Over the past four years I have posted articles on training, diet & nutrition as well as tons of sport specific training to help, guide, encourage and educate AbFitt readers. I am turning the corner of general to very specific information as it directly relates to me and my training.
To my surprise many of the AbFitt readers who write me these days ask for detailed information on my training, nutrition & supplementing. The how, what, why & when's of what I do at 40 years old to stay lean & fit with a body fat percentage of between 6% to 9% year round. Now remember I am not a a full time athlete, I work full time as a helicopter mechanic and I work a 24-7 on call schedule. So with that said my training & eating strategy must be time efficient and yield the results I am after. To do this takes experience.
So today I will launch a new series I am calling "The Seymour Effect" where I will discuss what I do to keep improving & challenging myself to be a stronger, healthier, fitter me going into my forties. Take what you can from the lessons I have learned over the years. Yes I am a self proclaimed gym rat and because of this I have over 25 years that I have worked with & learned from some of the best athletes, trainers and average Joe's in and out of gyms, both fitness & boxing from all over the country. Guys like Rich Gaspari, Larry Holmes, Percy Elsworth, Aaron Pryor, Ras I Bramble, TJ Hoban and countless others.
So I hope this series answers all your questions. Feel free to respond and ask any questions and thanks for making AbFitt a huge success.
Live Fit Be Fit!!!
Richard
The Seymour Effect Part 1
What I consider the most important part of your health & fitness. FOOD!!
What are my thoughts on the foods we eat?
I have one philosophy when it comes to food and it is simple: Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. Stay away from processesd crap!!
I try my best to choose & make healthy choices.I have found that a low carb, high protein, medium fat diet allows me to achieve the lean look that I desire. I try to maintain a lean hard look year-round, I have never believed in cycles or mass & cutting phases. while at the same time I focus on trying to add more lean mass to my physique. This is not the easiest of things to do, but so far I am very happy with my results over the years and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
My meals consist for the most part of, protein shakes, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Egg Whites, Greek Yogurt, lots of Veggies and I get my proteins from lean sources such as Chicken Breast, Ground Turkey, Red Meat, tuna and Salmon.
I also try to stay consistent and try not to stray from my usual eating plan. By adjusting & fine tuning over time, I have found that eating as below works best for my body type. If I begin to notice that my abs are not as defined, I may reduce my carbs slightly and/or incorporate more boxing training into my routine. I box as my form of cardio. More on that when we get to training in Part 2.
* Note: I will never lead you to believe I never eat junk food or drink a beer, because I do! I love the tasty things everyone else does. I just learn to limit them to certain times throughout the day when I do endulge. Also I know my body and how it responds, the benefit of 25 years of training so I can get away with some things and others I simply cannot.
Sample Diet:
Meal 1: Protein Shake with oatmeal, flax seed, banana, teaspoon of peanut butter & Cinnamon.
Meal 2: 8 Egg Whites and 1 apple & amino acids in a drink
Meal 2: Greek Yogurt with 1/2 cup of low fat, high protein Granola
Meal 3: Tuna & Olive Oil in a whole wheat pita
Meal 4: Post workout Protein Shake within ten minutes after training
Meal 5: (Post workout) Grilled Chicken Breast with 1 cup of Brown Rice and Steamed Veggies
Meal 6: Casein Protein Shake, or 1 cup of Fat Free Plain Cottage Cheese