Eccentric: First, why? I have just recovered from a severe bout of sciatica so want the benefits with the least risk of injury and people are much stronger in the eccentric phase (let down) of movement than in the concentric (push away) phase. I also don`t want to spend the time exercising that I did was younger. Always remember, exercise should be tailored to goal - no "one size fits all." I do 4 basic exercises - just differently. 1) Pull up or, more precisely, the let down part. Cheat on the up (if you have to) and take 10 sec on the down movement. 6 reps. If you aren`t wiped out at the end of the 6 reps, you aren`t using enough resistance. One arm (with help), weight vest, whatever. 2) Push up (let down). Same thing, get to the top and slowly lower yourself in 10 sec. 6 reps. Again, if aren`t wiped, add resistance (elevated feet, 1 arm, etc). 3) Shoulder press. I use kettlebells because I have and like them. I clean the bell, push press to the top and then reverse military press down for 10 sec. 6 reps. Then the other arm. Want more weight than you can press with 1 arm but less than you can easily do with both. 4) One legged (pistol) squats. Lift 1 leg, slowly sit on the other for 10 sec. 6 reps. Add or take away resistance (weight, handles) as necessary. Done.
Meals: I am quite boring and generally eat mostly the same things most days - and am perfectly happy with that.
Non-workout day
Breakfast - Bulletproof coffee (coffee, butter and MCT oil and 12 sec in a blender). Looks like a latte and tastes like black coffee. I do a "mocha" variant with 100% unsweetened cacao powder, vanilla extract, maca root and Stevia. Tastes way better than you`d expect.
Lunch - same.
Dinner - I make a soup I really like with bone broth, tons (like 8 cups) of leafy greens and cruciferous veggies, avocado oil, chicken of some sort, lemon juice and lots of spices plus a side of good meat and/or nuts.
Workout days
In addition to the coffee, I will have fish (like lemon pepper grilled cod) and eggs (sunny-side up) for breakfast and lunch plus the same soup minus the sides for dinner. Note for fat loss guys - if you eat a meal, it needs to have more than 30g of protein to kick off the muscle repair system in the body. Not only is building muscle good, it burns more calories than the calories contained in a nutrient-dense source like cod and goes on for 3 hours. So space the meals further apart than that.
No reason to be as boring as me though. Chicken or shrimp alfredo with zucchini/squash noodles, low carb pancakes and breads are really easy to make and taste surprisingly good. I generally only eat at steak houses when I go out (darn!
).
I do get asked a lot about "cheat days." I tell them that, truthfully, I haven`t felt this good in longer than I can remember and have no desire to cheat. Obviously, you could.
Yes, the "Keto flu." Once you get passed it, brain fog you didn`t know you had will part and will have endless energy. Why? Story I heard about the cause of the Keto flu is that the body stores toxins in the fat and, once you start burning it, toxins are back in the body. Good story. Also, ketones are the preferred source of fuel for the brain and those are generated by the liver once the ready source of glucose/sugar from carbs is gone. Finally, the endless energy comes from, now that I metabolize fat efficiently, if my body needs 500 calories for some reason, it can readily get it off of my a$$ or wherever.
