Lean and Hard

In keeping with the lean and hard theme, which is really my goal and the condition I intend to keep, my workouts are focused on losing fat and building muscle. One without the other is like trying to stand on just one leg. Not ideal at all.This means my workouts include both cardio and weight training components. The balance of the two components can be adjusted as my body changes.

I exercise six days every week. That's four gym days and 2 walking days. At the gym I divide an hour between the elliptical and weights. Once in a while, if I need to lighten up, I'll substitute the stationary bike for the elliptical.

I alternate upper and lower body (including abs), so each body part gets worked twice every week. The reason for this is to keep pushing my muscles to grow while also giving them enough time to recover.

My upper body exercises include chest, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps. Lower body and abs includes quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and of course abs.

The larger muscles (chest, back, quads and hams) get two exercises each, while the smaller ones (calves, shoulders, glutes, biceps and triceps) get one each.

Right now I'm doing two sets per exercise, and keep my reps within ranges, like 5-8 or 8-12, depending on the amount of weight I'm lifting.

The goal for every set is to work the muscle to the point of almost failing. This means I push myself to the point where I can just barely complete the last rep.

When I can do both sets all the way to the top end of my range of reps, I'll bump up the weight by 5 to 15 pounds the next time I work that muscle.

So my typical week looks like this: Monday, lower body and abs; Tuesday, walking; Wednesday, upper body; Thursday, walking; Friday, lower body and abs; Saturday, no exercise; Sunday, upper body.

I'm pleased with my results so far. Comments?

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Actually, it's more likely to rank in the single digits, wouldn't you agree? According to this article, being physically fit makes for a dramatically improved sex life, for several intuitively obvious reasons, such as:

Physically fit people look and feel more attractive.

No question about this one, right? Man or woman, old or young, reducing body fat and adding muscle makes for a more attractive appearance. I read something interesting along these lines many years ago in a body-building magazine. It said that people who were (excuse the shameless plug for this blog) lean and hard looked better without clothes than with. Don''t misunderstand, they look good clothed too, it's just that they look even better when the clothes come off.

Conversely, people who are not physically fit take full advantage of the ability of clothes to disguise what they really look like underneath. I remember well, when I lived in the Northeastern U.S., someone pointing out that when winter turned to spring and the sweaters and bulky jackets came off, all the extra padding wouldn't have anywhere to hide anymore. So true. Sex, if you'll forgive me for pointing out the obvious, often requires the clothes to come off. Then it's either Yikes! or Wow!

It stands to reason that people who appear more attractive, to themselves and to others, are more likely to enjoy better sex lives, whatever their marital status or sexual orientation.

A big part of sex is feeling sexy. People who exercise have an improved body image over people who do not exercise. Being more comfortable with your body leads to better and more relaxed sex.

Physically fit people enjoy better sexual performance

The best sex takes flexibility, endurance, energy, and sometimes physical strength. Everyone knows that as we get heavier and develop more and more cushioning, our sexual options become more and more limited. Simple engineering and physics, right?

Sex itself is an intense physical activity requiring strength and endurance. As you exercise, both your strength and endurance will increase, opening the possibility for more varied sexual positions that require greater physical control.

It is known to be true that erectile dysfunction is often associated with obesity-related health problems.

Researchers looked at men over the age of 50 and found that those who were physically active reported better erections and a 30% lower risk of impotence than men who were inactive.

Physically fit people enjoy the regular release of endorphins.

What do endorphins have to do with sex? It turns out that the hormones released during and after strenuous exercise, the ones that create a so-called runner's high, also increase the frequency and pleasure of sexual arousal.

In fact, studies have shown that women who frequently exercise become aroused more quickly and are able to reach an orgasm faster and more intensely.

So if you need some additional motivation to get on the elliptical or say no to that slice of pizza, give this some thought. Achieving and maintaining physical fitness is a warrior's endeavor, and warriors need all the motivation they can get.

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It's very cool to discover some unexpected benefits of doing something good for you. I found one of those benefits when I started substituting complex carbs for simple ones: I started saving lots of money.

This won't work if you pay companies like Weight Watchers or Nutrisystem for your meals (which I think is crazy, by the way), or if you shell out your discretionary income on diet supplements that gain you nothing but benefit the snake oil salesmen enormously. But I found that by cutting out the Chinese takeout and delivery pizza and fast food burgers, and by spurning all the highly refined crap at the grocery store, my food bills were cut in half.

It's true. The refined stuff is actually far more expensive that the healthy stuff! (Another parenthetical is required here I'm afraid: I'm not talking about so-called organic foods! They're just more expensive versions of regular items and have not been shown to add one iota to your health or longevity.)

I'm talking about dried beans and fruit, vegetables and grains, things that are pretty much raw and unrefined, instead of pre-made mashed potatoes and canned vegetables. Doesn't it make sense that the more work people have to put into making and packaging the food, the more it will cost? As an experiment, compare the price per pound of a package of chicken breasts and a package of thin-sliced chicken cutlets. The cutlets cost more because someone had to cut them up like that.

Take a look at this op-ed piece, Is Junk Food Really Cheaper, from the New York Times:

In general, despite extensive government subsidies, hyperprocessed food remains more expensive than food cooked at home.

Another reason I'm saving money by eating healthy, besides the fact that eating or ordering out costs more than cooking it myself and that rawer foods cost less than processed foods, is that I'm eating less food! My shopping cart is much less full than it used to be.

And finally, there are the deferred but very real health costs of eating an unhealthy diet. From Dr. Mark Hyman's web site:

For example, when you eat unhealthy foods like these, the costs of medical visits, co-pays, prescription medications, and other health services skyrocket. There are other non-economic costs of eating poorly as well. You reduce your ability to enjoy life in the moment due to increased fatigue, low-grade health complaints, obesity, depression, and more.

Eating and being healthy is better for so many reasons, but saving money is a nice added benefit.

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As I continue to lose fat and firm up muscle, people wonder what I'm eating. Here's something I have quite often. It's yummy and packed with nutrients without lots of calories.


 This makes a delicious meal that will help you get lean and hard...


Ingredients:

Raw spinach leaves
Romaine lettuce
Apple slices
Walnuts
Grilled chicken breast
Cucumber
Celery
Artichoke hearts
Sun dried tomatoes
Light balsamic dressing

A crunchy, tasty, healthy dish that provides tons of nutrition and not too many calories. Try it and tell me what you think!

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