GymJunkies.com » Vic Magary

How To Gain Weight Fast – Even With A Super-Fast Metabolism

Vic Magary — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:05:48 +0000

This is a guest post from Rafi Bar-Lev of PassionateFitness.com. Take it away Rafi. . .

While most people are looking how to shed the pounds, there are a tremendous amount of skinny people looking for advice on how to gain weight fast. This post is for all the people looking for practical advice on weight-gain, from the simple things you’re doing wrong to whether or not you need protein shakes.

Before I begin, I want to offer a special thanks first to Vic Magary, for all the great posts he had while he was still blogging here at Gym Junkies and for being one of the first “fitness bloggers” to link to one of my posts (you rock Vic!).

Alright, so now that we got through the preliminaries, let’s learn about how to put on the pounds, no matter what your metabolism:

The First Thing You Need to Know – You’re Doing it Wrong!

I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news here, but you can’t improve until you know what you’re doing wrong now. So let’s cover a few things here:

1. One big meal a day is not enough.

2. One meal a day is not enough.

3. Just because you’re full doesn’t mean you ate a lot.

4. You need nutrients, not junk food.

5. Don’t go by “how you feel” – you need to scientifically check the amount of calories you’re taking in.

Does the above list look a little daunting? Well, it shouldn’t be once i explain what I’m getting at.

A tremendous amount of skinny guys and girls convince themselves that they’re eating a tremendous amount. But here’s the truth — how many of you SKIP breakfast, have one massive meal, and then a small dinner. And then you say that you ate “a tremendous amount” that day?

Go ahead, raise your hand. No need to be shy here.

Well, if you said yes — you’re not alone. There are a ton of people eating only one meal a day and then complaining that they can’t put on weight. The FIRST rule for those looking to put on weight with high metabolisms is you need to eat AT LEAST 3 meals a day — and the more the merrier.

That means breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No cheating, no skimping folks. You get what you put in to it.

Just for reference – Taylor Lautner was eating multiple meals a day to gain the muscle he did for Twilight. According to some sources, he would wake up at 5 a.m. to get his first meal in and keep his body in a state of holding fat and not burning fat.

Do you have to work as hard as Taylor? Probably not since you don’t want to burn yourself out — but I do want you to understand what other people have gone through to change their bodies.

The Next Important Thing – Be Scientific

At least in the beginning – you need to calorie count. That’s because most “non-fitness” people generally have NO IDEA what they’re eating. I am in shock when I hear people say things like “pasta is good for weight loss” or that chicken is a good for putting on weight — when in reality it’s the COMPLETE OPPOSITE (chicken is low calorie and pasta is high calorie).

Your homework assignment is to start to write down your foods and get an idea for how many calories are in them. The USDA nutrient base (go ahead and search it) is a great place to start. In general, you’re going to want to take in at least 3,000 calories a day to gain muscle, and you might even need more. Also, another general rule is an extra 500 calories a day is a pound a week.

When you check how many calories you’re eating now, you’ll get an idea for how much you’ll have to change your diet.

The Core of Your Diet – Carbs, Protein, Nutrients and Junk Food

Okay, now it’s time to get to the “core” of your diet. What are you going to be eating and when? Well, here’s the thing:

When it comes to pure calories – carbohydrates are your friend. Nothing puts on weight like bread, pasta, and potatoes. Ideally, every one of your meals in the beginning should have some kind of carb.

The next thing you need is protein. Chicken, fish, lean meat, eggs, etc. are what are going to put on the muscle. You don’t need to worry about counting the protein in the beginning — just make sure that you eat protein right after your workout and the day after your workout.

As for nutrients — vegetables and fruits, every meal should have them. Mix it up with multiple colors, make sure to add avocados (they’re full of calories!), and you’re set. Fruits and vegetables are what allow your body to absorb the other foods well.

A Small Comment About Junk Food

In general, I don’t want you to get in the habit of eating too much junk food. That being said, as long as you’re eating plenty of protein, nutrients, and carbs – then there’s nothing wrong with you eating ice-cream or some junk food in-between meals to supplement your calorie in-take.

It’s not a bad cheat for putting on the pounds in the beginning of your journey – but as you continue you’re going to want to ween yourself off the junk-food crutch since it doesn’t allow you to reach your best body-fat percentage potential.

I Almost Forgot — Work Out HARD!

I almost forgot the most critical part of this entire article. You need to work out HARD. With weights is preferable (exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are excellent) — but if you don’t have them, using body weight will work as well as long as you keep up a proper diet.

The most important thing here is to really push yourself (without hurting yourself) during your workouts. Strive for that extra repetition, that second faster sprint, etc. Pushing yourself is what makes your body improve — and it’s something many people forget to do when working out and trying to reach results. (Chris Evans mentioned how hard he worked out in trying to get his role for Captain America).

So, to sum it all up:

1. Work out.

2. Eat well and a lot.

Now go out there and put on the muscle!

Bio: Rafi Bar-Lev is the blogger behind Passionate Fitness and used to be a big fan of Gym Junkies before Vic left. He enjoys explosive workouts and cares about functional strength. That’s because he believes that you should always be fit and ready for a James Bond style chase scene.

Forest Bathing, Getting Your Mind Right, And Why I’m Manly

Vic Magary — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:53:32 +0000

Friday, Friday, Friday. . . and that means I’m spreading the link love. Here are my most recent favorites:

Damn right I’m manly. How else would I get interviewed by The Art Of Manliness? Check it out: My Interview With ArtOfManliness.com.

What the hell is Forest Bathing? To check out what Mark Sisson has to say about it, click here.

You know you are on the right path when you can tell stories like this. . . Be sure to read True passion from Zach Even-Esh.

Getting your mind right might be the most important factor in your fat loss quest. Check out Fat Loss Head Games from Rusty over at fitnessblackbook.com.

That’s all for this week. Enjoy your weekend!

Interview With Scott Sonnon, Creator Of TacFit Commando

Vic Magary — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 02:41:25 +0000

OK, I’ve been talking about TacFit quite a bit lately. Being former military, the program resonates with me on a level that it might not for others upon first glance. But I assure you, whether you are fresh off the couch or already “high speed low drag”, TacFit has something for you. And I know this because I got on the phone with the creator of the program, Scott Sonnon, and grilled him for over 40 minutes.

To listen to my interview with Scott, click here.

In the interview Scott reveals:

How the TacFit program has a specific scaling and scoring method so anyone can use the program.
The unique benefits of rotational movements that are integral to the program.
How to be sure your exercise program creates “go muscle” and not simply “show muscle”.
The importance of training the body through several planes of movement.
And much more. . .

To listen to my extensive interview with Scott, click here now.

Top 10 Reasons I Love Body Weight Training

Vic Magary — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

For as long as man has realized that intentional physical movement can improve health and fitness, bodyweight exercises have been integral to training. Below are 10 reasons that I love bodyweight training:

1. Foundational for other training methods. In my opinion, becoming proficient with bodyweight exercises is mandatory before adding external resistance. If you can’t perform a full range of motion squat with just your bodyweight while maintaining good postural alignment, stepping into the power rack and throwing a barbell across your shoulders is premature. If you can’t do push ups with near perfect technique, perhaps you should hold off on the bench press (even if you’re trying to get rid of man boobs).

2. Anywhere is your gym. I once knew a guy who would do push ups in a Starbuck’s bathroom. Maybe that’s a little weird but it goes to show that nearly anyplace can be used for bodyweight training. Your living room or the neighborhood park are fine choices, but don’t be afraid to go outside of the norm and do a few squats in your cubicle at work.

3. No equipment needed. Bodyweight training is the cheapest, most convenient training there is as there is no equipment necessary. . . sort of. I’ll stand by what I’ve said in previous posts in that a pull up bar is mission critical. But that pull up bar can be a sturdy tree branch or the top of the swing set at the park.

4. Can be scaled down for beginners. If you are brand new to fitness, bodyweight exercises are where you should start. Can’t do a push up – not even from your knees? Place your hands on the wall or the back of your couch. Can’t squat so that your hip crease is below your knees at the bottom of the movement? Fine – gradually increase your range of motion, striving for some improvement each session. And the best part is you can just follow the paleo diet and lose fat pretty easily…

5. Can be scaled up for advanced practitioners. If the standard push up is too easy, try putting your feet on a chair or working on one-armed push ups. If the burpee is getting boring try doing it with a tuck jump thrown in the mix.

6. Near infinite variety. Maybe a little creativity is necessary, but there are near endless combinations and varieties of bodyweight exercises. Scott Sonnon’s TacFit Program is a prime example of bodyweight movement ingenuity.

7. Train across different modes. Looking for upper body strength training? Try the hand stand push up. Balance and flexibility? Give pistols a go. Blow torch some body fat? Knock out 100 burpees. Bodyweight exercises can run the gamut of objectives from strength to endurance to body composition to coordination.

8. Fun. Try doing a few rounds of bear crawls and crab walks and tell me you aren’t smiling. Basic tumbling skills like rolls and cartwheels are always a blast. And then there are those crazy parkour folks if you like your fun a little more “extreme”.

9. Conducive to group training – no matter how large. Whether you are gathering the family for a backyard workout or organizing physical training for a few hundred soldiers, bodyweight exercises will get your group in shape.

10. Ultimate excuse eliminator. Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere with no equipment, scaled up or down to meet any fitness level, and they’re fun. And what was your excuse again?

For a bodyweight program that is cutting edge enough to be used by elite military units the world over, be sure to check out Scott Sonnon’s TacFit Program. It launches today, and you can get it for 51% off for a limited time… For all of the details on TacFit, click here now.

(Note: If you buy Scott’s program today through my link, I get a small commission. If you’ve read this blog for a while, you know I only recommend programs that I personally use and believe in. Scott’s program is pretty hardcore and I highly recommend giving it a try… Check it out here)

What are your favorite bodyweight exercises? How do you implement them into your training? Let me know in the comments below.

Video Games, Getting Jacked, And The CrossFit Games

Vic Magary — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:52:48 +0000

Time once again for my favorite post of the week where I give links to the blogs that I’m loving. . .

Jason Ferruggia is back once again. Jason is a muscle building expert – and look at all of the damned compound movements on this list! Love it: Do These Exercises To Get Jacked.

Hey, I’ve played my share of video games so I’m loving this Mario Bros. themed post from Nerd Fitness. To check it out, click here.

The push up is a timeless, and in my mind, mandatory exercise. . . Take a look at how Yavor breaks down the push up in exquisite detail: Push Up Fitness.

Want to check out a SICK core exercise? Then take a look at this movement from the Diesel Crew: Sit Up And Press.

On July 16th, the 2010 CrossFit Games begin. There will be live webcasts, so be sure to check this out to see some incredible fitness freaks – I dare you, watch it and try not to get inspired: 2010 CrossFit Games.

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend!

My Top 10 Favorite Books For Fitness, Nutrition, Health, and Life

Vic Magary — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:19:38 +0000

Notice I didn’t say these were the “best”, I said they were my favorite. Different strokes for different folks as they say. . . and that being said, let me also say that these are in no particular order.

Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. You haven’t read this book and you’ve picked up a barbell in the last month? Stop. Do not pass Go, do not collect two-hundred dollars. Go directly to your local book retailer and get Rippetoe’s Starting Strength now!
The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain. We can debate diet all damned day. The Paleo method just makes sense to me and even better, has never failed to give myself or my clients desired results when followed. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.
The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. Yes, Mark leans pretty strongly toward the Paleo nutrition-wise. But his exercise philosophy is also worth examining. And yes, I know he owns a supplement company. I don’t care, I still love his book.
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Look at me – I am in no way a bodybuilder. But this is one of the first (if not the first) fitness books I ever read and it will forever be dear to me. There are lessons to be learned in these pages.
The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This is probably the book I return to more than any other when my life feels out of whack. I think the only book I’ve read more times than this one is Fight Club.
Fight Club by Chuck Palahnuik. I’ll admit, I saw the movie before I read the book. But I’ve returned to the book and movie time and time again for motivation and the slap in the face that reminds you what life is about. Read it or watch it – but KNOW it.
The Way Of The Superior Man by David Deida. Reading this book made me comfortable with my ambition. And ladies, I definitely recommend this as a source of insight as to what the hell us guys are thinking most of the time.
It’s Not About The Bike: My Journey Back To Life by Lance Armstrong. Is this guy superhuman or what? I dare you to try to read this and not get inspired.
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. When you go to basic training in the United States Army, the only book you are aloud to take with you is one religious text. The Tao Te Ching is the book I took to basic training. I also carried a pocket sized version in the lower left shirt-pocket of my BDU’s the whole time I was in the service. Full of timeless philosophy, the Tao Te Ching is worth a read regardless of your religious inclinations.
Living The Martial Way by Forrest Morgan. If you have a martial arts background, this book will speak to your soul. But even if you’ve never considered the martial arts, you’ll appreciate the discussions on timeless values like honor and discipline.

So there you have it – my top 10 favorite books for fitness, nutrition, health, and life.

What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments below.

My Return To The Corporate Gym: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Vic Magary — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:14:01 +0000

It’s been a long time since I set foot in one of these places. With its ocean of machines that scream false promises of cover-model bodies while banking on the fact that over half of its members will not use the place and neglect to cancel their recurring billing. I’ve often slammed the corporate gym with creative prose, while taking great pride in my windowless facility’s cinder block walls and concrete floors that was once described by a local newspaper reporter as looking like a hidden CIA interrogation room.

But like so many small business pipe dreams, my gym is gone. And so are the 14 hour work-days I spent trying to keep the doors open. With too much free time on my hands I needed a reason to get out of the house – so I signed on the recurring billing dotted line for a corporate gym membership. And the truth is, I’m enjoying my new escape haven.

Sure, it’s not without its flaws. But overall, I’m finding the good outweighs the bad – and the ugly.

The Good
Barbells: I’m happy to say I have returned to squatting and deadlifting. Yes, I have a pretty sweet equipment set up at home but I do not have barbells and plates. The corporate gym I train at has plenty of barbells, four power racks, and all of the plates I could ever desire in my wildest heavy squat dreams.

Swimming Pool: I am a terrible swimmer. I’m not going to drown in the pool or anything, but I usually have to rest after just one 25 meter lap. I figure my poor technique means I’m expending lots of energy and making for a good workout. Technique be damned, I’m enjoying my time in the pool and the challenges that come with developing a new skill.

iPod: I always train alone. And when my gym was open, I mean ALONE – usually no one else was even in the building. But even at the huge corporate gym with lots of people milling around, I’m having no problem enjoying some alone time. I’m wearing an iPod. The cute girl I’d normally be tempted to strike up a conversation with is wearing an iPod. Damn near everyone is wearing an iPod. Modern technology may be ruining communication between people, but I appreciate the iPod assisted “silence” while I’m training.

24 Hour Access: If I’m having a sleepless night, I like having a place to go that gives me a healthy option instead of watching some crappy movie or eating some junk food out of boredom. Sure I could just do some push ups in my living room or read a book. But leaving the house, having a light workout, and then returning home seems to set me up better for sleep.

The Bad
The Locker Room: I’m more than pleased with the cleanliness of the locker room where I train – that’s not the problem. What I’m not pleased with are the yelling matches over where Lebron James will end up and the guy who has to spread his entire wardrobe across the bench. A little common courtesy goes a long way when you have to share space with people you don’t know. Unfortunately, some people lack common courtesy.

No Circuit Training: I’m a fan of setting up circuits of multiple exercises for metabolic conditioning. But stringing together a workout of box jumps, power cleans, pull ups, and push presses will not only be a potential safety hazard in the sea of people aimlessly wandering from machine to machine, it will also make you look like an equipment hog. I keep my training at the corporate gym focused on strength and muscle building, and save my heart cranking circuit work for my back yard sessions.

Curls In The Rack: I know it’s cliche, but I’ve seen it more than once already – guys doing barbell curls in the power rack. That being said, because squats and standing presses aren’t exactly the most popular exercises at this gym, one of the four power racks is always available. It’s that availability that is keeping the rack-curls in “the bad” and not in “the ugly”.

The Ugly
Personal Trainers: Even with my iPod blasting and my training face on, I can’t avoid seeing the personal trainer taking what is obviously a weight loss client through a set of lateral raises. I grit my teeth, avert my gaze, and move to another part of the gym. But I know several times each week I will see such transgressions and it is an exercise of restraint to keep my mouth shut.

No Training Journals: I’ve been training at this gym for three weeks now. I am the ONLY person I’ve seen writing down what they are doing in their training sessions. Don’t get me wrong, someone who has been training for years and is in maintenance mode can get away with this. But people who are on a serious fat loss or muscle building quest, especially those who are relatively new to training, are on a path to no-results if they aren’t tracking their training.

Texting: It’s just a pet peeve of mine and I suppose I should get over it… but why the hell can’t you leave your cell phone in your locker while you’re training? Oh, you’re a heart surgeon on call that day – my mistake and my apologies. Oh, you’re an average guy trying to set up a hot date for later that night – put the phone away, make her wait 30 minutes, get some damned focus, and maybe you can put some more weight on that bench press you naturally gravitate towards.

To my surprise, I am enjoying my time in the behemoth corporate gym. Sure, there are some things that I don’t like – but few things are perfect.

What is your experience in the big corporate facilities? Do you enjoy training there? Or are the “bad” and the “ugly” not worth the hassle. Let me know in the comments below.

Promises, Rants, and Being F*cking Awesome

Vic Magary — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:01 +0000

Friday’s are starting to be my favorite posts. I’m getting a kick out of sharing links to what I feel are some of the best posts in fitness (and sometimes outside of fitness) each week.

Take this post from Jason Ferruggia as an example. No nonsense, straight to the point, and fun to read: 53 Ways To Build Muscle, Gain Strength, and Be F*cking Awesome.

Nate Green makes an important distinction between promises and goals. To get where you want to go, in fitness and in life, click here.

Craig Ballantyne gives ten tips to survive the weekend. Sure, the article addresses last week’s holiday weekend but the tips apply to any weekend: 10 Tips To Survive The Weekend.

Speaking of the holiday weekend, Mike McNeil goes on a little Fourth of July rant. And we all know how much I love a good rant. To check out what Mike has to say, click here.

I wrote another article about the effects of Green Tea for Weight Loss…

And if you still haven’t watched Scott Sonnon’s free Tacfit videos, click here now. I’m telling you, submitting your email address to watch the free videos is something you won’t regret. There are bodyweight exercises in the videos that I had never seen before (and I’ve been around the fitness block for awhile now). Yes, I might get a commission if you eventually purchase Scott’s program. But if you’ve been following GymJunkies for any length of time, you know not just anyone gets my endorsement. So start your weekend off right and check out Tacfit today: Free Tacfit Videos.

Enjoy the weekend!

How Cleaning The Latrine Is Like Using The Treadmill

Vic Magary — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:59:16 +0000

“Magary, get your team together and clean that latrine!”

Ah yes, bathroom cleaning duty in the barracks after a long weekend of drunk soldiers. But the hard nasty work had already been done.

One of the young privates on my team asked, “Magary, didn’t we already clean the latrine today? Didn’t we already clean it THREE TIMES today?”

The private was correct. We were on our fourth trip to the bathroom that day, armed with mops and pine-sol and well aware that the actions we were about to take were unnecessary.

So why were we cleaning so much that day? For no other reason than our sergeant had nothing better for us to do. It was busy-work. What a waste of time.

You can see similar fitness practices in gyms everywhere. People grinding away at long slow boring cardio on treadmills and elliptical machines because they have nothing better to do. It’s just busy-work. It’s work that’s comfortable and comes with the hollow promise of forging a lean and fit body. What a waste of time.

But you know better. You know that the key to reaching your fitness goals is to continually push outside of your comfort zone. You know that if you are not coming close to the red line of intensity, you are not going to get the lean and fit body you desire.

So stay away from the hours on end of the treadmill trot or watching the wheels of the elliptical go round-and-round. It’s worse than cleaning a bathroom four times in one day.

P.S. If you really want to push out of your comfort zone, I recommend you take a look at Scott Sonnon’s free Tacfit videos. To watch the Tacfit videos now, click here.

What I Learned From A Special Forces Scuba Team

Vic Magary — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:28:20 +0000

“Which ever boat makes it to the other side of the pond first with all of its equipment and personnel in tact gets to eat chow first!”

Those were the only directives given by the Special Forces sergeant as two Zodiac boats full of soldiers were prepared to paddle their asses off to get to the other side of the pond as fast as possible. I was in the swamps of Louisiana with a select group of soldiers from my Infantry company and we were assigned to a two-week training rotation with a team from the 10th Special Forces Group. The Green Berets we were training with were a scuba team, and water borne missions were their specialty.

Myself and the guys in my boat started paddling furiously – as did the soldiers in the rival boat. We were neck-and-neck in our race to the other side as we approached the middle of the pond when my paddle was yanked from my hands.

What the hell happened? I still wasn’t sure. . .

A moment later I saw the team leader from my boat get snatched into the water by a specter clad in scuba gear. At that point, we all knew it was on.

The Special Forces team had placed four of its members in the water in scuba gear before the race started with the specific intent of reeking havoc on our mission. They were dragging unsuspecting soldiers into the water and stealing our equipment. Mass chaos ensued – we were jumping into each others boats trying to grab equipment that had been stolen by the scuba team and one of our brave young privates jumped in the water to “rescue” our team leader. And of course the scuba gear clad SF guys eventually capsized both of the boats before we made it to the other side of the pond. All in all, it was a hell of a lot of fun.

But it was also a hell of a workout. Forget that wimpy-ass bosu ball – try wrestling a paddle from the hands of a Green Beret while you’re standing in an inflatable boat for some killer core training. Simulating this kind of real-world exertion can be tough to do in the gym, but I’m pleased to say that I’ve found a methodology that brings the best of combat driven reality to the realm of health and fitness. I’m talking about Scott Sonnon’s Tacfit Commando.

Scott has worked with first responders and elite combat units the world over. He is an expert martial artist and understands the difference between being fit to fight and just looking good. In the free videos available at tacfitcommando.com , I learned bodyweight movements that I had never seen before in all of my years of training. Scott is the real deal, and so is Tacfit. To get your free Tacfit Commando instructional videos and training manual click here.

Have you had an experience where the “real world” tested your fitness level? Let me know in the comments below.