Today I am going to start off with a little story of how I came to be in this industry. Way back in college, I was a completely bored and indifferent engineering student. I started off as a computer engineer for a year and a half, then a mechanical engineer for a year and a half. I hated every minute of it. I skipped class, I played a ton of Madden and NHL ’03. No one could touch me on NHL, I was nasty. Regardless, I spent more time in my first three years of college reading about training and nutrition than I did actually doing engineering work (and it showed in my grades, yikes!).
One of my main sources of information back at that time were the bodybuilding.com forums, led by none other than the great Alan Aragon. I learned a boatload reading his posts/comments/monstrous debates. The other source was an absolute goldmine of information, my first influence in the field. I learned about Massive Eating, the 7 Habits and lots more. This website was none other than johnberardi.com. I was hooked. He was definitely the reason that I eventually decided to switch majors, again, into nutrition. I read everything he offered on his site, every single article, which led me to t-nation.com, to Eric Cressey, and now, my job. So, after regaling you with these fantastic anecdotes, here is the real reason I have brought this up today. John Berardi and his great Precision Nutrition team are releasing the newest and greatest Precision Nutrition system yet. Precision Nutrition V3!
This brand new system is a totally revamped version of the system that has helped over 40,000 people to transform their bodies through nutrition. V3 has been re-written, re-edited and re-designed from the ground up. Every section has been improved, and three new ones have been added, including:
The Plant-Based Diet Guide, to address the needs of vegetarians,
The Maintenance Guide, to help people sustain their results over the long haul by finding a new “normal” that they can be happy with, and
The Support Guide, to help people with what we’ve learned is THE critical component of a successful nutrition plan: help!
Other changes include:
Revisions to existing guides, in particular the Diet Guide, Individualization Guide and Measurement Guide to provide more step-by-step instructions suited to your level of expertise, from beginner to right to professional
Expanded Online Library, with downloadable guides, nutrition plans, research articles and training programs covering every conceivable nutrition situation — and if we don’t already have what you’re looking for, we’ll create it — so that you can personalize the Precision Nutrition System for your particular needs
Weekly “All About” Articles for members only, covering everything you need to know about specific topics (e.g., past articles include “All About Protein,” “All About Caffeine,” etc.)
Extensive improvements to the Member Zone, our online support community, including a dedicated team of coaches and expert volunteers available around the clock to point you in the right direction
Basically, if you are in my position, this is some really exciting stuff. JB and his team create top knotch work that I can truly recommend without one ounce of regret. PN V2 was simply the more comprehensive and user friendly nutrition system on the planet, and V3 blows it out of the water!
So, if you want to learn how to change your body through nutrition, and keep it there forever, then look no further, this system is for you. If you are interested in becoming the best you can be, click HERE.
For those of you who have been following my Warp Speed Fat Loss adventure, I have been logging my training over at the the FitCast forums. The training has been SO much harder than the diet. These sessions are absolutely brutal. I think I understand now why CrossFit has such diehards. Not that I am doing CrossFit, but I think it is close enough where I can start to see how people get sucked into this style of training. I started this little shindig at a not-as-lean-as-I-used-to-be 212.2 lbs (which wasn’t too bad because I had hit 214 at one point). After one week I am currently down to about 207.5lbs. So, needless to say, it is working. Just want to get close to that 200 mark.
I am also not sure if many of you know this, but I did an interview for the FitCast a while back. It was Kevin’s first midweek show, so you can also check that out HERE.
Also as some of you may notice. I finally got my headshot up, though I don’t think that’s the one I am going to use. A big thank you to Kevin for getting that up for me though.
Finally I will leave you all with a little nugget. Vanilla Metabolic Drive is like candy. It makes everything taste better. My pumpkin pie cottage cheese recipe would not be possible without it. My new favorite snack with cottage cheese and frozen raspberries, is good, but Vanilla MD (and chopped walnuts) makes it unbelievable. So if you want an easy way to add high quality protein as well as a delicious flavor enhancer, I highly suggest it. You can try others, but I promise you will come crawling back.
So I’ve given you an example of one of my “high carb” days on Warp Speed. It was actually quite enjoyable. The trick really is to find meals that you like that fit the necessary requirements. It is honestly that easy. Now I don’t get to have that banana post training every day, so here is a regular Warp Speed day.
Wake @ ~7:45
Breakfast @ 8:15
2 whole omega-3 eggs
1 cup egg whites
1.5 cups mixed veggies – broccoli, onions, orange and green peppers
1oz shredded reduced-fat mozzarella
2 tbsp salsa
1 small McIntosh apple
24oz water
2 Stash Fusion Green/White Tea
1.2 grams EPA/DHA, 2,000 IU vitamin D, 1 multi
Snack @ 11:00
3 pieces reduced-fat string cheese
12 almonds
9 baby carrots
2 tbsp original hummus
1 Stash Fusion Green/White Tea
Intervals & Steady State @ 1:30
20oz water
2 scoops Grape ICE
5 grams leucine
3.5 grams creatine
Post Training @ 2:30
16oz water
1 scoop Chocolate MD
3.5 grams creatine
5 grams leucine
Lunch @ 4:30 – Asian Turkey & Broccoli
8oz 97% lean ground turkey (or beef)
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1.5 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
garlic powder to taste
ginger powder to taste
2 Tazo Green Tea
1.2 grams EPA/DHA
Dinner @ 7:30
2/3 cup Friendship Digestive Health cottage cheese
1 scoop Chocolate MD
2 tsp natural peanut butter
2 tbsp milled flax
dash cinnamon
1 Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Gardens Green Tea
Pre-Bed @ 10:30
2/3 cup same cottage cheese
1/2 cup Libby pumpkin
1 scoop Vanilla MD
1 tbsp milled flax
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
cinnamon and nutmeg
1 red tea
1.2 grams EPA/DHA
As you can probably tell, it’s not all that different from a high carb day. I don’t vary the meals alot because I love what I eat, and it is easier for me to stay on track. This has honestly been MUCH easier than I expected. I highly recommend this programming to anyone interested in it. The training is VERY intense, so make sure you are cleared by a doctor and have already been training for a while. You could also just do the diet with a more normal training style and still get some good results. Either way, if you want to know more about it, check it out HERE.
With this being my 4th blog post this week, I think it just might be a record. Anyway, to the real story. This is a recipe that I picked up from Warp Speed that I really enjoy. I’ve modified it a little bit, adding the seasonings that I like and the mushrooms, so feel free to experiment and let me know how it comes out.
Asian Turkey and Broccoli
Ingredients
8oz 97% lean ground turkey (or beef)
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1.5 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
garlic powder to taste
ginger powder to taste
Directions
Brown turkey on med to medium high heat (you can go higher if using stainless steel or cast iron cooking pan, for non stick I would stay there) in the sesame oil and soy sauce. Once meat is approximately halfway cooked, add in broccoli and mushrooms and stir. Sprinkle on powders and stir some more until evenly distributed. Enjoy.
There you go. Another delicious and easy recipe. Even if you aren’t following Warp Speed, you can enjoy this meal as is, or add in 1/2 cup whole or wild rice to spice it up even more.
I have taken the great template set up by Mike Roussell in Warp Speed Fat Loss, and made it even better. At least in my opinion. Let me know what you think. So far the diet has been a walk in the park. If ever do get hungry before I am set to eat again, I just drink some green tea. Here is my “high carb” day today.
Wake @ 7:45
Breakfast @ ~8:30
2 whole omega-3 eggs
1 cup egg whites
1.5 cups mixed veggies – broccoli, onions, orange and green peppers
1oz shredded reduced-fat mozzarella
2 tbsp salsa
1 small McIntosh apple
24oz water
2 Stash Fusion Green/White Tea
1.2 grams EPA/DHA, 2,000 IU vitamin D, 1 multi
Staple Warp Speed Snack
Snack @ 11:30
3 pieces reduced-fat string cheese
12 almonds
9 baby carrots
2 tbsp original hummus
1 raspberry green tea
Lunch @ 2:00
2/3 cup Friendship Digestive Health cottage cheese
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 scoop Vanilla Metabolic Drive
3 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 Tazo Green Tea
Dinner @ 5:00
1 low carb wrap (9 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber)
2 tbsp evoo pesto
1 tbsp guacamole
1 chicken breast
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1.2 grams EPA/DHA
1 Tazo Green tea
Great Wrap Addition
During Training @ 7:00
20oz water
2 scoops Grape ICE
5 grams leucine
3.5 grams creatine
Post Training @ 9:00
16oz water
1 scoop Chocolate MD
3.5 grams creatine
5 grams leucine
1 banana (30 grams carbs)
1 small McIntosh apple (15 grams carbs)
Delicious Carbs
Pre Bed @ 11:30
2/3 cup same cottage cheese
1/2 cup Libby pumpkin
1 scoop Vanilla MD
1 tbsp milled flax
cinnamon and nutmeg
1 red tea
2 celery stalks
1 tbsp natural pb
1.2 grams EPA/DHA
And that’s all she wrote. Basically I modified the around training nutrition. Mike had written to have 45 grams of carbs during training. This would conceivably come from something like maltodextrin or dextrose. I basically decided that if I am going to actually get some carbs, I would get it from something that will provide a ton of micronution, as well as replenishing liver glycogen and increasing hydration status. Hence why I chose the banana and apple. Mike had also written to get about 25 grams of protein during training, preferably whey. I chose to do BCAA’s during training and the whey/casein MD for my protein source immediately post. This way I get the greatest benefits from the combo for maintaining lean mass. I would love to hear people’s thoughts or questions on this one, so fire away.
Mike Boyle posted this video of Don Lucia, the University of Minnesota Hockey Coach, on his blog a few days ago. I finally got around to watching it. Now I may be a little biased because of my deep affinity for hockey, hell I played the sport for 15 glorious years, but it is simply one of the best speeches I have heard about youth sports in a long time. Please take a listen and appreciate what he has to say.
Tomorrow I will show an example day of my Warp Speed Diet. Along with providing a link to my Warp Speed Training Log. I just really wanted to have more people see this video.
It’s true. I’m hopping on the Warp Speed bandwagon. I have spent the last 3+ months slowly gaining mass and trying to get stronger. Well needless to say it worked. I went from about 197lbs to 214lbs. My max bench went from 315 to 345. My max trap bar deadlift went from 555 to 585. Along with those size gains though, came some unwanted, but expected, fat gain. At this point in my training career, it is virtually impossible to gain an appreciable amount of muscle, without an accompanying accumulation of fat. Fortunately, the plan from the outset was to go nuts and try to strip off every ounce of fat I gained by doing the incredibly effective Warp Speed Fat Loss program come January.
As some of you may know, we had a few clients at CP who successfully completed this program a few months ago. Eric had a great newsletter about it. Well now it is my turn, and the man featured in that newsletter is going back at it with me. He lost 12lbs in that month, and came out looking phenomenal. I know for me, it is going to be a struggle, but I have taken Mike Roussell’s diet and made a few modifications of my own. Nothing crazy. I will post an example day or two of what my Warp Speed Diet looks like, just to give you an idea.
My ticket to Ultra Lean
As for the training, I have modified the Cosgrove program to fit my needs and desires. Having put several clients through the program, it helped to see what they liked and what they didn’t and how to make some circuits harder. This program is going to smoke me. Also for those of you who read Tony’s blog, he is starting a new diet and exercise program called Tony gets Sexified. Well Tony, I am officially throwing down the gauntlet. We shall see who prevails!
OK, I am back. Sorry for the lack of writing folks, been crazy with the holidays, never being in any one place consistently. Hope everyone enjoyed their time off and you have some fun plans for tonight. I hope you all enjoyed 2008 as much as I did, it was a hell of a year. So on the Eve of 2009, I thought it would only be appropriate if I recap the 9 best stories, things I learned, or basically anything that was awesome in the past year.
1. Yup, Tony and EC will kill me for this one, but number one has to go to my fiance. We got engaged on Labor Day weekend, and it was probably definitely the best decision I ever made. Tony loves to give me a hard time about it, though he secretly dreams of having 12 kids. I’m gonna stop right there, cause if I write anymore she will probably never talk to me again!
2. Discovering Lyle McDonald. Prior to working at CP, I had never really heard of Lyle. I had heard his name kicked around here or there, but boy was I in for a surprise. Lyle is simply one of the absolute smartest guys in the entire nutrition world. You will learn more info from any of his books, especially the absolutely fantastic The Protein Book, than from a year of nutrition undergrad. Seriously. Thank you Tony.
3. Winning the Inaugural CP Fantasy Football Season/Trophy. I may have gotten the last pick, but I don’t think there was ever any doubt as to who would finish the season on top.
4. Discovering Jonny Bowden. Wow. If you want some unbelievable nutrition info really describing why some foods are so awesome, and some are not, definitely check out Jonny’s stuff. Truly top notch. If there was one book of his many that I had to choose to recommend, it would hands down be The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Awesome. If you ever wanted to know why some foods were so good for you; all the nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals they contain to make you damn near immortal, then this is it.
5. Finally getting this blog/website up and running. It had taken a long time for me to get the ball rolling on this. I have had a blast and greatly appreciate all the wonderful support and feedback from all of you. I am humbled to know that there are people out there who not only read my incoherent ramblings, but actually might even enjoy them! Thanks again, and here’s to a great 2009.
6. Becoming a Certified Sports Nutritionist. I have had my nutrition degree and CSCS for a while, but since nutrition is my thing, it was nice to get a quality certification to go along with that. I would highly recommend the CISSN exam to anyone interested in working nutritionally with clients. Check out the International Society of Sports Nutrition HERE.
7. Given that I work for Eric, this might not come as a surprise, but I definitely think his Truth About Unstable Surface Training belongs up here. Having worked in a commercial gym as a personal trainer for a year, I have unfortunately seen first hand the ridiculous use of Bosu balls and physio balls employed by trainers who should know better, and just regular gym goers who might not. With this fantastic resource that was based on his Master’s Thesis, Eric lays out why most unstable surface work is incorrect, what use there is of it, and the proper progressions. It is a great read and a tremendous resource for anyone interested in fitness.
8. The Boston Celtics winning their 17th championship against the Lakers. I was too young to remember the old 80′s rivalry, though I’ve heard a ton about it. I have also pretty much only known the Celtics as garbage, so it was very nice to see them become what they once were. PS – if this were the Bruins, it would be #2.
9. Last but not least, Gourmet Nutrition. This cookbook is simply phenomenal. So many healthy and delicious recipes, beautifully photographed, will full nutritional breakdown of each meal. It has everything you could possibly ask for in a cookbook. The original Gourmet Nutrition was excellent as well, but it wasn’t much to look at. The new version, with 120 brand new, spectacular recipes, is off the charts. The protein bar recipes alone are worth the price of the book. And the Pesto Chicken Pizza? Amazing. So do yourself or your loved one a favor, and pick up a copy.
Have a great and safe New Year everyone, and I will see you all in 2009!
Alright, so I haven’t blogged in a while. My fiance was up for the weekend, and we got absolutely buried in snow. It literally did not stop from 1:45 on Friday until about 4 on Sunday.
So, with my excuses now out of the way, here we go. As many of you may know, especially if you read EC’s blog, we had our inaugural CP fantasy football season. Now unlike Eric I have not gloated about the greatness of my team for all to hear. Also unlike Eric, I did not lose in the first round of the playoffs. Boy this is fun. Nope, I am the CP Fantasy Football Champion. I absolutely destroyed Dan T in the finals 113-74. It wasn’t even a contest. I am preparing for the trophy presentation today, and I am already scouting to defend my championship.
Now on to more important matters. I often get questions about “greens” or superfood products. Which ones are the best, which ones suck, which ones actually taste good, etc. To me greens products can be a very helpful addition to one’s diet. Especially for those picky eaters who really just can’t stomach many veggies, or people who are on the go so much that they must rely on a lot of shakes, it is an easy way to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption. I just don’t like to see people replace fruits and veggies with these products. They are merely an addition to an already great diet.
Researched, but tastes like grass
There are many options to choose from, but which ones are actually beneficial? It is a tough question, if all the products actually contain everything they claim to contain, then they all should help. We all know that in the supplement industry there are some very sketchy companies. The most famous of these products is the original Greens+. This product started it all, has clinical research backing it, but unfortunately tastes like grass. It does come in some decent flavored versions, although all of the Greens+ products contains too many grasses for my tastes.
Greens+ Alternative
Trader Joes has created a Greens+ alternative. It has similar ingredients, tastes significantly better, and it is also significantly cheaper. This has gotten some good reviews from people whos opinions I trust, so if you are interested definitely check this one out.
My favorite Greens Product
Biotest Superfood is my favorite of all of these products. It contains only freeze-dried fruits and veggies. It does not have any weird ingredients or any grasses. It also tastes great and is an easy addition to shakes, cottage cheese, yogurt, oatmeal and much, much more. Saying all this, I still do not think it is a substitute for real fruits and veggies, merely a helpful addition. Unfortunately, this also happens to be a pretty expensive option. One way I like to cut down the cost is to only use 1/2 serving per day. I already consume a large amount of fruits and veggies, so do I really need both scoops?
In the end, find one that you like, take it at least 3-4 times per week however you desire. The most important thing is it having it be one that you can enjoy, or at least tolerate, while also fitting it into your budget. So have it, just make sure to eat plenty of real fruits and veggies.
I am assuming that most of my readers are “fitness enthusiasts” for lack of a better term. Maybe you are also most interested in the nutrition part of things, makes sense again if you are reading my ramblings. Now how many of you attempt to make “healthy” recipes, only to find they taste boring and bland? I used to be there myself, it is not an uncommon part of the learning process. I am sure some of my college roommates can attest to seeing me eating plain chicken breast with some plain oatmeal and some crystal light, you know, for some flavor. I thought I was being so healthy, leading this spartan lifestyle. I was an idiot. I was missing out not only on the awesomeness of great tasting food, but on the incredible health benefits proper spices and herbs can offer.
Did you know that cinnamon, a great little spice actually has some research showing some pretty kickass health benefits. In a 2003 study on people with type 2 diabetes, taking in just 1/4-1 tsp daily of cinnamon resulted in reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29%, triglycerides by 23 to 30%, LDL cholesterol by 7 to 27%, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%. This is some pretty powerful stuff.
There is also turmeric. Now this is a tremendous spice. It has been shown to help prevent prostate cancer, and help current prostate cancer from spreading, it may prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, can help prevent metasteses of several types of cancer, is an anti-inflammatory, natural pain killer and might aid in weight loss.
Now these are just two examples of some great spices that can not only add a tasty kick to your meals, but a great boost to your health. If you are interested in more information on healthy cooking and the making of great tasting foods, look no further than Gourmet Nutrition by Dr. John Berardi. This beautiful cookbook comes with over 120 gorgeously photographed recipes, with nutritional breakdown and the use of lots of great spices and herbs to really rev up your cooking. It is the perfect Christmas gift anyone who wants to improve their nutrition and body composition.
Posted on January 15th, 2009 by Brian St. Pierre
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