@beachfitproject anti-catabolic marathon training week 2

Week two is beginning this week, after bedding in from week one last week.

This week now the cardio and exercise programme has been set will be more focused on diet, making sure that I’m taking in the right stuff to make the good stuff happen.

I’m increasing my carb intake to about 150g a day, which should still see me be able to perform the cardio for longer periods of time.

Last week consisted of 4 runs – 4 long slow distance runs (3 treadmill and one outside), soccer for 90 minutes on Friday and 3 hours of squash on Saturday Fartlek style on and off. With the three treadmill runs I also included some HIIT training at the end to completely deplete sugar stores.

Before all of the cardio sessions were done I did some heavy weights with reps only up to 8 to fail, and split body parts throughout the week.

Sunday I had as a rest day, and this morning I’m raring to go for another LSD run.

Have a great week.

@Beachfitproject – Anti-Catabolic Marathon Fitness Training Week 1 Day 1

Morning all,

Today is the first day of my anti-catabolic marathon fitness training.

What is anti-catabolic marathon training?

Quite simple: retaining as much muscle mass as possible whilst losing body fat from LSD training for marathon fitness.

LSD: Long slow distance is what marathon training is all about. LSD causes the body to go into a catabolic state as it eats away at muscle. My aim here is to increase my fitness to marathon level over 24 weeks, aiming to be able to run 26.2 miles by the end but being able to maintain muscle mass and decrease body fat levels to a minimum. Training will include running 6 times per week gradually increasing as the weeks go by. At the start of each session il aim to do a specific muscle group of 6-8 and 8-10 reps to fail which will deplete sugar stores, spark metabolism boost aiding towards fat loss but due to that rep range and heavier weights il aim to keep hold of muscle mass. Some days il just be training cardio, and will work out roughly 66% cardio and 33% weights per week until I find the perfect ratio. That means training Cardio 6 times per week and 3 specific weight training sessions per week.

Along with the LSD training for marathon fitness il also be dropping in HIIT sprints to boost metabolism levels an increase fitness in another direction.

The training plan shown is a beginners guide to marathon training from the virgin 2013 London marathon, all logos shown are copyright of there respected owners and have no affiliation to @beachfitproject.

This should be fun, il keep you all posted.

@beachfitproject
#bfp2

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Beachfitproject2 – day 1 week one – Nutrition Guide and Training Summary

Hello All.

Beachfitproject1 was a success after I completed 8 weeks of tough training and diet – the idea behind it was simply to try a ketogenic diet for 8 weeks and to see if it actually worked or not. It did. I lost around 8-10% body fat and got visible definition around the abdominals and external obliques.
With this 8 week plan in mind I had a reward week which I spent in Gran Canaria.

I’m back and rolling again now, with not gaining much fat or weight on holiday last week I’m going to push on now and try and aim for those “cover model abs”.

I’ve set two others up with a higher fat capacity than me with a ketogenic bank of dietary foods, and each lost 12.5 Lbs and 10 lbs in two weeks each – of course I am happy with that.

This time round it’s going to be 12 weeks before I head to L.A for a couple of weeks. This time I will use a diet diary every day (electronic) and from time to time post graphical displays of nutrition stats etc. I will also give an in depth analysis of my training.

The training il be doing will consist of a lot of double sessions: cardio then weights, swapped with road terrain running, HIIT training, kettlebells and spin classes. Il be training 6 days a week, some days twice or three times a day, with one day off and a bi weekly cheat day every Saturday or Sunday also. Along with cardio will also be two sessions of football a week, and all being well one or two sessions of 45 minute squash. Mix all that with the usual dedication and motivation and il be finding beachfitproject2 a big success.

Il keep you posted guys, and here’s a sneak peak of what today’s special protein snack was….

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@beachfitproject
#beachfitproject2
#bfp2
#roadtoLA

Week 8 day 1 re-feed day – last week of #bfp1

Morning all,

This week is the final week of beachfitproject1 before I go on holiday for a week and come back before I start a further 12 weeks of bfp2 or coverfitproject 1 – which il be attempting to reveal a solid 6 PAC at the end of the 12 weeks towards the end of September. This time though il attempt to use video diaries along with WordPress updates for the project an keep the users interacted as much as possible. Il be attending classes aswel as outdoor runs, forestfit at the local forest and also be trying my hand at kettlebells and a cross fit. Il be training twice a day and there will be no excuses for failure or poor nutrition.

Il summarise bfp1 at the end of next week.

If anyone wants to get involved in beachfitproject2 or coverfitproject the. Get involved on Facebook or @beachfitproject

Have a good day

Week 7 day 4 Ketogenic Diet re-feed day and training summary with use of a pre work out supplement – Grenade 50Cal

Morning all,

Trained Legs this morning with James.

Before training I used 2 grenade fat burner thermogenic tablets and also used a grenade 50Cal pre work out supplement. It’s advised you use it 30 minutes before training and said use 1 serving if you’ve never used it before with 250-300 ml of water, but I thought is take all of it and took two servings with 500ml of water. I took it about 8:40Am, and was within training by 9Am but got into the main bulk of the sets by around 9:10Am, and boy was I feeling the pump. I’m not sure some people would react the way did, as I’ve never used pre workout supplements before and I felt like I was bouncing off the walls. Was eager to do the set, was shaking a little and defiantly up for it.

As you can see from the ingredients; the 50 cal has some pretty mad ingredients!

We trained an ascending and descending pyramid on the plate loaded leg press:

1 set of 20kg either side (40) + machine which is 50 so I’m told all the way up to 8 x 20kg either side plus machine.
The last set I thought I’d try 8 plates aside plus a 10kg each side, and I managed 6 reps which I pleased with.
We then came back down taking two plates off each side, so 6x20kg each side, 4, 2, then 1. By this point I was feeling sick and I felt the pump do it’s job and I was fairly pleased. However I did some abductor exercises and adductor exercises and that was me, feeling sick and no longer able to carry on.

Would I use the pre workout 50Cal again: Yes I would, felt like it gave me some real determination, and energy which sometimes you can struggle with on a ketogenic diet, especially as carb levels today are at there lowest as its the morning of the re-feed day. Rest periods in between each set were about 45-60 seconds so it was fairly intense.

Anyway I’m off to get some carbs down me. Have a good day

@beachfitproject

#beachfitproject
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@beachfitproject final 2 weeks, nutrition from cheat day yesterday and an article on cover model abs and exercises

Yesterday was my last cheat day of the beachfitproject for this 8 week block.
It wasn’t as successful as hoped as I was a little reserved with what I eat but still managed to eat some cheat foods. I had a few scotch eggs, (mini savoury eggs), I had a chicken wrap, a doughnut. Then on the evening we bought two 14″ pizzas and some ice cream from Ben and jerries. Out of all that pizza I managed three slices before I was full and I managed about 5 tea spoons of ice cream. Overall it wasnt a bad day, and the reason behind it is simple:

1) a reward for the previous two weeks good effort of training and diet
2) To shock the body and a change from the norm, which will boost metabolism and barely even touch me

Il include pictures below of cheat day foods.

I’ve also included a cover model workout for abs below, enjoy:

Dan’s cover model abs workout

When I had my half-way photos done a few weeks back, the editor told me I need to work more on my abs in order to get the lower two to pop out. Up until that point, I hadn’t isolated my abs in training because I’d been hitting them in every workout. But in the last couple of weeks, my trainer Jamie Sawyer has added about 20 minutes of weighted abdominal exercises into my routine a couple of times a week.
For each exercise he told me to tense my abs as if I was being punched in the stomach. Then he said: “Forget about imagining – I’m actually going to punch you.” Jamie has trained David Haye, so he knows what he’s doing when it comes to dealing blows. As you can see from the picture, it bloody hurt. But it’s amazing the difference it makes when you lock up your transverse abdominis. Ab exercises hurt a lot more. Which hopefully means they’re working. I’m starting to feel the difference. Give these exercises a go, doing three sets of 10 reps with each.
Double crunch
Lie on your back with your knees tucked up to your chest. Hold a weight in your hands and place a weight on your shins. Take the weight held in your hand over your head while simultaneously extending your legs out so they hover a few inches above the floor. Keep your lower back pressed into the ground. Then forcefully contract your abs as if you are being punched, pull your knees back to your chest, and crunch your torso so the weight being held is now over your knees. That’s one rep.
Ab wheel
Keeping your lower back completely flat and rigid, roll an ab wheel out as far as possible. Once you roll as far as you can while maintaining the correct body position, tighten your abs and roll back to the start position. If you don’t have a wheel you can use dumb-bells or a bar-bell with weights on it.
Standing cable ab curl
Attach a rope to a high cable. Stand with your back to the cable, pushing your buttocks onto the cable bar, and pull the rope down over your shoulders so that your hands are gripping it to your pecs as if holding the straps of a rucksack. Tighten your abs as if you are about to be punched and curl your body down until your elbows touch your knees. Hold for two seconds and slowly roll back up one vertebrae at a time. (Like me, you may want to put a towel or airex pad between the cable bar and your buttocks as you will be hinging at this point.)
Kneeling cable ab curl
The same as the standing (above), except you must kneel facing the cable. Tighten the cable around your shoulders so your arms don’t take the full weight and tire before your abs do.
Russian twists
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Grab a weight plate or dumb bell and recline back so that your body is angled about 45 degrees – the more you lean back, the harder it is. Keeping your lower body still and the weight out in front of you, twist your body to the right, taking the weight with you. Touch the weight down on the floor in line with your hip and then thrust the weight to the same position on the other side by twisting your body to the left. That’s one rep.
Swissball reverse crunch
Sit on a Swiss ball and walk down it so your lower back is supported by the curve of the ball. Have something solid behind you to hold on to. Lift your legs out straight and off the floor, keeping your body and the ball still, squeeze your abs, and pull your knees to your chest. Then, keeping your back still, extend your legs straight out without touching the floor. (To enhance this exercise place a dumbbell between your feet, but don’t go too heavy too soon!)
Serratus cable sit up
Attach two handles to a lower cable. Lie down with the handles behind your head and pick them up as if you were about to do a bench press. Keeping your arms in this position, tighten your abs as if about to be punched, explode up off the floor and as you move raise the handles above your head. Then slowly roll back down to the floor. Make sure your legs are straight and your heels stay on the floor.

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/blogs/dan-rookwood-cover-model/dan-rookwood-cover-model-training-blog-12

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@beachfitproject – maximising gains on a Ketogenic (Carb Cycling) Diet – (weight analysis)

Below is a similar pattern by what I follow, however I have three days carb cycle with up to a 100g of carbs a day followed by the fourth day where I try to take in around 300-400g of carbs. The cycle below shows a different way of carb cycling, you just need to adapt a way of making the ketogenic cycle world for you. Have a read, let me know what you think at @beachfitproject #bfp or #beachfitproject

How to maximise gains with carb cycling

What is it?
Carb cycling is simply splitting your carb intake for the week into three different daily amounts – low, moderate and high – to best complement your training regime.

Why should I do it?

Carbs in your diet trigger the release of the hormone insulin – one of the most important anabolic hormones in the body. Insulin directly influences the amount of amino acids and glucose transported to your muscle cells. Put simply, the more of it coursing through your body, the more your muscles grow. And it also prevents the mobilisation of nutrients stored in your muscles either as intramuscular glycogen or muscle tissue. Which means alongside helping build muscle tissue, it also protects against muscle breakdown.
A continuous high level of insulin, however, will create fat storage. Carb cycling, when you get it right, gives you the best of both worlds: optimum muscle gains; zero fat storage.

How do I do it?

By loading up with carbs on the brutal training days that would ordinarily suck the life out of you, but treating your body as if it’s in a cutting phase on the days when you don’t need excess energy.
So, on the days of your toughest sessions you would choose a high carb day, for your secondary workouts or less intense sessions you would choose a moderate carb day, and for your rest days you would choose a low carb day.
High days – in which you shovel in all the carbs your body can handle – refill your glycogen stores and promote the anabolic environment required for optimal muscle gains. Medium days allow you to maintain your glycogen levels with fewer total calories – you’ll have enough carbs to fuel your workout and prevent tissue breakdown, but not enough to be highly anabolic. Low days are ideal for when you’re just doing cardio, or no training at all. Your body, with its low insulin levels, will be primed for burning away body fat. And with fewer carbs, you’ll be eating more fats, which benefits hormone production and helps keep your body sensitive to insulin on the medium and high days.
Which carbs are best?
Sweet potatoes, basmati brown rice, quinoa, porridge oats and rye bread. Aim to get 50% of your carbs in your peri-workout shakes (before, during and after your session), 25% in a meal 60-90 mins after training, and 25% at breakfast.
How much carbs should I aim for?
Low day 0.5-1.25 grams per pound of body weight
Medium day 1.5-1.75 grams per pound of body weight
High day 2-3 grams per pound of body weight
The above article is from:

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/blogs/dan-rookwood-cover-model/dan-rookwood-cover-model-training-blog-18

As mentioned above, I do my cycles differently as I find having three days of low carbs combined with a thermogenic tablet (grenade in my case) helps my body promote fat loss at a suitable and sustainable rate. On my re-feed day I take in enough carbs to replenish the stores so that the next three days can use what I’ve taken in as energy, burn them of instead of storing them as fat and then continue within the ketosis stage where my body burns fats and protein as the primary energy source.

@beachfitproject

Week 6 day 4 Carb Re-feed and article on a Cover Models Diet and Nutrition with Diet Plans

Today is week 6 day 4 carb cycle 1. Today il load up to around 300g of carbs coming in from pasta to sweet potato to rice. Bi-weekly planned cheat say is Saturday which I’m looking forward too.

I’m dropping inches from the waist but I am getting stronger, which has surprised me a little. I can now bench 15% over my body weight for reps, which I’m fairly happy with. Il keep going, and keep working at that.

Below is an article from a guy who became a cover model, got in great shape from just an ordinary guy then lost it again after moving to Australia for four years, he then hit his thirties came back to the uk and decided he wanted to do it again: this is an article from men’s health online about cover models diet and nutrition. You’ll find aspects of it very similar to mine, and is exactly what I tell people at work, abs theoretically are made in the kitchen.
Enjoy

Dan’s cover model diet plan
12 March 2011 by Dan Rookwood

I’ve mentioned before that for me, getting in cover model shape is 60 per cent nutrition, 40 per cent training. Lots of you have been asking for my nutrition programme (put together by Jamie Sawyer), so this week I’m presenting what I consume on a typical day.
But first there are a few golden rules:
Avoid the following: all pasta, white rice, all wheat bread, sugar, white potatoes, fast food, chocolate, crisps, peanuts, wheat, pizza
• All veg must be lightly steamed or lightly roasted
• All meat cooked under the grill or in the oven
• Avoid alcohol, fizzy drinks and even fruit juices. Try to have green tea rather than builders’ tea
• In addition to these meals, make sure you’re taking your supplements (more info here)
My daily diet plan
Breakfast 7.30am
Greek salad (olives, salad leaves, tomatoes, avocado, goats-milk cheese or feta, red pepper, cucumber)
2 boiled eggs
½ cup quinoa
Green tea
OR
80 grams organic porridge oats with water or rice milk (add a small amount organic honey, dusted with cinnamon)
Protein shake
Mid-morning snack: 10am
Handful of mixed nuts
Protein shake
OR
3 slices of toasted rye bread spread with almond butter or cashew nut butter
Lunch (post-workout): 1.30pm
60 grams brown basmati rice
Lean turkey steak
Mixed salad
OR
Grilled cod fillet
½ cup quinoa
Lightly steamed mixed veg (eg brocolli or spinach)
Dinner 1: 4pm
Grilled salmon
Lightly steamed mixed veg
1 medium plantain
OR
1 fresh grapefruit
Protein shake
Dinner 2: 7.30pm
Veg omelette
3 whole eggs
1 cup spinach
1 cup mixed peppers (add paprika to taste)
OR
Large lean grilled steak
Lightly steamed mixed veg
1 sweet potato

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/blogs/dan-rookwood-cover-model/dan-rookwood-cover-model-training-blog-11

Picture from: http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mh-cover-0808-753410.jpg

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Week 6 day two – article on resisting temptation when following a fat loss/diet programme

Evening all,

Today is week 6 day two, cycle 1 of the carb cycling. I haven’t been on the scales for 6 weeks but in this blog I’ve included a picture of fat loss from my hip area. I’ve also included an article that was written about resisting temptation when following a diet. Enjoy.

The below article was not written by me, and you can find the original owner at the bottom of this page.

How to resist temptation

Human nature dictates that when you’re told not to do something, it becomes the one thing you really want to do. Hence while doing this cover model challenge, junk food – which I never normally eat unless drunk/hungover – has become extremely hard to resist.
I’ve always kept myself in reasonable shape so that I can enjoy my food and have a drink without feeling guilty about it. But when you’re training for the cover of Men’s Health, reasonable isn’t good enough. The diet has to be bang-on. No booze. No bread. No pasta or potatoes. And you’ve got to be just as disciplined with your training.
As I write, I am eating a post-workout meal: superfood salad with grilled turkey. I really didn’t have time to go the gym today, but I went anyway. (Apologies to the Web Editor for the subsequently late blog. Again.)
Not that I can be too pleased with myself. I must confess there have been times over the past four months when I have strayed from the straight and narrow. Several business trips, a two-week holiday and a few birthday parties have tested my commitment. Most of the time I’ve been pretty good, but there have been a couple of big dinners and one spectacular night on the lash.
While such occasions are clearly not advisable, they needn’t completely derail a training programme. A night of booze is never going to do you any good, but the very occasional blow-out meal isn’t the end of the world. In fact, following the basic principle of carb rotation, it can keep your metabolism guessing so your progress doesn’t plateau. Plus, I find the resultant guilt is very motivating: I tend to be stricter with myself afterwards to atone.
Targets and temptations
I also find it really helps to have a tangible target and a strict date to work towards. For me, the countdown to my photoshoot has begun. I’ve worked too hard for too long to mess it up now. For you the goal might be a beach holiday or a wedding.
With Easter and the Royal Wedding bank holidays coming up, the temptation to undo all your good work will be strong. Fine, take the odd day off here and there, have a bit of chocolate if you must, but don’t allow yourself to give up on your training goal. Stay strong and get back in the saddle straight away.
If any of you have any practical tips for how to stay on track after a lapse, please share them in the comments section below. My trainer Jamie Sawyer kicks us off with his advice on how to reboot your training after a slovenly seven days.
Sawyer says…
“If your break is a week of alcohol, processed foods and late nights then I would suggest that you ease back into training. You may feel rested, but your cardio and muscular system are in no fit state to beast the gym on your first session back.
See that first week after your break as a kind of adaptation week, getting rid of the toxins and switching your muscles back on again. This way you won’t suffer from severe soreness, a dip in your immune system, or a bucketload of stress hormone release – all of which will make you store body fat and burn muscle.”
article taken from: http://www.menshealth.co.uk/blogs/dan-rookwood-cover-model/dan-rookwood-cover-model-training-blog-15http://www.menshealth.co.uk/blogs/dan-rookwood-cover-model/dan-rookwood-cover-model-training-blog-15

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End of week 5 summary and article on gas/bloating when following low carb diet

I’m coming to the end of week 5 today, and I’ve noticed again some more changes this week. Fitness has definitely increased on the heart rate sprints and fatigue is starting to decrease. Noticeable changes in the body around the upper abs.

Today I’ve got an interesting article on gas and bloating when on a low carb diet, which I counter with some of the solutions that the article suggests anyway. It’s quite interesting, take a look.

People switching to a low-carbohydrate diet often complain of gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea as their bodies adapt to their new style of eating. For people on low-carb diets, gas is often a symptom of constipation. Constipation and fluid retention also cause the swollen, bloated feeling in your abdomen on a low-carb diet.
Causes
Fiber is a kind of carbohydrate from plants that your body can’t digest. Fiber aids in bowel movements by softening your stool and giving it bulk. However, since many low-carb diets limit fruit and vegetable consumption because of the sugars they contain, some dieters end up with hard stools that are difficult to pass. Constipation leads to gas and a bloated feeling. Also, as Health 101 explains, the sugar alcohols like lacitol and sorbitol that sweeten many processed low-carb snacks can cause digestive disturbances and gas in large quantities.

Bloating
Although constipation causes bloating, other traits of a low-carb diet can also lead to bloating and abdominal discomfort. High-protein foods such as cured meats and cheeses are salty. Sodium causes you to retain water, swelling your belly and other parts of your body. Avoid cured, treated and processed animal products to avoid bloating. Also, meats–especially beef and pork–cause bloating because they are slow to digest and empty from the stomach. You can relieve a heavy stomach by substituting white meat, fish and eggs for red meat and pork.
Prevention/Solution
Eat low-carbohydrate, fiber-rich vegetables such as greens, celery and mushrooms to relieve constipation, gas and bloating. If your diet prohibits all plant foods, then take a fiber supplement to encourage bowel movements. Also, make sure that you are eating enough healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to lubricate your bowels. Drink plenty of fluids to aid digestion and keep your bowel contents soft and moist. Finally, take a probiotic or eat plain yogurt to revitalize the intestinal fauna that aids digestion.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/300356-gas-bloating-low-carb-diet/#ixzz1wjhugiw7

Picture from: http://proimblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Low-carbohydrate-Diet.jpg

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