Friday QnA with Strength Coach Drew Jamieson

Question: I’m having a hard time getting to the gym these days, if I had to invest in one piece of equipment to workout with at home what would you recommend?

 
Dale Howes, Maryland

Answer: Believe it or not even without equipment you can get in an amazing full body workout. However by adding a pull-up bar there’s no part of your body you can’t hit.

That would be my “bootstrap budget” suggestion if you’re looking for an easy way to stay fit and lean in the comfort of your own home.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to build some muscle you are going to need something a little heavier than your own body. For this I’ll digress to Tim Ferriss and his experiments in his book the 4-hour body.

He found the one and only piece of equipment he needed was a kettlebell of around 40-50 pounds. By working out 3 times per week for 20-25 minutes performing the kettlebell swing for 75-150 reps total (he worked up over several weeks), he was able to get ripped and pack on muscle. It should also be noted that beside the kettlebell swing he did body weight push ups, pull ups and abdominal work.

If I was strapped for cash (which I am, being a student) and wanted a makeshift gym for my house I’d invest in 2 things: a kettlebell and pull up bar. With those 2 pieces of equipment you can train for virtually anything.

Not sold on kettlebells and pullup bars… try this body-weight program designed by my good buddies Adam Steer and Ryan Murdock.
 

Question: My girlfriend really wants me to do this 10 day cleanse with her. I read that Sean did one a few weeks back… Will I lose muscle during the process? Is there an easy cleanse or detox for beginners?

 
Mich Salesbury, Andover, MA

Answer: With so many detox options out there these days i feel your pain when trying to decide which one will serve you best.

10 days seems to be a common factor among detoxes and they can often be quite costly. It will be a strong test of willpower, as not eating for that length of time is a challenge mentally and physically.

My suggestion would be start with a 2-3 day master cleanse detox or a 2-3 day juice fast. The reason is this- I would prefer to start with an achievable goal (2-3 days) before setting the bar high at 10 days, especially if you are a beginner and have not had any experience with detoxing in the past.

Once you know what it is like to go without food for a couple of days you will have a better understanding when you shoot for the full 10.

The master cleanse is very popular in the detox world and involves 8-12 (8 ounce glasses of water) with each glass containing 2 tbsp of lemon juice, 2 tbsp of pure maple syrup and a pinch of cayenne pepper. It’s also suggested that you take a herbal laxative tea before bedtime and first thing in the morning to keep things moving with the lack of food you will be consuming.

The juice fast option is the one I prefer, ensures you still give the body a break but also provides all the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. This protocol comes from one of my favorite strength coaches- Chad Waterbury where he says to drink the following concoction 3-4 times per day: 2 carrots, 1-2 celery stalks, 1-2 beets, 1 large cucumber. Juice those all together and throw in a pinch of salt.

Back to your original question on losing muscle over the course of 10 days…

It’s hard for me to flat out say no. The weight you lose during 10 days without eating will contain some muscle, as protein is essential and will be needed by your body at some point. However if you don’t make a habit out of detoxing all the time and continue to train with weights the effect will be negligible and your body will thank you.
 

 
Great questions, keep them coming.

Stay Strong,

Drew

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You heard it here first. Well… maybe not first but I’m saying it again- detox diets aren’t fun.

Finishing up day 9 of a 10-day metabolic detox and I’m looking forward to it being over.

I’m no rookie when it comes to fasting, detoxing and cleansing the body- having done my share after being exposed to the practice while studying to become a Chiropractor.

Yes they can kick-off a new fitness, weight-loss or healthy lifestyle and yes it is important to give the body’s elimination organs (kidneys, liver, colon, lungs and skin) a break from time to time, but do not think for a second that detoxing will re-write all the wrongs of the past.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.

20 years of shitty eating cannot be reversed by a weeks worth of juicing.

More important are the daily choices you make with regards to what you put in your mouth (nutrition) and how you choose to move (exercise).

Detoxes have been around for a long time in the alternative health field and can be useful if done right based on your goals. I am more a supporter of the eat well, move well and think well philosophy and the following 3 tips go a long way to keep you healthy and detoxified without having to fast, cleanse or go on a crazy detox:
 

3 Simple things to do for Daily Detoxification

Still Sold on Doing a Detox Diet

 
Here are reasons to consider trying one:

My 10 Day Detox Diet

 
This time around… I did a 10 day express metabolic detoxification cleanse with nutritional support from Metagenics [Ultraclear Renew (vitamin support, meal replacement and protein powder) and Advaclear (antioxidant capsules)]. It is a modified elimination diet where you remove certain foods each day throughout the 10 days to lighten the toxic load on the body allowing for detoxification.

Day 1 – I eliminated fleshy proteins (fish, beef, pork, poultry, etc…) along with refined sugars, artificial sweeteners (Sucrose, HFCS, etc…), packaged and processed foods, alcohol and caffeine.

Day 2 – I eliminated eggs and dairy in addition to everything the day before. Nutritional support in the form of a powder and antioxidant supplement started today.

Day 3 – Same as the previous two days and also removed Gluten grains from my diet. Continued with the nutritional support.

Day 4 – Remove remaining grains, nuts and seeds. You are now only eating vegetables, fruits and legumes plus nutritional support.

Day 5 thru 7 – Eliminate legumes and consume only cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and brussel sprouts), raw greens (spinach, romaine, red, green lettuce) and apples and pears. Increase nutritional support.

Day 8 – Add back fruits, vegetables and white rice to my diet. Continue nutritional support.

Day 9 – Add back gluten free grains, legumes and nuts. Finish what’s left of the nutritional support.

Day 10 – Done. Gently add food groups back to my diet.
 

How I made out on the Detox Diet

 
This was one of the easiest detoxes I’ve done. Days 1 – 4 were not that hard. I did experience headaches towards the end of day 2 which were most likely associated with my cold turkey withdrawal from my daily Americano (coffee).

I continued my training throughout the cleanse and did 3 days of Strength Resistance Training with 2 days of High Intensity Interval Training. I noticed a drop in energy and performance on Days 5 – 7, which is pretty much due to the fact that brussel sprouts alone can’t fuel a good workout.

Days 5 – 7 were the hardest mentally but as soon as day 8 got here and I could eat all the fruits, vegetables and rice I wanted, I was fine.

One thing I did throughout the week was to make sure and drink a ton of water along with plenty of rest (I guess that’s two things). And now with day 10 here I’m excited to be done, drink a coffee and perhaps a cold brewski (or 2) towards the end of the week.

All in all – I feel great. I did not lose any weight but my belly feels less bloated. My mind is clearer and energy levels in the gym are sky high.
 

Detox Diet Wrap up

 
As much as I hate detox diets I usually try to cleanse once or twice per year. Would I do this detox again? Yes. But I stress the importance of eating well, exercising and proper hydration on an ongoing basis. If you’re considering detoxing start with those 3 simple steps first and it will do wonders to how you feel.

Yours in health,

Sean

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