In this post, we are going to developing some real world, resume building skills. No, it’s not tips for becoming a successful cat owner, but there is probably a blog for that. We’re obviously talking about reading nutrition labels and choosing foods. What I look for, and what makes me put whatever I had in my hand- back on the shelf.

Start with your macros.

Okay. I’m going to try and make this as simple as possible. Macronutrients are the energy giving components in the food. They are what contain all of these calories people keep talking about. Carbs and proteins contain 4 calories per gram, fats contain 9 calories per gram, and alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. The question here becomes, do I need to worry about the amount of calories on the label? If you have fat loss or muscle gain goals, yes. Don’t go crazy over it, but be aware of the amount of food you consume on a day to day basis. I try to have a calorie range and make sure I hit my protein requirement for the day.

Secondly, for that specific food, are the amounts of macronutrients listed on the label reasonable, given what it it. Let me give you an example. Say I wanted to spoil Meg this past Valentine’s day, and I go out looking to pick up a nice Ribeye (chicks dig Ribeyes, right?). You can expect that, it will be mostly protein and have some amount of saturated fat. Cool, I knew that going into it, and that’s what I expected. If there were a bunch of carbohydrates, I might think otherwise about buying it. This seems like a simple concept, but one that should be applied almost subconsciously. Is the food you are buying what you actually want to buy?

Then look at your micros.

With that said, when you have selected your options, you can look at the micronutrients it provides- vitamins and minerals. These are important for daily function, and the idea behind choosing foods that have a high nutrient density. Pick foods that give you a lot of value in this regard. Keep in mind, many foods these days- especially processed ones that come in boxes or bags- are often fortified with nutrients to improve nutrient density. So, it takes a little more detective work to uncover where your nutrients are actually coming from.

Almond milk is a good example of this. Sure, it is labeled as a “healthy” food, and for the most part, it is. But, looking at the label you’ll see that a lot of those nutrients are added to replicate the normal profile of almonds as well as compete with traditional dairy. I’m not saying either is better than the other, it just comes down to personal preference, food allergies, etc. What I am saying, is look at the ingredients and determine which ones help give you that high nutrient density, and which ones don’t.

Cut through the BS.

As I said above, there’s a lot of crap in our food. I wanted to insert that “pile of crap” emoji, but that’s tough to do on a computer. Between processing to increase shelf life, different binding agents, synthetic chemicals, colorants, fake sweeteners- many of our foods are straight up awful for us. It’s not real food. It’s made in a lab. I’m a firm believer that it’s one of the reasons we as a nation continue to get sicker, larger, and more sedentary. When I look at a label, I try to limit the amount of extra “stuff” that is on the ingredient list.

People want to blame carbs- and gluten- and trans fats- and whatever else can be sold as a book to consumers. This is the reason for fad diets and all of the subsequent confusion that goes along with it. In reality, it’s simple. Care about what you put in your body, and you’ll make better decisions. When you cut out all of the junk that is put in your food, all you are left with is cleaner, healthier options. You’ll see a vast difference in the quality of your food as well as the way you feel.

Does this support my goal?

Why are you buying the food? Nutrient density, carb source, protein source? Is it in a recipe that you are prepping? Whatever the reason, that should be what drives you to buy it. So if you have specific goals that you are tailoring your diet to, then you want to look at whether it supports the goal. This is why having a shopping list can be important. If not, you end up buying things that don’t really fit into your plan.

The major example of this is going to the store hungry. It’s crazy how the brain works.

Brain- ”I’m freakin’ dying over here.”

Unconscious action- “Buy ALL of the foods.”

I’m guilty of this, too. You buy stuff that just for whatever reason that day you want. But always ask, “does this fit?” It keeps you grounded.

Let's Bag it Up

Again, it’s important to note the simplicity that I’m trying to keep with this. Buying your food should not be complicated, but there are so many choices and layers to the equation. Focus your efforts on three things: Are these the the right amounts for the food? Does this food have nutrients that will help enhance my body? Is there “stuff” and ingredients I don’t need? Then, ask the big one:

Does this support my goal? Circle that 5 or 6 times.

Talk soon,

Ryan

Comment

In this post, we’re talking about the best exercises that give you a whole host of benefits, yet are still relatively simple. For example, you won’t be standing on a bosu, pressing a kettlebell, and doing a cable row at the same time.

While this guy on the left looks like he knows a thing or two, the risk vs. reward in this situation is a bit high on the “risk” end. Movement doesn’t need to be complex to be effective. Although, that is extremely impressive- both physically and organizationally.

As you can imagine by reading the blog, or by meeting me - applying simple logic is big with me. What goal are we trying to achieve with the exercise? Strength? Mobility? Both?

If it gives you a lot of great benefits while being relatively easy and also safe to perform, then I’m sold.

Check out my favorites:

1. Trap Bar Deadlift

Anytime you can deadlift, I’m in. There’s a few reasons it’s number one for me. Mainly, it becomes a different lift when you take the load from the from of the front of the body and move it to the sides. From a physics standpoint, it’s easier to learn, and much safer. I can coach someone to deadlift with a good amount of weight while they feel safe at the same time. Not only do you get total body strength from this movement- but you’re using a lot of muscles, which means you’re burning through calories like crazy (and feeling like an absolute boss).

2. Goblet Squat

Again, a lower body movement that requires total body strength. When we think of squatting, many people think that you have to throw a barbell on your back and just start going to town as heavy as you can handle. But, there are certainly other ways to squat that have a whole host of benefits. The Goblet Squat is great because it places the load on the front of the body, which really helps people to understand the pattern early on. With that said, trying to hold a really heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in your hands and perform the movement is also super challenging for your trunk and upper body.

3. Turkish Get Up

Man, if there is an exercise that is more humbling than a well performed TGU, please let me know. From a mobility, strength, and efficiency of movement standpoint, you get a lot. Mike Robertson did an awesome step by step article about breaking this thing down (HERE). I like to think of just connecting the dots with this exercise. You need to be strong, but you need to be graceful. It’s the perfect balance of a learned skill and mental fortitude. Try sets of 3 on each side, and you’ll know what I mean.

4. Push Up

Come on, you know what you’re getting here. But in all honesty, there’s a reason it has withstood the test of time. It is awesome at building shoulder stability, strengthening the rotator cuff, as well as building trunk stability. Push ups might not be sexy, but they are a staple in programs for good reason. You can easily vary them to bring them to your level. To make them harder, try to march your feet between each rep. Need them easier? Put your hands on an elevated smith machine bar and dial in your technique.

5. Kettlebell Swing

Cardio? Power? Awesomeness? You get it all here. When you get done with a long set of swings, it’s almost like you want to go night night for a bit, but you know that you are just hammering your workout so you keep coming back for more. What I like about them is that it becomes an easy way to progress your hip hinging with some speed and power, while jacking up your heart rate. Just like the Turkish Get Up, you learn how to control your movement and keep the body in a safe place. And oh yeah, the glutes love it.

6. TRX Rows/Chin Ups

Technically I have two exercises here. I simply cannot decide. Both just really awesome pulling movements. Chin Ups are certainly the king of upper body exercises, but a lot of people struggle doing them with halfway decent technique. Enter the TRX Row. It’s easy to regress or progress for people, and helps teach scapular retraction and rotation. This is a great way to get yourself to build trunk stability and upper back strength if you are looking to dominate some Chin Ups. Awesome exercise for the gunz too.

7. Half Kneeling Cross Body Lifts/Chops

Bit of a curveball here. With these movements, you have a great core exercise that utilizes the ENTIRE body. Not only will your abs be screaming at you, but your legs and shoulders will be saying:

Seriously, if you do these exercises correctly, you are smoked. Your heart rate is up. Your muscles are on fire. You are gaining trunk stability, foot strength, shoulder strength, and a freaking iron clad will that can get you through anything.

8. RFESS (Rear Foot Elevated or "Bulgarian" Split Squats, although that name has been outlawed in 17 states)

I’ve never had my quads burn as much as you do with this one. (I know, I’m selling it pretty well for the people that hate any form of lunge, but hear me out) Not only do these make your legs super strong, but you get a great mobility benefit from them from opening up your range of motion and getting low. It stretches out the front of your hip, quad, and ankle, while building some single leg stability. For strength, try some heavier sets for 5-8 reps a side. For some good ole leg endurance, try sets of 8-15 reps per leg and send your hate-mail via the contact box on the home page.

Give these exercises a shot and you’ll be glad you did. When we think about exercise, it should be simple but effective. Sometimes less is more.

Best,