Are you following your own path or someone else's

Rant and Tip for September 18, 2012                 

Quote: “Far better to live your own path imperfectly than to live another’s perfectly.” -Bhagavad Gita

     No matter what anyone says you have to find what works for you. I found the Atkins diet, a low carb lifestyle really works for me. I have learned how to manage my weight and still fuel my workouts and get stronger. I enjoy protein rich foods and healthy green vegetables. I remember as a child loving spinach while my siblings never seemed to like it. My sister would give me the pickles of her McDonald’s hamburger. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the sugary desserts as well but it seems to me the things I remember enjoying most was the heart of the meal, the main course. This included the potato. You may be thinking “Hey wait a minute he just said low carb”, well I did. However what you need to understand is once you get your body fat down to the percent you want it to be, your body may be able to tolerate a higher complex carb food like a potato. You are not saying goodbye forever to complex carbs in your diet, you are saying, “I will see you when I figure how much of you I can eat.” I am aware there are some people that are extremely carb intolerant and if they do eat a starchy carb that their bodies will tend to store it as fat. This is why I chose the quote above. 

We all need to find our own way and make it work for ourselves. This is the nice thing about a 4 phase diet. First get the body fat down burning, phase 1; Next add in a larger assortment of foods and determine which ones have a negative impact on the body; third determine what you personal carb tolerance is and fourth maintain your weight from what you have learned about yourself.

Sounds easy enough, but it takes dedication and discipline. I know it is not easy but you can do this and it will so be worth the effort.

Today is deadlift day at the gym. I am looking forward to a great workout that will push my limits a bit. Instead of my normal 5 sets of 5 I am going to hit 6 or 7 sets of 3. Working with heavier weight and taxing my central nervous system. Benching was taken care of this past Sunday and I will be squatting on Wednesday. The deadlift is an interesting lift in that it looks easy but is difficult to do right with proper form. I do not have the best form and every workout is a training session in form and technique. 

Have a great workout!

Tip: 

Which deadlift should I do, Conventional or Sumo. The choice is yours but I found an article at http://www.muscleandstrength.com on the differences and it gives some suggestions.

Deadlift – Muscle Emphasis

• Conventional deadlift. Conventional deadlifts place more emphasis on the back and spinal erectors (posterior chain). If you have a very strong lower back there is a good chance that you will be able to deadlift more using a conventional stance. (Body structure will also come into play)
• Sumo deadlift. Sumo deadlifts shift some of the emphasis to glutes, hamstrings, quads, hips and upper traps. If you are experiencing lower back issues, or have a history of lower back problems, sumo deadlifts may be a better option.

Deadlift – Bone Structure

• Conventional deadlift. Lifters with a short torso and long arms will generally perform better using conventional deadlifts.
• Sumo deadlift. Lifters with a long torso and short arms will generally perform better using sumo deadlifts.