W2

Alright, just finished Week 2!
This week I have increased the protein intake : more tofu, more sesame dessert (no sugar), still some eggs.

I've noticed that the breathing is super important to improve the performance and that I was actually blocking my breath in some sequence of the exercises. In particular in the burpees and abs, its really important to know when to breath in and out.

20/04
Aphrodite : 38:49*

21/04
Squat max : 185*
Leg lever max : 67

22/04
Squat max : 200*
Leg lever max : 75

23/04
REST

24/04
Aphrodite : 33:01*

Now I've been too fast and the coach says I need to wait a few days before going to Week 3.
It means today is rest again, and tomorrow I keep on "free" exercises not advised currently by the coach.

Proteins for vegans and vegetarian

There is a lot of info going on about proteins, and there is always someone who will tell you : "you need proteins from meat."

Obviously I disagree with that. Through history, billions of people have proved that you could be healthy and fit by relying on vegetarian and vegan sources of protein, most of the time actually healthier than meat eaters.

From the Shaolin monks to India, examples are numerous. Just check online. ;)

I'm not gonna force you to get vegan or veggie, because I can't anyways ! hehe, but my aim here is to provide the information, so people can make an informed decision about their diet.

What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan ?

 

Vegetarian : can eat anything that doesn't directly require killing an animal.

Includes:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Animals sub products such as :
       - Milk and dairy products (which I definitely do not recommend)
       - Egg
       - Honey

Vegan : can eat anything that doesn't require killing AND exploiting an animal :

Includes :
-Vegetables
-Fruits
-Nuts

Since milk, eggs and honey require to "make the animal work for you", vegans will not take any of these.

My personal choice :

 

I try to go closer and closer to vegan diet.

Exception 1 : It's quite hard at home to avoid eating eggs, so I set the rule that we should only buy organic ones to minimize the suffering caused to these animals. Nevertheless, egg industry tends to kill the males chicks because they can't lay eggs obviously, and they won't grow fast enough to make meat. So they will either be gased, crushed, or simply thrown away. I can't hide that I therefore finance this process and this is something I need to get clear on.

Exception 2 : I try to control my chocolate / biscuit addiction, but since these most often contain dairies, I'm definitely not a pure vegan... This one will take a few years before I can learn to control that...

So my ideal target would be a vegan diet.

1. Debunking milk and dairies

Even if you decide to remain vegetarian, I strongly do not recommend milk and dairy products.
There is so much misinformation going on about this, in particular from the milk industry, and I do believe our body is not engineered to digest other animals milk. It is only designed to drink the human mother's milk in the first baby years.
Many people's sickness and digestive problems are simply linked to the dairy intake. Chinese traditional diet also is against milk and dairies.

For more info on the milk myths :
http://saveourbones.com/osteoporosis-milk-myth/
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/5-ridiculous-myths-about-cows-milk/

 

2. So what should I eat then ?

I've made this list based on google results. For instance type "cashew protein" on google, and it will show you the grams of protein per 100g based on USDA database. Clearly, there is plenty of choice to get your protein.

In particular, big up to these few ones :
- Quinoa which contains all nine essential amino acids that the body needs for growth and repair, but cannot produce on its own. (Because of that, it's often referred to as a "perfect protein.")

- Spirulina for its super high content of protein, but also vitamins and detoxifying abilities.

- Brown rice because its hypoallergenic and easy to digest.

- Chia seeds which is 17g /100g, and you can make dessert with it, mix it with some fruit juice and it will turn into jelly !

Note on Nut butters : avoid those you find in the normal supermarket. they're often overloaded with salt, sugar, and hydrogenated oils. I prefer to make my own peanut butter and simply add a bit of rice milk or raisin oil, it's fresh and natural.

Another good source is milk-free milks. Here’s a nutritional breakdown for a cup (8 ounces) of the most popular milk-free milks from health.com :

 Source : http://news.health.com/2010/03/23/the-best-of-milk-free-milk/

Clearly, there is plenty of sources of protein other than meat !

So how much proteins do I need per day ?

There are several figures on the web, I gathered some here :

1.This first one for a person who 58 Kg would recommend :
58 x 1.7 g = 98.6 g of proteins per day

2. The CDC recommends 56 g per day but it's not clear : for people who want to increase mass ? sedentary ? 

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html#How%20much%20protein

3. On this french website, for a 58Kg weight, they recommend 81 to 93 g / day for a bodybuilder.

http://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Actualites/Dossiers/DossierComplexe.aspx?doc=pouvoir-proteines-nos-besoins-quotidiens-en-proteines

Conclusion : take your weight in kg, and multiply by 1.7 if you want to increase muscle mass. I guess it's the safest bet. However, I noticed that the more you eat, the more your body takes energy to digest. So look for your best balance between your intake targets and what your body really needs...

W1

Alright, so the training for Week 1 is done !

Before starting the official coach I did 1 Aphrodite to test on the 15/04.

Then:

16/04
Pushup Max : 25*
Pullup Max : 5
Pushup Max : 17

17/04
Burpee Max : 64
Squat Max : 162*

18/04
Pullup Max : 7
Pushup Max : 25*
Pullup Max : 7

19/04
Aphrodite : 41:46*

Clearly I have an issue with the pullups... I couldnt find proper pull up bars in parks around my home, and when I finally tried at the gym, it was like I couldnt even do one !
So I added the 50Kg support (it helps to lift the body up)...

Not so bad for a start ! 14W to go !

Diet and timing

Just subscribed to the Nutrition Guide. Let's see what they advise :

1. Three sins you all know: Processed sweets, fast food and instant meals.

So far it makes sense, too bad I just ate 5 small peanut cookies...

2. Increase proteins in every meals :

Eggs, chicken and turkey, fish and seafood, tofu, low fat curd, cottage cheese and nuts.
=> I'll increase the eggs, tofu, nuts, and other plant-based proteins, and I'll make a page dedicated to plant-based proteins.

3. Now when should I eat before work out ?
Here is I found pretty good insight on when to eat before exercise :
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20045506

Their general guideline:

• Large meals. Eat these at least three to four hours before exercising.
• Small meals. Eat these two to three hours before exercising.
• Small snacks. Eat these an hour before exercising.

"Snacks eaten soon before exercise probably won't give you added energy, but they can help keep up your blood sugar and prevent distracting hunger pangs.

A healthy snack is especially important if you plan a workout several hours after a meal."



4. After the exercise :

"To help your muscles recover and to replace their glycogen stores, eat a meal that contains both protein and carbohydrates within two hours of your exercise session if possible."

5. Drinking :

"Don't forget to drink fluids. You need adequate fluids before, during and after exercise to help prevent dehydration.
To stay well-hydrated for exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you:

• Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (473 to 710 milliliters) of water during the two to three hours before your workout.
• Drink about 1/2 to 1 cup (118 to 237 milliliters) of water every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. Adjust amounts related to your body size and the weather.
• Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (473 to 710 milliliters) of water after your workout for every pound (0.5 kilogram) of weight you lose during the workout."

 Et voila ! Now let's try a session of Aphrodite !

Time to start !

Hi there,

I discovered Freeletics a few days ago.

I subscribed for the Coach and the plan is : go through the "Strength" program, follow it to the max, between 4 to 7 sessions a week until I reach the end of the 15 weeks.

I've spotted a park very close to my home, but it doesnt have proper bars for the pull-up exercise, so that might be the only issue... if anyone has advices on how to handle this, more than welcome !

Today my stats are :

173 cm
57.3 Kg
11.3% body fat
64.7% water (that's what my scale is telling me...)

Goals :

Since I work all day long on a computer, and don't really have good muscle mass, I often have back pain, and I got rounded shoulders: I tend to bend my head forward. If I wanna stand straight when I'll get old, I'd better get started and I hope these 15 weeks will do some good to my back !

- Straight back
- More physical strength

Program :

- "Strength" program
- 4 to 7 times a week

Diet :

- Veggie for 5 years
- Dairy free
- Still some organic eggs sometimes
- Natural supplements OK (rice protein powder, Spirulina, Chia seeds...)

So let's do this thing !