Building your Spring Body 101: Supplements Part 3 in a 4 part series

By Nicholas Smeltz, 12^th grade

                After you get serious about getting in shape, you may find yourself in a GNC or vitamin shop looking for a supplement to give you an edge. But before you spend fifty dollars on some product that claims to get you ripped in three weeks, you should know that there are many supplements out there that are marketed to the typical gym rat, and many of them are not all that they are cracked up to be. Marketers are able to do this because they hide the ingredients under a section called, “Proprietary blend.” It’s a sneaky way of only putting in a small amount of an ingredient and then charging a large sum for it. Supplements are not required for exercise routines, however, if used correctly, they may give you an extra edge. Below, some some popular legal supplements.

Creatine: Creatine is one of the most popular supplements athletes use. It is manufactured naturally in your kidneys and pancreas and is found in fish and red meats. Creatine provides adenosine triphosphate, (ATP—remember Biology I?), to your muscles, giving them more energy and fighting muscle fatigue. Along with this advantage, they cause your muscles to absorb more water, therefore making them look a little bigger. Creatine users are advised to drink at least 1-2 gallons of water a day to flush it through their systems along with using it in cycles. An example of a cycle would be using it for six weeks and then taking three weeks off. Failure to do so can cause harm to your kidneys and liver. Use three to five grams before and after a workout.

Nitric Oxide (L-Arginine): Nitric oxide comes from the amino acid L-Arginine. This amino acid allows more blood to flow through your veins to your muscles and allows more nutrients to enter your muscles. Some additional advantages to L-Arginine are the feeling of an increased “pump” in the gym and give your muscles a more vascular look. Take three to five grams before workout.

Whey Protein: This is one of the most important supplements that you can have in you cabinet. It is hard to consume the proper amount of protein in just a daily diet, eating meat, fish, and peanuts. This can also be used as a quick substitute for a meal if you’re running late to school or work. It is recommended to take approximately 25 grams before and after workout.

Caffeine vs. ginseng: If you’re heading in to a tough workout, you’re going to need some sort of energy source to grind through those last reps or extra miles. Caffeine will provide the body with plenty of energy, but it’s usually followed by a crash. Ginseng is a more natural energy source that will provide similar results without the crash. Everybody will react to caffeine differently. Many have different tolerances, so be careful if you choose to use it.

                In summary, there is no need to go out and buy the fancy and expensive supplements at GNC that claims to get you ripped in three weeks. My advice would be to buy the individual ingredients separately. You can save a lot of money and the supply will last longer.

 

Building your Spring Body 101: Eating Right — Part 2 in a 4 part series

 

By Nicholas Smeltz, 12^th grade

     Many people falsely believe that as long as you work out, you can go eat as much Taco Bell and Burger King as you want and somehow still build muscle. Wrong! The quality of food that you put into your body is going to impact how your body uses and stores nutrients. This is the part where most people struggle, however it is crucial to your success. Here are a few nutrition basics to consider when planning out your meals. For those of you who want control your diet with precision and maximize results, see below for an explanation of how to determine your Basal Metabolic Rate and Total Metabolic Rate. Have a calculator handy for this part.

Protein: Every person who engages in some sort of physical activity needs the proper amount of protein to accomplish the task. Remember to space out the times that you consume your protein. Depending on the time after exercise will determine how much protein will be absorbed and how much will be waste. Some examples of good sources of protein are grilled chicken, fish, red meats, peanut butter, and additional protein supplements can be used as a substitute to reach your goal. Remember that each gram of protein contains four calories.

Carbohydrates: Depending on your goal (to lose or gain weight), carbohydrates can be either your best friend or your enemy. If you’re brand new to exercise and want to bulk up, carbohydrates should become your best friend. If you’re trying to slim down, limit your carbohydrates as much as possible, don’t even look at them. Again, remember to space out your meals and choose your sources wisely. Good sources of carbohydrates come from wheat or white pastas, oatmeal, fruits, and vegetables. And sorry guys, you’re going to have to toss the potato chips and sweets, these are both very cheap sources of carbs. Remember that each carbohydrate contains four calories.

Fats: A negative stigma is attached to the F word and the public widely believes that they should be avoided at all costs. However, some types of fats are actually good for you in moderation. Trans and saturated fats are not good for your diet. Run away from them. Some sources of healthy fats that you should incorporate into your diet are seeds, nuts, fish, and olive oil. All of these sources are unsaturated fats and can be beneficial to your health. Remember that each gram of fat has nine calories.

Water: Water should become your other best friend. The human body is composed of about 40 to 75 percent water, depending on body composition and age. It is essential to muscular strength because water makes up 70 percent of the muscle.  You know that really cool dude in the counseling department who always has a water bottle attached to his belt? Mr. Wegmann, yeah that guy; he’s got the right idea. Water is crucial to your diet because it keeps your body hydrated, transports the nutrients to your muscles and flushes out any impurities in your body. Drink at least a gallon a day, and always bring a bottle with you when you engage in any form of exercise.

                All of this may sound too strict and overwhelming, but there is some relief. Pick one day out of the week and make that your cheat day. On this day, you can eat whatever you want and however much you want. This will stimulate your metabolism to take in more nutrients. But remember, whatever you put into your body on this day, you’re going to have to work off.

 

Determining your BMR and TMR: Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is your body’s rate of energy expenditure while resting. This is going to help you determine how many calories you need to consume for your diet. To find your BMR first calculate your bodyweight to kilograms and centimeters. *Note: 1 KG=2.2lbs and 1in=2.54cm. So, for example, a six foot, 185lb male would be 84.1kgs and 180cm. Using the graph below plot your weight on the x-axis and your height on the y-axis. For example my surface area would be 2.05 square meters. Now look at Table 1 below and depending on your age and sex, find which value is closest to each. As a 17-year-old male, my basal metabolism would be approximately 42. To find your BMR use the equation: BMR=BSA X BM X 24. For example, my BMR would be 2066 calories. This is the amount of calories that your body uses, not including exercise. With 750 calories of activity my TMR would be 2816.

To keep your bodyweight consistent, consume the amount of calories equal to your Total Metabolic Rate (TMR). To lose bodyweight consume fewer calories, and to gain weight, consume more calories. Weight gain= TMR + 500 calories. A good diet consists of 40% of those calories coming from protein, 40% coming from carbohydrates, and 20% coming from fats.

 

 Graph 1: Body Surface Area (Courtesy of Coach Lindsey)

Table 1: Kilocalories Per Hour Per Square Meter Body Surface

 

Building your Spring Body 101: Training Part 1 of a 4 part series

 

By Nicholas Smeltz, 12^th grade

                It’s winter, but in South Louisiana, the sunny spring weather is right around the corner and we all know what that means. Whether you have a new year’s resolution, or are hoping a few girls will invite you to the beach to play volleyball, I have some health advice for you. Listen up.  

                A lot of my classmates asked me how I went from a 150 lb. sophomore to a 185 lb. senior. The answer is simple, but it requires dedication, lifting, and proper nutrition. Some good news: You don’t have to pay for an expensive gym membership to get in shape. However, if you belong to a gym already, you’ve got a great advantage and there are really no excuses for not getting to work. There are three different approaches to getting in shape: the Do it Yourself (DIY) garage routine, the cardiovascular routine, and the weightlifting routine.

The DIY garage routine: You could probably find a set of dumbbells or some sort of weights lying around in the garage or closet. This is where I got my start. If you have a set of dumbbells, you can still work every muscle group in your body. Find a bench or table, and you have an even greater variety of exercises. With dumbbells you can do the following exercises: Bicep Curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, shoulder presses, squats, lunges, crunches, sit-ups, jacknifes, bent over lateral raises, bent over rows, pectoral flys, and dumbbell presses. That’s 13 exercises! And really just a start.

Cardiovascular routine: This routine is very simple but should be combined with the DIY garage routine if you have the time. This routine requires you to just go out and run, bike, or swim for as long as you can. This will build up your stamina, leg strength, and core muscles, along with some abdominal definition. Remember to start short and then keep pushing yourself to go that extra mile.

The weight lifting routine: I believe that this is the most beneficial routine and has a lot of rewards along the way. When you first begin, your muscles may not be accustomed to being used in this way, which may result in soreness for a few days. This routine can teach you self-discipline and how to push yourself. I am going to share my customized routine that has worked for me. First, an important reminder: You need to know how to properly execute each exercise so you do not hurt yourself. All of these exercises can be looked up on bodybuilding.com, which provides a video on proper technique and is an excellent resource for all you gym rookies. A few other reminders:

• Hydrate yourself before, during, and after training.
• Start with less weight to get used to higher sets.
• Mix up your workouts. If you keep your muscles guessing, they will grow more with each workout.
• Stay motivated. Studies have shown that people who lift while listening to music are able to lift more and for longer periods of time.  Another way is to have a workout partner to keep you from skipping days and getting those last reps in, the ones that really count.
• SLEEP! With every workout you are tearing your muscle tissues. It is important to allow them to heal before tearing them again. Through a process called hypertrophy you muscles will repair the damaged tissue and add some extra, leading over time to muscle growth. Sleep is the best way to heal muscles. It takes approximately 48 hours for your muscles to heal 100% from a workout.

 

If you follow this schedule, your rest days should be on Saturday and Sunday. Every day you are working a different muscle group. While one group rests, the others are being tested.

 

If you who do not have time to do the five day routine. On one day, work the muscles of your upper body and on the other, work the muscles of your lower body. Cardio and abdominal work should be included in lower body days. Pick a few exercises from each group and run a circuit. Remember to mix it up!

 

Monday: Cardio and abs

 

30 Minutes of cardio: Run, bike, or swim (If you’re on a treadmill, set incline to 20)

Machine crunches: 5 sets of 20

Planks: 3 sets until failure

Bench crunches: 3 sets of 12

Medicine ball curl crunch: 3 sets of 10

Ball switch: 3 sets of 10

Other machine crunch: 5 sets of 20

Leg lifts on v bar: 3 sets until failure

 

Tuesday: Shoulders, triceps, traps

 

Lateral raises: 5 sets of 12 (both front and side)

Military press: 5 sets of 10

Rotary shoulder machine: 5 sets of 12

Seated shoulder press: 5 sets of 12

Front raise with EZ curl bar: 5 sets of 12

 

Dips: 5 sets of 15

Seated tricep extension: 5 sets of 12 (by free weights)

Standing tricep extension: 5 sets of 12

Skull crusher superset with close grip bench press: 5 sets 10 of each

Seated tricep extension: 5 sets of 8

 

Shrug machine: 5 sets of 12

 

Wednesday: Back/Biceps/Forearms

 

Wide grip chin ups: 5 sets of 12

Lat pull downs (wide grip): 5 sets of 12

T bar row: 5 sets of 10

1 arm dumbbell row: 5 sets of 8

Behind neck pull downs: 5 sets of 10

Lat rows: 5 sets of 8

Hyperextensions: 5 sets of 12

 

EZ bar curl: 5 sets of 12

Dumbbell curls: 5 sets of 10

Preacher curls: 5 sets of 10

 

Forearms should be done at the end of workout

Farmers walk: 3 sets until failure

Reverse curls: 5 sets of 10

Gripper: 3 sets and hold

 

Thursday: Legs

 

30 minutes of cardio

Quadriceps extensions: 5 sets of 10

Hamstring curl: 5 sets of 10

Standing/seated calf raise: 5 sets of 20 along with 10 un-weighted on spotter bench

Leg Press: 5 sets of 8

Squats: 5 sets of 8

10-15 minutes of cardio to cool down

 

Friday: Chest/ biceps / forearms/ Triceps

 

Wide grip chin ups: 5 sets of 12

Incline press: 5 sets of 12

Cable fly: 5 sets of 10

Incline rotary: 5 sets of 12

Bench press: start with a moderate weight (5 reps) and keep raising weight until failure

Incline barbell: no weight, just bar, 3 sets of 8

 

EZ bar curl: 5 sets of 12

Dumbbell curls: 5 sets of 10

Preacher curls: 5 sets of 10

 

Dips: 5 sets of 12

Skull crusher superset with close grip bench: 5 sets of 12

Seated tricep extensions (by free weights):5 sets of 12

 

Reverse curls: 5 sets of 10 (do as transition to forearms)

 

Farmers walk: 3 sets until failure

Reverse curls: 5 sets of 10

Gripper: 3 sets and hold