March 14, 2011 By 20 Comments

Body Recomposition Without Counting Calories?

So you wish to alter your body composition, for the better, without counting calories?

It’s impossible, most people say. I beg to differ.

But first let me preface by saying this approach is not going to be for everyone. In fact, it’s probably not for the majority, at least not at first.

It’s something I’ve messed with on and off for the last year while hardly even realizing what I was doing.

I suppose it started last fall – I’d just moved into a new apartment right off campus. The walk to my first class took about 10 minutes and then I spent the majority of my day walking around from class to class. The only time I drove was to the grocery store or back to Nashville for the weekend.

For the first few weeks, I had to make some major adjustments to my intake. Expenditure was through the roof as I clocked some of my walking to be anywhere from 4-6 miles per day depending on how often I went back to my apartment. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Build Muscle, Diet, Motivation Tagged With: ,
March 11, 2011 By 93 Comments

JCDFitness T-Shirts: Time To Cast Your Vote

Hey everyone, I hope you’re having a nice Friday afternoon.  I’ve been working with a designer to help me get the first JCDFitness t-shirts printed up and to your doorstep.

At first, I was going to get one design made and that was going to be it.  But, after much thought, I figured I’d get a few designs made, and then let you decide which one you liked best.  That way, you have a say in how you sport the first ever JCDFitness t-shirt in existence.

Fact is, I really have no idea what the demand will be for these.  So I wanted to start off with the first run as sort of a test – just to see how fast they’d go.  Then, I’ll consider getting more designs, more varieties available over time.

I think for starters, we’re going to use a nice, 50/50 poly/cotton blend.  And then from there, we may get some more athletic-style shirts (UnderArmour heatgear-type feel) printed up and maybe even some hoodies (I <3 hoodies!). [Read more...]

Filed Under: Random Thoughts
March 7, 2011 By 32 Comments

The Secret to Gaining Slabs of Muscle Without the Fat

Twitter is funny.

A few weeks back, I got a sweetest little tweet from a nice lady named Suzanne that read something like “how do I add muscle without adding the extra fat?”

This is probably one of the most sought after goals in the entire history of physique development – particularly those who were either fat at one time and harbor a great fear of returning to their former state, or they’re of the female population.

I don’t mean that in any way that is degrading – it’s simply that most females are much more concerned about their outward appearance than males are.

For the general population, most guys do not care if their gut hangs over their belt buckle a bit (or a lot, for some). Most aren’t concerned with having six-pack abs, nor do they worry about taking their shirt off during the summer months. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Build Muscle, Questions Tagged With:
March 2, 2011 By 30 Comments

Fitness Addictions and the Importance of Other Goals

Within the last few months, as JCDFitness grows in readership, and as more and more download my No-BS Approach to Looking Great Naked, I seem to be getting a similar question multiple times over.

And while the question is usually varies in form, often accompanied with a small novel of background information, it usually goes something like this:

How did you go from the obsessive, neurotic fitness enthusiast you wrote about in your ebook to developing the relaxed approach you now practice?

While I don’t have a clear-cut answer as to exactly what happened, I am going to break it down as best I can and then answer any questions that arise in the comments.

The Beginning

The way I became involved with this fitness stuff dates back to about late 2005 when I graduated high school. After a very short thought of continuing my athletic career at a small college, I enrolled at the University of Arkansas for classes that I’d attend in the fall – I had no intentions of pursuing sports any further as I’d frankly had all I wanted. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Goals Tagged With: , ,
February 14, 2011 By 31 Comments

Attention Hardgainers: How to Add 10 Pounds of Muscle in 10 Weeks!

photo credit: urban_data

For all you skinny guys and gals out there longing to gain some serious lean body mass as opposed to the dreaded adiposity that usually results from quick weight-gain programs, stop scouring the internet right now because you’re in the right place.

Sit back, grab a cold one, and enjoy this piece because the info contained herein just might change your appearance for the better.

Oh yea, for all of you hardgainers, if you follow every bit of advice I’m about to reveal, your gains are likely to double.  This is assuming you go the extra mile in terms of sticking to and even surpassing some of the guidelines I’m presenting today.

But before I go any further, I should at least present my disclaimer.  The following information is very generic advice.  You know, the same advice you read in a magazine or on some unknown fitness blog trying to rank in the search engines for popular terms like fat loss, muscle gain, six pack abs, or whatever. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Build Muscle, Random Thoughts
February 4, 2011 By 35 Comments

Why We Fitness Folk Suck At Coaching Ourselves

Yea, I said it.  Even those of us who know a thing or two about this fitness game fail miserably when it comes time to coach ourselves.  One might believe a fitness professional or even an avid enthusiast possesses enough knowledge to develop a sound training program and a proper diet to propel them toward their goals.  It’s a nice thought, but it’s not always true.

Most of us have the knowledge – we know what it takes to get stronger, build muscle, lose fat, or whatever you’re trying to do in a practical manner.  The problem, though, lies in the way we approach ourselves as opposed to others. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Motivation Tagged With: , , ,
January 24, 2011 By 24 Comments

The First Rule of Looking Great Naked

This is a guest post by a former client and great friend of mine, Joe Stuchinsky.  We both love the movie Fight Club, as you might notice with the lovely writing style.  Read on and enjoy.

The First Rule…

THE FIRST RULE OF LOOKING GOOD NAKED IS…

Never go more than 3 hours without protein.

THE SECOND RULE OF LOOKING GOOD NAKED IS…

You NEVER go more than 3 hours without protein.

Well, at least that’s what the protein manufacturers and mainstream fitness media would have you believe. I believed it. We all know about these ‘rules’ of fitness, sent down by the big-shots at corporate wherever.  You hear them spoken in the gym and see them plastered all over the net. It’s hard to avoid. At least it was for me.

My meals; perfectly portioned and interspersed every 3 hours. Every day, in and out, cooking, eating and prepping all the damn food to lug into work the next day. Calories and macronutrient values constantly floating around in my head, occupying my thoughts, taking away time that should be devoted to other areas of life. I was engrossed in this stuff and it began to consume my life, but I kept forging onward. I was polishing brass on the titanic. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Clients, Goals, Motivation
January 17, 2011 By 20 Comments

The Twinkie Diet – A Mixed Bag

image credit: mrwynd

The truth is out.  No longer do we have to worry about food choices when dieting.  It turns out the old law of thermodynamics still applies, even though we often believe ourselves to be an exception.  Thusly, as a result of the Twinkie Diet performed by Mark Haub, a professor at Kansas State University, perhaps clean eating really is a scam?

Regardless of how you feel about clean eating or whatnot – it’s evident that many fitness and nutrition zealots are slightly confused and some are slightly disgruntled.

What I love so dearly about this mini-study is that Mark is an educated professional (professor of human nutrition) and for the most part, it goes against all bro logic we’re exposed to on a daily basis.  Ask anyone in your local gym if a diet full of junk food could result in fat loss and most all will tell you that you can never rid yourself of adiposity by eating Twinkies and all the sugar will wreak havoc on your insulin levels.

But here’s the funny thing – hardly anyone is willing to test the waters.  We’re all familiar with beliefs and how powerful they can be – especially when our emotions are involved.  And this is why many are unable to make objective decisions when it comes to their weight lifting routines and fat loss diets. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Diet, Rants Tagged With: ,
January 12, 2011 By 23 Comments

Health and Fitness Misadventures

image credit: e-MagineArt.com

Today’s article is from Alex Beecher, a fellow reader here at JCDFitness.  After I read this comment, I soon emailed him and chatted further.  Please read on and leave your thoughts in the comment section.  The following message is so worth the read.

I lay in the emergency room, doubled over on a bed, a bemused nurse standing over me. He examined my torso, poked the swollen lump protruding from under my ribcage. I responded as if his finger had been a knife, and his gentle prod a violent thrust.

“Gall bladder,” he said, and jotted something down on a clipboard. Then his eyes met mine. “What are you on?” His tone made it more an accusation than inquisition.

Despite that, the question was oddly gratifying. I had spent the last two years chasing the ghost of aesthetic perfection, concerning myself with little other than sculpting my physique. So I took his query as a compliment, and promptly lied through clenched teeth. “Whey protein,” I said. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Guest Articles
January 3, 2011 By 12 Comments

I Really, Really, Really Want You To Crush Your Goals in 2011

PHOTO CREDIT: HEATHER BUCKLEY

As of right now, 2010 is gone forever.  Everything you said you’d do, or even thought about doing is behind you.  You can never go back.  You can never change the past.  And that’s perfectly okay.

The important thing you need to worry about is what you can do right now – the only control we ever have is over the moment we’re currently in.  Therefore, each decision we make right now is a precursor to the decisions we’ll make and the results to be had tomorrow.

In lieu of waxing the philosophical, you know I’m not too big on the traditional New Year’s Resolution stuff.  I can live without it, actually.

But since we’re starting the New Year, I’d like to challenge you.  It’s going to be different for everyone as we all have individual goals.  But the way we go about it can be similar and very rewarding. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Motivation
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