Over the course of the past 6-8 weeks I’ve let my training slip. Yup. Big-time.

It didn’t happen suddenly, mind you. In fact, I didn’t even really notice a big change at all. It was more of a combination of a bunch of little changes that, when summed up, were horrible!

After years of fairly consistent training and nutrition, I’d let myself slide.

I’d heard all the excuses before.

Putting off the workouts because something else more pressing at the time came up: dinner with friends, a “must-see” TV show, a crisis at work, overtime or any other number of excuses or events.Too tired, too hungry, or any other “toos”.

And I’d heard of the repercussions as well.

The weight gain. The muscle loss. The waning energy levels. Disturbed sleep. Depression.

I’ve had clients tell me they just wake up one day and find that they’re unable to fit into their favourite pair of jeans, out of shape, with aching joints, or low back pain.

Even climbing a simple set of stairs would leave them breathless. True de-conditioning.

I’ve seen this in my clients and now I’m starting to see this in myself. Well, not exactly to that level.

But enough to make me stop and take stock.

How could this happen?

I’m an experienced healthcare professional who has access to all the best training and nutritional information anyone would EVER need to build their ultimate body.

I’m connected to some of the top physiotherapists and conditioning specialists in Toronto. I’m an online moderator on the forums of one of the top nutrition systems in the world (Precision Nutrition). I have numerous degrees and designations in physical therapy and fitness.

But somewhere along the line, I let myself know everything but do nothing.

Not familiar?

When told about something, many people, and I’m just as guilty of this, will say “I know, I know!”.

Everyone knows how important exercise is; everyone knows eating healthy will make a dramatic difference; smokers know smoking is bad for them; most people know lots. The knowledge is out there.

But it’s one thing to know something.

It’s a completely different thing to do something about it.

And that’s where I stand. I know lots but have done nothing. I’ve been dispensing the advice but not taking it myself.

I’ve failed at consistent application of my training and nutrition habits.

A not so subtle softness has descended upon my midsection. What once was rock hard and chiseled is now a shadow of its former self. My arms and legs have atrophied from their previous proportionate states. I would be deluding myself if I thought I could play even half a soccer match, let alone 90 minutes on the pitch.

Don’t get me wrong. I still think I look like I workout.

The problem is that I just look like a smaller, softer and weaker version.

This is where it hurts and I’m loathe to admit it, but my body is not a body I’m proud of anymore.

In this blog series I will chronicle my journey toward my ultimate body. I will detail my trials and tribulations. My fortunes and my frustrations. My successes and my failures.

This will be a small part of my MAGIC HUNDRED.

This will be me, overcoming my inertia.

This will be my return to the iron.

Dev Chengkalath

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Dev Chengkalath

When you don't move

Being a movement guy, I get a lot of email relating to, well, movement.

Just today, in fact, I was emailed a link to an article which discussed why exercise alone is not the solution to the obesity epidemic.

No surprise there, as we all know that nutrition plays a fairly large role.

However, in this article, the author was discussing how a few hours a week of exercise was still not enough movement.

I agree.

This is where NEAT comes into play.

NEAT is the acronym for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis and represents ALL of your daily movement that’s not intentional exercise.

This includes puttering around your house (or your desk), walking to the mailbox, around the grocery store, to the dry cleaners or even your fidgeting.

Just move.

According to this article, in the past 150 years, we have dropped NEAT related calorie burn by about 2000 calories a day.

If you think that seems like a lot, it’s because it is!

We’ve stopped taking the stairs, we drive everywhere, we use remote controls and have automation everywhere. Technology is playing its part in making us fatter. 

Take a stand. And move. 

Dev Chengkalath

Eat whole foods over processed foods, they are more nutrient dense.

Eat high quality protein with every meal.

Eat more healthy fats such as Omega 3’s. Eat less or better yet, no trans-fats.

Learn the difference between fibrous carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates.

Get most of your carbohydrates from veggies and fruits (in that order).

Eat the right kind of carbohydrates at the right time (fibrous carbohydrates over all others when possible).

Ingest all other carbohydrates (simple or complex) post-workout; your body will use them better.

Eat more fiber.

Learn to read labels and critically analyze them.

Sound nutrition is the best method of losing body fat, increasing metabolism and buoying energy levels.

This is the best foundation for healthy living.

Educate yourself; it will go a long way.

To your health.

Dev Chengkalath

Step 2. Resistance train: Push, pull, throw, jump, crawl, hold or ______ (fill in the blank with any other movement you can think of). Lift weights, throw medicine balls, swing kettlebells, do sprints, or use bands. Do it with high intensity. And no excuses. 

Your muscles won’t build themselves.

There you have it.

You can be the proud owner of these in just two steps!

Two simple (not easy) steps to build your ultimate six pack. 

Eat hard and train harder.

Dev Chengkalath