Here’s an article I sent out to Frozen Fitness’ customers and my Online Personal Training clients, but I figured I’d share it here:
Too many people have a personal fitness goal that they’d love to achieve, but have no idea where to start or are confused by all of the fad diets and “nutrition” companies that they see advertised everywhere. It seems that everyone has their own magic weight loss or muscle building product that will get you the results you want in weeks!! The truth is that some of these products will help you lose weight, but most people are only losing weight because they are starving themselves because portions are too small or other products will leave you so hyped up on stimulants that you can’t even sense that you are hungry! Of course the scale might show that you’re losing weight, but fad diets and extreme supplements like these won’t last forever. A majority of users will end up gaining the weight back and end up starting from scratch.
Why rely on these types of products and diet “gurus” that are selling you worthless products and information? Why not find out for yourself what really works and reach your fitness goals the right way using real food and supplements that actually work? If this is what you’ve been looking for, you’ve come to the right place…
Where to begin:
Determine your current level of fitness:
Step 1: Write down everything that you’ve eaten in the past 3 days. Tally up a total number of calories for the 3 days and divide by 3. Write this number down.
Step 2: You will need a tape measurer, bodyfat calipers and an accurate scale. We recommend the cheap $20 Accu-Measure plastic calipers.
Step 3: Take measurements of your hips, waiste, chest, shoulders, thighs and upper arms. This information will be save to track progress in inches.
Weigh yourself on the scale and write down this number. You will need this for the following formulas and also to track progress in lbs.
There are many different ways to use calipers and the skinfold test to measure bodyfat. Read the directions on the package of the calipers and write down this number.
Step 4: Math time. Get a piece of paper, pen and a calculator.
Formula 1: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)- the measure of energy in calories your body requires to carry out everyday natural functions. (i.e. breathing, talking, circulation, etc.)
Harris-Benedict Formula (Based on Body Weight)
Male BMR= 66 + (13.7 x wt in kg) + (5 + ht in cm) – (6.8 x age in years)
Female BMR= 66 + (9.6 x wt in kg) + (1.8 x ht in cm) – (4.7 x age in years)
** 1 kg = 2.2 lbs. **1 inch = 2.54cm
Formula 2: Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) – (# of calories for maintenance)
Level of Activity-
Sedentary = BMR x 1.2 (little to no exercise)
Light = BMR x 1.375 (light exercise 1-3 days/week)
Moderate = BMR x 1.55 (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week)
Active = BMR x 1.725 (heavy exercise/sports 6-7 days/week)
Extreme= BMR x 1.9 (Physical job or everyday heavy exercise)
Determine which level of activity you fall in and multiply your BMR by the multiplier listed. This is your TDEE or the number of calories your body requires to maintain your current weight. Compare this to the number of calories you’ve been consuming from Step 1. Are you eating too much or too little?
Design an Eating Schedule Specific for YOU
Formula 3: Determine your fitness goals and adjust caloric intake
To lose fat: Subtract 500 calories per day in order to lose 1lb. of fat per week.
To gain mass: Add 500 calories per day in order to gain 1lb. of lean mass per week
Don’t subtract too much or add too much to either of these scenerios. It is unhealthy to create too large of a calorie deficit. If you lose weight rapidly you could be burning muscle and you risk slowing down your metabolism. It is also unhealthy to add too many calories. If you gain weight rapidly, most will be stored as body fat. Keep your adjustments moderate and slowly reach your goals.
Men should eat 5-6 meals per day, or 7 if necessary *
Women should eat 5 meals per day, or 6 if necessary *
*If necessary meaning you are having trouble getting all of your required calories in 5-6 meals.
You should be eating every 2.5-3 hours
Your adjusted caloric intake should be divided throughout the day between all of your meals. If you are going to let them get out of balance, or eat a large meal alternated with a small meal, you are better off eating the larger meals earlier in the day and tapering your caloric intake per meal down towards night time. Your biggest meals should be consumed for breakfast and immediately post-workout.
Formula 4: Percentage of Macronutrients (Carbs/Proteins/Fats)
We suggest approx. 50% of your daily calories to come from complex carbohydrates (ex. Sweet potatoes, red skinned potatoes, brown rice, oats, whole grains)
Approx 35-40% of your daily calories should come from lean proteins. (chicken, tuna, turkey, egg whites)
Approx 10-15% of your daily calories should come from Unsaturated Fats and Essential Fatty Acids (fish oil, olive oil, flax seed oil)
Ex: 2000 calories/day
2000 x 50% = 1000g carbs
2000 x 35-40% = 70-80g protein
2000 x 10-15% = 20-30g fats
Design a Workout Schedule Specific for YOU
This workout schedule should coincide with the level of activity you used in your TDEE calculations in Step 4, Formula 2. If it does not, you must recalculate your TDEE so that it does, and this would also change the formulas that followed.
Cardio: Combined with a clean diet, this is the best way to burn fat and improve heart health!
We recommend at LEAST 30 min. of cardio 3 days per week of moderate intensity cardio. This is the absolute minimum if your goal is to burn fat. To really see some results 30-45 min. 5-7 days per week is better. Some experts say that breaking up cardio sessions into two 25-30 min. sessions per day is even better for fat loss.
Formula 5: Max Heart Rate- Based on Age
MHR= 220 – Age (ex. 40 year old MHR = 220 – 40 = 180)
Formula 6: Target Heart Rate- For Burning Fat
We recommend at LEAST 60% of MHR but 65-75% is better!
(Ex: 70% of MHR for 40 year old THR = 180 x 70% = 126 Beats Per Minute (BPM)
You can either use cardio equipment with built in heart rate monitors OR buy a heart rate monitor and wrist watch for more accurate results.
Weight Training: Weight training helps to build and maintain lean muscle mass.
The more lean muscle mass you have on your body, the more calories you will burn! That’s right, two people weighing the same amount and the same level of activity can burn two different amounts of calories if one has more lean body mass than the other!
To build lean mass, you must add resistance. The more resistance you add the more your muscles will adapt and be forced to get bigger and stronger!
To Maintain: We recommend at least 2 exercises per bodypart and 3 sets per exercise for a total of at LEAST 6 sets per muscle group. More complex muscle groups such as the Back and bigger muscles such as your quadriceps will require more work. We recommend at least 3 exercises and 3 sets per exercise for these muscle groups because of their complexity. A good maintenance rep range to follow is between 10-15 reps per set.
To Build Mass: To Build Mass you must progressively increase the workload you are performing. To achieve maximum results it is important to mix up the number of sets and reps you are performing for each exercise. This will continually “surprise” the muscle and ensure constant growth. Rep ranges should stay between 6-10 reps while building mass.
To Gain Strength: Heavy Strength training requires heavier lifting in shorter spurts. Although you will be decreasing the volume of work you are performing, the intensity is much greater. Its not uncommon to see powerlifters train and do only 6 heavy sets per workout and rep ranges between 2-8 reps.
Its always good to have a goal in mind while strength training, and no matter what your goals are it is always important that you are performing the movements correctly. This is important to maximize the exercise’s effectiveness while preventing serious injuries. If you are unsure of how to perform an exercise you should consult a personal trainer for expert lifting advice. You can also ask Pete his about Online Personal Training services.
**If you have any sort of medical condition, are pregnant or breast-feeding, or under the age of 18 you should always consult a physician before beginning any sort of weight lifting or exercise program.**
-Pete Maldonado
