This is an amalgamation of my love for fashion and my journey to looking fierce both in the gym and out of it.
Fitness / Nutrition Info
-
“The point is, labeling foods as clean or dirty ignores context, and ignoring context is just plain dumb. I think that’s it’s intuitively obvious that the diet should consist mostly of whole & minimally refined foods. But still, it’s not all that simple, since certain foods are significantly altered from their original state (i.e., whey protein powder), but still have positive impacts on health.”
- Alan Aragon
Read the full interview: http://www.machinemuscle.com/interview-with-nutrition-expert-alan-aragon/
-
So I saw this version (http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8ovba2kef1r30l77o1_500.jpg) of this photo pop up on this dash and oh well, decided to take the bait.
First of all, the man on the left (Ronnie Coleman, for those who don’t know) is an IFBB pro bodybuilder. He holds the most wins as an IFBB professional and has won the Olympia EIGHT times. He is also not natural in the sense that he has used / uses many “supplements” to help him gain oodles of mass and achieve super leanness without sacrificing that mass.
Still, even if you took any random Joe off the street, pushed them into the gym every single day, and injected them with the most potent of all steroids HE WOULD NEVER LOOK LIKE THIS. That’s like saying if any track athlete trained hard enough they could run as fast Usain Bolt. Um, no.
Coleman is a bodybuilder, yes. But bodybuilder =/= IFBB pro-sized muscles.
Now, the guy on the right is likely a bodybuilder as well. Unlike male models in the fashion world, this guy has decent sized muscles, visible definition, and striations. This guy lifts weights. Is that not bodybuilding? Bodybuilding involves using training and diet to aesthetically alter the size and appearance of your muscles. Do fitness models not do that? Do you really think Greg Plitt isn’t (among a wide range of other things) a bodybuilder?
And for my last point, fitness cannot be seen through anything but action. Is the guy on the left running, jumping, throwing, swinging, pushing, or moving in any sort of way? No. He’s standing with his hip popped and his thumbs through his pocket or belt loops. Sorry folks, that ain’t fitness. Does that mean this guy isn’t fit? Nooo, but from where I sit right now I can’t tell. Ever seen someone in gym class who looks so slim and perfect that you figure they must workout? And then you smoke their ass running the mile? That’s happened to me plenty of times. Fitness* isn’t about a certain look. It’s about the habits you keep, and the abilities you have.
*Here I am speaking about the word “fitness” in the general concept that was intended for the photo above. When it comes to competitions (i.e. the NPC Fitness category) there is most definitely a “look” that the judges want to see (in addition to a variety of skills in the performance routine portion of the comp).
-
Quote reblogged from The Answer Is Within MeCakes have gotten a bad rap. People equate virtue with turning down dessert. There is always one person at the table who holds up her hand when I serve the cake. No, really, I couldn’t she says, and then gives her flat stomach a conspiratorial little pat. Everyone who is pressing a fork into that first tender layer looks at the person who declined the plate, and they all think, That person is better than I am. That person has discipline. But that isn’t a person with discipline; that is a person who has completely lost touch with joy. A slice of cake never made anybody fat. You don’t eat the whole cake. You don’t eat a cake every day of your life. You take the cake when it is offered because the cake is delicious. You have a slice of cake and what it reminds you of is someplace that’s safe, uncomplicated, without stress. A cake is a party, a birthday, a wedding. A cake is what’s served on the happiest days of your life. This is a story of how my life was saved by cake, so, of course, if sides are to be taken, I will always take the side of cake.
Jeanne Ray (via fyoured)
This is exactly my take on nutrition.
(via beccaliving)
I love this quote so much I want to frame it to hang in my kitchen.
(via fitnerd)
(Source: the-healing-nest)
-
“When asked what she would tell people who wished to pursue a true paleolithic diet, Dr. Hoyes laughed harshly before replying. ’You really want to be paleo? Then don’t buy anything from a store. Gather and kill what you need to eat. Wild grasses and tubers, acorns, gophers, crickets- They all provide a lot of nutrition. You’ll spend a lot of energy gathering the stuff, of course, and you’re going to be hungry, but that’ll help you maintain that lean physique you’re after. And hunting down the neighbor’s cats for dinner because you’ve already eaten you’re way through the local squirrel population will probably give you all the exercise you’ll ever need.’ ”
-
- Dr. Mel C. Siff
-
Photo reblogged from The Answer Is Within Me
Water Weight
What is water weight? Water weight is fluid retention. It is when your body holds on to the water in your body. This can cause you to get bloated, and see a higher number on the scale.
Why does this happen? This can happen for many reasons. Increased sodium intake, too many processed foods, not getting enough protein, not drinking enough water.
Not drinking enough water? The more water you drink the less water your body will retain. This is because when you drink a lot of water your body signals the organs that it is okay to let go of some of the water.
How to get rid of water weight? By drinking more water, cutting out processed and high sodium foods, sweating, cutting carbs.
Cutting carbs- although cutting carbs can help you lose water weight this will not help you lose fat. This is also not healthy. Many fad diets promise large amounts of weight loss in a small amount of time by drastically cutting carbs, however this weight will be gained back very quickly because it is not actually fat loss. This has to do with glycogen, and you can learn more about this here and here.
Water weight and fat are very different. This is why you should not freak out if you see a higher number on the scale. Fat is burned by being active and operating at a calorie deficit.
So in conclusion if you see a high number of gain or loss on the scale in a rapid amount of time it is most likely water weight. I highly recommend that you watch this video.
*** Remember that 2 liters of water is going to weigh 2 kg (4.4lbs). If you drink all the water you’re supposed to, your weight WILL fluctuate throughout the day ***This is another reason not to think about the scale!
-
Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound.Muscle is denser than fat, thus given two people of the same size the person with more muscle will weigh more.
-
Photo reblogged from Getting Fit and Healthy
I’ll admit I do like my chicken breast in huge portions. I just cooked 8.5 oz for lunch!
-
Photo reblogged from BreakingMuscle.com
Strong Foundations: Building and Maintaining a Strong Low Back
A strong low back is essential for powerful and injury-free movements in sports and other activities. But how do you keep your low back strong? Here are some dynamic stretches and lifts to help you.
http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-training/strong-foundations-building-and-maintaining-strong-low-back
-
Link reblogged from Sincerely, The Desire To Win
Here are some more tips for handling the heat when running in summer. I don’t know about you guys, but there’s a SERIOUS heat wave through my part of the world!
-
“No pain, no gain” shouldn’t be taken literally. Muscles may ache a day or two after doing a new or more intense routine, says Carol Torgan, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist in Bethesda, Maryland. (The discomfort you feel is from microscopic tears in your muscle fibers, which rebuild to make muscles even stronger.) But feeling sore after revery workout could mean you weren’t giving your body enough time to recover, which puts muscles at risk for injury. Instead of skipping the gym, exercise parts of your body that don’t hurt (if your hammies are tight, focus on your core or arm muscles), and if soreness lasts longer than 72 hours, give yourself a rest day or do a low-intensity activity like walking or yoga.
- “Ask Women’s Health” Women’s Health, July/August 2012
So so true and a lot of people forget this. I am rarely super sore after workouts, and it’s not because I’m not pushing myself. It’s because my body has adapted (in a good way!) to the stress and can repair itself more efficiently.
-
Link reblogged from
I’ve been completely blown away by the response to our call to find some of the most amazing fitblr resources on tumblr. In total we received 134 applications! Believe me it took a long time to sort through all these amazing tumblrs and narrow it down to just a few. I wish we could choose all…
Such an honor to be named among such an amazing compilation of fitblrs!
-
Some of the best in the business imo. No myths, no bull, just facts.
-
Link reblogged from Enter: Gay Angel
I feel sick to my stomach.
In this article “Skinny Girl” on Skinnygossip.com slams Kate Upton calling her a cow “vulgar”, “little piggie”, has “big floppy boobs”, and several other insane claims. THIS GIRL IS HEALTHY.
Even more disturbing than the article itself is the forum…
That website is a very scary place.
