Prime Forge Fitness

08/17/2024

Full workout including warmup exercises and every rep on my main exercises. Haven’t squatted much lately so I’m trying to add them back in. Also utilizes myo-rep sets for my smith machine squats and calf raises - highly recommend if you’re trying to minimize time spent exercising but still want to do enough work to grow!

07/03/2024

When I first got into lifting, I was a program-hopper, constantly switching programs in hopes of finding the best one for building muscle. In reality, I was stunting my growth because of these constant changes. Muscle confusion was once seen as beneficial, but consistency is actually key to seeing the best results.

Pick a program, stick with it, and try to increase weights, reps, etc. Everything else, like the specific split, the number of sets and reps, and the particular exercises, are secondary.

To help, here’s a beginner lifting plan that I created, focused on building muscle with an emphasis on arm development. Try it out and let me know what you think!

07/02/2024

Starting things is hard! It’s so easy to procrastinate, especially for big things. I love this Ted Talk on procrastination, especially the instant gratification monkey.

Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn't make sense, but he's never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to get things done. In ...

07/01/2024

🚀 30-Day Jump Starter Program Alert! 🚀

I'm launching a brand-new 30-day jump starter program, and I’m looking for 10 guys who want bigger arms, a flatter stomach, and want to look great in their T-shirt.

💪 What You Get:

Custom Exercise Plan: Tailored to your goals, preferences, needs, and limitations. We’ll work with the equipment you have and the time you can commit.

Personalized Nutrition Coaching: Enhance your current meals rather than replace them. We build around what you already eat.

Weekly Progress Reviews: Stay on track with regular check-ins and adjustments to keep you moving forward.

📢 Full Disclosure: You probably won't hit all your goals in 30 days unless they’re simple, but this program will give you a clear path from where you are to where you want to be!

Interested? DM me for more details! Let’s get started on your journey to stronger, leaner you! 💥

06/12/2024

Get Your Protein In!

One of the best things you can do to enhance your workouts, progress, and satiety while maintaining a calorie deficit is to ensure you have enough protein in your diet.

While meats such as chicken, beef, pork, and fish are excellent protein sources, here are some other lesser-known options if you don't prefer eating a lot of meat:

1. Eggs: Approximately 6-7g of protein per large egg.

2. Yogurt: Greek yogurt usually contains around 10-20g of protein per serving (170g), depending on the brand and type.

3. Cottage Cheese: Typically contains around 14-20g of protein per serving (1/2 cup or about 113g).

4. Protein Powder: Generally contains around 20-25g of protein per scoop (about 30g), depending on the brand and type. Protein powder is versatile; you can make smoothies with it, mix it with oatmeal in the morning, or add it to your yogurt.

5. Beans and Legumes: Typically contain around 7-10g of protein per serving (1/2 cup cooked).

6. Lentils: About 18g of protein per cup cooked.

7. Quinoa: Approximately 8g of protein per cup cooked.

8. Tofu: Around 10g of protein per 1/2 cup serving.

9. Tempeh: About 15g of protein per 1/2 cup serving.

10. Edamame: Approximately 8g of protein per 1/2 cup serving.

11. Seitan: About 21g of protein per 1/3 cup serving.

A good amount of protein to aim for is 1g per pound of body weight. However, if you have a significant amount of body fat to lose, you can consume less than that. So, regardless of your dietary preferences, there's absolutely no reason to skip out on protein!

06/10/2024

Following up from last week's talk on calories, what happens if you're eating the theoretical amount of calories and you're not losing weight, but you can't go any lower? For example, a 35-year-old male weighing 200 lbs, eating 2500 calories a day and working out 4 days/week, would have a maintenance calorie amount of 3500. In theory, he should be losing around 2 lbs per week at a 1000 calorie deficit. But, if his weight is staying the same, what could be the reason?

1. Inaccurate measuring. This is usually the cause. Reporting less than what is actually eaten because portion sizes are bigger than they should be, forgetting snacks here and there, eating out and not knowing the macros/calories, etc.

2. The calculator may be off and your maintenance calorie amount is much lower, either for genetic reasons or because you went through an aggressive dieting approach before (fasting, severe calorie restriction), and your body has adapted to the lower calorie amount and must be worked on to bring it back to where it should be.

To solve inaccurate measuring, it’s simply a matter of being more diligent with weighing/measuring foods, as well as making smart choices about what foods to eat and where to eat out. It’s better to stick to foods that are easier to weigh/measure to improve accuracy.

If your metabolism has slowed down, it’s best to go through a period of gradually increasing your food intake to improve metabolism levels to their base. For example, if 3500 calories is the goal maintenance amount and currently it is at 2500, we would gradually increase calories each week until we reach 3500 calories. That might look like 2500 calories the first week, 2700 calories the next week, then 2900, 3100, 3300, and finally 3500. Even though calories are increasing, if done correctly, this should not result in much weight gain, if any, because as calories are increased, so is metabolic efficiency.

Ultimately, tracking calories is a tool above all else to help direct you where to go.

06/07/2024

Yesterday, I shared a calculator to help calculate the right amount of calories for your goals. Here’s a more in-depth look at how to use it.

Again, here’s the link: https://www.nasm.org/resources/calorie-calculator

Here’s an example client to give some insight:

Bill, a 30-year-old male, 5’10”, 190 lbs, wants to get to 175 lbs in 4 months and is lightly active (exercises 1-3 days/week). Macros will follow a standard 40/30/30 split for carbs, fat, and protein.

Based on the results, the estimated daily maintenance calorie amount for Bill would be about 3000 calories per day. To achieve a 15 lb weight loss in 4 months, a daily calorie intake of 2500 calories would need to be maintained. From there, Joe would build a weekly meal plan and try to stay around 2500 calories on average each day.

Simple in theory, but challenging in practice, as 4 months is a long time to be disciplined and consistent. But that's part of the journey.

Send me a message with your calorie amount for your goals! Does it sound about right? Does it seem too high? I'd love to know.

Calculate calories, RMR, TDEE, and macronutrients to achieve your weight loss goals and help determine body fat percentage with this free NASM weight loss tool!

06/06/2024

Tis the season to show off your six-pack! Not there yet? Here’s how you can lean out quickly:

1. Caloric Intake: You can use a calculator like this https://www.nasm.org/resources/calorie-calculator get a rough estimate of your calorie needs to lose weight.

2. Protein Intake: Ensure you're getting 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to curb hunger and maintain/build muscle.

3. Low Intensity Steady State (LISS): Aim to do LISS cardio. I suggest getting at least 3 hours per week, and more if you can fit it in. Get a sweat, but don’t exhaust yourself.

4. Lift weights. While weight lifting doesn't have a significant calorie burn component, it allows you to build muscle, which in the long run will help you keep weight off and give your body the shape you want.

5. Bonus Tips!

Being healthy is an underrated component of weight loss. While calories and macros are important, so are whole foods, vegetables, and fruits.

Exercise regularly, but also ensure you get enough sleep to recover. Don’t neglect your health in an attempt to show those abs!