item in the car?

I have read a lot, continue to read about functional training. I see that in cases of people who require "functional training" to be able to re-abilitate movement and motion in injury's, or rehabilitation after crashes there are significant improvements. But surely they are re-engaging their neuro-receptors to perform the motion/movement. Their strength will come, not by imitating the movement but by actually working the muscle directly.

If we talk about functional training we need to look at what it is we are actually trying to define as well. As James put it to me - Functional training for life and Functional training for sports. “Functional for sports and functional for life are also two very different entities, you can't train a complex sports movement without performing the exact complex sports movement. As for life...isn't life itself training. Many health and fitness experts are right to preach an increase in ADL (active daily lifestyle) e.g. mowing the lawn, gardening, using stairs, etc. So this is all functional. Primarily we need to ask WHY somebody trains? In your case; muscular enhancement, physical health fitness and strength. You aren't training for an event, and an increase in muscular strength enhances your ability to lift a shopping bag or walk up stairs etc. The skills are not so complex or challenging that they need to be performed faster or better.”

Something which I admit I forgot to point out to Mr Murphy, but something which Mr Murphy forgot to ask what my question was relative to as well.

Overall I have no issue with Mr Murphy I want to make this clear. (If I ever visit LA I promise to offer a protein shake and smoothie by way of hello.) What I take offence to is that I asked for science, not given any and then effectively taken to the cleaners because I am not a fitness professional (That is my interpretation of it anyway, when you hang out with Gym rats you appreciate the sub context of the discussions).

I may also not be an accountant Mr Murphy, but I understand double entry book keeping.

Going Paleo...

So I have decided to go Paleo for my 20 week HIT plan. Admittedly this is now in my 4th week, so I would be cautious to think that any further resulting fat reduction or strength gains would be totally attributed to switching my diet to Paleo, however it will bear an effect, hence why I am doing it. 


I am not going to go into too much detail as there is loads written on the subject but put simply, it’s like Atkins but without the premise of having to buy all of their tainted marketing shit that goes with it. “Buy our shake, buy our bars” Shameful! 


Whilst I am trying to maintain my calorie intake to be the same 2600 calories, I have struggled in the first two days, but that’s because my fridge is empty and you need fresh veg, fruit and lots of fish and meat to satisfy the calorie intake. 


So a shop beckons for me tonight. 


I think one of the most interesting things about the diet is that James has been doing this for sometime and his take on it is actually rather interesting. “It’s not about listening to every word and following everything to the tee on it, its about applying the science and bringing that diet to the modern world.” So basically, yes marinade your meats, and if you want a pizza or fish and chips you can, just don’t make it a portion of your lifestyle but don’t let it affect your lifestyle either. 


I would recommend reading the Arthur De Vany site and his book - which I have been reading asiduosly at night - for further information on the paleo diet. (Arhtur De Vany is 72 and puts to shame most 20 year olds in physique and health).

Biceps CAN cramp!

"A temporary partial paralysis of habitually or excessively used muscles" - cramp

I write this latest post in semi-gregarious agony. Yesterday evening after completing workout B I returned home and proceeded to eat an omelette and have a protein shake, so far, so good. However when performing the simple task of lifting my plate from coffee table to sink I experienced a pain like no other...BICEP CRAMP!

Yes, even I, Gino De Blasio, man of little, tiny, incadescent biceps suffered cramp.

How the hell could that happen?

Last night was the first time in a long time that I had also felt sick after my last set of weight bearing exercises. I mean properly heavingly sick! I wasn't you will all be glad to read, but I was mighty close.

As for my diet...

Breakfast
125g of Cereal 480kcal
Boiled egg and some dry bread 135kcal
Water

Snack 1
Multigrain bar 125kcal
Water

Lunch
Bag of boiled brown rice and turkey cooked with some honey 597kcal
Water

Snack 2
nothing - I know I know
Lots of Water

Dinner 
Steamed Salmon with black pepper and salad 450kcal
Water

Snack 3 
3 egg omelette with 25ml of milk  - 240kcal
Protein shake with milk - 100kcal

Tonight I played football, and lost. Mr Johnny Fuller also has my top, I'm just saying so that the digital world has proof in case he doesn't give it back!

A Flapjack or a Fish Curry?

So I haven't blogged in the last few days due to a few planning and falling asleep issues - that being I am just falling asleep when trying to stay awake...at home not in the office!

Friday 
My water intake was a little weak during the day but I made up for it at night. If any of you ever think of doing super-hydration yourself, never, ever, ever try and consume your half day's worth of water after 6pm, trust me on this one.

As for my diet, it is going well. I actually calculated throughout the day an interesting bit. I was offered what was a seemingly innocuous flapjack. I took a look at the dietary information and was left perplexed. For 125g of flapjack extravaganza, it equated to 630kcal and 20g of fat! This was meant to be the healthy option!!!!  I managed to create a fish curry with brown rice and naan bread for the fewer calories and less fat, I know which one I would prefer.

As for my workout, it was a really great session. I lifted more reps than last time on everything and when you think I have had only a few days rest in between I was very happy. Overall I feel that the intensity I put into this session was a lot more than what I had done last time.

Saturday
I had a blow out on food and diet, or rather I thought I did. I actually ate less in calories overall than what I do on a usual day, just my frequency and quantity of food was done overall in three meals and no snacking between.

I did however have 2 glasses of wine - very nice Pinot Noir from Majestic, yes begin mocking now! 

Legging it

Today was my first workout B session (legs, shoulders, bi’s). Once again commenced in the morning due to football viewing this evening. Last night’s football match (I played not sat and watched) really took it’s toll, so I was more surprised than most to be up at 6:40 ready to go and weight train, big mistake! 


My legs were literally dead, 2 evenings on the bounce of playing football and little rest meant that I had to push just as much today than ever before. 


I managed to get through my workout in yet again 32 minutes (the Neapolitan in me wants to play the number 32 on the next lottery), and when I got home I had a solid 640kcal breakfast.


No exercise tonight or tomorrow, I need the break. I will be doing Workout A on Friday evening to give me a little extra breathing room. This weekend will be filled with some cardio work, perhaps a bike ride or run. 


Diet 


Breakfast 
50g of cereal + 75ml of semi skimmed milk - 225kcal 
2 boiled eggs and 2 small pieces of toast - 340kcal 
Protein shake (half scoop) with water - 75kcal 
Large glass of water 
No snack due to Lunch being a little heavier today, but lots of water.

Lunch
100g of pasta with 50g cherry tomatoes, 55g of fresh prawns and 30g of chorizo plus 2 teaspoons of
olive oil. 690kcal 
More water. 


Snack 1
Protein shake - 100kcal 
Toast and Olive oil paste - 125kcal 
More water


Dinner
125g taglietelle with ham, mushrooms and cream - 525kcal 
55g asparagus omelette - 125kcal
Water


no late night snack. 


P.S. Gave up chocolate for lent.

Pancake Day

It’s undoubtedly one of my favourite days of the year. (The summer clocks going forward, May day bank holiday, a random bank holiday which appears from nowhere and your summer/autumn week holiday are the others).

I am pretty shattered after having gotten little sleep in the night - the by-product of me drinking copious amounts of water in my superhydration phase.

Yesterday I sent Jenson Button’s (yes the F1 driver) trainer Mike Collier a tweet asking about genetics and precisely, “here's a quick question, what role does genetics have in training, building muscle, injuries etc?”

I never thought I’d get an answer, but he did, and over 3 tweets. I have condensed the answer into 1 below.

“interesting question, probably too in depth for a twitter reply but we are all predisposed to a certain body size which can be altered through training but everyone will have a ceiling limit which varies between one person and another. There is defo a link between genetics and injury just like there is between some medical conditions and family history for example. Hope this helps”.  

Thanks Mike, very much appreciated.

It goes further to back my point on the role of genetics. James has written a great piece on genetics on his blog, I urge you to read it by clicking here.

Football tonight and hopefully some rest.

P.s. Each pancake with a slithe of nutella is 125kcal so watch out!