Body by Chemo

I Promise This One's About Fitness

If you read my last post, you know I spent the last 8 months on heavy duty chemo. If you've read my earlier posts, you know that I've been on a long journey that started at 5 foot, 9 inches and 300 pounds. When I put up this blog last year (that's October of 2019) I had gotten down to 198 pounds and less than 20% body fat.

It's Not a Dad Bod, It's a Hospital Bod

The whole fitness thing hasn't been fantastic since my cancer diagnosis. Multiple doses of major steroids (no, not THAT kind of steroids) and 14 rounds of chemo (which translates to no gym) helped me gain back about 35 pounds of fat. But there were a couple other twists in the road, too.

While I was in the hospital getting my first round of chemo, a mysterious virus in my system took advantage of my suddenly impaired immune system to explode all over my lungs. I had fallen asleep, but woke up to find four nurses holding me down as I thrashed around with a high fever and what they called "rigor". It took almost a month in the hospital to recover from that, during which I also picked up a couple of blood clots in my legs because, you know, I'm a bargain hunter. Why go to the hospital and only have one thing wrong with you?

Anyway, I spent most of my time lying perfectly still, and got thoroughly de-conditioned. In about four months I had gone from being able to lift a 515-pound barbell off the floor to not even being able to sit up in bed. I went home with a wheelchair, a walker, and four tanks of oxygen. I'm thrilled to say my breathing recovered remarkably quickly, as did my ability to walk. Which was good, because I still had at least a dozen rounds of chemo to go.

Here's Where We Talk Fitness

I really believe the fact that I had a strong body before this all started made a huge difference in my ability to recover. I also believe that my robust health before the cancer hit is going to make a big difference in my odds of achieving and staying in remission. There are never any guarantees, but it ain't gonna hurt my chances.

Today's Fitness Point #1: If someone you know is still waiting for the perfect moment to get started on a journey to fitness, they need to start now. Really, now. I've got a bunch of posts here on the blog that suggest ideas for making the journey less difficult--maybe even pleasant! Go! Go! Go!

After reading all the crap that's been going on with my health, especially regaining fat and losing strength, you might think I would be discouraged to the point of giving up. If you had asked me a year ago, I would have predicted that I would give up. Actually, the opposite has happened.

I deeply resented that feeling of helplessness when I couldn't even sit up without help. Something of value had been taken away, and I was pissed. So every time I checked back in to the hospital for more chemo, I made a point of going for a walk once or twice each day. I got my butt out of bed, grabbed that I.V. pole, and steered it up and down the hallway between my room and the elevator. 10 laps every time. And the staff, nurses, and doctors in the unit started to recognize me and often chatted with me.

Also, as I started to get used to the rhythm of my chemo cycles and my depression meds started to help me be more myself, I began to get the urge to exercise. I had missed that feeling of empowerment that comes with a good workout. I asked for some resistance bands for Father's Day and tried some basic exercises. I got tired way too quickly, but it felt good anyway. I've gradually worked my way up to something that looks like a real workout. And I value those workouts a million times more now that I've fought to get them back.

Today's Fitness Point #2: Setbacks happen. But whether you believe it or not, you—yes, you—have the patience and grit to turn a setback into a comeback. It will absolutely take longer than you want it to, but so long as you're willing to start with baby steps, you will get there. So take those baby steps as soon as you possibly can.

Whether you're just starting or starting over, you can do it! YES, YOU!!! Get started!

Thanks for reading,

The Friendly Lifter

My 2020 Is More 2020 Than Your 2020

Whew, what a year 2020 has been, huh? COVID, politics, social distancing, half of Australia burning down, face masks, shortages, aaaauuugh! Still, the competitive side of me wants to say that I've probably had a worse year than you. I got cancer. It's a relapse of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

So this post is a bit of a side trip from my usual fitness topics. Feel free to skip this one; you won't hurt my feelings, I promise. But if you know someone who's going through a medical crisis, especially cancer, I'm hoping this post will help give them a little boost. Please share.

Crappy Holidays

Less than a week before Thanksgiving last year, I went to my doctor about bad headaches I'd been having. I thought they were migraines, but she advised me to get a CT scan. I didn't want to, but my wife practically dragged my by the ear to the emergency room. Thank God she did, because they found a mass that turned out to be a relapse of the lymphoma I'd had 7 years before. Only this time, instead of being in my armpits and groin, the cancer had decided to grow in my brain. It's called Lymphoma of the Central Nervous System, or CNS Lymphoma.

LESSON #1: If your loved one thinks you need medical attention, listen to them. It might be nothing, or they might save your life.

A couple weeks later my oncologist gave me the diagnosis, and a colossal bombshell. He assured me that there were no treatments for this kind of cancer in the brain, because the human body is really good at keeping chemicals like chemotherapy out of the brain. Any treatments I got would have brutal side effects and would only give me a couple extra months of life. I had maybe 6 months, and those would be months of misery. Without saying so directly, his message was crystal clear: I might as well just go straight to hospice.

My life was suddenly filled with last-times and never-agains. I'd never get to lift weights again. This might be the last time I'd ever eat pizza. I'd never see that friend again. I'd never get to retire to Washington, like my wife and I had dreamed. My last Christmas...but why bother with Christmas gifts? They would just be more crap my wife would have to deal with when I was dead.

My wife and in-laws and parents urged me to get a second opinion. With money from our savings plus money scrounged up from loved ones, I paid out-of-pocket to see an oncologist at a well-known cancer hospital. He assured me that yes, of course there were treatments that could get through to the brain. He laid out the typical course of treatment for someone with my condition. The odds weren't great. But they weren't zero. Hospice was not necessary at this time.

I didn't end up getting treated by that particular doctor because he wasn't in my insurance network, but the hope he gave me was well worth the expense. 

LESSON #2: Always get a second opinion. Always.

The Bad and the Not-So-Bad

That January I started on a total of 14 rounds of chemotherapy. Because they were putting me on heavy-duty chemo, I had to check in to the hospital for four or five days for each treatment, and I'd get to spend a little more than a week at home before checking back in again. I'm just going to give you a quick summary of those months in and out of the hospital. Nausea? Almost none. Fatigue? Lots, but each day home from the hospital was usually better. Other physical symptoms? Pretty much none. Depression? Lots at first, but medication helped a lot, and I am incredibly fortunate that I have lots of friends and family in my corner.

Every person is different, and their body doesn't respond to chemo exactly the same way as anyone else's. Also, year by year, doctors are getting better at managing side effects like pain and nausea. I can't promise you a rose garden, but take heart that you might get lucky.

LESSON #3: If you're about to start chemo, don't panic. Your experience isn't going to be fun, but it might not be as bad as you've heard, especially if you've heard stories from years ago.

Truthfully, the hardest part of chemo for me was the red tape. Every single appointment, every single treatment, every single hospital visit had to be approved through this complex, secretive, cryptic process of insurance authorization that had to be passed, like, 6 times from one office to another. Every person at every step was genuinely a good person who really wanted to help, but one forgetful moment, one misplaced piece of paper, one typo, would bring everything to a screeching halt.

The doctors, nurses, and hospital staff are true superheroes as far as I'm concerned, but there's one more person who deserves some space on that pedestal: my insurance case manager. She is a miracle worker, and many times my savior. My oncologist and several other people urged me to get one, which I did by requesting that my primary care physician refer me for one. She has been a miracle. She keeps her eye on things, and if she hasn't heard from the appropriate person in the appropriate amount of time, she knows who to call and what to say. I still have to be constantly on the alert, but as long as I keep in frequent contact with her, she makes sure $#!? gets done.

LESSON #4: In a medical crisis, you need advocates. Recruit family and friends, but also request a case manager or patient advocate or whatever your insurance company calls them.

Where Things Stand Now

My last MRI scan was negative. They can't find the tumor anymore. Hallelujah! That was incredibly good news, because there are no guarantees with cancer treatment. The thing is, my cancer is well known for hiding itself in the bone marrow, then jumping out later to start the whole tumor thing all over again. To improve my chances of the cancer not coming back, I will need to get a stem cell transplant (a.k.a. bone marrow transplant).

I just met with my transplant doctor. There's no surgery, just some mega chemo and a long recovery process while I re-grow my immune system. The doctor told me I'm likely to have more side effects and the recovery process is likely to be months. But she also told me the chances of long-term remission for someone in my specific situation are better than even. Those odds are better than I'd originally been told. I'll take it.

LESSON #5: Think carefully about asking your doctor or the internet to tell you the odds for survival. Those statistics probably include people who were already in very poor health and people older than you, even if you're pretty...uh... mature. You are not the statistics, you are you.

Thanks for Reading

Next post, it's back to fitness stuff. But I'll write again later about what it's like to get a bone marrow/stem cell transplant, in case anyone in your life is facing one.

Go hug someone.

The Friendly Lifter

Bigger Arms!

If you lift weights to make your muscles grow, then you probably want nice, big arm muscles.  After all, when someone wants to show off their muscles, what do they do?  Flex their arms!  I see a lot of questions on the internet from folks who struggle to get their arms to grow, so I’d like to take this moment to share some of the advice I’ve picked up over the years.

Work Them More Often

The classic advice for lifters used to be to work each muscle group only once per week.  But quite a lot of recent research has shown that working a muscle group more often is the best possible way to get it to grow more, as long as you give it a day of rest before you work it again.  Try programming 28 to 32 sets PER WEEK for each muscle group that needs some extra stimulation, and spread those sets across two or three workouts.  Just remember to give each muscle group a day off before you work it again.

"Tri"-ing to Grow

Your upper arm is home to the triceps muscle--the one at the back of your arm that runs from your armpit to your elbow bone--and the biceps muscle--the one opposite your triceps that is probably the most famous bodybuilder muscle.  You absolutely want to grow your biceps muscle, but don't neglect the triceps!  It accounts for two-thirds of your arm's total volume, so if you want big arms, make sure you give both muscles a good workout.  I've even heard advice that you should do twice as many reps for your triceps as you do for your biceps each week.  I'm not sure you have to go that far, but if your triceps need some extra help, give them a few extra sets per week.

Don't Lift With Your Ego

Make sure you're using excellent form, especially on barbell bicep curls.  The most common example of "ego" lifting I've been seeing at my gym lately is guys (mostly guys) who pick a weight that's too heavy for them, then they use their whole body to kind of "throw" the weight upward.  If your legs are bending and straightening a lot or your upper body is tilting back and forth as you do your reps, that's a sign that you're not really stimulating your arm muscles the way you need to.  Instead, try to keep the rest of your body still.

When you do bicep curls, start each rep by straightening your arm and flexing your triceps--this will help ensure there's no momentum assisting you as you lift.  During the rep, only your forearms should move through 90% of the rep, then at the very top of the rep you can raise the angle of your upper arms slightly.  That's because your biceps are responsible for bending the elbow and, to a lesser extent, raising the angle of your upper arm.  If you do everything correctly, you may discover you need to use a lighter bar.

Finally, control the weight as it goes back down to its starting position.  If you are letting it flop down, that's also a sign that you're holding too much weight.

Feel That Pump

If you've ever heard lifters talk about "the pump" and didn't know what they meant, it's time to fill you in.  When you exercise a muscle, it needs extra fuel to do its job.  Your body feeds extra blood to the muscle, which literally causes it to "inflate" a little bit.  Ever seen some big, muscley guy flexing in front of the mirror at the end of his workout?  That's why--his muscles are actually bigger than when he started his workout!  Sadly, the pump won't last forever.  5 to 15 minutes after you finish using a muscle, the blood starts to flow back to the rest of your body and the pump fades.

Your muscles have these connective tissues called fascia surrounding them, and the fascia can physically limit how much your muscles can grow.  By getting a nice, big pump in your muscles, those fascia weaken their grip on your muscles, which makes it possible for your muscles to grow.  So although getting a big pump is lots of fun for flexing in the mirror, it's also important for long-term muscle growth.

When you do your arm exercises, try to feel that pump as much as possible.  At the top of each rep, pause for a second or two and squeeze the muscle as hard as you can.  Don't forget that the "top" of a rep may feel like the bottom, if the direction of movement is downward like with triceps pushdowns.  If you're having trouble getting a good pump, try doing at least one exercise with lots of reps (15 to 20 per set).

Feel That S-T-R-E-T-C-H

Stretching your muscles under tension can also help break down the fascia and get that pump going.  At the bottom of the rep, before you start lifting your next rep, try to feel a good stretch.  This stimulates your muscles for growth as well.  Some exercises lend themselves to this better than others.  For biceps, I like preacher curls with or without an e-z curl bar, and vertical preacher curls (where you face the "wrong" way on the bench) with dumbbells.  For triceps, I get a good stretch from overhead dumbbell triceps extensions and overhead cable rope "pushdowns".

Slow and Steady Wins the Arms Race

As you lower the weight in the "eccentric" or "negative" phase of each rep, do it s-l-o-w-l-y.  Like, count 5 to 10 seconds as you lower the weight.  You could do that on every arm exercise, but if you get too exhausted, choose one or a few exercises to use this technique on.

My Apologies to Your Arms

Your arms are gonna be tired!  But that's the way you make them grow!

Best wishes,
The Friendly Lifter

Protein Powder

Should I Use Protein Powder?  What Is It For, Anyway?

Protein powder is a convenient way to consume large amounts of protein.  Most lean proteins (i.e., meat and eggs) have to be refrigerated, and that can make them inconvenient or impossible, especially in certain workplaces.  Protein powder is shelf-stable, meaning you don’t need to refrigerate it (you should probably keep prepared shakes refrigerated if you don’t plan to drink them within a couple of hours).  Sipping a protein shake can also be a great way to get those grams down your throat, without feeling like you’re choking on your 27th chicken breast of the day.

I have been chewed out by “real food” maniacs about how protein powder is the root of all evil.  I know it’s probably somewhat more beneficial to get your protein from eggs that you cracked yourself and meat that you hunted and killed with your bare hands.  Yes, obviously, protein powder is processed. But so are almond milk, canned soup, and ice cream. If you’re going to crusade against protein powder, then you should be just as angry about graham crackers and deli meat.  They’re all processed. I respect people’s right to advocate for more natural foods. But let’s also allow people to make their own decisions, thank you very much.

Is Protein Powder a Food, Or a Supplement?

We can argue all day about technicalities and word definitions, but as far as your digestive system is concerned, protein shakes are food.  That means you need to count those grams in your food diary. Drinking a shake and eating a moderate handful of nuts could be a really good snack in the afternoon, or a quick way to get your first meal in when it’s too early to be thinking about cooking.

Be sure to check out the nutrition facts on the powder you’re buying.  Some powders have significantly more carbs than others, and some even add sugar.  I suggest you look for a protein powder (not a “mass gainer”) that has as few carbs and fat as possible per serving.  My favorite is CytoSport’s 100% Whey; Optimum Nutrition makes a good product also called 100% Whey.

If you’re looking for a bargain, Costco has the best prices.  I swear, my protein powder savings alone more than pay for my annual membership fee.

How Much Should I Use?

Figure out how much protein you still need to cram into your diet today; that’s how much you should use.  For example, if you see that you’re probably going to miss your protein goal by 30 grams, and your powder has 24 grams per scoop, make a shake with a scoop plus a little extra.

So...use protein powder/protein shakes for convenience, or when you need to balance your macronutrients and don’t have enough protein.

Hope that helps!

The Friendly Lifter

Rest and Recovery Are Essential

Getting fit is a long process, and we all get frustrated from time to time; even the really experienced folks do.  At some point, you might find yourself just wanting to quit.  If you're feeling constantly exhausted, yawning through the day, dreading your workout, or even getting depressed, please don't give up!  Rest and recharge instead.

Working Out Properly Causes Wear and Tear

Working out is healthy, but can also wear your body down.  The process of lifting weights is especially hard on the body.  Whenever you lift hard enough to really challenge yourself, your muscles sustain microscopic cellular damage called "microtears".  They're so tiny they're not considered injuries and you won't even be aware of them, but they're still important.  Your body heals those microtears, and in the process strengthens the muscle and makes it grow.  Without the damage, your body wouldn't have any reason to build itself up, so those microscopic tears are necessary.

But healing and building new muscle also takes energy, and if you're challenging yourself, then at some point you'll probably pick up one or two minor injuries in your muscles, joints, or connective tissues.  A little soreness in the shoulder, a little tenderness in the knee, whatever.  Even cardio-based workout programs will cause wear and tear that needs to heal, but with lifting, rest is especially important to consider.  That's why experts recommend that you plan on taking time off from working out periodically.  For weight trainers, many experts suggest you take an entire week off for every six to twelve weeks of training.

De-Loading

You could literally take the week off, staying away from the weights entirely.  Lots of folks do that.  Or, if staying away from the gym entirely would drive you as crazy as it would me, you could do what's called a "de-load" week.  That means doing very light workouts, usually with fewer sets, lighter weights, and more reps per set.  You could add in some light cardio.  

This period of recovery is so important, some workout programs even include a plan for time off every "X" weeks.  Other people prefer to decide when to take time off based on how their body feels.  Sometimes, life kinda steps in and forces you to take time off because you're traveling or you get the flu or everything at work explodes.

...But I'll Lose All My Gainz!

Don't worry.  Science tells us that, if you're eating a healthy diet, you won't start losing strength or muscle mass in only 7 days.  Some studies have found people can go two weeks or more without noticing any drop in performance when they come back to the weights.  In fact, it's very, very common for lifters to report that when they return to working out after a week off, their performance enjoys a significant boost.  Their strength and size gains are much better after having taken some time off.  Seriously, time off won't hurt your gainz, it'll help them in the long run!

After Your Time Off

So you took a week off or de-loaded for a week, and now you're gearing up to get back to lifting.  How you feel at that moment is kind of a fascinating study in human psychology.  Some folks get back to the gym feeling a massive energy boost, like a team of wild horses couldn't hold them back.  Others worry that they've forgotten everything they ever learned about working out, and are nervous as a result.  Whatever you're feeling as you walk out onto the gym floor, you should know you're not alone.  Just get out there and lift.  Do your reps and don't over-think that week off that you took.  You're gonna do great work, so just do it.

Take care of yourself!  Rest, recover, and get back to work!
The Friendly Lifter

Supplements

There is a lot of misinformation swirling around the topic of supplements, particularly those intended to boost your workout performance.  Here are my honest impressions.

"But I Don’t Believe in Steroids!"

I am going to type this as slowly and as loudly as I can: SUPPLEMENTS ARE NOT STEROIDS!!!  Steroids are illegal in the U.S., plus a bunch of other countries.  If you can find it on a shelf in a store at the mall and plunk it down at the cash register and walk out with it in a bag, it is not steroids.  Period.

What Supplements Should I Take?  Are Supplements Even Worth It?

I am going to give you my personal opinions here--I’m not a personal trainer or professional nutritionist--but I think they’re pretty sound.  Here are the supplements I think will help you do better in the gym:

• a multivitamin - Take your pick.
• vitamins and minerals - Vitamins C and D, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and zinc are all helpful in recovering from workouts or strengthening muscle and bone.  If you’re not getting enough from food, take a supplement.  Note that your multivitamin may not contain some of these, so read the label.
• caffeine - There is a decent amount of evidence that suggests caffeine does help you perform better in the gym.  You could take an expensive pre-workout supplement; nearly all of the ones on the market have hefty doses of caffeine and in my opinion, that’s about all they have that’s going to do you any good.  So my advice is, just drink some coffee.
• creatine monohydrate - Unlike most supplements you will find at the supplement store, creatine’s benefits have been well-documented for decades.  It helps your muscles recover more quickly from high-intensity activities like lifting a heavy weight.  This means that you may find your second and third sets of an exercise go just a bit better with the help of creatine.  It also helps develop muscle size and strength over time.  You don’t need a super fancy form of creatine, so shop around for a powder that is cheap.
• BCAA’s - Short for “branch-chained amino acids”, which are the building blocks of proteins, and from there, of muscles.  I don’t currently take these, but I have.  I changed my mind because I realized I was already getting complete proteins from my protein powder, and there’s a decent amount of disagreement among experts about whether BCAA’s are actually needed for folks who get plenty of protein intake.

That’s it.  Based on my research, almost all of those shelves and shelves of bottles you see in the supplement store are either snake oil, or are marginally helpful but not worth the expense and side effects.  And you shouldn’t feel like caffeine, creatine, or BCAA’s are going to make or break your workouts.  If you don’t want to use them, don’t.

Are Supplements Safe?

If you live in the U.S. you need to know that supplements, from the chewable vitamin C tablet you gave your toddler this morning to the “testosterone booster” in the dodgy-looking packaging, are not regulated.  There’s no government agency checking to see if those supplements are what they claim to be.  Let the buyer beware.  I go ahead and take the supplements I mentioned above, but if all this makes you nervous, skip them.  If you’re eating a healthy diet, none of them is essential.

Did I Hurt Your Feelings? 

I wasn't trying to.  If I didn't mention your favorite supplement, I'm not saying it's definitely worthless, only that I haven't found any evidence to support its value.  Keep taking it if you want to.

Remember, supplements are there to help your workout, but you've still got to work out!

Best wishes,

The Friendly Lifter

Momentum vs. Motivation

"I Just Need Some Motivation…"

Whenever and wherever fitness is being discussed, the word “motivation” comes up endlessly.  And I totally get it.  In evolutionary terms, we still haven’t developed beyond the psychology of the hunter-gatherer, and our bodies and minds still kinda see the world in those terms.  “Exercise”?  Just, do strenuous things that don’t result in food or self defense or sex?  Waste of energy.  Forget it.  We are programmed to conserve that energy, just in case.

BUT!  The human body is uniquely designed to be challenged and put to work, so evolution is not entirely working against you.

This tension between conserving energy and storing fat on one side, versus putting your body to work and being healthy on the other side, is where a lot of “motivation” talk comes from.  People know intellectually that they should be healthy and that they want to look awesome, but there’s still that pull toward laziness that we all feel.  Most folks would say that motivation is there to bridge the gap between lazy and healthy.

Go online and search for exercise motivation, and you will be drowning in it.  You will read frightening statistics about what will happen to you if you miss your workout.  You will chuckle over attitude-filled one-liners.  You will be treated to uplifting quotes about determination and grit.  You will shed a tear over someone’s life journey.  You will see inspiring photos of skinny or muscular people covered in sweat.  Eagles will soar.  Ships will majestically sail.  Men will land on the moon again and again.

And sometimes, that stuff helps.  But all too often, that kind of motivation is usually good enough to get us back into our workout shoes only once.  The effect wears off quickly when confronted with that voice inside us that says, “But I don’t wanna!”

The Hole

I have a name for the feeling of resistance to working out.  I call it “The Hole”.  You have to climb out of that Hole before you can get to work.  If you don’t climb out, you stay on the couch feeling simultaneously relieved and filled with shame.  The Hole will be deeper or shallower, depending on a million variables from your mental and physical state to the weather to how much effort it takes to find a matching pair of socks.  But getting out of The Hole takes effort.

Sure, motivation can be that extra little bit that gets you out of your Hole and gets you moving.  But there’s something else that is more important for keeping you on your path to fitness: momentum.

Building Momentum

Getting out of your Hole does get easier over time.  (If you’re shaking your head and laughing bitterly right now, it’s possible you’re forcing yourself to do a form of exercise that’s just not suited to you.  In that case, I’d like to invite you to stop here and read another of my posts, called "The Exercise Dating Game".)

Building momentum tends to happen in stages:
The Not-So-Bad Stage – If you work out regularly enough, you start to have more positive than negative thoughts about exercising.  It’s even better if you can focus really fiercely on those positive experiences.  Climbing out of your Hole is more like stepping out of a bucket.
The Automatic Stage – Over time, working out is just part of your week.  You tend to hop right over your Hole without even entering it.
The Don’t-Get-In-My-Way Stage – You can’t imagine your life without exercise as part of it, and it really ticks you off when something interferes with your workout.  Hole?  What Hole?

We all have setbacks, sometimes big ones.  Injuries, illness, life events both good and bad.  If you need to, put up a motivational poster in your Hole for the occasions when you fall into it.  And if you miss a few sessions, forgive yourself and get back on the horse.  Don’t leave room in your hole for self-loathing.  Do leave room in your hole for a ladder.

Consistency is the key here.  Set yourself a schedule and do your very best to keep to it.  Get up early and get to the gym before work.  Go for that walk during your lunch break.  Keep that time in the evening sacred for when you go biking.  Enlist a friend if it helps.

Try not to think about IF you are going to exercise, just WHEN.

Some Kinds of Motivation Are More Effective

I don’t mean to tell you that all motivation sucks, just that some kinds aren’t as effective as momentum is at keeping you on your exercise program.  Everyone is different, but certain things are pretty effective for many people.  Maybe one of these will keep your head in the game when you start to lose that momentum:

• Reminding yourself that you want to be healthy for your spouse/child/parent/etc.
• Buying a great outfit that’s just a bit too small, and trying it on from time to time
• Remembering that your grandparent/parent/sibling had heart disease/fatty liver/diabetes/etc. and you want to avoid ending up with the same health problem
• Proving to your critics, real or imagined, that you’re better than they said you are...those jerks
• Pretending you’re someone, real or fictional, who you really look up to, and nothing can stop you (seriously, this worked for me)

I PROMISE this exercise business gets easier, the more you keep at it.  You’re going to get there.  Just keep going!
The Friendly Lifter

Finding Fitness Truth

Good advice can be hard to find.  Here are some ways to find the wisdom needle in the information haystack.

Avoiding the Extremes

Sometimes, you will get two pieces of advice that seem to conflict, but that are actually both pointing you to a middle ground.  “Too many cooks spoil the broth” seems to be the exact opposite of “Many hands make light the work.”  But actually, both are true.  It’s just that there’s a sweet spot between doing a job all by yourself and having a hundred people barging in.

For a fitness example?  I hear people swear that the sauna has many health benefits, but others caution it can make you dehydrated.  Well, they’re both right.  (Except the folks who say the heat of the sauna will make you lose fat.  That's wrong.)  If you want to use the sauna, there’s some good evidence that it has health benefits—just make sure you’re getting enough water, because you’re going to sweat in there and you need to replace those fluids.

Here’s another one.  Creatine is just about the only fitness supplement that has been scientifically proven to be helpful with your workouts.  But!!!  There was that 16-year-old in [pick a state] who collapsed during a [pick a sport] game because he had taken too much creatine.  Well, yeah, 16-year-olds are not renowned for their good judgement.  Assuming the story is true, the kid probably took some obscenely large mega dose and not enough water and yeah, that wouldn’t have been good for him.  But if you take the recommended dose and make sure you’re well-hydrated—that is important—then creatine can help you recover more quickly from high-effort activities like sprinting and weight training, and can help with the development of lean muscle tissue.

Are you seeing a pattern?  Moderation.  Two people pointing in opposite directions might be pointing to the same place.  Go to that place.

Sure It’s True, But for Whom?

Fitness folks tend to assume that the whole world has the same goals, experience, and body type as they do.  And unfortunately, many will make broad, sweeping statements based on what has worked for them without really checking—or caring—whether their statement applies to the person they’re hollering at.  And when another of these zealots with differing goals, experience, and body type starts to holler back, things can get ugly…and bewildering for the poor, inexperienced bystander who just wanted to know where the drinking fountain is.  Here are some classics you’re bound to hear at one point or another:

• Always work out fasted.  (This may be true for people doing cardio to burn fat)
• Never go to the gym on an empty stomach.  (Definitely good advice if you’re planning to lift weights)
• You must do the Big 3 Lifts: bench press, squats, and deadlifts.  (If your goal is to get very strong or compete as a powerlifter, definitely yes.)
• There are plenty of great alternatives to the Big 3 Lifts.  (True, especially if you’re more into building muscle size or lifting for overall health rather than getting massively strong.)
• Deadlifts will kill your back.  (If you use bad form or too much weight, they will.  But they’re also a terrible idea for people with unresolved back injuries.  Or other injuries, for that matter.)
• Deadlifts will save your back.  (Maybe.  They sure helped mine.  But again, deadlifts are for strengthening a weak body, not for healing a broken one.)
• I did XYZ and look at me!  So you should do XYZ too!  (Good for them.  And XYZ might work for you, but maybe not.  Do some research.)
• Just work through the pain.  (If your muscles are slightly sore from a workout you did a few days ago, you’ll probably be okay.  If your pain feels like an injury, it’s terrible advice to work through it without the advice of a doctor or trained physical therapist.*)
• * By the way, I’ve been known to work through the pain even when I shouldn’t have.  It was stupid.  Full disclosure.

Most importantly, beware of claims that this or that is best for you, if the person speaking doesn’t know much about you, your body, your goals, and your previous experience.  I’ve even heard tales of personal trainers who launched their client into a workout program without asking about previous injuries or even asking serious questions about the client’s prior experience.  When someone does that to you, thank them for the advice (you’ll never get anywhere by arguing with them) and walk away.

How to Get Better Advice

If you ask people online or in person for diet or workout advice, any suggestions you get will be completely worthless if you haven’t given them any context.  Are you trying to burn fat?  Build muscle? Develop stamina?  Get stronger?  Improve your performance in cycling?  Or swimming? Or pogo stick?  Are you a rank beginner, seasoned veteran, or somewhere in between?  Any injuries in your past that might be relevant?  Diabetes?  Food allergies?  Are you going to a gym or working out at home, where you might not have access to a wide array of equipment?

If you go to a bunch of people and just ask, “How can I get fit?”, you’ll get advice.  Oh boy, will you get it.  But most of it likely won’t be useful or applicable to you.  Here are some examples of better ways to ask:

“I really enjoy using my stationary bike.  I’m looking to burn fat, and I’ve been doing 30-minute sessions and even though I’m getting faster, I’m not losing fat like I used to.  What can I do to re-energize my fat loss?”

“I’m 39 years old and I’d like to build some muscle, but I’ve never lifted weights before, and have no idea what I’m doing.  How should I approach my first few workouts?  And where can I find a good eating plan to help me build that muscle without putting on much fat?”

“I’ve been lifting for a couple years now, and I’m doing well on everything except the squat.  Every time I try to squat, my ankles and knees hurt a lot.  Are there certain form mistakes that commonly cause that?”

Sometimes It’s Okay to Ignore Advice

Give careful consideration to advice you get from people who seem knowledgeable and sane.  Much of what you hear will be solid wisdom for most people, most of the time.  But it’s your body and your diet and your workout, and even advice that was excellent for someone else may not be the best choice for you.  In the end, you need to do something that doesn’t hurt you, that you enjoy, and that helps you make the progress you’re looking for.  Don’t let people paralyze you or bully you into doing something that seems like a bad idea or a waste of time.  Listen to the advice, do a bit of research, make your own decision, and move forward.

I’ll tell you a secret.  That’s the best any of us can do.

Stay sane out there!
The Friendly Lifter

Quick Take: Beware of Bro Science

If you spend much time in the men’s locker room of a gym, you’re eventually going to hear someone spouting nonsense. (Ladies, you’ll have to take my word for this, but somehow I don’t think you’ll be shocked.)  A lot of the nonsense you hear is based on “bro science”: reasoning that seems to make sense but is not backed up by actual facts. 

One example of this is guys claiming the surest way to gain more muscle is to change your workout program every single week.  The logic here is that your muscles adapt to the same stimulus over time, and thus that stimulus (exercise) becomes less effective over time.  This is true.  Therefore, you must change up your exercise routine every time you work out.  This is the bogus part.  In reality, your body develops best with a certain amount of consistency as well as variety.  Most expert advice I’ve read recommends that you keep the same routines for at least 6 weeks--often more like 12 weeks--before evaluating whether a change is needed.  And if you’re making satisfactory progress, most experts recommend you keep doing what’s working, or only make minor changes.

Other examples of bogus fitness ideas:

• You can target specific areas of the body—i.e., the belly—for fat loss.  Sorry, you can't.  Current science says it’s kinda sorta barely possible in certain rare and extremely difficult circumstances, but really just forget it.
• Starving yourself is a good idea.  NO.  Severely restricting your calorie intake can actually backfire when your body throws itself into starvation mode and turns your metabolism way, way down.  There are options that can work, like keto diets or intermittent fasting, but do your research.
• ANYTHING that promises dramatic results in a few weeks.  No, no, no.  Sorry.  No.
• No pain, no gain.  OMG, just because it rhymes doesn’t make it true.  Look, if I put you on a torture rack for 45 minutes, you’d come out sore.  But you wouldn’t gain muscle or lose fat.  A good workout might make you sore, but lack of soreness doesn’t necessarily indicate a failed workout.
• Go big or go home.  I hear this motto spouted more frequently by guys who desperately want to sound badass than by lifters who actually are.  There is good evidence to support heavy lifting to help you build strength and muscle size, but that doesn’t mean you need to make veins explode at every workout.
• It’s impossible to lose fat while gaining muscle.  Actually, I’ve done it.  But mostly this works for beginners.  If you’re a seasoned bodybuilder trying to go from 8% bodyfat to 5%, then probably not.
• You’re going to have to suffer if you want to lose fat.   Actually, I’m rarely hungry when I’m losing fat, but I have to plan my meals intelligently.
• The sauna, or some other heat source, or—heaven preserve us—Sauna Suits will melt your fat away.  You will lose weight: all the water you sweat out.  But no, they won’t make you lose fat, even if you risk a trip to the ER by exercising while severely dehydrated.  Sorry.
• Cardio will destroy your muscle gains.  Really?  I wonder how college and pro football players get so fast and stay so buff.  There are better and worse ways to mix cardio with weight training, but they can be compatible.
• I could go on.  Unfortunately, this is a hole with no bottom.

So if you hear someone recommend something that conflicts with other advice, consider the two sources.  If one has more training and experience than the other, you should go with them.  If both seem equally trustworthy (or suspicious), do some research from more expert sources before you listen to one over the other.

Stay safe and sane out there!
The Friendly Lifter

Eating, Part 2...Warning: This Post Contains MATH!!!

There's lots of confusion out there regarding eating to grow muscle (bulking) versus eating to lose fat (cutting).  I'm not a nutritionist, but I have learned a few things I can share.

Eat, Eat, Eat for Muscle Growth.  

This has almost never been a problem for me--I've always had to focus on losing fat--but people who tend to think in terms of gaining weight rather than losing weight need to focus really hard on eating enough to support their lifting.  It’s not uncommon for me to hear folks--mostly skinny folks--say they feel like they’re already eating enough to choke a horse, but that they’re still not gaining any muscle or getting stronger.  I hate to say it, but they’re probably not eating enough calories, or getting enough protein.

Precisely how many calories, you say?  You want the exact number of grams of protein you need, perhaps?  You might try this calculator.  Just remember, you might need to make adjustments to what it tells you after you’ve tried it for a while.  For hypertrophy (muscle growth), I have heard guidelines that range from 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight all the way up to a rather extreme 3.0 grams per pound.  The calculator at the link above uses a safe, generic guideline of 1.0 g of protein per pound of body weight, which might be perfect for you.

The problem with any one-size-fits-all number is that different bodies process nutrients differently.  On top of that, a marathon runner has very different needs from a powerlifter.  For that matter, you may hear larger numbers thrown around that are intended for someone on steroids.  

A more personalized method is to write down every single thing you eat or drink for a week and track your protein, carbs, and fat.  Then, increase your protein intake until you start to see satisfactory progress.  This cautious approach will also let you avoid gaining fat as much as possible, since you’re not making big, abrupt changes to your diet.

If you’re trying to gain muscle, don’t severely restrict your intake of carbohydrates.  Protein helps build muscle, but carbs are the fuel for those muscles.  Carbs also physically add fullness to your muscles.  People on low-carb diets often report that their muscles appear “flatter”.

Try to eat more often, if you can.  Many people find it’s easier to eat 6 moderate meals a day than 3 huge ones.  But if that’s not going to fly, don’t stress about it.  3 or 4 meals a day is fine, if that’s all you can manage.  Just make sure those meals have plenty of protein, and are accompanied by nice, big glasses of water.  Try to get at least some protein every time you eat something, even if it’s just a snack.

Having trouble squeezing in enough protein?  Protein shakes are a godsend for many people in your situation.  Choking down enough chicken breasts or fish steaks to get all the protein you need can be very unappetizing; sipping on a protein shake is often much more palatable.  If you’re really desperate to get more calories, throw your protein powder in a blender and add in almond milk or whole milk, peanut butter, raw pasteurized eggs, or other nutritious, high-calorie foods.  I find protein shakes give me gas, so my wife threatens divorce if I don’t add two fast-acting lactase tablets to each shake (the best-known brand is Lactaid but I get Costco’s Kirkland brand).

Eat Carefully for Fat Loss.  Just Don’t Starve Yourself.

(If I lose you at some point here, be sure to check out the end of my article, where the formulas are easier to read.)

If you’re looking to lose fat, good news: there’s more agreement about guidelines for how much to eat, but there’s still variation.  A common formula for how to balance your macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) is to take in 40% of your calories from protein, 40% from carbs, and 20% from fat.  Notice that I said calories and not grams.  That is an important distinction.

As far as actual raw numbers, I regularly hear people suggest you eat 0.5 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean bodyweight in your body.  If you’re over about 20% bodyfat, you should find out as accurately as possible what your bodyfat percent is; 100 minus that number is a good estimate of your lean bodyweight percent.  Multiply your bodyweight times your lean percentage and that’s the bodyweight you should plug into the eating formula.  If I just lost you, look at the end of this article for a chart that might be easier to understand.

Once you know how many grams of protein you’re going to need, you’ll know to take in an equal amount of carbs.  For fat intake, you’ll need to do some math.  Multiply your grams of protein by 4 to get the number of calories of protein.  Cut that number in half, and that’s how many calories you need from fat.  Divide that number by 9 to find out how many grams of fat that is.  Sorry, it’s not going to be much.

But pay attention to what I’m about to say: THESE ARE ONLY GUIDELINES.  Starting points.  You are going to have to do some balancing and adjusting and experimentation to find out what works for you.  When I work on losing fat, I am most successful with a caloric balance of 45% protein, 35% carbs, and 20% fat.  I’m not saying you should follow my example, I’m saying you shouldn’t take anyone’s example and stick to it slavishly.  You’re going to need to do some tweaking to find what works best for you.

Even If You're Not Interested in Losing Fat, Don't Go Crazy...

There is a diet philosophy among some powerlifters and strength builders that you just need to eat as much as you want of whatever you want, whenever you want.  These are often men and women who aren’t that concerned with seeing their abs, but who are always chasing after a new personal strength record.  And although I behold powerlifters and strength athletes with a considerable amount of awe in my heart, I also worry about the condition of theirs if all they’re consuming is triple bacon cheeseburgers with chili fries and a shake.

No matter what, it’s good advice to emphasize lean protein and vegetables, to drink lots of water, and to cut out as much sugar from your diet as you can.

What About Timing of Meals?

Most expert advice I’ve read agrees that right after your muscles have worked very hard, they are eager to soak up all the carbohydrates they possibly can.  What this means for you, is that the meal right after you come from the gym should have at least some carbs.  Also, if you are going to splurge on something maybe a little sugary today, the best time would be right after your workout.  That doesn’t mean you can eat a dozen donuts without consequences, though.

There is a widely-quoted theory that you have to consume some protein within 30 minutes of exercise, or your body will start to break down muscle tissue, rather than build it up.  There’s an increasing amount of research coming out lately that disagrees and says that the timing isn’t nearly as critical.  And I believe that research.  Yet, I still make sure I have a protein shake in my locker for immediately after my workout.  Old habits die hard, I guess.

There is also a popular theory that your body can only absorb a limited amount of protein at once.  I frequently hear 30 grams quoted as a maximum.  There is evidence that disputes this notion, but the notion has been around a long time, and has a lot of support out there.  I’m just going to say that, based on my personal experience and what I’ve read, I’m skeptical that such a maximum exists, or if it does, that the max is 30 grams.  Do some internet research if you want.  I’ll just wait here and drink that protein shake from my locker.

Speaking of timing, you may want to look into intermittent fasting as an option for fat loss.  That’s where you only eat for a specific portion of the day, and fast (don’t eat) the rest of the day.  I have read a lot of convincing evidence that it can work for many people, but I haven’t tried it and don’t know much about it.  Personally, I can’t bear the idea of not eating for significant chunks of the day.  I think I would cry a lot.  But if that sounds like something you could handle, I encourage you to do some research.

For a Lot of Calculations, You Need to Know Your Lean Body Weight

Step 1: Find out what your body fat percentage is, meaning how much of your body weight is from fat.  Getting a perfectly precise number is almost impossible, so try for the closest percentage you can reasonably get.  You could buy a bathroom scale that measures your body fat based on sending a minuscule electric current through your body (you won’t even feel it).  It’s not super accurate, but is probably fine.  Or you could get a professional to measure you with calipers.  Or you could go to a really fancy place and get scanned or dunked in a pool.  

Step 2: It’s time for some math: 

100 - body fat percentage = lean percentage (how much of your body isn’t fat)

total body weight x lean percentage = lean body weight

What Balance of Macronutrients Should I Eat for Fat Loss?

THESE ARE ONLY GUIDELINES!  Try using the numbers you get from these formulas, but be willing to nudge them around if they don’t seem to be working for you.

lean body weight x 1.2 = protein grams to eat
lean body weight x 1.2 = carbohydrate grams to eat
lean body weight x .27 = fat grams to eat

Another Method

THESE ARE ONLY GUIDELINES!  Try using the numbers you get from these formulas, but be willing to nudge them around if they don’t seem to be working for you.

This link takes you to a calculator to estimate how many calories you should have as a target:

                                                                                  “/” means “divided by”

Target calories x .4 = calories from protein              protein calories / 4 = protein grams
Target calories x .4 = calories from carbs                 carb calories / 4 = carb grams
Target calories x .2 = calories from fat                     fat calories / 9 = fat grams 


I know I've thrown a lot of math at you, but remember, it's worth the trouble!  If you can lift heavy stuff, you can do this too!
The Friendly Lifter