Table of Contents
Tell us something about yourself & your background:
I am a tech professional approaching my 30s. As I child I was always out of shape and did not pay attention to my health. After college, my poor diet, lack of exercise, and alcohol consumption began to catch up with my and my body needed and change. I began the exhausting process of sifting the all the misinformation and hype about diet and exercise to understand how to take care of my body – and it turns out it doesn’t have to be complicated. As an engineer, I tend to overcomplicate things, so my routine may be a little too much for everyone.
Tell us what exercises you do:
My exercise routine targets some cardio but mostly hypertrophy and is build into my work week. I start off every weekday morning with 30 minutes of recumbent biking. I use my lunch break to get my workout in at my garage gym following a LPPLU split. My workout for the day begins with compound exercises like barbell back squats, pull-downs, bench press, Romanian deadlifts, and rows. I then progress to isolation movements to target specific muscle groups for stimulation using common exercises like bicep & leg curls, pushdowns, flys, etc.
Tell us a bit about your diet:
I have been following the same diet and essentially eating the same food everyday for years now (treats and outings aside). I establish my diet based on recommended intake for protein and fat to optimize muscle growth and support healthy functions. The rest of my calories in my daily allowance are allocated towards carbs based on my current weight goals. I eat several meals strategically timed throughout the day, all of them include seasonal fruit & veggies. I meal prep once a week and make 28 meals, so everything is always ready to go. Breakfast is an egg (mostly whites) and potato scramble. Pre-workout meal is loaded overnight oats. Pre/Intra/Post workout shakes. Late lunch and post workout meal is classic buffalo chicken and rice. Dinner is ground beef and rice burrito bowl style. I get some popcorn and a casein shake late at night if I need it.
What advice do you have for readers:
Don’t get caught up in health fads or excessive routines (like mine). The basics of a healthy lifestyle are easy and make significantly more difference than the small details. Eat whole foods, get your steps in, lift some weights!