Introducing Alexava Nicole Miller!

Hi Guys...

Very sorry to have been absent for nearly the past three weeks, but as you may or may not have known, my wife Tanya and I were expecting our first baby on Feb 12 (today), and without warning on Jan 28, Tanya's water broke. So Alexava was born on Friday, Jan 30th at 1:36am.

Alexava's birth was not without some complications. Firstly, her growth slowed from week 30 on. She was born at 38 weeks, so she is full term, but with Intra-Uterine growth retardation (which is what they call it when the baby's growth slows), she was much smaller, similar to a premie. Tanya's labour was 18 hours long including two full hours of pushing to bring our little darling into this world.

Alexava was born with hypotonia (low muscle tone). Tanya had a high fever during her labour, so Alexava was kept in the Special Care unit at the Civic for 5 days on antibiotics and then transferred to CHEO for further investigations into her low muscle tone. Another 8 days later after an ultrasound, EEG, MRI, blood work, metabolic work-ups, genetics and neurological testing, the doctors found no underling pathology for her condition and have sent her home with us today! They presume at this point that her slowed growth is the cause for her low muscle tone and that with time it will improve and that there's no reason it shouldn't completely resolve itself.

So Tanya, Alexava, and I are all at home now relaxing and just enjoying spending some quiet time together.

Interesting that as a strength and conditioning coach, my daughter's condition is low muscle tone! Who better equipped to help her with whatever challenges she faces!

Thanks to all my readers for your support and some very kind wishes we received.

:)
Shane

Awesome Nutritious Shake

I was getting my hair cut the other day at www.destinationhair.com (they're awesome!) and they made me this fantastic nutritious shake while I was waiting. I figured it would taste awful because it was green, but it was amazing. I knew right away I had to pass this on to my readers.

Here's the recipe.

In blender:
1/2 apple
1/2 banana
1/2 cucumber
1 stalk chopped celery
handful of spinach
1 tsp greens (optional)
1 heaping tbsp hemp protein powder (can substitute a non-sweetened whey protein)
1-2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 chopped dates
1 tsp maple syrup


Add a bit of water to get it mixing, then add water to achieve desired thickness. To make it a cold treat add a couple ice cubes!

This shake is certainly not a high-protein low-carb shake, but it is made with all natural, healthy ingredients. And if you don't like spinach, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how good this is. If you didn't know it contained spinach you'd never know. So it's good for those who want a way to get spinach in your diet if you don't like the taste!

Best of all it's highly nutritious, has lots of fibre, and tastes soooo good!

Enjoy!

:)
Shane

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year to everyone!

If you're like me you enjoyed possibly a bit more food and drink than planned for. Yes, I always say that I won't eat and drink so much over the holidays, but when they arrive... all that's out the door.

Additionally, with fewer client hours booked over the holiday, I think I'll have more time to exercise, but it seems like I have even less. It's the family commitments, catching up on chores at home, office work, and of course, Christmas shopping. I think I only managed about four or five workouts from Dec 20 - Jan 4th. This is the period that I'll officially call "the holidays".So with fewer hours spent exercising, and way more food and drink consumed, I'm left with a pound, maybe two at most to get rid of.

Ok, so my pound or two of body fat hardly seems interesting enough for a blog post, so why am I writing about it?

Well actually, its just my segue into the content of my blog post. The thing is, I've received probably twenty or thirty emails in the past two weeks from folks who've gained the "typical" 10-15 lb holiday fat, and they want to know how to get rid of it.

I Want To Know How They Gained It???

My concern is that I really ate and drank way more than I should have. In fact, thanks to my brother in-law Eric's amazing cheesecake, I ate to the point of discomfort because the damn thing tasted so good!

But I only have a few extra pounds to lose. Whereas the emails I'm getting are from people who say they've gained 10-15 extra pounds.

So somewhere here there's a disconnect. And the solution lies in the disconnect. Let's take a closer look.

Oh by the way, I got this cool watch for
Christmas, so now I can calculate
all my calories on the fly!

With each pound of bodyfat containing about 3,500 calories, at the high end of the scale at 15 lbs gained, an accumulation of 52,500 calories is what we're dealing with.

Divide that into the 14 days (Dec 20-Jan4) that I consider holiday time, and you have 3,750 calories that must be consumed above and beyond your normal caloric intake.

Now without getting to specific here, if you need between 1500-2500 calories a day to maintain your weight, we're talking about 5,250 - 6,250 calories that must be consumed daily over 14 days to give you enough overall additional energy to have you store 15 lbs of body fat.

I would definitely say that there were probably 2 or 3 days when I hit those numbers, but for all 14 days? No way! In fact, usually the day after eating so many calories, my body just felt stuffed and I ate much less the next day.

If you want an idea of how much food this is.. here's a quick sample menu for 6,000 calories:

Breakfast

6 eggs
4 toasts with butter
10 pieces bacon
1 butter croissant

Lunch

Fettucini Alfredo
2 glasses wine
1 piece cheesecake

Dinner
10 oz steak
2 baked potatoes with butter and sour cream
1 complete tub Hagen Daaz
2 cups milk


If you're coming even close to this on a daily basis, there's your first clue! So how come so many people are gaining so much weight over the holidays?

I think the disconnect is in people's ability to be honest with themselves. Folks don't start off on December 20th, eat lots and by January 4th end up with 15 lbs of extra body fat. I think it starts back in September or October, when the weather starts to get colder (at least up here in blistery cold Canada). People's kids are back in s

chool and few people maintain the same energy expenditure over the colder months as they do during the warmer months.

Here's a likely scenario:

Starting October 1st, energy expenditure drops by around 300 calories per day on average (a fast 40 minute walk). And beginning at Thanksgiving, which in Canada is in October, people start eating more. Let's say about 300 calories more each day (a measly single doughnut or bagel). These numbers are just on average and may be more or less depending on the person, but they'll prove my point.

The sum is 600 calories of additional energy that is available to the body on daily basis. If it's not burned off, it's stored, since this is above your daily caloric requirement. So over the course of 90 days, you have 90 x 600 = 54,000 calories. Which is basically the same number as we started with.

The weight comes on slowly, and for most people who aren't very aware of their bodies or who are already carrying enough bodyfat to blur muscle definition, they won't notice until they've gained a full ten pounds or so. But by the time December comes around, the sluggish feeling is already upon many people, and they seek out quick

bursts of energy that come from sugary foods. This of course only makes the problem worse and they certainly gain that last five pounds by the time January 4 comes around.

Ok... so what have we learned here?

Causative factors:

1. Less energy expenditure (less movement)
2. More energy consumption (more food)


The Solution?

1. Although for some in practice it seems pretty tough, the solution is really quite simple. Move more!

The type of movement we're talking about is really just enough to get a decent sweat. A brisk walk after dinner or in the morning before work, or even on your lunch break. Take your dog for out for some exercise while you run or walk. Of course going to the gym is great too, but that takes extra time, so for some it may not be an option.

If this is your idea of taking your dog for a walk... just quit now!

The point is that you have to make a commitment to forming the habit. Without the habit, you won't do it frequently enough for it to make a difference. The 300 calories you'll burn in 20-60 minutes each day (depending on the exercise intensity) is practically impossible to "catch-up" if you only get out twice a week. Even though you can burn off the same number of calories during the exercise if you exercise for long enough on those two sessions, the effect on getting rid of fat will be nearly impossible to match. Remember, the longer you exercise at a time, the more efficient your body becomes. So shorter, more intense activity but more frequently will keep your body relatively inefficient at using calories to get the work done. This is a good thing, since an inefficient machine uses more gas to do the same amount of work.

2. When it comes to eating, being honest with yourself about how you eat is something more people need to work on. I've known so many people who say they don't eat badly, but who I see eating tons of stuff on a regular basis that I would only eat on my cheat days.


Draw The Line

I call it drawing the line. For me, I'll eat big at Thanksgiving. But folks, we don't have Thanksgiving "holidays", we have "Thanksgiving". It's one day only! Yes, I know there's leftovers, but that's fine. I'll consent to a day or two of eating some additional leftovers. This brings up the calorie intake, but it won't do anything to you long term if you draw the line at 3 days... Thanksgiving, and two days of leftovers. After that, I return to my normal eating habits. And they pretty much stay that way until Christmas. Which for me as I say is December 20th until January 4th. That's a whole two weeks, of delicious, yummy, anything goes.

If you can draw the line and not cross it, and form some good exercise habits, you won't end up with 10-15 lbs of fat to lose come January.

But if you do have some fat to lose, don't make resolutions to train 2 hours a day and eat 1200 calories a day to lose it in just 6 days, instead, work your way backward. Move more (300 calories of expenditure) and eat a little less (300 calories less to burn off), and a couple months will go by and you'll be back in shape.

Put it this way folks, 3 months will go by regardless of what you do, and when you get there, either you'll still have your "holiday" fat, or you won't. If you've been unsuccessful in the past with lofty goals of losing it faster (as the media and supplement industry so push on us), then why not try something different. Pick small changes that you can apply consistently and when those 3 months have come and gone, only you'll know it took 3 months... everyone else will just be impressed!

Of course so will you!

Here's to small but consistent changes for 2009!

:)
Shane

How to Build Your Chest...

Q: I've been really pushing my bench press for the past 6 months, and I've made pretty good strength gains but my chest hasn't grown much? What can I do?

A: This is a common complaint that I have heard frequently. Often when someone is able to make good strength gains and yet their chest still remains largely undeveloped to any significant degree, a certain genetic predisposition can exist which makes it pretty hard.

One of the things to look for is bigger shoulders and big arms. If this is you, then the way your muscles and skeleton are put together, when you train the stress falls primarily along the muscles of your arms. People in this situation generally have very little difficulty building up their arms. But their chest and back muscles generally seem to lag far behind.

In cases like this, exercise selection and exercise order become extremely important. Bench press, while it can remain part of your training arsenal, should be left for strength phases. For you folk, the bench press will likely never do anything to help you build your chest.

Dumbbell work, presses, and flyes will both provide significantly greater recruitment of the pectoral muscles than the bench press will. So these exercises along with other isolation movements such as cable crossovers will allow you to strongly recruit the pecs, which is ultimately required for growth.

Next you have to put them together into an intelligently planned training program.

Lets presume you're following a three day a week, full body program, or a four day a week, split routine.

With three training days per week, you'll want to be sure that at least two of your training days have a good section of chest work. With four days per week, again, at least two training days should have significant chest work in order to really get the chest to grow.

Here's a sample chest training that could fit in with the rest of your training template:

Flat dumbbell press 4x5
work up slowly with low reps until you reach a weight heavy enough that it's a challenge for 5 reps, but make sure it's not too heavy for you to get all four sets with good form.

Dips 3x8
Again, start off with your bodyweight, and as you're able, add weight with chains or by attaching a plate with a small chain and weight belt. Be certain to lean forward on this exercise as it facilitates the contraction of the pecs.

Cable crossovers 3x12
Make sure you get a good stretch on each rep and a full contraction at the peak position.

Starting off with sets of five allows us to get a decent weight which recruits some of the bigger fast twitch fibres which have the greatest potential for growth. Next we hit dips for sets of 8. With 8 reps we're getting into some of the more glycolitic fibers, and finally with the cable crossovers, at 12 reps, we're thoroughly fatiguing everything else.

Each week try to make an increase in how much weight you can use for good form. As part of your whole program, every 4-5 weeks should be an easier week where you drop the weight and the overall volume. This just allows for better recovery. When you get back into it the following week, you'll appreciate the reduced week.

Additionally, depending on your training age (how long you've been training) you can vary the rep ranges for each exercise from week to week or every 2nd or 3rd week or after each reduced week. Of course, keeping the general structure is adivsed... I don't think I have to say it, but cable crossovers aren't very useful at sets of 5 reps. Likewise, dumbbell presses become less useful going much higher than 10 reps. Each type of exercise has it's preferred repetition range and place in a program.

So give this post a re-read, and then hit the gym and give it your best! I think you'll notice an immediate difference in the way your muscles feel during the workout. That "feeling" is what's required for growth. Significant fatigue!

Numbers Never Lie!
:)
Shane

2008 Ottawa & Eastern Ontario Bodybuilding, Fitness, and Figure Championships

On Saturday I had a client, Lysa Gubbels compete at the Eastern Ontario Figure competition.

Congratulations need to go out to Lysa. I'm not sure of the final placings, although she didn't make the top 3. This competition was very difficult, there were over 40 girls in the competition, and there were 6 girls in her class.

Regardless of the final placings, Lysa looked better this year than she has ever before.

Lysa trained for this competition over the past year following a couple different programs that I'd planned out for her. She dieted for a solid 5 months on a very difficult macronutrient and calorie rotation diet.

Here's a few pics so you can see for yourself.

Lysa pics 1

Lysa pics 2

Thanks to Blair Gable Photography for really capturing Lysa's physique so perfectly with his lens!

Once pics are posted on the Ontario Physique Association website I will post a link to them.

:)
Shane

Smart Breakfast...

My clients often ask me what I eat for breakfast so I thought I'd post it on my blog for all my online viewers to see as well.

I "heat-up" in the microwave 1 cup of organic oats with about 1/2 cup - 2/3 cup 2% organic milk.

Add 1 scoop plain protein powder (about 25g protein in a 30g scoop) I use Isopro by Precision Nutrition.

Add 1 tbsp Udo's Oil Blend

Add 2 heaping tbsp ground flax seeds*

Add 1 semi-heaping tbsp ground pumpkin seeds*

Add 1 semi-heaping tbsp ground sunflower seeds*

Add 1 sliced banana

Add 1/2 cup thawed frozen raspberries (Either Europe's Best or Presidents Choice brand)

Add 1 or 2 packets Stevia

Add 2/3 cup Liberte organic plain 2% yogurt

Mix it all together and presto.. that's my breakfast every morning.

Yes this is a whole lot to eat and it weighs in around 1200kcal. It's about 30% protein, 50% carbs, and about 20% fat. It takes me all of 3 minutes to prepare every morning, and only another 5 minutes to eat it.

So there's absolutely no excuse to not get a good breakfast!

You might think that 1200kcal is too much for you, and it very well may be, so just multiply the amounts of each food item by .25, .33, .5, .66, or .75 to get 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, or 3/4 of the portion.

One of those amounts will probably be perfect for just about everyone.

The best thing about it is that you'll have loads of energy all the way through until noon, based on an 8am or 9am breakfast. I usually eat this between 5am and 7am depending on when I have my first client of the day, and I'm guaranteed a good 3-4 hours before I get hungry again.

Enjoy!
:)
Shane

1RM Testing Protocols

Often a training program will require you to lift a certain percentage of your 1RM. The program may not list the 1RM part.. but if there are percentages given it is implicit that they are of your 1RM.

What is a 1RM?

1 RM stands for 1 Repetition Maximum. It is the most weight one can possibly lift for one repetition without compromising correct exercise technique.

When training for maximum size and strength, 80% of lifts should fall in the 70%-85% range. Ten percent should fall above, and ten percent should fall below. When too many lifts are attempted above the 85% range, over time strength will decrease as the nervous system does not recover sufficiently over time.

So it is a useful thing to know, and testing it is not too difficult.

** BE CERTAIN TO HAVE A SPOTTER FOR ANY LIFTS ATTEMPTED FOR JUST 1 REP **

** REST A FULL 1-3 MINUTES BETWEEN EACH SET **

If you have have been training regularly for more than 6 months and your technique is good, you can safely perform a 1RM test. If not, a 3RM-6RM test will give us an approximate 1RM that you can use to plan your training.

To test your 1RM, set yourself up with about 20-30 minutes of time. Start off with some easy calisthenics or light cardio for just 5 minutes to help increase your core temperature.

Then get yourself over to your exercise of choice and go through your set-up, practicing all elements of technique very carefully with just an unloaded 45 lb bar.

At this point you will do the following loading scheme to prepare yourself for your 1RM test.
You may do a few lighter warm-up sets if you feel you need to, but keep the reps to 5 or below.

Take the unloaded bar and add approximately 10 pounds to each side of the bar and do 5 reps.

Add 10 lbs per side and do 4 reps
Add 10 lbs per side and do 3 reps
Add 10 lbs per side and do 2 reps
Add 10 lbs per side and do 1 rep

Continue adding weight in 10 lb increments until you feel you are getting close to your 1RM.

At this point if you are not sure you can add another 10 lbs to each side, add 5 lbs to each side and do one rep.

If you are successful, decide whether or not another 5 lbs per side will be possible, if you are unsure, add 2.5 lbs per side and make an attempt at 1 rep. If you are unsuccessful then your 1RM = the last weight you successfully lifted.

If you are successful go up by 2.5 lbs again per side and make an attempt.

Continue this type of step-wise progression until you fail at an attempt.

If you are a beginner, and depending on your body size, you may find increases of between 2.5-10 pounds per side are sufficient to get you up to your 1RM weight within 3-7 sets. If you're a more seasoned lifter, you may find increases of 5-20 lbs per side will get you there in 3-7 sets.
If you are an advanced lifter, you may find increases of 10-45 lbs per side will get you there in 5-9 sets.

In fact, the number of sets is not predetermined, but rather useful for helping your nervous system prepare for subsequent heavier loading. So don't try to get up to your 1RM with too few sets. Of course if you're an experienced lifter, don't use too small of a jump between sets or you'll be there all day before you get up to your 1RM.

Example 1. :

A 225 lb guy with a training age of 5 years has benched 275 lbs for 3 reps in the past, but hasn't lifted weights in 6 months. To test his 1RM, he might follow the following protocol.

45 (empty bar) x 5
135x5
185x4
205x3
225x1
245x1
265x1
275x1 (Just barely made it)

So although he could try to do 280, because he only barely made 275, its probably wise to just leave it at 275 as his 1RM.

Example 2. :

A 135 lb woman has been training for just over a year. She's going to start a new program which requires a 1RM. Her best bench press thus far has been 95 lbs for 5 reps.

Her 1RM protocol might look like this:

45x5
65x3
75x2
85x1
95x1
105x1
110x1
115x1 (fails the attempt)

So her best 1RM is 110 lbs.

If you are a complete novice, attempting a 1RM can put too much strain on the ligaments and tendons, as well as unnecessary stress on the nervous system. For novices, a 3RM-6RM test is a better choice.

To do this type of test you follow similar protocols...

Example 3. :

A 145 lb guy, slim build wants to start a program where he needs to know his 1RM.
We'll test him with a weight that is comfortable enough that it feels safe, and yet he can strain a bit against it.

First we try the bar, and he finds it ok and does 5 reps. Then we move up by 10 lbs total. We do four reps and stop him there as it looks as though he could do a few more. We add another 10 lbs total, and again stop him at 3 reps. We add another 10 lbs and yet again stop him at 3 reps. Finally we add another 10 lbs and this time he seems pretty shaky... so we'll see how he looks at 3 reps. He hits 3 reps and appears to be able to possibly do one more. He attempts a fourth rep and is successful. A fifth rep is tried, but his spotter has to help him complete the rep.

Here it is again:
45x5
55x4
65x3
75x3
85x4 (the fifth rep required help)

So this means that his 4RM is with 85 lbs.

We now take this and reference approximately where he is on the chart:

1RM = 100%
2RM = 95%
3RM = 92%
4RM = 90%
5RM = 87%
6RM = 85%
7RM = 83%
8RM = 80%
9RM = 78%
10RM = 75%

You can go lower following approximately the same pattern, but below 6RM the accuracy
starts to fall off.

Interestingly, women tend to have a higher strength endurance than men, so women will usually be able to do more repetitions with a given percentage of their 1RM than men.

So if he managed 4 repetitions at 85 lbs, this represents approximately 90% of his 1RM. Dividing 85 by 90% we get 94.44 lbs.. or rounding it off to 95 lbs (easiest for weight selection).

I hope this sheds some light on RM testing and how to apply it safely.