How to be lean, or not to be lean, THAT is the question. To get lean and stay lean isn't as hard as most people perceive it to be. You don't know what you don't know. Getting lean is rather easy, when you put your mind to it, and you treat your body as the temple it is. When you approach food and exercise from the standpoint of; this is a lifestyle and it's something that is non-negotiable you will put it as your number one priority.  There's an age old adage that goes, "Those who FAIL to PLAN, PLAN to FAIL." A target without a bull eyes aims at nothing. Same goes for "a goal" if you don't have it written down, and can't see it, then you're not serious about where you want to go. (Law of attraction) What you focus on expands. What do I mean by that?

Getting lean, What do I do first?

1. Create a vision board - have a vision of what your ideal body is. (Find a picture and post it up so you see it daily)

2. Write down your exercise goals:  have a calendar. (Apply that written or on computer) Plan out what you're going to do on day 1- day 3 and so on. 

3. Prep your meals:  put them in a calendar. (Know what you're going to eat on days you lift, and days you rest) (Days you lift require more slow digesting carbohydrates that give you sustainable energy) (Days off you can eat a little more simple carbohydrates) (Refer to your nutritionist or contact me to help you with a meal plan)

4. Track your progress: Tracking your progress will help you know where you're at week in and week out, and how to make adjustments as your body changes from week to week. 

5. Stay consistent: You have to have a CAN DO/WILL DO attitude about how you approach your fitness. (How you do one thing, is how you do everything) So, practice acting your way into the habit.

6. Never Give Up: Being human we often get lazy and tired from day to day living. And, you often wonder is what you're doing going to get better are you ever going to see change? (That is all dependent on your mindset). When you get complacent and are starting to see you're more & more lethargic, it simply means your body is lacking something in regard to your required micronutrient intake. Let's take a deeper look...

Prep your meals

When you want to get lean and stay lean, you probably heard it before; "You can't out-train a poor diet!" No matter how much you exercise/lift whatever the case may be. Unless you change what's going on - on the inside you will NEVER win that battle. In my 17 years of training, the most success I've seen from my clients are those who have consciously made a decision to change and alter how, what & when they eat. A made up mind is a powerful thing. So, when you make the personal choice that you want to change the outcome, you have the power to do it. As you read further into the article there will be a breakdown and understanding of why nutrition from the inside out is the most important factor in understanding change. When you want to get lean and stay lean, this is something you can NOT compromise. Just as you plan your goals for life and events, the same goes for your body:

• Put it in your calendar

• Plan your meals - When prepping your meals it's important to understand; Macronutrients: protein, carbs, fat & water. (Water is also a macronutrient.) Based on your bodyweight goals you will need to consult with a trainer/nutritionist to help you understand what your body needs to attain your actual goal.

• Plan your supplements - Micronutrients are also required in order to achieve overall health. (Learn more)

Below please review images

There is a 5 year difference between these two images. 

"Get Lean & Stay Lean"

Leading by example

 Getting lean and sarcopenia! What’s That?

In order to get lean and stay lean, it's important to understand what happens as you get older. One of the greatest long-term threats to our ability to remain healthy and function independently with advancing age is a steady loss of lean muscle mass, a condition known as Sarcopenia. After the age of thirty, most adults lose 2%-5% of their lean muscle mass every decade as a result of the condition! Sarcopenia is increasingly recognized as a serious health problem that affects millions of aging adults and places an ever-greater strain on our health care system. The good news, by adopting a regimen that includes the right diet, proper nutritional supplementation and exercise, it is possible to dramatically improve lean muscle mass at virtually any age. (IDLife)

Getting lean from the Inside Out

An important part to understanding change, and in order to get lean, and stay lean you have to achieve intracellular transformation. (Let the cells go to work)  You need to understand the importance and the role of micronutrients, and how vital they are for you to achieve the lean body, and your overall health. ( Text below) Taken from an article written by John Berardi founder of Precision Nutrition, he lists why our bodies breakdown, and explains further in the article why FOOD is not FUEL. More importantly when you look further into micronutrients and what you need in order to function properly will give you a better understanding of what you need to achieve overall health. A lot of people want to be lean, but don't understand the importance and intake of micronutrients, and why you need supplementation. In order to achieve a lean and healthy look you have to be in the best possible health inside and out. 

Getting lean: Micronutrients: Vitamins and minerals

We need vitamins and minerals in our diet. Without them, our bodies break down.

For example, calcium helps:

• build bones,

• clot blood,

• regulate blood pressure,

• keep our muscles and heart pumping, and

• maintain cell communication.

Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 enzyme systems and helps with:

• protein synthesis,

• muscle and nerve function,

• blood sugar control,

• blood pressure regulation,

• energy production, and

• transport of other minerals.

Folate (vitamin B9) helps:

• convert food into energy,

• the nervous system (including the brain) function,

• tissues grow

• red blood cell production.

We could go on all day here.

The bottom line: None of these nutrients provide fuel. Which means that the food as fuel story totally ignores them.

This may be one reason why vitamin and mineral deficiencies are extremely common. When we only think of food as fuel, it’s easy to forget that we’re eating for other reasons too.

When you’re missing key vitamins and minerals, your body doesn’t work properly. You feel rotten. And you get sick. And that’s true no matter how much fuel is in the Ferarri. (Ptonthenet, Food is not fuel, Oct 7, 2015) 

Getting lean and understanding your heart rate zone

In a recent survey I discovered that most people don't understand how to get lean to stay lean. Most didn't understand or know their own heart rate training zone. Understanding your heart rate is very important in making sure you can monitor your heart rate to make sure you maximize your time and effort in the gym or elsewhere to achieve the goal you want. The way I explain it to my clients is your low end is at 65% intensity, and your high end is at 85% intensity. You take the two add them, divide by 2 and that will give you your median target zone to make sure you can insure an efficient training zone.  Knowing your training heart rate zone will help you understand how much sugars versus fat you're burning during your workouts. This is essential in your efforts to building the lean body you are wanting to create.

(To keep it very simple, we will use the Karvonen formula: which states: (The Karvonen Formula is a mathematical formula that helps you determine your target heart rate (HR) training zone. The formula uses maximum and resting heart rate with the desired training intensity to get a target heart rate. Target Heart Rate = ((max HR − resting HR) × %Intensity) + resting HR)  (Google.com) 

To test your resting heart rate, check your pulse first thing in the morning when you wake up. Count the bpm's for one minute. Do that for three days, then take the three add them up and divide by three. That will give you your average resting heart rate, should you decide to go that route.

If you don't know your resting heart rate, we will use  (Average Heart Rate Method): So, we will use me as an example: (Age 36) (BUT I LOOK 21!) Thank you good nutrition! :)

• Formula = 220 - (age) = bpm x% of intensity = avg bpm

•  (Low end) 220-36 = 184x0.65 = 119.6

• (High end) 220-36 = 184x0.85 = 156.4

• (Median) 119.6 + 156.4 = 276 /2 = 138

• So, to keep it a simple formula for me to burn more fat, I need to be at 85% or better for a desired amount of time. To keep the heart rate elevated, simply target between 138 - 156.4

(If you are new to exercise or have received exercise restrictions from your doctor, start with a lower heart rate range (about 55% to 65%). If you are an intermediate exerciser, try to stay within the range of 60% to 80%. Very fit individuals can work up to 85%. )

Getting lean & exercise, hitting the weights

You can't out-train a malnourished diet. Lifting is a very key component to getting lean and staying lean.  Now as entertaining as 1/2 the things you see in the gym are, you must make sure the exercises you perform are actually conducive to your actual goal. When you focus on increasing soft tissue in your body, the body is more apt to change. Creating soft tissue is essential in achieving the desired look you're going for. Lifting is important to couple with fat burning training so as you burn fat your skin can tighten around the muscle. So, depending on your body type your body may have a slower response to change than normal. Also, taking into account your age, metabolic rate etc. 

When you train and lift you are actually tearing your muscle fibers. So, in order to rebuild and repair, you have to understand the importance of supplementation for decreasing oxidative stress in the cells. 

• Why is oxidative stress bad?

  Disturbances in the normal redox state of cells can cause toxic effects through the production of peroxides and free radicals that damage all components of the cell, including proteins, lipids, and DNA. ... Thus, oxidative stress can cause disruptions in normal mechanisms of cellular signaling.

• Exercise can produce an imbalance between ROS and antioxidants, which is referred to as oxidative stress. Dietary antioxidant supplements are marketed to and used by athletes as a means to counteract the oxidative stress of exercise.Jul 15, 2003

  (Oxidative stress, exercise, and antioxidant supplementation)

Recovery is more than just "decreasing DOMS" (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) Recovery is also important for your overall health. Protein helps build and repair your muscle, (so not to get too heavy into what's required for your body type.) To keep it simple: Rule of thumb: Women need 0.4-0.6 per gram per pound of your body weight, and Men need 0.6-0.8 per gram per pound of your body weight.  (This will set the foundation of helping you BUILD lean muscle)

To burn more fat you you want to do aerobic exercise versus anaerobic exercise. You can turn lifting into an aerobic exercise by adding a timed element. So, a great rule of thumb for beginners is 1 minute of work time, and 30 seconds of rest time. If you're intermediate to advanced you'll work at a higher intensity for 45 seconds with a 15 seconds rest period. This isn't a rule for you to follow, but just a guideline. You have to do what works best for you.

Getting lean & Supplementation

To get lean and stay lean, the implementation of supplementation is also of the utmost importance. Staying lean requires a natural boost in your metabolism, preserving and protecting of lean muscle, and decreasing your sugar cravings. This will help you STAY LEAN once you've achieved the look you want A part of the process is maintaining that lean muscle. So, make sure you incorporate lean.

SO, bottom line:  you can't achieve a lean look unless there is also a healthy balance of exercise and proper nutrition. We are all predispose to something or the other via our family history, lifestyle, medical conditions etc. Truth behind it all, (One size does NOT fit all) (In fact it fits no one) we are all unique in our very own way, and we need a certain amount of micronutrients & macronutrients to look and feel our best! When you provide your body with the essentials it needs in order to achieve the lean look, i.e proper exercise and nutritional regimen, you are well on your way.

The challenge for most is being self-disciplined. When you learn how to empower yourself and create success habits that are going to lead you to the body you want to achieve, you will realize the only thing in your way from reaching your goal, is YOU. So, don't let YOU stop you from being the best you know you can be!