Are You Ready For Memorial Day Weekend?

"Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the man who knocks, the door will be opened."

- Matthew 7:7-8

Here's a guest blog originally from Alwyn Cosgrove about Memorial Day weekend and being ready for summer. Take a good look in the mirror or take some photos and see where you're at and if it's where you want to be.

Well it's here - Memorial Day weekend.

The official start of Summer for many.

The great "unveiling" - when the shirts come off, the swimsuits go on and the entire world knows exactly how good or bad your dieting and exercising was for the last 3-4 months.

Judgement Day.

Are you ready? If not, you have two more BIG weekends this summer in which to dial in your physique and make a huge difference. That's right, it's not over! You still have two more Judgment Days this year!

Goal setting is all about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals and "T" stands for "Time line." Athletes peak for National Championships, Trials and World events. Just because you're training for fat loss or to look better naked doesn't change the fact that DEADLINES are extremely effective tools.

So we're going to set two this summer. Your next goal is Independence Day - July 4th - only five weeks away. With a combination of a kick-start plan, a solid workout and nutritional support program, and a healthy dose of motivation, you could easily be 10-15 lbs leaner by then.

Your next goal is the end of summer - the Labor Day weekend. This is currently 14 weeks away. So if you're looking a little flabby this weekend or feeling a little embarrassed about your physique, you can still make amazing changes. It's never too late.

This is an opportunity for you to look completely shredded - rock hard legs and abs by summer's end. But you still need to start now.

Here are the fat loss basics:

Calories
You need to create a caloric deficit. There are no two ways about it. You must burn more than you consume. The most effective way to create that deficit is to use a combination of diet and exercise.

Nutrition
Your diet should consist of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Keep starches and refined carbs to a minimum. Keep your fluid intake high (water only), and try to eat at least 4-5 small meals per day. This will help maintain blood sugar levels and keep you from blowing your diet.

Exercise
Interval training and metabolic resistance training will provide the most bang-for-your buck. Steady-state aerobic training just doesn't burn enough calories for your goals right now, and a bodypart training split will be less effective than total body training for fat loss. Try to exercise at least six days per week - three days of interval-based cardio and three days of resistance training.

Supplements
There is almost nothing that will make a difference. Sorry. Certain supplements can boost metabolism, or increase your energy somewhat and these may be useful. But in terms of real world "pounds of fat lost," I have yet to see anything that really made a difference. A multivitamin and a fish oil supplement are vital though - but more for your overall health. A protein shake or post-workout shake can be useful for convenience but are nothing more than high-quality food.

If you need a jump start - go HERE- this will take care of some fat quickly in the next four weeks.

P.S. All talk of fat loss aside, enjoy your holiday weekend. But PLEASE remember that the point of this weekend is to remember our fallen heroes and spare a thought for all the troops who are still fighting for us today.

God Bless!

Dara Torres Ignores Doubters And Reveals "Secret" to Success!

"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." -1 Thessalonians 5:11

Dara Torres, Olympic swimmer and former Gator, continues to confront whispers and questions about performance-enhancing drugs as the reason for her record-breaking performances and sculpted physique.

"It stinks," she said recently at the U.S. training camp on the Stanford campus. "I'm trying to be as open as possible and let everyone know that I'm clean. Unfortunately, once you get past that point, then they start questioning other things."

At the end of the U.S. trials - where Dara won the 50- and 100-meter freestyles - she revealed the "one little secret that I have."

She said she takes an amino acid supplement that is currently available only in Europe. Her coach, Michael Lohberg, introduced Dara to the product that was developed by former swimmer Mark Warnecke, a bronze medalist for Germany at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

The amino acids, which Michael said are pure and have been approved by a drug lab that works with swimming's international governing body FINA, help Dara gain muscle and allow her body to recover quickly after workouts.

"That really helped her quite a bit in not getting big and bulky and recover quicker, and look the way she looks right now," Michael said.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein (often called the building blocks of life). Of the 20 standard amino acids, 8 are called essential amino acids because the human body cannot synthesize them from other compounds at the level needed for normal growth, so they must be obtained from food.

Protein-containing foods include meat (beef, chicken, fish, bison, deer, duck, etc.), dairy products, nuts and protein and amino-acid supplements (protein powders and BCAA supplements).

I believe that Dara is free of performance-enhancing drugs and can attest to the fact that amino acids do help with recovery as well as muscle and strength gains. I eat a diet consisting of high-protein whole foods and also use protein supplements. One particular supplement I use, Surge, is specifically made for post-workout and contains a specific ratio of amino acids to help promote recovery as well as muscle and strength gains.

Amino acids and protein powders are not illegal supplements and they are not harmful to the body. If taken in the correct amounts, they can definitely improve your performance and body composition.

But amino acids, protein powders and other supplements will do nothing for you if you don't already strength train and eat correctly. As I mentioned in a previous blog, that is something Dara has taken very seriously, as she follows a regimented strength training and nutrition lifestyle to achieve the success she has accomplished, even now as a 41-year-old mother and Olympic contender.

God designed the human body in such an amazing way that if you follow his instructions from the Bible, you can find all the "secrets" to a healthy lifestyle. With proper physical training and nutrition, you can improve your body to its true potential, even if you don't contend for an Olympic medal.

If I Could Do It All Over Again...

"So change the way you live and act. Obey the Lord your God...."

- Jeremiah 26:13

Many times, we wonder what could have been different if we had chosen a different path or method of doing something. Since I can't do that, I figure these tips may help someone who is new to training and living a healthy lifestyle. These tips could save you years of struggling or becoming frustrated with lack of progress.

If I could go back and change the way I did things concerning training, eating and overall health and fitness, here are the things I would have done differently:

1) Train with more people that were bigger and stronger than me (I did this several times when I was in the first few years of training and made great progress. But I didn't do this enough!).

2) Eat more protein with every meal and eat a lot more fruits and veggies and eat only starchy carbs from good sources and at certain times of the day (breakfast and post-workout have worked best for me).

I made the mistake of eating way too many carbs (potatoes, rice, pasta) in my quest to bulk up several times in the early days. I ended up just getting fat.

3) Focus on getting stronger on all the basic lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press, rows, chins) while using less volume and more intensity.

4) Not forgetting to include some sort of short, intense cardio a couple times per week in the form of intervals, GPP, bodyweight circuits, complexes or circuits even when trying to bulk up or get stronger.

5) Change set/reps every 4-8 weeks so my body didn't get stale.

6) Only use food supplements like protein powders and post-workout drinks along with basic stuff like fish oil caps and ZMA.

I've wasted plenty of money on things that didn't make an ounce of a difference. But food supplements have always been useful for calorie and protein needs.

7) Not bulking up - the times I tried to bulk were the times where I felt like crap and looked like crap and gained too much fat. Bulking doesn't work for most people.

8) Keep a training log. I only started doing this consistently in 2005.

9) Not trying every "fad" program that came out or promised slabs of muscle and keeping my focus on the basic stuff.

10) Taking more scheduled breaks every 8-12 weeks for rest and recovery and to keep my motivation high.

11) I would have played sports when I was younger - I only played football when I was in the 5th grade. I should have played more sports throughout school or at least joined the wrestling team, track team or weightlifting team during high school.

Since I was always small and weak, I would have been much better off competing in a certain weight class. I only joined the weightlifting team during my senior year of high school. That's when I became interested in lifting. But I did a lot of stuff wrong for a few years after that.

12) I would have started seriously lifting before I was 18. Since I didn't play sports and didn't seriously begin lifting weights until I had graduated high school and began college, I feel that I missed out on making more gains.

When the health and fitness bug hit me when I was 14, I focused on eating better and just doing some bodyweight stuff and playing neighborhood sports with other kids from 14-18. I missed out on using those years to lift seriously and make some good strength/hypertrophy gains.

Do You Need Supplements?

"So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them." - Hebrews 13:9

During yesterday's workout, my training partner (Dennis) asked if I discussed nutritional supplements on my blog yet.

I said, "No, there's not really much to say about it."

He replied, "Exactly!" Referring to the fact that many people over-rely on a variety of supplements in order to help meet their goals.

Do you need supplements? No. Not at all. You can get everything you truly need through whole food and a good training program. Can nutritional supplements be useful? Yes. They offer convenience to meal planning and additional nutrients when they are needed quickly and easily.

However, when it comes to nutritional supplementation, I believe that less is more. A nutritional supplement should be just that - a supplement to what you are already doing. It should not take the place of more important things such as eating whole food to meet your daily protein, fat, carbohydrate and nutrient needs or simple and consistent hard training.

Your nutrition, exercise, sleep and lifestyle choices are far more important than the addition of nutritional supplements. Once you are eating correctly, exercising regularly, getting plenty of rest and living a balanced lifestyle, then using some nutritional supplements can come in handy.

As for what I recommend, here's my brief list:

1) Multi-vitamin
2) Fish oil caps
3) Protein Powder (low-carb)
4) Post-workout drink

Optional:
5) Vegetable/Fruit supplement (typically known as a "Greens" product)
6) Creatine

Let's go over each one in further detail along with some recommendations.

1) Multi-vitamin - Although I feel that we are already "over-vitamined" due to the amount of food products sold with extra vitamins added, a multi-vitamin is like insurance. It helps make sure that you get the daily requirement of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly.

As for brands, I think one of the best brands is Nutrilite's Double X multi-vitamin. There are also other high-quality brands on the market, so do some research before you buy.

2) Fish Oil Caps - There have been numerous studies about the benefits of adding fish oil supplementation to your diet. Fish oil supplementation has been shown to increase metabolism (for some, it can help burn an additional 500 calories per day), promote a healthy heart and cardiovascular system, burn fat, improve hair and skin and much, much more! Do a quick Google search on fish oil, and you'll find plenty of studies about the benefits of this wonderful supplement.

I believe the highest quality brand available is Flame-Out by Biotest. It's not cheap, but it is the best. Otherwise, you can always go to Sam's Club or Costco and pick up the Member's Mark brand of fish oil caps.

3) Protein Powder (low-carb) - We already know that protein has a higher thermic effect in the body, thus helping us keep our metabolism high and burn more calories. We also know that protein is needed in order to build muscle, and we must build muscle in order to elevate our metabolism so it will burn fat and help us stay lean.

Protein supplementation is also a quick and easy way to get additional protein in the body at ideal times or for a quick and tasty snack. I have tried many different types of protein powders both in brands and in types (whey only, whey and casein mix, etc.). Although whey protein is great because it digests quickly (which makes it ideal as part of a breakfast meal or post-workout), I prefer to use a whey and casein mix. This way, you get the best of both worlds. A quick-digesting protein and a slow-digesting protein to help keep blood sugar levels stable and to also keep a steady stream of amino acids going to the muscles while keeping you fuller longer.

As for brands, I highly recommend Metabolic Drive Low-Carb by Biotest. It is one of the best tasting and highest-quality protein powders I have used.

4) Post-workout Drink - Studies have shown that protein and carbohydrates taken immediately after your workout help facilitate recovery, burn fat and build muscle. A simple post-workout drink could be a glass of chocolate milk. Studies have shown that chocolate milk works nearly as well as some of the designer post-workout drinks on the market. My only hesitation with chocolate milk is that most of the brands contain high fructose corn syrup. So, if you are going to use chocolate milk, it may be best to use low-fat or no-fat milk and mix it with a good chocolate mix that doesn't contain HFCS.

Post-workout is the one time of the day where simple sugars are recommended. The reason is because they help refill your glycogen levels after they've been depleted from your training. We want to fill them right away to promote recovery and give the body energy for the next session. Protein is crucial to the post-workout drink because it helps promote muscle growth. If you don't want to use chocolate milk for a post-workout drink, feel free to eat a meal that contains simple sugars from fruit or fruit juices along with some protein (milk, protein powder, etc.).

As for designer post-workout drinks, I highly recommend and use Surge by Biotest. I have tried other products on the market, but Surge is the one product that I can tell the difference when I take it. It has a huge effect on my recovery abilities. And because it's available in a few different flavors (I prefer original and chocolate), you can always mix up the flavors throughout the week.

If you are using the four supplements mentioned above and following a good exercise plan and well-structured nutritional plan, then you will have everything you need. However, if you want to use more than those supplements listed above, I would recommend the following:

5) Vegetable/Fruit Supplement ("Greens" product) - Few people eat enough fruit and vegetables throughout the day. It's hard to eat five or more servings on a consistent basis each day. Fruits and vegetables contain numerous vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals. Our bodies need these nutrients, and we should aim to eat more fruits and vegetables. Since it is sometimes hard to do so, supplementation can come in handy to help boost the amount we eat each day.

I have tried some of the "Greens" products available and found them hard to stomach due to the foul taste and smell. I did use a capsule form in the past that was MUCH better than mixing up a drink that looked like something out of a swamp. However, there is something newer and better available. If you have problems eating at least five servings of fruits and veggies each day, you may want to supplement with Superfood by Biotest. Not only does it taste better than most of the other products available but the quality is top knotch!

6) Creatine - Just like fish oil supplementation, creatine has been studied for more than 20 years and has been found to have a variety of benefits. Do a search on Google for more information regarding creatine and its benefits.

For brands, there are many good ones on the market. Just be sure that you only purchase a pure micronized creatine monohydrate product. Some of the others are filled with added sugar and other things that are a waste of money. And some creatine products contain different "esthers" that are not good for you. A good creatine product that is fairly inexpensive is Biotest's Micronized German Creatine.


There are many more nutritional supplements available including Testosterone boosters, anabolic enhancers, fat burners, etc. For the most part, these supplements are purely over-hyped marketing gimmicks that will leave your wallet empty with no additional muscle gain or fat loss.

If you follow my recommendations above, you will have everything you could possibly need provided your nutrition and training are on track.

Don't follow in my footsteps. When I was 18-20 (and even again in my mid-20's), I fell for many of the marketing gimmicks that promised muscle size and more! I used products like HMB, various Andro supplements and other Testosterone boosters and "anabolic" muscle stimulators. In the end, I had wasted my money and not gained an ounce of muscle or lost any more fat.

The only way to accomplish your fat loss and hypertrophy goals are through a sound nutrition program, plenty of hard work, consistency, desire, dedication, discipline and time. Remember, it's simple. But not easy.


NOTE: Although I have recommended many products by Biotest, I am in no way affiliated with the company. These are products I have used for many years and have found to be the highest-quality and best tasting at moderate prices. Like I said earlier, I have used many different brands, but these are the ones I currently use and recommend. I can give other recommendations on different brands that will be similar in quality - but they may not be the best tasting or best priced.