Friday, June 30, 2017

Training Every Day for Gains 41/84


This is an interesting topic that hasn't come into the spotlight until recently. If you have been following along with me for a bit, you'll see that I have posted in the past about how I think some people train way too often and that they think that more is better. I've posted about how training too much can actually hurt progress in the long run and that training less frequently may be a better option. I've even cut my own training down to only 3 or 3.5 days of lifting per week. Although I feel that this has been working really well for me recently, this entire conversation all comes back to the "do what works best for you" principle that I preach more often than anything. This is where training every single day can actually be pretty beneficial for a lot of people. In this post, I want to get into how to train every day, what the benefits can be, and who could really benefit from this. Then, tomorrow, at the half way point of my promised 84 straight days of posting, I'm going to write up a free workout, based on this plan, that you guys will have access to.

So why the change of heart? After talking so much about training less, why am I now saying that it might be better for some people to train even more? Like I said in the intro, you need to find what's going to work best for you and hammer that. I'm not necessarily changing my opinion, just giving you more options. If it is better for you and your schedule to make it a habit of getting to the gym every day, at the same time, and running through a quick workout, then do that! The first time I was ever exposed to a workout like this was from a book called "Easy Strength" co-authored by Dan John and Pavel about 5 years ago. This workout was essentially doing the same 5 exercises every single day with next to no volume and almost no weight. Then slowly, almost immeasurably, increasing the volume each week until the point where you're way stronger than you were at the beginning. It's a super weird concept but apparently it works, especially since those two are two of the more established strength coaches in the world. More recently, one of my favorite coaches, Jason Ferruggia, discussed in a podcast about how he tried this for 3 months with great success. That's really were I got the idea to do this because I started thinking about the clients that I already work with that could benefit from it.


The biggest argument for training less often is that less volume is going to allow you to make sure that you're recovering super well from each workout. So what if you can take a 3 day a week workout, cut each day in half, and make it a 6 day a week workout? What if you take the exact same volume you did in 3 days and just do it over 6 days? Yes, your workouts would be shorter, probably around half the time, but that's really the point. And that's exactly what I plan to do. I started out with a workout that I would normally program for 3 days a week and I cut it in half so that each workout could be done in a short time each day. The total amount of work you do each day will be low, probably way lower than any of you are used to. But if you feel like this is something that can be beneficial for you then I encourage you to try it.

The biggest benefit of a workout like this the ability to build a habit around exercise. If you get used to going to the gym at the same time every day and just make it part of your daily routine, then it will be easier to make it a habit and make going to the gym something that you actually do. Although you're not doing that much each day, during the week you're still getting the same total volume that you would be getting if you were doing 3 longer workouts during the week. This mean that, not only will you not miss out on any strength gains, but you actually may get stronger because of it. And since the volume is so low each day, you don't need to worry about being able to recover from day today. Sure, the first week you may be a little sore, but you'll adjust and be able to make a good habit of it. In the long term, since you'll be able to make it to the gym so regularly, you may actually start to see some progress that you've been missing out on for years.

There are a few different types of people that this can be beneficial for so hopefully you can fit into one of these. A high frequency workout like this is great for people who have a hard time with sticking with the gym. Especially if they are also a person who loves to run their lives off of a routine. Having the same work hours each day and working off of the same schedule each day is going to be the perfect placement to add in a quick 20-30 minute workout each day. Get in, get out, get it done, and go back to work (or go eat). Something like a lunch break is a great place to add a quick workout like this. You can also add it in super quick before or after you go to work. On the other hand, if you're someone who has a different day to day schedule, or doesn't have trouble getting to the gym, you may not need to worry about a workout like this. Although it still can be beneficial if you want to try it.

So I'm going to cut it short there because I'll explain the rest tomorrow when I post the workout. But here's the trick, the only people who will receive the workout of my subscribers. So if you're already subscribed to this blog then great! You'll get a fresh new workout in your email tomorrow. But if you're not yet subscribed then make sure to do that! You can do it via the pop-up window on here. Also, when you subscribe, you'll get a copy of the nutrition plan I use with my clients as well as a couple sweet infographics about my favorite muscle building and fat loss tips (seriously they're super cool). So don't wait! Subscribe now and get a bunch of free stuff, plus a new workout tomorrow and more free stuff in the future.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Barbell Complexes For Fat Loss 40/84


Cardio is not fun. It's boring and it hurts. Not, like, hurts for a little bit then goes away, just hurts for a long time. I've posted in the past about how I like intervals and circuits for a different conditioning option, but here's other one you can add to the list.

Barbell Complexes are a great way to get a lot of work done in a small amount of time while still getting your heart rate up. You don't have to just go for a run or slug away on an elliptical to get your heart rate higher and get the cardiovascular benefits of cardio. Also, since you're still lifting weights, you don't have to worry nearly as much about the potential muscle loss from doing it. I want to keep this one quick so I will to post a couple of complexes that I have been using with my clients during their fat loss phases. Typically, if we're doing two sessions a week, one will be a complex and the other will be some kind of circuit. These, of course, will be paired with other lifting exercises and I'll often has client do other cardio and conditioning on their own.

Here's a really simple complex you can use to get started. Pick a bar weight and use the same bar for all exercises. Do 10 reps of each exercise, repeat for 5 rounds, and rest about a minute between rounds

1. RDL
2. Bent Over Row
3. Front Squat
4. Push Press

This is very similar to one that I like to start people with and it can also be done with dumbbells or kettlebells if that is more convenient for you.

As we progress through a fat loss phase (usually programmed for about 3 months at a time), I start to add exercises and change the parameters around a bit. This next one can be considered and intermediate complex. Only do 5 reps of each exercise and focus on adding weight to the bar each week. Repeat 6-8 rounds

1. RDL
2. Row
3. Hang Power Clean
4. Push Jerk
5. Back Squat

I don't often use Olympic lifts with my clients because they usually aren't worth the time it takes to teach people. But, I do like to add in a hang power clean because it's simply a transition from holding the bar in your hands to holding it in a front rack. This skill comes in handy whenever we need to do presses with a bar on the floor or go through a complex like this.

This last one I like a lot but I can't take credit for it. It's called the Cosgrove Complex and I first saw it on Testosterone Nation. It consists of 8 exericses and you start by doing 6 reps of each. Do 6 of all of the exercises the first round, then do 5, then 4, then 3 ect down to 1. It is prescribed with 90 seconds of rest but I like to do a 1:1 work to rest ratio, meaning you time how long the round took you then rest for that long between rounds. Here are the exercises,

1. Deadlift
2. RDL
3. Row
4. Power Clean
5. Front Squat
6. Push Press
7. Back Squat
8. Goodmorning

This 6-1 rep scheme is great mentally, because after the round of 5 you're already past half way done! I only make one real change to this and it's usually to omit the goodmorings at the end. Deadlifts, RDLs, and Cleans are enough posterior chain volume and people usually have a good pump in their lower back by the time the goodmornings come around.

So there you go, something new to try on your next conditioning day that will keep you much more involved and get you out of the gym much faster than the elliptical. Hopefully you guys are getting some good information from these posts and we're getting close to the halfway point on my daily posts! If you want to stay up to date on everything, get some free stuff including my Top Fat Loss and Top Muscle Building Tips,  nutrition plan, and access to my private Facebook group, fill out the pop up window on here to become a subscriber. Subscribers will also be the first people I go to for workout testing and free programs so don't wait! As always, if you have any questions at all, or feel like you need some help with this whole fitness thing, reach out to me and I'll do whatever I can to help!

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Intermittent Fasting Part 3 39/84


Part 3 has arrived. Sorry to drag this out so long but I really do have a lot that I want to say about this. We've already covered the different types of intermittent fasting, the potential benefits it can proved, and the potential side effects it can have. Today I'm going to get into which people can really benefit from IF and which people should probably stay away from it.

So just to start here, I can never really hurt to experiment with something for a short time just to see how it's going to effect you. Even if you find yourself on the list of contraindications, feel free to experiment with yourself a bit to see how it goes (this really applies to a lot of things in the fitness world). With that said, if you start to notice anything bad happening then pay attention and don't be dumb.

So we'll start with the good list, these are the people what can really benefit from some kind of fasting protocol. There's really a lot of lifestyle factors that need to be in play like; when you workout, when you work, if you have to work with clients, when you sleep, what your fitness goals are, and how stressful your life is already. The people that are going to benefit the most are going to be people who have low-ish stress jobs, work normal hours, and usually work out around lunch time or later. Although it's generally thought to be best for cutting, IF can be beneficial for a bulk too. Personally, I do it to try and stay as lean as I can while I gain weight and I just make my fast slightly shorter. Overall, from what we've seen, IF is much more beneficial for men than it is for women. As I mentioned quickly yesterday, IF can have some pretty big negative side effects for some women including missing periods and symptoms or pre-menopause.  Obviously, this won't apply to all women but it's something to keep an eye out for if you want top try. Let's run down that list again...

-Fat loss
-Normal work hours
-Not high stress job
-Later workouts
-Usually men

Now let's take a look at the flip side and see who might want to think for a while before trying. First, if you workout early in the morning, IF is probably not the best (the 16/8 version at least) because you're going to want to eat before, during, or after your workout at some point. Early people could try the 24 hour version though, When you work can be a factor and is associated with when you sleep because you're going to have to plan your meals around that. Usually, the morning is the best time to fast because that fits the best with social norms like going out for lunch or dinner, but it's not 100% necessary. Also, If you're someone who's going to get irritable from not eating, working a job where you work 1-on-1 with people may not be in your best interest. Obviously, this is how my job is but I've  been doing it long enough that I don't get cranky. Also, black coffee helps keep you nice and peppy. If your job or life is already very stressful, the IF just becomes another stressor. This might be the one to put you over the edge so it's better to take some help from anti-stress protocols before you worry about this. Next, if you are an athlete or have very athletic based goals you may benefit form breakfast depending on when you workout or when you have practices etc. Finally, again, women need to pay close attention. It can still work for you but you're going to want to pay pretty close attention to how your body is feeling.  So this list is basically the opposite of the first

- Athletic or massive weight gain goals
-Odd or unpredictable work hours
-High stress job
-Morning workouts
-Often women

The final thing I want to talk about is some strategies that I use to make it through my fast every day so you guys can have them in your arsenal as well. I think the biggest one is to make sure you stay busy. IF works out really well for me because I just fast while I train my morning clients. Once I'm done in the afternoon, I go home and eat. Pretty simple. I'm busy enough during the day to not even think about food most of the time. The next biggest thing is about understanding hunger. There are two main things here; knowing that the feeling of hunger doesn't last that long, and realizing that you need to accept hunger as part of losing fat. Hunger usually only lasts for about 30 minutes or so on average and, after that, it doesn't come back for a very long time. Having this knowledge in the back of you head makes it easier to push through that feeling because you know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Related, at some point during a Cut, you're going to get hungry, it's just going to happen. You're eating less food than your body is used to and it doesn't like that. If you can get more comfortable with the feeling on hunger than it's going to make the whole process easier for you. The times you'll feel it the most are when you normally eat a meal, so like when you normally eat breakfast. When I do get hungry, water and black coffee help me curb my apatite enough to get over it. If you doing a 24 hour fast then you can add some BCAAs or a greens supplement to help you make the it whole time. Aside from those, it's just about getting it done. You'll feel the most hungry when you first start but you're body will absolutely get used to it. It also help you from getting hungrier during the day if you do happen to miss a meal. That's one of my favorite things because we don;t live in a perfect world and you're not always going to be able to get you 6 meals a day in every 3 hours.

I think that's just about it for these posts. Hopefully you guys are getting some good information from these posts and we're getting close to the halfway point on my daily posts! If you want to stay up to date on everything, get some free stuff including my Top Fat Loss and Top Muscle Building Tips,  nutrition plan, and access to my private Facebook group, fill out the pop up window on here to become a subscriber. Subscribers will also be the first people I go to for workout testing and free programs so don't wait! As always, if you have any questions at all, or feel like you need some help with this whole fitness thing, reach out to me and I'll do whatever I can to help!

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Intermittent Fasting Part 2 38/84


Here you guys go with Part 2. Like I said in Part 1, Intermittent Fasting is something that I'm pretty passionate about because it has been working so well for me for years. To be honest, this is  going to end up being a 3 part post because I have so much I want to say. So with that, today's post is going to be about the potential benefits and side effects of IF while part 3 is going to be about who should try it and who should stay away from it based on these potentials.

We've already looked at the different types of IF and as far as we can tell, the benefits are pretty similar between the different types. Of course there are some changes, but the big ones are pretty universal. I also want to say this at the beginning as well, there is not really that much scientific research that has been done on humans to prove or disprove the benefits that IF can provide. There are a lot of studies done on mice which show some pretty promising things, but apparently it's hard to find college kids who you can convince not to eat. I'm sure, eventually, we'll have the research to back up what we've seen, but until then we basically have the anecdotal evidence of personal and client experience to look at. Some people may not think much of that but I think that if it works it works, sometimes regardless of if the research has caught up yet.

So let's get into it, there are a ton of potential benefits that IF can provide which include decreasing some things and increasing others. One of the biggest benefits, and the reason that most people get into it, are the fat loss benefits. It has been pretty widely shown that participating in IF can help you burn more fat. NOW, it has yet be proven whether or not that fat loss is a result of the fast or just a result of the fact that you're probably eating less total calories. Personally, when I'm on a cutting phase I increase the time of my fast, and while I'm bulking I reduce it. It's super hard for me to get the 4-5,000 calories I need for a Bulk in just a few hours. What has been shown, though, is an increase in metabolism towards the end of the fast. This may be the exact opposite of what some people think and may be the opposite of what the bros might tell you. So many people think that if you don't eat for a couple of hours that your metabolism slows down to a crawl and sends you into starvation mode. This could not be less true and there is absolutely no backing that not eating for a couple hours slow metabolism at all.

On that note, by no means is it necessary to eat 6 meals a day ever couple hours to get lean. I'm not exactly sure when this myth came around but for some reason everyone believes it now. You'll probably hear me saw this a lot but meal frequency (how often you eat) has absolutely no effect on body composition (how lean you are).

So back on track, here more benefits that we believe you can get from adding a fast to your life; decreased blood pressure, decrease blood lipids, decreased inflammation, decreased risk of cancer, increased cellular repair, increase growth hormone levels, increased apatite control, and increased blood sugar control.

That seems like a pretty great list right? I think so too. There are some potential drawback too, though, and although the list is smaller, they can be some pretty important ones. Here are some potential side effects; increased stress response, increased strength of male sex hormones (bad for ladies), decreased strength of female sex hormones (also bad for ladies), amenorrhea, and symptoms of premenopause. Like I said, smaller list but there are some pretty big players involved. As a little spoiler for Part 3, IF and ladies do not really get along and you need to pay close attention to how you feel if you try it. Stay tuned tomorrow for the details.

So like I said, in Part 3 I will get into who should try it, who should avoid it, and what groups of people or character traits would and would not bode well with IF. Hopefully you guys are getting some good information from these posts and we're getting close to the halfway point on my daily posts! If you want to stay up to date on everything, get some free stuff including my Top Fat Loss and Top Muscle Building Tips,  nutrition plan, and access to my private Facebook group, fill out the pop up window on here to become a subscriber. Subscribers will also be the first people I go to for workout testing and free programs so don't wait! As always, if you have any questions at all, or feel like you need some help with this whole fitness thing, reach out to me and I'll do whatever I can to help!

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Monday, June 26, 2017

Intermittent Fasting Part 1 37/84


I've been waiting to do this one for a while. I'm not sure why I waited so long but I wanted to make sure that I had as much info together as I could before I got after it. Then this week I found 3 podcasts by the experts as Precision Nutrition on the topic and it gave me the brain boost I needed to have enough content to make this. Intermittent Fasting (IF) is something I'm pretty passionate about because it has been working so well for me for so long, but I also understand that it is absolutely not the best option for everyone, and can even have some pretty nasty side effects for some people. In this post, I want to get into what IF is, variations of it that can all be used, the potential benefits, who it can be good for, and know it could be bad for.

All start by saying this, everyone does IF at some level already. Intermittent Fasting, by definition, is taking periods of not eating. At it's most basic level, this is the fast that you go through when you sleep. Most people are already fasting for around 10-12 hours from the time they eat their last meal at night until they eat their first meal in the morning. This is one reason why it's kind of funny to me when people freak out about the idea of extending that fast for just a few more hours.

There are a few different versions of IF that can all have some pretty good potential benefits. Some of the most popular ones right now include taking a full 24 hours without food each week, extending your fast until 14-16 hours each day, or doing a 36-48 hour fast. I'll go into a little detail on each one and you can decide for yourself if you want to try. \
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Personally, I do the daily 16ish hour fast, from about 9:00pm at night until about 1:00 the next day. Sometimes I eat my first meal earlier and sometimes I eat it later. I basically just depends on when  I finish with my morning clients. This one is really easy to think about because you basically just skip breakfast and wait to eat until lunch. This is something that I've been messing around with for years now. I started about as soon as I finished college volleyball in 2013 after reading a book call "The Renegade Diet" by Jason Ferruggia and I have only taken small breaks from using it since then. I also get reinvigorated by it every time I read the book "Engineer the Alpha" by John Romaniello and Adam Bornstein (maybe my favorite book of all time). Do you want to know the biggest reason I've been sticking with it for so long? Because it works for me. I've found my thing and I always encourage everyone to find theirs too. It's my go-to whenever I want to lean out a bit and I use it to help my stay leaner while I do a Massing phase. It has been working for me for years now and I plan on sticking to it.

The other two types of IF I listed are a bit different in that, instead if doing a short fast each day, you do and extended fast only one day out of the week. The 24 hour fast going from dinner one night until diner the next night without any food at all. If you decide to do this (with me because I'm going to try it soon) then I'll allow you to take some BCAAs, greens supplement and/or  tea or coffee during the day. But as you do it more often, you should try to stay away from those more (coffee and tea are still ok).

The 36 fast goes from diner one night, no food at all the next day, then breakfast the day after. This is obviously very similar the the 24 hour fast but just a little bit more extreme. Each one of these have their benefits and their drawbacks and if you want to hear about those then you're going to have to check back tomorrow. The potential benefits of IF can be amazing if you stick with it, but it can be hard and for some people it just doesn't work. Tomorrow I'll get into the detail of the benefits and side effects and let you chose for yourself if it is something that you can benefit from.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Increase Gains With This Shake 36/84


There really aren't very many true "secrets" in the fitness industry. I don't care what magazines or the internet tells you, there's only a few basic things that you need to get really good at to get and maintain the body and health that you want. That being said, the closet thing I have to a secret that I tell my clients about is an intra-workout shake. This shake is a combination of carbs and protein that you sip on during your workout then finish once your done. In my opinion, this is extremely important and anyone should use whether you're trying to build muscle or lose fat.

Intra-workout shakes are something that I've been messing with since undergrad at Ball State. A professor mentioned during that class protein and carbs together can results in better muscle and strength gains than either one on their own. At this point, I started adding Gatorade to my protein powder and I've pretty much never looked back.

The reason that adding carbs to your protein works so well is because of that little hormone called insulin. Whenever you consume carbs, insulin is released to shuttle the carbs to where the body needs them. This could be muscle or it could be fat. During and after your works out, insulin will shuttle much, much more of it into starving muscles. So here's the trick, the insulin doesn't just take the carbs with it. If you have protein waiting there as well, the insulin will shuttle both of them into the muscle super quick. This means that your muscles are never at a loss for protein and you have it waiting right there when it needs it to heal itself and make the muscle bigger. This will also guarantee that you prevent any muscle loss during exercise, which is why it's just as important during a Cut as it is during a Mass.

At this point, some people may be asking about BCAAs and thinking that they can do the same. People usually use BCAAs for that same reason, to prevent muscle loss and make sure you have amino acids floating around waiting to be used. There are a couple reasons why I don't like this when compared to protein and carbs. One reason is that there are no carbs to release insulin and increase absorption rate. This makes it less effective for recovery than when you do have carbs. The second reason is more on personal preference, I would rather spend less money on whey protein, which includes all of the BCAAs in it, then spend more money on just a BCAAs supplement.  All in all, I'm not a huge fan or BCAAs and think they're one of the more overrated supplements on the market. Right now, the major data says they results in around a 1-3% benefit over the span on the year. For most people, I don't think that's worth the cash.

Personally, my shake went through different iterations over the years, but for the last year and a half it's been about the same. It started with a scoop of protein with a bottle of Gatorade, then when to one scoop of protein with a carb supplement from 1st Phorm, and how has become 2 scoops of protein with 1-2 scoops of Gatorade powder. This latest shake is a result of the recommendations from Renaissance Periodization from my I got my first template from them. Like I said, I have been doing this for about a year and a half and I swear by it now. You can use any powder that has sugar in it like Gatorade, Tang, Nesquik, a dextrose supplement, or whatever else you want. Now this part is important... DON'T WORRY THAT THIS IS MADE WITH SUGAR, THAT IS THE ENTIRE POINT! You need the sugar to create the best insulin response, and not only will this not make you fat and kill you, it will make you bigger, stronger, and healthier.

Try adding this to your routine and I think you'll be surprised. For women, start with 1 scoop of protein and 1/2-1 scoop of Gatorade. For men, do 1-2 scoops of protein with 1-2 scoops of Gatorade. I usually do 1 scoop during a Cut and 2 scoops during a Mass. Sip 1/2 of the shake during your workout then drink the other 1/2 once your done!

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Alcohol and Fat Loss 35/84


When you're trying to lose fat, there are a ton of things that you need to consider, like what to eat, how much to eat, what workouts to do, how often to do them, etc. There are some things that you know are good and some that you know are bad. There are some that you assume are good and some that you assume are bad. But there are some factors where people really don't have much of an idea of how they're going to affect your weight loss. Alcohol can be one of those things for a lot of people.

At some point, I have to have the discussion with all of my clients about what alcohol does to weight loss and why you really should stay away from it, or at least cut back heavily. I have three points that I always bring up and that recently become four, so I wanted to share them with you all here.

1. Calories

There are only four things in the world that have calories when we consume them; carbohydrates, fats, protein, and alcohol. Carbs and protein both have 4 calories per gram and fat has 9. Alcohol is almost up there with fat at 7 calories per gram. Don't think too hard into the numbers but just think about it this way, every time you drink alcohol you getting almost double the calories than if you ate the same amount of carbs or protein, and they can add up quick.

2. Body Fat

Of those four substances, the calories from alcohol are the only ones that can NOT be converted and used for energy. This means that all of those calories are either excreted of stored directly as body fat.


3. Muscle Building

Alcohol considered a poison in the body and as soon as you take some in it becomes a priority to get it out. It takes precedence over everything else like; healing damaged muscle cells, replacing dead cells, fixing you immune system, and pretty much anything else. What ends up happening (as far as we care) is that the alcohol will prevent muscle protein synthesis, which is how muscles heal themselves and get bigger. We all love bigger muscles so probably stay away from booze post workout

4. Even More Calories

This one doesn't apply to everyone but it's still important. Rather often, alcohol does not show up alone, it's mixed with something to make it taste less harsh and that's usually something sweet. Sweet things usually have sugar and sugar has calories. That was kind of a round-a-bout way that most people end up mixing their drinks and adding even more calories to their night because of it. This can even include beer, which has a ton of carbs, and wine, which can have a lot of sugar. The best options, if you are going to drink, are to just take it straight (not shots), on the rocks, or mixed with something like tonic water.

All though this info is great, I doesn't really give you much usable information so I want to give you an action plan as well. First, if you do drink, think about when you do it and more importantly why you do it. You need to be come more in tune with your alcohol consumption. Do you actually need to drink? Are you just drinking because everyone else is? Could you be drinking something else? Our mind often forms associations with places and things and it can be hard for us to break these. For example, let's say every time you see a certain friend you have a beer or two. If you keep this up for long enough, whenever you see that person you brain will expect that you're going to have a beer and you'll get a craving for it. You have an association in your mind between this friend and beer. Once you realize this association exists then you can fight against your brain and start to break that craving. This happens way outside of alcohol as well, so start to think of where your brain has these associations that could be hindering your progress.

 Next, change up what you drink to something that has less calories. Instead of adding Coke to your rum, switch to something on the rocks, and take you time drinking it. Learn to enjoy your alcohol instead of just trying to get hammered.

Third, if you're tracking macros then subtract the alcohol calories from carbs or fat, NOT from protein. You need to make sure you're getting your protein each day and you cannot sacrifice it for alcohol. If you're not tracking then you need eat less carbs and fat throughout the day in preparation for drinking. This was, at least you can keep your total calories about the same.

Bottom line is, alcohol is TERRIBLE for fat loss. But, when used responsible it can be added from time to time without making a massive detriment to overall progress. Alcohol, just like anything else, needs to be used in moderation and you need to be conscious of when, where, and why you're drinking. Finally, My Free Fat Loss and Free Muscle Gaining Tips are done! And I have to say that they're looking pretty awesome. Those will be free to anyone who subscribes here. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that will give you the ability to see this new program that I will be running soon. This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Friday, June 23, 2017

Top Body Weight Exercises For Each Muscle Group 34/84


A couple weeks ago,  I did a post on the top exercise that I like to use for each muscle group. Today, I'm going to expand on that and  do one specifically for body weight only exercises. There will still be some equipment necessary for some of them but that really just comes down to a pull-up bar and some kind of suspension strap like a TRX or rings. Sine it's friday night we'll just get right into it!

Neck

Neck bridges will be your best bet for this one from a body weight perspective. Note that that these are more advanced exercises and you should have some prior neck training under your belt before you try these. They can be pretty dangerous and there are better neck training options, but for a body weight exercise it's an option. I do these from the front and from the back and never, ever go to failure.

Shoulders

Handstand holds and handstand pushups are the best bodyweight shoulder builders. Start with isometric handstand holds against a wall before you try to do pushups and just working on holding it for an extended time. Unless you are a competitive CrossFit athlete, you have absolutely no use for kipping handstand pushups so don't even worry about those. That even goes for people who workout at CrossFit gyms but don't plan on competing. Build up you strength and don't try to progress too fast.

Chest

The ring pushup is still my pick for this one. The rings adds an extra stability factor which lights your pecs up and the rings also increase the potential range of motion to get a huge stretch in the pec. Just be careful not to go too low and put too much stress on the shoulder joint. Just like any exercise, focus in squeezing the muscles that you're trying to work the whole time. If you want to add even more tension, turn your palms forward at the top of the pushup.

Back

I'm gonna go with 2 here; pull-ups for vertical pulling and an inverted row for horizontal pulling. Obviously, the inverted row will be much easier for most people and it is important to build up proficiency in those before you attempt pullups. The rows can be done on a bar, smith machine, rings, or TRX Straps. If you want a good progression to help you get your first pullup you can look HERE

Biceps

We're limited here but my favorite is the TRX curl. Stand facing the TRX with your arms out in front of you. Keep your elbows high as you curl your hands up towards your face. Having your arms out in front of you will give you a great contraction in the bicep and you'll really feel these if you do them right, Be sure not to let your elbows drop as you go through the motion.

Triceps

You can get a ton of stimulus in your triceps withthe HSPUs and Ring Pushups but if you want more isolation then a TRX tricep extension is a good one to try. Start face down with the handles in front of you like a pushup position. Instead of bringing your hands down to your chest, let your arms come over your head and bend at the elbow. Use you triceps to pull you back up into the starting position.

Abs

I love leg raises! They allow you to work the abs and obliques like situp and other trunk flexion exercises but I like them better because you spine doesn't actually move. You can do these lying flat, in an ab tower, or hanging from a bar. I'll also add side planks to the mix here because I think they're an amazing exercise to build everything on your lateral chains like shoulders, lats, obliques, and hips.

Quads

My go-to lately has been the front foot elevated split squat. It give you all of the benefits of a rear foot elevated one but people seem to have an easier time with the balance here. You only need to raise your front foot up about six inches to really feel the stretch and work. Make sure you touch your back knee all the way to the ground each rep

Hamstrings

Two here as well; the TRX hamstring curl and the single leg RDL. I did one for knee flexion and one for hip extension to give you a couple options. You can also substitute the TRX for an exercise ball and get just as good of a stimulus. There is a good progression here that you can learn and I'll do a video on it pretty soon that will take you from the easiest to the hardest versions of this exercise.

When doing the single leg RDL, make sure not to let you back hip raise (that would be the leg that is going back). Keep your hips square and you'll really feel your glutes light up as well. The motion is the same as a regular RDL where you keep your knees soft and focus on pushing your hips backwards

Glutes

Glute bridges are where it's at here. For bodyweight you'll want to do higher reps to still get a good burn but these are a great butt builder when you add a barbell or band. Do them on one leg to increase difficulty. You can also raise your shoulders up onto a box to increase the range of motion.

Calves

Sprinting wins here. Calves raises aren't my favorite but have their place. If you really want to light you calves up with no added weight then sprint you butt up a hill and I guarantee you feel it tomorrow!

I'm planning on writing up a bodyweight only program to give to you guys but this one is only for subscribers. Follow the pop-up prompt and join the Facebook group to get access to this program! Finally, My Free Fat Loss and Free Muscle Gaining Tips are done! And I have to say that they're looking pretty awesome. Those will be free to anyone who subscribes here. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that will give you the ability to see this new program. This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Thursday, June 22, 2017

How to Get Started 33/84


Ok so I'll be honest, I probably should have put up a post like this at the very beginning of this endeavor, but I also didn't really have a plan or quite know what I was doing yet. Even now that I'm over a month in, this post is just as important because new people are seeing these posts every single day. Even people who have been following for a bit will be able to take away something from this. I'll break this post down into four part; resistance training, nutrition, cardio, and supplements and talk about where I recommend someone who is brand new start on each one. Even if you have been in the game for a while but don't do some of these things, I would take a step back and make sure you have the basics covered before you proceed much further.

Resistance Training

First off, resistance training covers a lot of different things; lifting weights, using machines, bodyweight exercises, and resistance bands, to name a few. The benefits of resistance training include building muscle on a bulk, maintaining muscle on a cut, increasing strength, increasing mobility, lowering blood pressure, decreased risk of mortality and a ton of other things. The idea that lifting is just for meathead bodybuilders or athletes is long gone. Everyone, and I mean everyone, can benefit from some form a resistance training.

When you're just starting, I would recommend you do mostly full body workouts and do them 2-3 times per week. You're going to be pretty sore that first week so don't go crazy. Start with the basics and learn some exercises to squat, hinge, push, pull, and carry. These are the fundamentals that everyone should be able to do. You can add couple exercises for biceps or pecs or whatever, but the majority of your program should revolve around those five basic movements.

I usually recommend free weights and bodyweight exercises to most people, but if you have no experience at all, then machines can have some benefit. Your muscles are still working and you can still get stronger. I would definitely not rely on machines for too long, but they can help you get started.

My normal recommendation for sets and reps is 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps on most exercises. This is the perfect place to beginners. 8 reps being the lowest makes it so you can go too heavy and 12 being the highest will reduce some of the total volume that you do. You also only need 1-2 exercises per muscle group, per workout to get great starting results.

Lastly, don't be afraid to go and use the equipment and the free weights! I'm dead serious when I say that no one is actually watching you or cares what you're doing. Don't be worried that you look silly or that people are judging you, they're really not. One way to help get over this fear is to have a good program that tells you what exercises to do, that way you know that you're doing exactly what you should be.

Nutrition

This is always such a tough one to start doing. Not only is it extremely important, but most people either already have a terrible relationship with food or have no idea what eating healthy really is. The first thing I would do is to just take some time and become more aware of what you're eating. Turn off the T.V,  put your phone down, and actually focus on your food. See how it tastes, see how it makes you feel, realize how much food really satisfies you. You also need to make a baseline of how much you're eating right now. This could be tracking macros or not, just have some reference point. I would also start consciously making healthier choices each day. You don't have to be 100% for each meal every single day, especially when just starting out, though. The point here is to build good, lifelong habits, not starve and deprive yourself.

Here's the basic food types to focus on; fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, and healthy fats. If the majority of your meals consist of these things, you're way ahead of almost everyone. Try to eat these things as often as possible and you'll make great progress. You should also increase the protein you eat (via lean meats usually) because most people are not currently getting enough protein in their diet. For my meals, I eat my protein and my veggies first before I even touch my carbs or fats. If you can fill up mostly on those, you'll eat less total food and be less hungry throughout the day.

Cardio

Since I've began posting on this blog, I've been getting a few questions about whether I actually think cardio is a waste of time, so I want to set that straight here. Cardio and conditioning are both really important from the health perspective. They help with blood pressure, resting heart rate, heart and lung health, and help with recovery from sport and exercise. BUT, with that being said, no form of cardio really has much of an effect on fat loss. This has been proven time and time again by research, most recently in a meta analysis of hundreds of different studies on the topic. It's very clear that diet has, by far, the biggest effect on fat loss, but you still need to do some cardio and conditioning.

I would start by building your base with some basic workouts. I love a 2-mile walk at an incline as well as something easy like a 30 minute bike ride. Depending on where you're starting, a walk/jog interval workout can be a good starting point as well. Eventually, I like to work people into sprint intervals but you need to build that base first. 1-2 cardio sessions a week is all you need for that. Things like playing games and sports are another great way to get some cardio in as well,

Supplements

I'll start with this; you need to get you diet together, at least mostly, before you even worry about supplements. Supplements are exactly for that, supplementing your food, not replace it. With that being said, the two main purposes for supps are to fill in any nutritional gaps that are missing from your diet and for convenience in certain situations. I don't care how perfect you diet is, there is still an extremely high chance that you are deficient in something. The only way to really know is to get blood work done, but that is definitely NOT where I would start.

The basics I would recommend are a multivitamin or greens drink, fish oil or other Omega-3, and a protein powder for you intra/post workout. Some people talk down on multi-v's but I think they are a good place to start if you have one that's actually good. Fish oil, on the other hand, is well proven to be extremely good for joint, skin, heart, and brain health. It's seriously amazing and important. Protein powder fits in to the "convenience" category and it not essential. But it is easier and faster to drink a shake during your workout instead of eating a chicken breast. And yes, I do recommend sipping 1/2 your shake during your workout and drinking the rest after. I also mix mine with some carbohydrates to increase the speed that it is absorbed. I do 1 scoop of Gatorade powder and 2 scoops of protein.



Hopefully these tips can get you up and moving and give you a place to start.  I know a lot of this can be overwhelming so please reach out if you need help. I will help you, and if I can't I'll send you to someone who can.  Finally, My Free Fat Loss and Free Muscle Gaining Tips are done! And I have to say that they're looking pretty awesome and I'll be emailing the to all of my subscribers soon. Those will be free to anyone who subscribes here. Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened (I fixed the link). This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

My Go-To Squat Progression 32/84


This is kind of a part 2 from yesterday's post about squat variations and progressions for people with knee problems. I wanted to go more in depth about the actually progression that I use when I start with new people to get them from 0 to squatting like a pro.

For most people, this will begin with the progression that I outlined yesterday of squatting onto a box, tapping the box, then squatting without the box. This brings us to a point where I feel that someone can sit down into a squat with enough competency to start to add some weight. Once I feel they are ready, I always start with a Goblet Squat, which is where you squat while holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest height. I do this for a number of reason; the weight can start super low if i need it to, there are easy increases and decreases with  5 pound dumbbell jumps, and more importantly this squat is a front-loaded squat. That means that the extra weight is on the front of the body, which allows the person to sit slightly deeper into the squat than if it is back-loaded like a barbell back squat. This promotes better squat technique and allows for a greater range of motion. We stick with a goblet squat for a long time with a lot of my clients. We have dumbbells up to 125 pounds so theoretically I could keep them there until they are strong enough to handle that, but I usually go more off of how good their squat looks.

Once a client can go a picture perfect Goblet Squat with at least 45 pounds then I start to work them into doing front squats. I go to the front squat next because it too is a front loaded exercise (duh) meaning that we can still sit lower and be more upright. For most, this means we start front squats with an  arms crossed grip. The reason I do this is because a traditional front rack grip requires upper body mobility that most people don't have. Obviously, up until this point I have been drilling front rack mobility with them, but some people will still look better with a arms crossed grip. I will maintain this grip for as long as we need to until the mobility in the front rack is good enough that we can switch over. I prefer the traditional front rack because it allows you to move more weight and can lead us into cleans if the client wants to.

It's not until the person can do a near perfect front squat that we even start to work on back squats. Because back squats are a back loaded exercise, it requires more lower body mobility to be able to sit all the way down into the bottom of a squat. I want to make sure that we can build up the mobility for a long time so we don't have to worry about squat depth. Think about it this way, most people can take a dumbbell and squat down into a nice deep squat, but as soon as you put the bar on their back, their form goes to crap and they can't hit depth nearly as well. Don't get me wrong, I love back squats, but I just don't think they are something we need to jump right into and there are better exercises we can do with people who are just starting out.

At this point, I may start to introduce Overhead Squats into the equation because they require (more so than any other exercise) a tremendous amount of full body mobility. It's a long process but now that I am no longer coaching CrossFit athletes there's not a ton of need for my clients to be able to overhead squat.

In tomorrows post, I'll go into more detail on the progression of exercises I take once squatting without a box has been achieved. Finally, My Free Fat Loss and Free Muscle Gaining Tips are done! And I have to say that they're looking pretty awesome and I'll be emailing the to all of my subscribers soon. Those will be free to anyone who subscribes here. Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened (I fixed the link). This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Squats Don't Hurt Your Knees, The Way You Squat Does 31/84


I see it all the time, I'm sitting down with a new member and they tell me that they have knee problems. This inevitably leads to them telling me that they can't do squats because of this fact. Although I don't automatically disagree with them, the first question I ask if if they can stand up from the chair they're sitting in. 95% of the time they do it just fine, they may not stand up with perfect squat form, but they do it and it doesn't hurt. Once I make them aware of this, they are much more open to listening to what I have to say about it. There are other times that, once we go to the workout floor, I ask them to squat and it is just atrocious. I watch them do one and I'm like "No wonder that hurts!" I give them a few basic ques and the pain seem to disappear.

No, not everyone can do a perfect body weight squat without assistance, but just about everyone can do a squat of some sort. This could be one of many different variations but I can almost guarantee that one of them will feel just fine. The basic, perfect, air squat should be a goal for anyone, but how do you get there? Let's talk quick about a few different variations that I work on people with.

Outside of a rare judgment call, I make every person show me how to squat on to a box before we ever try to do one without. This goes back to my original point that just about anyone can stand up from a chair. The first variation of a box squat is exactly that; you sit down, let your weight go onto the box with a slight rock back, then move your weight back forward and stand back up. Simple. This is a variation that pretty much every person can do. The only thing you need to mess with is the height on the box. If someone has knee pain, start the box super high then lower it as little as possible. Once you get to the point of pain, go slightly higher and do reps there. Stick here until these reps get pretty easy then try to lower the box over time. You'll be surprised how knee pain starts to go away once leg strength is increased. You also need to make sure basic squat technique is maintained. I don't need to go into super detail in this post but the basics are to keep your chest up, whole foot on the ground, and knees tracking over the toes through the movement, going as low as you can while maintaining a neutral spine.

The other adjustment you can make to this squat is to widen the feet out into a sumo stance. This decreases the total amount of flexion that the knee actually goes through. Less flexion in the joint usually means less pain. It's another option you can use to build up strength while you try to increase range of motion. As you progress, try to start bringing the feet slightly closer until your at the basic shoulder-width stance, or whatever is most comfortable with you.

Once you have that down, we remove the "rocking back" portion and maintain tension on the legs the whole time. Now, you sit back, tap the box with your butt, then stand back up. Do this at a height that you can maintain pain free and try to lower the box height over time. Once you can do this onto a box that lets you squat to parallel, you can being working without the box. At this point, training with squat without the box (most of the time), is going to be the best thing to try and increase whole body strength.

In tomorrows post, I'll go into more detail on the progression of exercises I take once squatting without a box has been achieved. Finally, My Free Fat Loss and Free Muscle Gaining Tips are done! And I have to say that they're looking pretty awesome and I'll be emailing the to all of my subscribers soon. Those will be free to anyone who subscribes here. Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened (I fixed the link). This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com








Monday, June 19, 2017

Guest Post: Overtraining 30/84


This week I have another guest post by my friend and co-worker Ryan LaCount. He has a great post about overtraining, what it is, and how to tell if you are falling into it. Check it out. 

"How much is too much when it comes to weight training?  The topic of overtraining comes up often when I sit and discuss a plan of action with people.  This usually comes in the form of “How long should I be in the gym?”  The answer is, as always, it depends on the person.  Many people think more is always better.  If I just train more, I’ll get better.  More volume, more time under tension, more movements, more weight, more days, more, more, more.  I am here to tell you, that is not always the case.  In the following I will be explaining why it varies from person to person, a general time frame for weight training, break down of cycles, and some signs you are overtraining.

First, why it varies.  Generally speaking, each person is different when it comes to their genetics, what causes them stress, and how well they handle stress.  Each individual has a certain genetic ability to recover from stress on their system.  There are two forms of stress: Eustress and Distress.  Most training falls under the eustress category, meaning that the stress experienced is perceived as being beneficial to the person experiencing it.  Distress is the exact opposite.  It is often painful to the person.  That being said, too much training can turn eustress into distress.  There is a happy medium that we fall into when training.  Too little stress on your system and you don’t experience “gains”, too much stress and you will fall into overtraining.  When it comes to stress on the system, training is not the only factor.  Other causes of stress can come from extraneous sources like job related issues, family troubles, having a child, lack of sleep, bills, etc.  This all builds and can hinder your performance long term.  One way to avoid overtraining is by optimizing your time in the gym.

One of the best ways to limit stress on your muscles, joints, and mind is to limit your time in the gym.  There is no reason to be in a gym for 2 hours or more.  Most of my workouts are 60-90minutes due to the quality of the work that I am putting in.  My form, strength, and endurance all start to degrade as a workout goes on and at some point, right around the 90min mark, the quality of my workouts diminish and I am no longer comfortable performing.  Many people think that more is better when it comes to weight training or training in general.  This is not always the case.  At some point your body will break down and breakdown of form will open the door to injury.

Another way to control overtraining is to think in terms of cycles or what we call periodization.  We deal in mesocycles most often, but we are always thinking about the big picture or the macrocycle.  A macrocycle is generally one year long and includes four stages of a periodization program: endurance, intensity, competition, and recovery.  The mesocycle, the one we deal with the most, is often 3-4 weeks long and is targeted at developing certain aspects one at a time.  You may also program in a deload week.  This is a week that you still perform the movements, but keep the weight light, around 50-60%.  A microcycle is the shortest, generally 1 week at a time.  For example: if I wanted to increase my 1 rep max back squat by 60 pounds by the end of the year, I can’t just show up to the gym, work randomly with random weights and expect results.  I would break this down into 5lbs/month, testing my new 1 rep max each month or maybe every 2 months.  I would need to track what weight I do weekly in order to stay on that 5lb/month plan.  This would allow me to figure out each day what I need to do for main lifts and accessory work.  This is a great way to limit yourself to specific amounts and time each day for one year.

It may seem like a lot of work, but we as trainers are here to help when needed.  If you are reading this and questioning whether you are overtraining or not, here 7 indications that you are.  1.) You are in pain or have extended soreness.  Whether it is your muscles or your joints, you should almost never be in pain.  Soreness or fatigue is normal for around 48hrs, but pain or soreness past the 72hr point is your body telling you to slow it down and rest. 2.) You are thirsty all the time.  Often when overtraining your body will start to consume its own muscle for protein.  This means your body is in a catabolic state, which naturally causes dehydration.  3.) Insomnia.  When you overtrain you are taxing your nervous system and this can lead to you feeling tired, but not being able to sleep.  4.) You get sick, a lot.  The catabolic state I discussed earlier hinders your immune system.  This leads to increased chances of becoming ill.  5.) You are noticing more injuries.  When you overtrain your body breaks down because you aren’t allowing it enough time to repair.  Remember, training is stressful to your body.  If you are doing too much, you are training in a weakened state and it is only a matter of time until you get seriously injured.  6.) You aren’t seeing any progress.  This is pretty self explanatory.  The body gets stronger and makes larger strides when you train intelligently and give yourself time to rest and rebuild.  7.) Decreases libido.  Overtraining can affect your sex drive and no one wants that.  Take a look at your programming; be honest with yourself, if you are experiencing more than one of these symptoms chances are you are overtraining.


If you need help figuring out a great program to follow, contact myself or Greg and get started today.  We don’t want to have this conversation with you in 6 months because you aren’t seeing progress."

If you want to check out more on Ryan you can find him here

Instagram: ryanla_count
Email: ryanl@myxperiencefitness.com

See you guys tomorrow!

Sunday, June 18, 2017

What To Do When You're Sore 29/84


Guys...Jesus Christ my legs hurt today. On Friday, to complete my first week of the ADB Workout, I hit an early morning leg day that definitively has me walking funny today. This gave me the idea to post about some strategies for what to do about muscular soreness. Sometimes there isn't anything you can do, but sometimes there is. I'll talk about what soreness really is, how to try and prevent soreness, how much is too much, and if you can workout or not when you're sore.

Everyone has experienced this muscular soreness at some point in their life. This soreness is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS and it can be a huge pain in the ass (literally). DOMS is often misunderstood and there has been some really bad information floating around about it in the past. For starters, DOMS has nothing at all to do with lactic acid, and lactic acid is in no way a bad thing, it's actually a really good thing. DOMS is actually created by micro-damage to muscle tissue. Once the tissue is damaged, one of the first steps to healing is to prevent the fibers from moving. Your body creates substance to hold the fibers in place, similar to a scab, so that your body can heal it. This is why your muscles get so stiff when you're sore and why stretching seems to help (but usually doesn't). When you are working out soreness from your muscles, what you're really doing is breaking up those "scabs".

Knowing this can help us understand what actions we do are going to cause DOMS. Soreness is almost always caused by the eccentric portion of an exercise, or, the part where the muscle is lengthening. Think of going down on a squat or bringing the bar to your chest on a bench press. This is when the most damage is done to the muscle, meaning that it is going to be the most sore. This probably sounds like something you would want to avoid right? No body likes being sore, right? Not necessarily. Healing tissue damage is one way to make a muscle bigger (called hypertrophy) and while it's not the only way, it is the most effective. This means adding extra effort to the eccentric portion of an exercise can be a rather effective way to make a muscle bigger. This also means that using exercises that have little to no eccentric portion will not make you very sore at all. This is a great tool to have for athletes who need to compete, people who are already sore, or for people who just want a good workout while still being able to walk the next day. Some examples of low-to-no eccentric exercises are; box jumps, medicine ball throws, biking, rowing, and pretty much anything with a sled.

Outside of avoiding the eccentric, there are a few other tactics you can implore to help prevent soreness from you workouts, and they're mostly dietary. The biggest one is to make sure you're eating enough protein. Having the resources necessary will enable your body to be able to heal those muscles up as fast as possible. Some people (a lot actually) like to supplement with BCAAs for this same purpose but I think they're overrated, despite being one of the most popular supplements on the market right now. I do have my intraworkout protein shake to help me with this as well, but that's more for muscle breakdown prevention. Making sure to eat protein before and after a workout can help with soreness as well. Outside of eating enough protein, the biggest thing you can do to prevent soreness is to workout consistently. You may have noticed that the further you get into a workout program, the less sore you get. I warn all of my new people about this on our first workout, because they're probably going to be pretty sore, even though we're not doing much. If you don't want to get sore, just make sure you're getting to the gym! Sure, you'll be sore on the first week of each new program, but after that it will subside and you'll be fine again until you start something new.

DOMS has that "D" in it for a reason and that is because it will usually take some time to show up. For most people its about 24-48 hours after the workout that you really start to feel it. I, personally, am a 2-day soreness kind of guy. I am always the most sore 2 days after a workout and that means that if I'm sore the next day then I am in for a bad time. During these first few days of soreness, there's really not a ton you can do about it. Stretching and foam rolling may give you some temporary relief, but usually when it's early, the stiffness will just come back. You really just need to give it some time, but after a few days, the best thing to do is some light exercise with those muscles again. This will promote blood flow to those areas which will decrease healing time. You want to avoid too much exercise on sore muscles when you're still super sore but once the soreness becomes more mild then working those muscles can be the best thing for you.

All in all soreness is kind of a good thing. It means you did some damage and those muscles and they  will come back just a little bit bigger. Now, that doesn't mean that soreness is an indicator of a good or bad workout, but being sore can be a sign of good things. Make sure you're eating your protein, getting a good warmup, and getting some blood to those muscles and I promise you'll survive your next leg day. If you want to see the workout I've been doing then you can check it out HERE or if you're a lady looking to see what I've got my wife doing right now then you can see that one HERE. Finally, My Free Fat Loss and Free Muscle Gaining Tips are almost done! And I have to say that they're looking pretty awesome. Those will be free to anyone who subscribes here. Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened (I fixed the link). This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Working Out On Vacation 28/84


I'm spending this weekend in a cabin up in northern Wisconsin with my lovely wife and some of her coworkers. It's super relaxing and always great to get away from working and the every day stresses of life. Luckily for you guys, I have enough cell service to still write a post for today (don't worry, it's raining right now anyway). Given my situation, I wanted to write a bit about what I'm doing to make sure I stay on track with food and exercise while I'm up here.

First things first, I made time to make sure I got a good lift in before I left on Friday. I don't usually like to workout earlier in the day but I made an exception because I knew I wouldn't be doing much in the way of resistance training while I was here. My last workout for the week was the leg day from the Anti-Dadbod workout and it was rough! Great workout, but rough. If you can make time to hit the gym before you go, you need to. Set yourself up right and get a good start to the weekend with a good lift.

Although there isn't much to lift up here, there's a ton of cardio and outdoor activities to do. Yesterday we went paddle boarding for about 45 minutes around the island we were on. If you've never been on a paddle board there's tons of balance, core, back, and legs involved in staying upright and making yourself move.  Today we went on a hike through the woods at a trial nearby. This quickly turned into a trail RUN because we're all geniuses and forgot to bring bug spray. Ever been eaten alive be mosquitos? It's not fun. Neither is running in Timberland boost with a pack on. But it got my heart rate up! So that was cool.

There are 1,000 other things you can do on vacation to make sure you get a little exercise in each day. It doesn't have to be much, but you want to try and do something. To be honest, simply the amount of movement you do during the day is going to have the biggest health
benefits for you. This applies to daily life as well. Moving more is better.

Here's a list of ideas to keep in mind for the next time your away.

-Hiking
-Swimming
-Running (intervals are great)
-Kayaking/ canoeing
-Any sports like volleyball, soccer, corn hole, badminton, or any summer activity

If you want something a little more structured you can always find 20 minutes to do a bodyweight workout. You can make your friends do it with you to make it more fun. All you have to do is pick 5-10 exercises and do them in a circuit style for 10-20 minutes to get a good heart rate spike. Here are some exercise ideas

-Squats
-Lunges/ side lunges
-Single Leg RDLS
-Split squats
-Glute bridges
-Squat Jumps

-Push-ups and variations
-Burpees
-Handstand holds/ push-ups

-Planks and variations
-Sit-ups
-Leg Lifts
-Russian Twists
-Back Extensions
-Bird Dogs
-Deadbugs
-Crawling/animal patterns

Obviously there's a ton more but that should be plenty to get you through a weekend. Pick a few, pick a number or reps for each, repeat for a while. You don't need anything fancy you just need to move. I would probably recommend a couple upper body, a couple lower body, a couple core, and a couple cardio exercises to get a good mix of everything.

Now I'm not saying you should focus on fitness the whole time you're in vacation, but your goals need to be in the back of your mind. This goes back to my earlier post on finding your Why and how bad you really want to hit your goals. Get your fitness done early each day and then spend the day relaxing and having fun.



Friday, June 16, 2017

Is IIFYM Legit? 27/84


If you have been playing attention to the nutrition world in the past few years you've probably heard of the If It Fits Your Macros (or IIFYM) approach to eating. This diet plan basically tells you that it doesn't matter what foods you eat, as long as you end up with the correct amount of carbs, fat, and protein in your system at the end of the day. According to these people, you can be slamming double cheese burgers and pop tarts all day as long as your number end up correct. I'm not even exaggerating, those are the kinds of foods people were posting day in and day out when this became very popular a few years ago.

This approach, as crazy as it sounds, can actually elicit some decent results from a fat loss perspective. This makes sense when you look at the pieces of nutrition that have the greatest impact on body composition. Most people will probably think that what food you eat and when you eat it will have a major impact on how much fat you lose or gain, but when we look at the research, that's not very true at all. The biggest player overall is obviously calories (outside of being consistent, that's the real #1), you need to be eating the correct total amount of food if you want any results. The second biggest is macronutrients, which is, again, the correct amount of carbs, protein, and fat you eat each day. These two things together represent somewhere around 80% of total success when it comes to fat loss or gain. Given this information, you can see why it's possible to be successful on an IIFYM style diet, because you have the two biggest components covered already. It works well enough that the nutrition plan that I give to my clients is all based on macros, BUT we spend a lot of time talking about food selection as well. That being said, there are still a few problems with the approach in my mind.

The first issue I have is that, personally, I'm not content with just 80% of the results. If your goal was top deadlift 500 pounds but you only got up to 400 would you be happy with that? I sure wouldn't. Although a 400 pound deadlift would be great for most people, your goal was still 5. This is pretty much what you're getting with IIFYM, you get some results, and they can be good results, but chances are you left some progress out there that you could have made if you just ate real food instead.

The second issue is that, although your waistline may be determined by calories and macros, your body still likes it when you eat nutrient dense, micronutrient dense foods (micronutrients are things like vitamins and minerals you get from food, supplements, and nature). Yes, you can lose weight just following macros but that doesn't mean your body is happy about it. When we look past eating to lose weight and start talking about eating be healthy, then food selection becomes a way larger portion of success. Eating crap food is still going to cause tons of problems like inflammation, digestive issues, and nutrient deficiencies. Now, I know what you might be thinking and yes you could probably just pop a couple multivitamins from the local drug store to get you vitamins in (probably not minerals though), and sure, you could load up on fish oil to help with the inflammation, and yes you can take a few antacids to help with those digestive issues. But if you NEED to resort to all of that just to justify your inability to control yourself instead of just eating real food that grows on the earth, then don't you see a problem? If you're required to take a bunch of supplements to make sure that you're body works the way it should then there is a problem with your diet. Obviously I'm not saying that supplements are bad and you should stop taking fish oil, but you need to make sure you're getting as much of those macro and micronutrients from real food as possible, that's how humans are supposed to work.

If your goal is to just lose a few pounds without having to limit yourself and eat like an adult then IIFYM can absolutely work for you. But if you want to actually be healthy and fuel your body the way that is wants to be fueled then you need to eat some vegetables, like every day. Finally, My Free Fat Loss and Free Muscle Gaining Tips are almost done! And I have to say that they're looking pretty awesome. Those will be free to anyone who subscribes here. Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened (I fixed the link). This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Best Ways to Increase Testosterone Naturally 26/84


This is a topic I bring up with a lot of my male clients, especially one's who are getting a little bit older. So many people know-a-days are super quick to try and sell you a pill that will boost your testosterone without ever recommending that you make sure that you have your natural ducks in a row first (because you can't make money from that). There are plenty of ways to boost you T levels without having to take anything crazy. These should all be accounted for before you start taking a supplement or go to you doctor for medication.

Also, and this one is big, if you're in your 20's there should be no way in HELL that you should be taking a test booster supplement. Those are already one of the biggest BS supps on the market (along with, in my opinion, cleanses and BCAA's)

Make sure you've optimized these things first before you ever worry about a pill

1.Eat Enough

A caloric deficit can potentially have a negative effect on test levels. This is part of the reason why you don't want to stay too low for too long. Cheat days can help as well.

2. Eat Fat

Cholesterol is a precursor for testosterone. You need to be eating enough of it if you want to make sure your levels are up. This doesn't need to be all the time but make sure you get some fat in your diet.

3. Lift Weights

Most people may already know this one, but lifting boosts your T pretty well. Lift heavy and often and focus on getting stronger always (where have I heard that before?).

4. Lose Fat

When you're fat, your hormones are all screwed up. Usually your estrogen levels are too high and you test is too low (among other things). Losing that extra body fat can have a drastic effect on you T levels.

5. Don't Overtrain

You want to work out, but not too much. Overtraining can crash your T and it can potentially take months to get it back to where it should be. Check out one of my free programs for guys and gals to make sure you're doing the right amount.

6. Don't Stress

Stress kills your test levels. Everyone gets stressed but you should make it a point to keep it as low as possible. Something as simple as 10 minutes of meditation and deep breathing can be magical for this.

7. Have Sex

Don't need to go into much detail on this one. Sex boosts T levels and you can tell your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/whoever that it's for your health!

8. Sleep More

Sleep deserves it's own 4 part series on this blog but I'll keep it simple for now. You need to sleep more then you are, 8 hours is the goal and yes I'm serious. I get 8 hours regularly and I'm often up at 4am.

Even if you're not suffering from low testosterone yet, you should still implement these things to keep you levels as high as you can. The higher the better (to an extent). My Free Fat Loss and Free Muscle Gaining Tips are almost done! And I have to say that they're looking pretty awesome. Those will be free to anyone who subscribes here. Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened (I fixed the link). This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

My Take on the Keto Diet 25/84


Most of the responses I got on my original Poll for content were for nutrition, so I need to make sure I'm keeping up on those. One diet that hes grown in popularity a ton in the last few years is the ketogenic diet, usually known as the "keto" diet. The keto diet is a super low carb diet that basically barres and consumption of carbohydrates, outside of what you would get from vegetables and left over from things like nuts and other plant sources. The point of this diet is to stop your body from running on glucose (sugar) like it does now, and get it running on fat via molecules knows as ketone bodies (thus the name). Proponents of this diet claim that it is more healthy than traditional diets and is great for weight loss and longevity.

These things can both definitely be true, tons of people has lost tons of fat from doing ketogenic diets and other low carb diets, but that is obviously not a guarantee. Just like any other diet, it works primarily through calorie reduction. Also, this diet can be very sustainable if you're really into it. For most people I don't think that's realistic, but it's definitely possible. Eating is this way can totally help get you to your weight loss goals but it definitely has some downfalls as well.

The biggest issue that I often hear about is how most people's performance suffers due to the lack of carbs. If you're someone who competes in any type of sport or cares at all about getting stronger and making gains in the gym, then keto may not be for you, at least not for very long. Any activity like running, lifting, or pretty much any sport that primarily runs on glucose (still sugar) will become much more difficult and you may see some strength losses while you're lifting. For most people I work with, this is reason enough to stray away because we focus a lot on trying to lift a little more weight each time we work out.

The other big issue is sustainability. On a super low carb diet like this, it makes it much harder to have fun and live a social life. Although very possible, it would be very tough to stick to your moderate protein, high fat ways at every family event and dinner date you went on. This may not be a concern for some people but my goal is to find a healthy way of eating that you can build good habit around and stick with for a long time.

So with that said, who could keto be good for? The biggest group of people who can benefit from this or those who are sedentary. If you're not exercising then you don't really need carbs so this could be perfect. I would hope that sedentary lifestyle wouldn't fit with most people reading this so that probably wouldn't fit very well. This can also be good for people who's hormones are way messed up and want to do a "reset" of sorts. If you're rather overweight, spending a small amount of time on a low-to-no carbs diet can help increase insulin sensitivity and get your body working properly. If this is the case, you can jump right in to a keto diet and spend a couple of weeks there to let you body fix itself. After that, slowly start to reintroduce carbs and see how you feel. If you're good with low carbs then great! Stick to it. If you do better with a little higher carbs and a little lower fat then great! Find what works for you .

 If you guys want more information about how I typically prescribe nutritional help then go ahead and fill out the pop-up to subscribe to this blog. Right now you'll get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened (I fixed the link). This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

How Bad do You REALLY Want It? 24/84


I don't want this post to come off too harsh, but I feel like this is something that needs to be talked about. If you're trying to get fit and healthy. you're making a huge life choice and pretty much all of the other choices you make are going to affect that in some way. Everything you eat, everything you drink, how often you move, and who you spend your time with are all going to have a direct impact on your health and your waistline. This is, obviously, a really big deal and, honestly, you may need to decide how bad you really want it.

I'll explain with an example. If your trying to lose weight but you stop at a fast food place on your way home from work and get a burger instead of eating the chicken that you have at home, that means that satisfying your craving for a fast food was more important to you than losing weight. If you really want to pack on muscle but you skip the gym to stay home and nap, then napping was more important to you then getting jacked. If this happens often enough, then you need to have a real conversation with yourself and decide how bad you really want those goals. And you need to decide was it really the most important thing to you. You can't keep saying you want something and then making choices that take you in the opposite direction.

I realize everyone, especially myself, has been guilty of this many times, but it still is what it is. So many people will tell you that they really want to get healthy, but their choices blatantly show you otherwise. If losing weight, getting jacked, and being healthy are really, truly your goals, then you need to live it every single day and every choice you make needs to lead you closer to that goal, not further.

Honestly, this goes way past health and fitness as well. If you want to be successful but you spend all of your time hanging out with bums, then you don't want to be successful THAT bad. If you want to try and get in to a good school but you don't spend the necessary time on homework and studying, then you don't want it THAT bad.

So what should you do about it? Are you guilty of this as well? Then you need to think about what you really care about most. Do you care more about seeing your abs or pizza? Do you care more about making money or playing video games? These are real questions you need to ask.

After that, what you really need to do is to come up with your Why. You Why is extremely powerful and it is what is going to make you push through the hard parts, because there will be hard parts, of reaching your goal. Your Why will give you the motivation to finally be willing to do that things that you need to go to reach your goals, like start a blog (or whatever).

The sooner you can figure out your Why, the easier everything will become and the sooner you will make real progress. Your Why can be anything; financial freedom so you can see the world, the health to live long enough to be active with you grand kids, or being able to buy your mom a new car because she never could. It can be anything but is has to be deep. "I want to see my abs!" is not your Why, it's a goal but that's not your real Why. It needs to be deeper than that, because eventually you might not care about your abs anymore, so you quit. This needs to be something that is going to keep you going no matter what happens and will guarantee you success. Find your Why, write it down, and make ever choice in your life reflect that. Decide what your goals are, how bad you really want them, and what or who you're willing to give up to get there.

I know this one was a bit more serious than some of my other posts, but hopefully it gave you a little boost of motivation. I'm doing Day 2 of the Anti-Dadbod program tomorrow and I want you all to do it with me.  If you guys want the full  program, then go ahead and fill out that pop-up to get included into the list. Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened (I fixed the link). This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Monday, June 12, 2017

Why I'm Obese and I Don't Care 23/84


There are a lot of ways out there to track progress and health. Body weight, body fat percentage, girth measurements, and workout logs are all good ways. The Body Mass Index or BMI is not one of them. The BMI is a way that some people use to decide whether or not you are the correct body weight for your height. For the average person, it can be a decent way to figure out what range your weight should be. It classifies you into underweight, healthy, overweight, obese and morbidly obese based on height and weight. Doctors and insurance companies use the BMI to determine how much your health insurance is going to cost which gives people incentive to lose weight and get their BMI lower. Although that is goo, that is about the extent of it's benefits and can be a huge problem for some people.

The issue with something like BMI, which takes into account height and weight, is that it only takes into account height and weight. This means that super important health metrics like body fat percentage are completely neglected. This, then, means that people who have an above average amount of muscle mass generally get kicked up a gradient or two from where they should be on an actual health scale. At my height of 6'4" and a body weight of 245 pounds, I am technically considered Obese with a BMI of 30. For me to fall into the Healthy category, I would need to lose about 40 pounds. Seeing as my body fat percent is usually around 10%, that leaves me about 24 pounds of fat.  So I would need to lose a ton of muscle mass to fit the mold of what is considered healthy, which is super unhealthy.

What's the point of this quick post? Base you progress around how you look and feel and use a couple metrics to tack progress numerically. Don't worry about what other people consider healthy and just make yourself happy.

 If you guys want the full Anti Dad-Bod program hat I also started today then go ahead and fill out that pop-up to get included into the list! Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened, This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

Sunday, June 11, 2017

The Anti Dad-bod Workout Part 2 22/84


Ok guys here you go. If you have not read Part 1 yet then read it first HERE. Like I said, this mesocycle should last you about 4-6 weeks. Try to add just a little bit of weight each week. Even if it's just 5 pounds on one exercise. If you want to get the full program then just subscribe to this blog, reply to the first email, and I'll send it to you. I'll get right to the workout then get into some more explanation after.

Day 1
Pulling Day
Order
Rest
Exercise
Sets
Reps
1a

Banded Y's
3
10
1b
30
Banded T's
3
10
2
 60
Clean High Pulls
4
6
3
 60
Bent Over Barbell Row
4
8
4
 60
Pull-ups
3
sub-max
5
 45
Cable Facepulls
3
10
6
 30
Alternating DB Curls
3
10e
7
 30
Band Pull-Aparts
2
15
8
 30
Single Arm DB Preacher Curl
2
10e
9a

Farmer's Carry
3
80ft
9b
 30
Ab Tower Leg Lifts
3
12-15

Day 2
Pushing Day
Order
Rest
Exercise
Sets
Reps
1a

DB Front Raise
2
8
1b

DB Lateral Raise
2
8
1c
 30
DB Reverse Flye
2
8
2
 45
Seated DB Overhead Press
3
10
3
 60
Barbell Incline Press
3
8
4
 60
DB Bench Press
3
10
5
 45
Dips or Dip Machine
3
12
6
30 
Rope Tricep Pressdown
3
12
7
30 
Leaning DB Lateral Raise
2
12
8
30 
DB Overhead Tricep Extension
2
10e
9
30 
Low Cable Facepulls
2
15

Day 3
Lower Body Day
Order
Rest
Exercise
Sets
Reps
1a

RDL
3
5
1b
 30
Jefferson Squat
3
5
2
75 
Goblet or Front Squat
4
8
3
 60
RDL
4
8
4
45
Step Up
3
10e
5
45
Machine Hamstring Curl or GHR
3
12/8
6a

Banded Adductor Steps
3
10
6b
 30
Banded Abductor Steps
3
10
7
 30
Seated or Standing Clave Raise
2
15
8a

Ab Wheel Rollout
3
8
8b
 30
Side Planks
3
15s

Conditioning 1




Speed
Incline
Dis.


Treadmill Incline Walks
3+
5+
2 miles

Conditioning 2




Hard
Easy
Time


Treadmill/Rower/Bike Sprint
15
45
20



Like I said in Part 1, three lifting days with two conditioning days. There is one pulling day, one pressing day, and one lower body day. The two conditioning days are basically the same as I post often because I like them and they work. Exercise order, rest, set, and reps as listed for you. Stick to these are best as possible. If you are new to lifting then reduce the sets and/or reps on some of these exercises. IF you feel like you're doing more then you can handle then you probably are. Contact me if you need help with this. If you're new and do this as-is then you will be very, very sore. Just be careful.

For Day 1 we have your pull day, the first two banded exercises are used as a warm-up. Do any additional warm-ups you need but don't take forever. After that we start into compound movements then move to isolation movements. Clean high pulls are from the hang either above or below the knee. Keep you elbows high and pull hard. If you can't do pullups then you can use an assisted machine or a buddy. You can also check out my pullup article HERE. Core work is at the end of this day and lower body. 

Day 2 is you pressing day. It starts with 3 shoulder warm-up exercises then moves into compound exercises as well. The compound moves start at the weakest position (overhead) and move to the strongest position (decline pressing). Isolation exercises follow that as well.

Day 3 is leg day. The first RDL and the Jefferson Squat are the two warm-ups here. You can see a video on Jefferson Squats HERE. If you are new then do goblet squats, if you are more advanced then do front squats. Don't move to front squats until you goblet squat is perfect. Also, if you are new or don't have a GHD then do hamstring curls instead of Glute Ham Raises, either lying or seated are fine. Finish off with core on this one as well. 

Again, if you're new to lifting then be careful about the volume in this program. I kept in low intentionally so if you are advanced then you can add a extra set or two to some exercises if you need to. You can do either one or both conditioning day, if you have a major dad bod and have a lot of weight to lose then stick with two. 

 If you guys want the full program then go ahead and fill out that pop-up to get included into the list! Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened, This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com

How LISS Cardio Changed My Life

Look, this is not going to be some post about the amazing amount of fat you can burn by doing this type of training. I still haven't ch...