Happy Holidays!

As we prepare for the New Year and look for 2011 to be prosperous, remember health is the first wealth! Your health in 2011 should be the greatest investment made. As you plan to reach your goals whether they be weight loss, strength gains, or overall physique improvement I want to offer a few guidelines that have been helpful to me.

Maintain Consistency- Set a plan that fits your needs and schedule. I recommend working out 5 days a week for most people. If you can only make it to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, find times that work for you and stick to your plan.

Diet is Key- No matter how much working out we do, diet is essential to reaching our goals! You don’t have to be a diet saint, but maintain a diet of mostly lean proteins, vegetables and use designer protein supplements before and after workouts and throughout the day when you can’t eat a healthy meal. Taking in a protein shake will help stave off hunger, replace unhealthy meal choices, provide lean protein and be a catalyst to great gains. You can read down through my previous blogs for a recommended diet plan.
Cardio is essential-It is important to always do some cardio (even if you only do 30 minutes three days per week) you will find you remain leaner and recover quicker from workouts. This is because cardio helps your body process out lactic acid which is what makes you sore.

Below is a sample workout plan, this is set up for a lifter who works out 5 days a week and is a moderate to advanced lifter. You could modify it to a 6 day plan by doing biceps and triceps on separate days. You could modify it to a 3 or 4 by combining bodyparts and reducing number of exercises per bodypart. I would recommend combining chest and shoulders for a 4 day workout plan and reducing the number of exercises per bodypart by one per bodypart. For a 3 day workout plan combine chest and shoulders and also arms and legs and take out two exercises per bodypart. If you are just starting working out I would recommend picking your favorite three lifts per bodypart and reducing the sets per exercise to 3 sets instead of 4. If you have some experience but consider this too strenuous you could remove one exercise per workout or reduce the number of sets per exercise.

As always check with your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough for exercise before proceeding with any workout or diet plan!

Posted in Dan Grenemyer | 1 Comment

I took the whole month of November off. I felt with all the injuries I had this year and finding out I have 1 kidney, I needed a break. I was way too stressed out! I started back in the gym December 1 and WOW, I haven’t been this sore in a while. But thank God our bodies remember and I stick to a clean diet all year around always: (3) meals and (3) Blitz shakes a day.

The goal this next year is to listen to my body and cross train. I think the body learns a routine and you get stuck. So it’s time to mix it UP!

Posted in Rick Hagen | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

I AM LOVING THE RESULTS OF BLITZ.

I have lost 30 lbs in 7 weeks. That’s over 4 lbs a week. I have dropped from 350 to 320 and I feel great. I have done a lot of research since I started bodybuilding in 2002 and I believe the reason why BLITZ is the best is because of the superior protein used in the formula. Proteins are comprised of Amino Acids. Quick amino acid absorption is crucial after a workout; it provides your body with the building blocks of muscle and allows for quicker recovery replenishing a muscles protein needs after a workout. If your body does not have the proper amino acids from proteins it will not build muscle and even worse your body could actually use the skeletal muscle you have (your hard earned muscle) for its needs and break muscle down, what is commonly called catabolism.

There are a few major types of proteins—animal proteins from meat, whey and casein from milk, and vegetable proteins. With the exception of Soy there is no protein in plant sources that contains all of the essential amino acids, so plant sources are not ideal in general. Animal proteins are good, but because of the high fiber content they take longer to digest, therefore take longer to get to your muscles up to 4 hours. That leaves us with milk proteins. Milk contains two proteins, whey and casein. Casein is the slower digesting type – it actually clots after entering the digestive system and can take 4-8 hours to fully digest, making it far less than ideal for post-workout applications. Whey absorbs within 1-2 hours and quickly raises blood amino acid levels providing your body with ample supply for its needs after a workout.

There are a few different major types of protein produced and put into supplements, the two most common are whey concentrate and whey isolate. Whey concentrate is cheaper to produce as it involves less refinement in the process and creates a less pure protein with more fat and also more lactose remaining, making it more difficult to digest. And it can be problematic especially for anyone with even a slight sensitivity to lactose and also more likely to cause bloating and stomach discomfort. Whey isolate is produced through a much more intense process called micro-filtration, it is generally more expensive, but it is well worth it! Because it is more pure it can generally be absorbed in about an hour and causes a much more dramatic increase in blood amino acid levels resulting in greater muscle anabolism (muscle growth). Most supplements are actually a mixture of the two types of whey which is cheaper to formulate, but less ideal.

I use only BLITZ because it does not contain whey concentrate it is formulated with only whey isolate. I find no ill effects with Whey Isolate as I have a slight difficulty with lactose and have difficulty digesting whey concentrate. I use BLITZ because it is a very pure form of whey isolate, it doesn’t contain whey concentrate as a filler and it is the best form of protein to increase blood amino acid levels and support growth. It also provides more available amino acids during cardio to keep my body from breaking down my muscle during intense dieting. I have lost 30 lbs and I have not lost any of the strength I had. Thank you BLITZ!

Posted in Dan Grenemyer | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

I am always looking for new techniques and new exercises to work my body in different ways. If you stay on the same exercise plan then you get used to it and it gets harder to get results. On top of that doing the same ole same ole gets boring and then you don’t really want to exercise.

While I was traning in Oregon with Team Quest I got exposed to all sorts of different ways to train. One was Shabata, which is doing almost any exercise for a set amount of seconds with a very short rest break and then back to the exercise. It is very important in any sport and personal fitness to keep a open mind and keep things fresh.

Posted in Nick "Afrozilla" Gaston | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

OK, lets start with my training. Ever since I started training my mentality was to get as big and strong as I can. 30 years later and nothing has changed. I’m not as big or strong as I was. But that doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t get back to my prime. I go in to the gym and write down what I’m lifting and how many reps for each muscle group. So, for example Monday is bench day. I’ll right down what I start with and what I finish with. Like, start with 135 lbs. 8 reps. Finish with 290 lbs. 1 rep. Move on to the next exercise and and do the same thing. One warm up set and then work your way up to as heavy as you can go for one rep. I do this with every work out. Bettering my self each week. This is where ProteinBlitz comes in. Training heavy every workout requires protein. It helps with rebuilding of broken down muscle. For me its three ProteinBlitz’s a day.

Now for what’s going on with my acting. I am the new Sweet Tooth for the video game Twisted Metal, Sony’s longest running video game. I am on the cover of Play Station magazine for the month of November. I shot a pilot that has been picked up by Fox television. Last week met with producers for two different projects. Now the waiting game. Thats whats so cool about acting. It changes everyday.

Posted in Paul Vinson | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

I am finishing up another good week of training. I am now down to 327, thus far I have lost 23 pounds in just over a month of dieting. The BLITZ protein has provided a great high protein option with great results. I am focusing on low glycemic carbohydrates specifically yams, brown rice and oatmeal. I operate under the diet philosophy that spikes in insulin drive blood sugars into storage as fat. Instead of eliminating carbs from my diet I eat carbs that have a minimal impact on blood sugar levels, thereby reducing the insulin spikes. I eat plenty of protein, namely three BLITZ shakes or RTD drinks per day in conjunction with lean meat proteins as protein has a negligible impact on blood sugar levels. Bodybuilding is a sport that uses biology and scientific methodology to create a desired effect on our bodies. The goal being to remove as much fat from our bodies as possible while retaining the maximum amount of muscle. Our bodies are extremely adaptive. If we send the signals through working out with weights that we have a need for the muscle our bodies will retain that muscle. Through cardio we send the signals to our body to reduce the amount of fat we are carrying. I use BLITZ before and after all workouts because it provided the lean protein to supply my body and saves muscle from being used for my bodies protein needs. I find that the whey isolate protein used in BLITZ is effective in helping me maintain muscle mass while dieting. Isolate is a very refined form of whey protein, that allows for a very quick absorption rate allowing me to quickly supply my body with protein while dieting so that my body will retain the maximum amount of muscle possible.

Posted in Dan Grenemyer | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

This week was another good week of dieting and training. I am down to 330 lbs now; I have lost a total of 20 pounds. The keys to my success have been cardio to lose the fat, but using PROTEINBLITZ RTD’s right after a workout restores my blood amino acid levels and encourages my body to rebuild muscle and maintain my muscle mass. This really helps, especially when dieting. The Whey Isolate is perfect as it is the most pure and quickest absorbing protein.

I do moderate-intensity cardio on the eliptical or on the treadmill for 45 min to 1 hr. I try to follow the rule that I should be doing cardio hard enough where I can talk but can’t sing. I know it sounds weird, but it helps me find that perfect balance of enough intensity to burn fat without burning too much muscle due to overexertion. You have to do cardio hard enough to burn fat, but not so intense that you lose your hard earned muscle. For me on a treadmill that is just enough speed where I am walking fast enough that if I turned it up another notch I would be jogging. On the elliptical I use the talk-but-can’t-sing rule.

My brother Dustin Grenemyer and I are having a competition of who can lose the most weight while he is in the desert serving with the US Air Force.  My Brother Darren Grenemyer and other family members, even my Mom, have decided this is great motivation to cut weight and get in shape.

Dustin has provided me an update of his progress using Designer Whey and the diet I follow.  Here’s what he has to say:

I will definitely blog on my tour when I can! I will follow Dan in trying to get into competition weight! I am a national champion power lifter and am looking forward to grasp body building with Dan leading the way. I also use Designer Whey Protein I brought with me! Looking forward to this deployment and weight loss comp. I am currently deployed to the Middle East and am competing against my oldest brother Dan to see who can lose the most body fat. Dieting in a desert environment is a tougher challenge then one might think. Your mind is always on what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner with the high stress involved with keeping my eye on the bad guys over here versus the general comfort of home.  The upside of things is you are constantly working, perspiring and burning calories.  I am trying to eat as healthy as possible, but when the food is already prepared, it’s a hard mathematical calculation with many variables to consider on how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates you are taking in.

My diet consists of:

Breakfast: 4 egg Omelet & 1cup of oatmeal
First snack: Designer Whey Protein Shake
Lunch: 8 oz lean meat (Chicken breast, hamburger, tuna or fish)Lots of Veggies
Second snack: Designer Whey Protein shake
Dinner: 8oz lean meat & Lots of Veggies

This is working well so far with a weight loss of 9 pounds in two weeks. Only time can tell what an hour of cardio every night does to the fat cells.

- SSgt Dustin Grenemyer, United States Air Force

Posted in Dan Grenemyer | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

I love to eat!!!

So since the winter season is on its way I have decided to lose a little of the razor ripped look to getting more size along with strength gains. The goal is to get to around 225lbs. Right now I’m at 210lbs.

The training will be like this till end of year. I’m still at the gym 5 days a week but I will take Thursdays off, the rep range no higher than 10 reps and three exercises per body part. I will still drop weight in half on the last set of each exercise to burn out.

The Diet.  What Diet??? This is way WHEY of life.  You will NEVER see the changes if you don’t make that change.  For me (3) BLITZ shakes a day along with four meals average about 60 grams of protein a meal and CARBS. I eat as much as I want.  My energy should be thru the ROOF!!!

I will be posting PROGRESS PICTURES WEEKLY.

<BR CLEAR=”BOTH”>

Posted in Rick Hagen | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

This week was tough as I was extremely busy with work duties which makes it very difficult to prepare the proper foods for the diet. I did lose another 3 lbs this week to drop down to 334. I can feel my clothes fitting better and I do feel really good about the progress I have made. I have been using a lot more Blitz RTD drinks when I am on the go to meet my protein needs. It gives me a quick burst of protein when I don’t have time to make a shake. The whey isolate in Blitz RTD and Blitz Powder is also perfect for after workout to replenish my muscles and provide them the building blocks they need to re-build and of course GROW!

My current workout schedule is as follows:

Monday: Chest 1 hr cardio

Tuesday: Back 45 min Cardio

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: Shoulders 1 hr Cardio

Friday: Arms 45 min Cardio

Saturday: OFF WEIGHTS 1 hour of Cardio

Sunday: Legs, calves and abs 30 min of Cardio.

If I am not losing the weight I want I will increase all my cardio to 1 hour, but never over 1 hour as I don’t want to switch into burning muscle. I may also increase my cardio to two sessions of 45 minutes to really burn the fat. Remember to drink your Whey before and after your cardio so your muscles have protein and your body won’t dip into your protein storages (your muscles) that is called catabolism and will shrink your muscles quickly. Do not eat carbs before cardio because your body will use the carbs you just ate for energy instead of dipping into its energy storages (fat cells) which after all is the goal!

Posted in Dan Grenemyer | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

Blitz Training the Calves

I pushed my little lower biceps hard and fast. The pain was there. So was the blood, sweat and tears. Here’s how I started and the picture shows the end result!

Seated Calf Extension:

150lbs -20 reps
210lbs -10 reps
210lbs -10 reps
210lbs -10 reps
110lbs- burnout

Standing Calf Raise:
110lbs – 10reps
110lbs – 10reps
110lbs – 10reps
50lbs – burnout

Posted in Rick Hagen | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG