Real Life Fitness – Getting Fit With Brent

I’m 12 days into my Insanity + Shakeology + Paleo Diet challenge and I’ve got to share a bit of my results and tell you why this happened:

In my first 10 days, I dropped just under 10 pounds.  That’s right, an average of one pound a day.

Even better than the weight loss is the changing of my body.  Things are fitting a lot looser now than what they did just 2 weeks ago.  Needless to say, I’m thrilled.

But, while Insanity is my chosen path for exercise, it’s not really Insanity that I believe is making the difference, but rather the consistent focus I am putting on my nutrition.  I am not cheating.  I’m eating strict paleo, which also means no butter or cheese (two things that I would incorporate into my more Primal Blueprint style diet).

In my opinion, Insanity is just the catalyst for my nutrition.  I could be doing anything with a level of intensity, be it P90X, X2, Crossfit, whatever, and probably get the same results.  The reason why is this:  You can exercise all you want, but if you do not keep aware of what you put into your mouth, you may be defeating the purpose of exercise.

Just from my personal experience, and maybe you can relate:  When I exercise, especially lifting heavy weights, I get a lot hungrier over the day.  It’s easy to go into the panty and find junk and put it into your body just to satisfy the hunger.  But what did you just do?  Most likely, you took in empty calories.  You just put something into your body that will provide no real nutritional benefit.

Change that around to having things planned and knowing exactly what you’ll eat:  If you have a nutrient rich snack on hand, such as almonds, you know what you are eating.  You know the calories.  You know the nutritional detail.  You know whether that fits into your plan or not.

The great thing about the paleo/primal way of eating is knowing what you put into your body.  Instead of purchasing products that have a lot of additives, chemicals, preservatives, etc, you eat something that is usually a single ingredient or just a few.  But you know they are whole food sources, good for you, nutrient rich for the calories, and will keep you on track with your goals.

Now you could any reasonable whole food diet and produce results.  Maybe you cannot break free of starches, so you decide to do a lower fat, higher carb diet.  If you are focusing on good carb sources, you could get results.  Any diet that provides single ingredient, non-processed foods or foods that are good for you will produce results.

Now, I can already hear people saying:  “But Brent, Shakeology is NOT a single ingredient food!”

You’re right, and the strict paleo’s would denounce me as not eating true paleo for drinking it.  And that’s fine.  So be it.  I’m pseudo-paleo, and fine with that.

But this is (as I’ve mentioned before) a situation of not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  Shakeology is a collection of whole food ingredients.  Similar to making a big salad with lots of little things, Shakeology is the same.  It is good for me, and that’s why I drink it.

But it fits into my overall diet.  It is my main carb source when mixed the way I like.

It’s part of my focused nutrition plan.

So let’s do this:  What are you currently eating?  Tell me:  Does it fit into your plan, or does it detract from it?  Use the comments section below to answer.

Brent insanity, Nutrition And Diet insanity, P90X, p90x2, paleo, primal, Shakeology

So while not technically day “60″ I consider this my P90X 60 day measurments and photos using The Abs Diet as my nutritional regiment.

I had a better rate of body fat loss during this phase and shed some additional inches.  I’m going to list my starting/current measurements to give a perspective of progress made so far during this round of P90X.

Chest:
Start:  42.5″
Current:  41.0″ (-1.5″)

Neck:
Start:  15.5″
Current:  14.75″ (-0.75″)

Waist:
Start:  39.0″
Current:  36.5″ (-2.5″)

R Bicep:
Start:  13.0″
Current:  13.25″ (+0.25″)

L Bicep:
Start:  13.25″
Current:  13.5″ (+0.5″)

Hips:
Start:  38.0″
Current:  37.0″ (-1.0″)

R Thigh:
Start:  21.0″
Current:  19.25″ (-1.75″)

L Thigh:
Start:  21.25″
Current:  19.9″ (-2.25″)

Weight:
Start:  183.8 lbs
Current:  173.8 lbs (-10.0 lbs)

Body Fat:
Start:  18.95%
Current:  16.17% (-2.78%)

My body fat decreased by nearly 2% in the last 4 weeks, so the muscle build/clean eating combination is starting to kick in a bit.

Here are a couple of pictures showing the difference between days 0 and 60.

So, tomorrow starts P90X Phase 3 with Chest and Back and Ab Ripper X.  My goal is going to shift from an 8-10 rep set to 12-15, with focus on 12 reps (will shoot for 15, but want to be struggling by rep number 12).  I’m hoping that doing this will increase my fat burn over the next 5 weeks.

Thanks for following my progress…this has been a fun, exciting, and humbling journey.  I’m looking forward to finishing out this round of P90X strong and seeing where my results are in 5 weeks.

Brent Fitness VIdeos P90X, P90X Results

This is my P90X Transformation in 2010.  I knew I had made a lot of progress, but reviewing these pictures several months removed from when they were taken, I’m amazed at the progress I made.  No, I didn’t have a 6 pack, but that’s hard to accomplish going from a 47″ waist (or a 44″ waistline starting in 2010) to get down small enough.

This was only 9 months of work!

I can only imagine what 9 months of working out is going to do for me this year.  Granted I did gain a little bit back while I let my shoulder heal (and ate poorly…almond bark covered pretzels became like crack in my house), I’m losing at a great rate now.

I’m proud of my P90X results video to just demonstrate what can happen if someone really focuses.  My goal for 2011 is focus for all 12 months (going on a cruise in December, so must keep on it!).

So here’s my secrets to success:

1.  Push play everyday.
2.  Use Shakeology
3. Got a lot of fat to use?  Use the Beachbody Slimming Formula.
4. Eat 90% clean, but take some cheat meals here and there to keep sanity.
5.  Track results.  Pictures, measurements, etc.  Use these to keep accountable.
6.  More than anything, enjoy the journey…embrace the journey!

Brent Fitness VIdeos P90X, P90X Results, p90x transformation

Yesterday was P90X Day 90, so that wraps up this round.  It was also the last day of my 3 day Shakeology cleanse.  Yoga was tough at the end, but glad to get through it.

Last day of the cleanse I dropped another 1.2 pounds for a total loss of 6.2 pounds.

Now, for my P90X 90 day results.

Weight:
Start:  183.8
End:  166.6

Body Fat:
Start:  18.96%
End:  14.78%

Neck:
Start:  15.5″
End:  14.5″

Chest:
Start:  42.5″
End:  39.5″

Waist:
Start:  39″
End:  35.5″

Hips:
Start:  38″
End:  36.5″

My arms stayed almost the same, just with less fat.  My legs went down about an inch each.  Overall, a solid fat burn.

Here are just a few 0/90 day comparisons:

Brent Fitness VIdeos P90X, P90X Results

Ok, anyone who just glances at my blog knows that I am a coach with Beachbody and I support all of their products.  I use a good portion of them purposely (they work).  But, one product in particular can be fairly controversial with a Primal Blueprint style diet.

Shakeology, of course.

So I decided to do an experiment on my own body:  Eat primal, do not take Shakeology often (or at all), high protein/no fat breakfast, more carbs are night, etc.  I decided to do this after reading some post out there about a study where the participants ate more carbs at night, less in the morning, and how it affected their leptin levels, their weight loss, etc.

The results:  Not pretty.  In 2 weeks, I managed to only lose .25″ off my waist, only .2% body fat.  .2%!  That’s ridiculous for someone in the 18% range.  I ate at a deficit each day, exercised at least 3x a week (first of 2 weeks was doing P90X, the second I decided to let PT do it’s job and recover some from this impingement).

Not only did my fat loss nearly stop, but I was more irritable (ask my wife).  I didn’t sleep as well.  I did not feel as good.  I started having cold like symptoms.  I had cravings (MASSIVE cravings for sugar, breads, etc).

Moral of my story:  I’m not doing that again.  In fact, I’m going to revert back to how I was doing it:  More carbs in the morning post workout, veggies mainly at night.  I may mimic the Asylum style diet where no carbs at night, and a carb at lunch 2-3x a week (I’m thinking 1/2 a sweet potato at lunch every now and then).   I’m also going to log, for one week, everything I put into my mouth again to make sure I’m eating enough.

But Shakeology will be on that list everyday.

Brent Nutrition And Diet P90X, primal blueprint, Shakeology

Being one month into P90X and having dealt with shoulder issues this entire time, I feel like I can comment a bit about what causes shoulder issues with the program and modifications that have worked for me during this rehab period.

First, let me stress that you should always listen to your doctor or physical therapist.  They know best.  If you want to continue to train with P90X, ask them about it first, and then follow any modifications they may have.

Here is what I have discovered is best:

Push-ups:  Doing these from plank is okay if you can do them pain free.  But, if you are having shoulder issues, you probably are not pain free doing these.  Here’s my suggestion:  Do them from your knees.  Focus on form.  Bring your shoulder blades together, keep your body tight and straight, and only go through a pain free range of motion.

As you get stronger, incorporate medicine balls and do not go as deep.  Instead, focus on form and keeping stable.

Pull-ups:  If shoulders are bothering you, do the pull-ups to a 90 degree angle with the upper and lower arm, but never go past that until released from your doctor or therapist.  Make sure to use an assist too.  I personally use the pull-up assist Beachbody sells and it works great for this.

Bicep Curls:  You wouldn’t think that bicep work could cause shoulder issues, but if you are dealing with impingement in the front of the shoulder you may notice that bicep work causes inflammation, tenderness in the upper arm and up by the collar bone (just below it, near the shoulder actually).  You can still do curls, but you may want to lighten your load.

Triceps:  Do these through a pain free range of motion, and may want to consider less weight.

Shoulders: Overhead/Military Presses/Deep Swimmers Press – Be careful here!  If you are impinging, these will not feel good.  Talk to your doctor/therapist before attempting these.

Upright Rows – Usually pretty safe if you are in a strengthening phase of rehab.  Again, focus on pain free range of motion.

Shoulder Flys – Pain free range of motion only.  When doing straight arm shoulder flys do not go directly out to your side.  Instead bring the weights in a bit.  It puts less stress on the shoulder, will cause less injury, but still works the same muscle groups.

Back work (Lawnmowers, back flys, etc):  I have not had too much discomfort with these.  My therapist did like the idea of me working these muscle groups.  If you can do these without pain, do it.

More than anything (and read this in your best Tony Horton-esque voice):  Modify, modify, modify if you need to!  Listen to your body and do the right thing.

Brent Fitness Tips, P90X P90X, p90x impingement, p90x physical therapy, shoulder pain

I’m in my 3rd real full week of P90X (excluding the first two weeks of the year, where I just did cardio and abs) and I’m already seeing things I need to adjust, both in my diet and in my exercise.

For starters, I’m taking 2 recovery weeks.  Yes, that’s right….two.  I think it is best for my shoulders that I take a bit longer to rehab them in recovery.  Phase 2 can be brutal.  The shoulders are feeling okay minus the left bicep tendon (deep discomfort here).  I think two weeks of just doing PT and swapping in P90X2′s Recovery and Mobility will do me a lot of good.

Then I’ll hit phase 2, recovered, and hopefully stronger.

For my diet, I ran across an article from Mark’s Daily Apple forums about the effect of low/no carb breakfast with heavier carb suppers.  The results were greater weight loss, better leptin levels, better sleep, etc.  So I have started making that shift for the next 2 weeks and see how it goes.

That’s all for today.  Plyo rocked…my world again.  This routine never gets easier!

Brent P90X P90X, primal blueprint

If you follow P90X’s plan, you know you’ll eat 20% of your calories in fat (either 360, 480, or 600 calories a day).  Of course, you’ll eat the rest in lean proteins (i.e. low fat meats) or carbs/grains.

Which is counter-productive to the Primal Blueprint diet.

Instead of a 50/30/20 protein/carb/fat ration, I’m aiming for something that looks like 50/35/15 fat/protein/carb ratio.

And ideally, I’d rather be 55/30/15.

So in calculating what I’ve been doing while doing P90X, I’ve learned that I’m a bit low on carbs (need to be around 70-80g more often), okay on protein, and okay on fat.

Except there is one problem:  I’m not eating enough!  When I add things up, if I get to 1800 calories a day, I’m having a good day.  Now, I”m only eating 3 times a day.  I eat when I’m hungry, and eat until I’m full.  But now I’m wondering if I need to eat more often, maybe a nighttime snack (I get full at supper, but feel a bit hungry before bed sometimes).

For instance, tonight I had a pork chop, good amount of veggies, and some sweet potato/bacon hash (yes, the potato was cooked in bacon grease).  I was full after I ate.  Nearly 2 hours later, I’m almost feeling hungry.  I’m drinking water to see if it just thirst.

Right now I feel great with my exercise and my energy during the day.  I’m rarely tired after I wake up.  I only get tired around bedtime.  So energy isn’t the issue.

I measure on Saturday.  Depending on what I measure, I will probably increase my eating (i.e. my fat and protein) for the next 2 weeks.  And see what happens.  I’m going to gun for carbs in then 70-80g range (I see lots of tubers in my future).

And lets see what happens.

Brent P90X P90X, paleo, primal eating

Over the last week I’ve had the chance to try out Beachbody’s new Energy And Endurance pre-workout supplement.

I was not sure what to expect with this.  The only pre-workout anythings I’ve ever taken before were a banana (or some fat/carb/protein mix of food) and some pills made by Body Fortress that were to boost nitrous oxide for your workout.

So taking a drinkable pre-workout supplement was something new to me.

I’ve heard a lot of people using things like Jackd3, NOXplode, and similar type drinks, but have always been a bit leary of putting stuff like that into my body for several reasons:

1.  How would I feel while it was working through me:  Jittery, nauseated, wired, etc.

2.  How would I feel after it wore off (i.e. would I crash).

3.  Would I like the taste?

4.  Cost

I know a lot of people take BCAA’s either before or after a workout and that seems to work for them.  So when this came out, I knew I wanted to try it being all natural and good for you, but just a bit…nervous to try it.

So here’s my experience with it:

First day I used it was a Legs and Back day.  I did not feel jittery.  I did not feel all jacked up on Mountain Dew either.  I did feel a bit more awake (which is good for early morning workouts) but did not feel like I was going to bounce off the walls either.  During the workout I never felt depleted.  Again, this is something good for someone working through a Primal style ketogenic diet.  More than anything, I felt good after the workout.  I got extra reps in.  I got to push harder.

And yes, I felt it the next day!

Second time was Kenpo.  I cut the serving in half (one scoop instead of two) and it worked well.  In fact, I was able to skip all the breaks in this one and just workout straight through the routine.

Next was a Chest and Back day.  Again, felt energized.  I had more energy, could push harder (maybe not a good idea with my bicep tendon inflamed, but that’s a different story), more reps, etc.  Did not feel wiped out after the workout.

Plyo Day.  Here is where I thought it would get it’s real test.  The amount of energy I had sustained throughout this workout was amazing!  Even better is my heart rate stayed in controlled ranges the entire time.  I ended up burning just shy of 700 calories skipping the bonus round.  And I felt good after the workout.

Today, final day before this review, was Shoulders and Arms.  Same thing:  Great energy, good endurance (even after waking up earlier, getting to bed slightly later, etc).

The taste?  It’s not the best, but its not bad.  It comes in a Lemon Lime flavor.  It taste a bit tart and has that slight stevia aftertaste, but it manageable for me.  I usually just chug it anyways!

The most amazing thing is no crash.  No jitters.  Just sustained energy.

20 calories, 5g carbs with 4 of it being sugar.  Nothing too alarming there.

So there you have it.  I definitely suggest it as a pre-workout supplement to try.  It is affordable and it works!  I cannot wait until I can fully do P90X and give it a whirl…can you say soreness city?!

Brent Fitness Tips beachbody, energy and endurance, P90X, pre-workout supplement

P90X Chest and Back today, along with Ab Ripper X.  My bicep tendon was a bit of an issue at time today.  I’ve actually learned that part of the problem is that my arm is internally rotated (when your arms are relaxed to your side, your hands should face each other…my left arm faces straight back).  So working on that through stretching and strengthening in place.

To help towards the end, I pulled out my medicine balls to work stability and gave myself a bit more of an incline from my knees.  This actually helped relieve the pressure on my shoulders.

I did take Beachbody’s Energy and Endurance pre-workout drink this morning.  I’ll be writing a full review of it later this week.

I’m tracking what all I eat on my diet for the next few days.  My main concern is getting enough calorie and carbs.  Not that I’m eating a lot of carbs, but I want to keep in that 50-100 range the best I can.  Today, I just barely squeaked in.

My macros for today look like this:

Calories:  1608 (-392 from my goal)
Carbs:  53g (within range)
Fat:  100g
Protein:  145g (within range, possibly a tad high)

So I need to get calories up around 400 without increasing carbs.  Carbs were okay (would be a bit higher and be okay) and fat can go higher, protein was near where it needed to be.

Brent P90X, Primal/Paleo Eating P90X, p90x chest and back, p90x primal eating, primal blueprint