Caveman Lifestyle Program

Caveman Training - Sample Vertical Training Day

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:41:24 -0500

Hey Cavepeople,

When following the Caveman Program, my personal favorite training split is the Horizontal/Vertical split. Let me reiterate that the training split has very little to do with progress in the grand scheme of things, but I definitely prefer a split that lends itself to training large groups of muscles in every workout, focuses on movements as much as body parts and stays as far away from the “a muscle group per day” mentality that is perpetuated by the bullshit message boards and by most bodybuilders, who are, in most cases, as full of shit as just about any group of people who should know better that simply do not. I’ll probably touch on that comment more on my San Antonio Personal Trainer blog.

Understand that I am a huge proponent of maximum muscle fiber recruitment during training and maximum effort during training. Of course, this is relative, and for those who simply aren’t conditioned enough to focus on the 1-5 rep range can benefit greatly from higher rep schemes anywhere from the 6-15 range. There’s never an “always” in my training programs, and there are exceptions to every rule.

One thing that many people do is drastically change their resistance training program when their focus changes from fat burning to muscle gain - this is a mistake. It’s important to understand that muscle only has two states: atrophy (shrinking) or hypertrophy (growing). There is no maintaining. This is why that it is important to ensure that your primary goal when you’re focused on losing fat is not weight loss, it is maintaining muscle by inducing growth! This may be difficult to understand, but remember that the more lean body mass your body has, the higher your resting metabolic rate is. A higher metabolic rate will lead to more fat being burned during every activity. Too many people become obsessed with actual “weight loss” which leads to a lowering of the metabolic rate which, in turn, leads to the body going into preservation mode.

Every workout is for body transformation, which is the addition of muscle mass (and no, ladies, that doesn’t mean to become overly large) and the reduction of body fat. The difference in specific goals (getting huge or getting absolutely shredded to the bone) require dietary and cardio modifications, not modifications in resistance training.

Fat has no nutritional requirement. What most people do is lose weight and then adjust their caloric intake, without considering where the weight actually came from. However, if that individual actually increased muscle mass and still lost weight, the body would require a higher caloric intake, not a reduced amount, which is a mistake that so many people make.

I didn’t intend on turning this into a nutritional article but I will elaborate on those things in upcoming posts. For now, let me get back to the sample training day in the horizontal/vertical split.

Vertical Plane Training Day 1

For today, I’ll focus on 6 exercises on the vertical plane: rear squat, dead lift, front squat, stiff leg dead lift, db snatch and plyometric box jumps.

Rotation 1 - Rest 1 minute between sets, 2 minutes after the final set, repeat rotation for five total rounds. Warm up adequately before beginning rotation. Below are work sets and do not include warm ups.

Squats x 3-5 reps
Dead lifts x 3-5 reps
Front Squats x 8-10 reps

Rotation 2 - same rest protocol as above, repeat rotation 3 times.

SLDL x 8-10 reps
DB Snatches x 5 reps each arm
Plyometric Box Jumps x 10 reps

Each rep scheme describes the set’s intensity level. For example, 3-5 squats means to find a weight that is heavy enough to where you can barely do 5 reps but light enough to do at least 3 reps. The goal is to increase the weight each time you train - I prefer keeping the max amount of weight you can do for the entire rotation, not allowing the weight to fluctuate up or down during a given workout. It may take a couple of workouts to nail it down, but once you have a baseline, focus on slight increases each time you perform this workout.

Sample Week Training Split

Monday - Vertical Day 1
Tuesday - Horizontal Day 1
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Vertical Day 2
Friday - Horizontal Day 2
Sat and Sunday - Off

Depending on the individual, I may advocate for three different training days. In this case, the following weeks would be:

Monday - Vertical Day 3
Tuesday - Horizontal Day 3
Wednesday Off
Thursday - Vertical Day 1
Friday - Horizontal Day 1
Sat and Sun - Off

Monday - Vertical Day 2
Tuesday - Horizontal Day 2
Wednesday Off
Thursday - Vertical Day 3
Friday - Horizontal Day 3
Sat and Sun - Off

Each workout may utilize different exercises, rep schemes, or a combination of both. In future posts, I’ll explain which would be most beneficial for you depending on your fitness level and how to design each program to maximize your progress by eliminating specific weaknesses you may have.
Questions and comments always welcome!
Boydboyd@the-personal-trainer.com

Caveman Training - Training Splits

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:08:49 -0500

Hey Cavepeople,

I hope all is well in the world of the simple. While split typically varies and is assigned to help maximize functionality in training and recovery from session to session. There are a few different splits that I like to use in Caveman Training.

Vertical - Horizontal Split

The Vertical-Horizontal Split can be used in either a 3 or 4 day training split, and is based on the movements. If you are standing, those exercises are done on the vertical day, and if you’re laying or bent, those exercises are done on the horizontal day. Keeping with the simplicity of the Caveman Lifestyle, we’re keeping the exercises simple.

Vertical Days
Primary Exercies
Squats
Front Squats
Dead Lifts
Stiff-Leg Dead Lifts
Hack Squats
Zercher Squats
Plyometric Vertical Bounds

Secondary Exercises
Pull Ups
Dips
Pull Downs
Seated Rows
Standing Arm Work

Horizontal Days
Bench Press (and all variations)
Bent Rows
Push Ups
Leg Press
Glute Hamstring raises
Lying Arm Work
Plyometric Broad Jumps

Legs, Push, Pull Split

Typically a three day split, it’s one of the most popular and one where I think body part training probably spurned from. Simply put, each day has a focus, and the workout revolves around a specific lift and making that lift stronger, hence increasing muscle growth.

Leg Day - Focuses on Squats

Push Day - Focuses on Bench

Pull Day - Focuses on Dead Lift

Of course all of the muscles that go into those specific lifts are also trained on the specific day as well (other chest, shoulders and triceps exercises on push day and so forth). Simple, and a popular split for beginner cavemen.

Full Body Split

While most elite athletes train in this style, unfortunately those who are looking to change their body and look amazing quicker avoid it. Since I’m a fan of mixing in circuit/Cross-Fit Style training into workouts to keep things fresh and to bust through plateaus, full body is an excellent way to train. Whether it is a high intensity circuit or a day of squats, benches and deads with various volumes, the full body training split is an excellent way to train the body. Of course, program design is important, and since you’ll be using many of the same muscles in multiple workouts during a given week, it is important to work intense, yet, focus on doing less volume in each workout on a specific group.

The caveman must be functional to survive, and a full body split is a great way to keep train with functionality in mind.

Upper Lower Split

This may be my least favorite split that I’ll authorize, but it has a place. I like using this as a four day split (Monday - Lower, Tuesday - Upper, Thursday - Lower, Friday - Upper for example) but it can be a 3 day split that just continues week to week. Regardless, it’s simply broken up based more on the exercise and not broken up by functionality.

The split you choose to follow depends on your goals and what areas of weakness you need to focus on to correct. Noticeably absent is the 5-6 day body part splits, of which I feel overdo it and make little sense from a recovery and of a functionality standpoint.

Sample workouts and nutrition plans coming soon!

Captain Caveman

Caveman Diet - Simple Rules

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:24:05 -0500

Hey Cavepeople,

The diet for the caveman isn’t complex at all. In fact, it’s quite simple. Simply put, nothing that was created in a lab should be put into the body. If a food label has words like refined, enriched, flour, hydrogenated, dyes, etc, then the caveperson has no business putting it in their mouths.

The caveman had to practice principles such as carbohydrate cycling (freezes killed his carb sources) out of necessity. However, later on, I’ll explain how we’ll use days or weeks of higher than normal intake, followed by restricted intake to improve body transformation (fat loss, muscle gain/maintenance). For now, let me put down some simple rules for your nutritional program. These are the basic guidelines. There are exceptions for different goals in different phases of the Caveman Nutritional Program, but these are the rules that will get you up and running.

-Don’t forget to drink PLENTY of water. Before, during and after every meal and workout. That means all the time. The goal is 1oz per pound of bodyweight. The caveman didn’t have beer or soda, and you don’t need those things either. Water is life - hydration is key to performance and optimizing metabolism, energy levels and repair to the body. Hydration is a 24 hour process and should be treated as such. Drink regularly throughout the day.

-For fat loss, eat at LEAST 5 meals per day. Our cave-ancestors might’ve eaten once every 2-3 days and they looked like absolute hell. Increasing resting metabolism is the single most important thing you can do to become leaner, and this is an excellent way to do so.

-Sugars, juices, sodas, and sports drinks are a big NO (maybe a sports drink + protein post-workout, but at no other time). They’re empty calories and they WILL MAKE YOU FAT.

-Alcohol? Only if you want your fat burning to come to a complete hault for 72 hours after your drink. Stop it, cut it out, and don’t do it. If you want it once per week, we can live with that, but you’re better off without it. There’s a reason that it is referred to as a “beer gut”. Look, it doesn’t matter what you drink of choice is: wine, water and vodka, etc. It isn’t all about the simple caloric content of alcohol, but what the alcohol itself does to the body at the hormonal level.

-Foods are simply grouped under their 4 headers in the previous post: protein, carbs, veggies, and healthy fats. I realize that some things actually have protein and carbs or proteins and fats - in my caveman diet, that is irrelevant. Each food is under one heading. Don’t overcomplicate this! When a meal calls for a protein + carb, that means a source of protein and a source of carbs from the above lists, not “A glass of milk”.

-Center each and every meal around protein. That means every single meal must have a portion of protein from the above list. How big is a portion? For simplicity’s sake, it’s the size of your closed fist.

-In most phases of the Caveman Lifestyle Program, three meals MUST have one portion of carbohydrates: breakfast, the meal immediately before your workout (within 2 hours) and the meal immediately following your workout (within ONE hour).

-No carbs in the final meal of the day (unless it’s immediately after you workout).

-Veggies are unlimited and can be eaten during every meal and used as snacks. This is VEGGIES only, not fruit.

-You will NEVER eat a source of carbs without protein. Never, ever..

-Do not combine fats and carbs in the same meal. One or the other.

More to come…

Boyd

Caveman Lifestyle Basic Food List

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:24:00 -0500

Hey Cavepeople,

Here is my basic food list for the Caveman Program. Each phase will have additions and subtractions, however, these are the foods that will consistently be present for the Caveman to live and flourish on.

I will follow this post up with basic nutritional guidelines. I have also decided that I will make separate posts for the nutritional demands of each Caveman Lifestyle Phase, including the removal and addition of different foods for each phase.

Meat (Protein)

chicken breast

turkey breast

lean ground turkey

swordfish

orange roughy

haddock

salmon

tuna

crab

lobster

shrimp

top round steak

top sirloin steak

lean ground beef

buffalo

lean ham

egg whites or substitutes

trout

low-fat cottage cheese

wild-game meat

Glucose (Carbohydrates)

sweet potato

yams

squash

pumpkin

steamed brown rice

steamed wild rice

whole grain pasta

oatmeal

barley

beans

kidney beans

strawberries

melon

apple

orange

whole grains

Plants (Vegetables for digestion and nutrition absorption)

broccoli

asparagus

lettuce

cauliflower

green beans

green peppers

mushrooms

spinach

tomato

brussels sprouts

artichoke

cabbage

celery

zucchini

cucumber

onion

Healthy Fats

avocado

sunflower seeds

pumpkin seeds

olives

nuts (almonds, pistachios, etc)

In the next post, I will explain food combinations and a few principles to get you started on the nutrition portion of the Caveman Lifestyle.

Captain Caveman (Boyd)

Caveman Training: The Exercises the Caveman Prefers

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:03:33 -0500

Hey Cavepeople,

I hope everyone is doing well. It is now Spring, and it appears that the ice age is over, making survival of the caveman and cavelady simpler.

In an earlier post, I touched on the Caveman Training approach, and mentioned that Caveman Training revolves around multi-joint, compound, simple exercises. Let me clarify: the caveman is efficient and will use whatever tools are at his dispense, however, it is important that the individual keeps the training simple, centering their workout around these movements.

Legs
Front Squats, rear squats, hack squats, other squat variations, stiff-leg dead lifts, glute-hamstring raises, lunges

Back
Dead lifts, pull ups, chin ups, bent rows and other rowing variations

Chest
Bench Press variations (dumbbell, barbell, incline, flat, decline, varying grips, etc), pushup variations, dips

Shoulders
Presses and rotator cuff style raises and movements

Triceps
The triceps will receive stimulation from most caveman chest exercises, but adding bench dips, other bench press grips, skull crushers, and various extensions, the caveman and cavelady can obtain desirable triceps.

Biceps
As the triceps are highly trained during chest work, the biceps will receive the same type of stimulation from back movements. In addition, the obvious movement for bicep training is curls.

Other Movements
Unlike the earlier caveman who failed to adapt, we are going to use advances in training science to make the most out of our training, to add variety, and to absolutely exhaust us when we’re working out (okay, that’s just an added bonus).

Plyometrics
Box jumps, vertical and horizontal bounds, speed jumps, etc

Core Movements
Hanging movements, floor movements, bench movements

Some of these exercises may seem foreign, but don’t get upset, grab a club and beat your family out of frustration. I am in the process of filming and adding videos of every exercise that I have listed here (and many, many more).

This is just of the list of exercises. Some workouts will use many different movements, some workouts will include many different body parts - others may include one or two exercises and just one body part. In future posts, I’ll explain rep range, set determination and progression and how to build your program training program to suit your fitness goals. Remember, the blog is evolving and will be all inclusive. I’m in the process of creating a food list for each distinctive cave of the Caveman Diet and intend to have that up ASAP.

Until next time,

Captain Caveman (Boyd)

Become a Fan of the Caveman Program on Facebook

The Four Phases of the Caveman Program

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:52:00 -0600

Hey Cavepeople,

For drastic physique change, simple is always better. Yes, there is some serious science that goes behind the actual transformation of the body - understanding the interaction of hormones (production and sensitivity to them), how to put together a program and of course, determining when and exactly what to eat can be quite overwhelming.

The caveman approach eliminates much of the usual confusion. The food list is just long enough to give you variety to avoid going insane, and contains foods to ensure that you’re getting the proper nutrients your body needs for fuel and recovery. The essential exercise list has no elaborate, nor hokey exercises you see personal trainers at your gym walking their clients through (stand on one leg, balance this ball on your nose, and bark like a seal).

The Caveman Program is broken up into four different distinct phases: the Adaption Phase, the Drastic Phase, the Recovery Phase, and the Lifestyle Maintenance Phase. Each phase has a definitive purpose, and while the phases are initially sequential, there are instances where the caveperson may go back into a previous phase.

The first phase in the Caveman Program is the Adaption Phase, which serves as “indoctrination” into the Caveman Lifestyle. This is where the new caveman (or cavelady) learns the caveman nutrient timing methods, baselines their diet, and becomes accustomed to the Caveman Training Principles. Time in this phase varies, depending on the individual, but it is recommended that it last two to four weeks. The food list is less restrictive than the subsequent phase, but it is important that the caveperson does not deviate from the food list during the adaption phase.

The next phase is the Drastic Phase, and there is no coincidence that I have named it as such. Drastic results call for drastic measures, and this is where the rubber hits the road. I honestly don’t think that anyone sets out on a workout program or a diet with the intentions of light to moderate changes. That isn’t to say that everyone starts out with the goal that they’re going to be a competitive bodybuilder or a fitness model, but who doesn’t want to look at the very least toned, athletic and well-conditioned?

The Drastic Phase is the most intense and where focus and preparation are paramount. It is also the most restrictive, most regimented and will require the most discipline. Most importantly, this is where the body will undergo the most radical change.

The duration of the Drastic Phase varies, but due to the intense training and hardcore nutritional program, I recommend not exceeding more than 15 weeks in the Drastic Phase. If it is your first time entering into the Drastic Phase, I recommend not exceeding 12 weeks. With that being said, stay focused and give the body time to change - I recommend a minimum of 8-10 weeks in this phase.

Upon the completion of the Drastic Phase, every caveperson must enter into the Recovery Phase.

Long term restriction and intense training takes a toll on the body, and the Recovery Phase is designed to allow the body and to “recover” and re-energize. The biggest change in this phase from the Drastic Phase is a reduced workload/intensity in training and a slightly less restrictive food list.

Based on the duration of the Drastic Phase, the Recovery Phase should be approximately 2-3 weeks in duration.

The fourth phase is the Lifestyle Maintenance Phase, and once the caveperson has gotten to where they want to be, this is the phase in which they will spend most of their time. This is where the caveperson enjoys the fruits of their labor. The food intake is the least restrictive (yet, still disciplined) and the training regimen is centered around maintenance and slight progression, versus drastic progression. This is the part of the program that is much more of a lifestyle in that it is sustainable and very flexible.

After completing the Drastic and Recovery Phase, I recommend a minimum of 6-8 weeks in the Lifestyle Maintenance Phase before re-entering the Drastic Phase, as the intensity from each Drastic Phase takes time psychologically and physically to be ready to repeat the phase. Once the caveperson has entered into the program and has been through each phase, the caveperson can go from the Lifestyle Maintenance Phase to the Drastic Phase without going through the Adaption Phase. However, I do recommend that if you leave the Caveman Program lifestyle for more than 2-3 weeks, entering into the Adaption Phase before going through the Drastic Phase for the best results.

I’ll be into more detail on each phase in future posts, so check back often.

Boyd
boyd@the-personal-trainer.com

What kind of results can one expect following the Caveman...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:30:00 -0600

Meet Andy and Chade, before Caveman

Chade 40lbs lighter, 10" lost off waist

Andy 40lbs lighter, 10" lost off waist

Andy before...

Andy After...

Chade before

Chade during transformation

What kind of results can one expect following the Caveman Lifestyle?

Pictures do not lie. It takes work, effort and consistency. But anything that has value can only be obtained by hard work.

Results ARE typical…

What is the cost of your program?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:12:26 -0600

Hi, thanks for the follow and the message.

I’ll be posting more than enough here to get people started following the Caveman Lifestyle Program, from both a training and a nutrition standpoint. I am in the process of writing a book, detailing every aspect of the Caveman Program. While I do stay in contact with numerous publishers, I am leaning toward offering it initially as an eBook - regardless, I’ll be updating this blog with everything Caveman Program-related.

However, I do offer online personal training on a case by case basis, depending on the goals, current condition and training situation the potential client may have. If you’d like to email me at boyd@the-personal-trainer.com and let me know what you’re looking for, I’d be glad to discuss it with you to see if we would be a good fit. If we both feel that the Caveman approach is right for you (it’s challenging but extremely rewarding), then we’ll go from there.

I just launched a separate website for my online personal training business at http://thebodyguru.com where I explain my services more in-depth (complete nutritional guidance and program design, etc).

Again, thank you for taking the time to message me, and I look forward to chatting with you further.

Boyd Myers

Reinventing the Wheel - There's No Need

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:03:42 -0600

Hey Cavefolks,

Anytime I glance at the latest diet fad or fitness training program, someone is trying to reinvent the wheel and there’s really no need for it. To make muscle grow, you lift things. Each time you lift those things, you must depend on progressive resistance, meaning that every training session has to be progressively more intense than the previous one, whether that be another few pounds added to the bar, a few more reps, or more work done in a shorter amount of time (work = load x distance).

Unfortunately, progression isn’t as easy as walking into a gym and lifting something heavier than you did last time. The body is broken down into many different body parts that all have distinct functions, yet they work together. For many people, “where to start” is so damn confusing that they just decide not to get started at all. Even a caveman can figure out that doing absolutely nothing is the worst thing one can do!

The first thing the Caveman Program approach teaches is simplicity. By keeping things simple, we are able to simply evaluate, simply progress, and simply persist. Progression (determined by evaluation) x Consistency (remaining persistent) = long term results. That about as complicated as I care to get.

The Caveman Training Principles are pretty basic. We aren’t looking at elaborate, newly created exercises that make you look and feel like an idiot in the gym. Muscles fibers fire on an all or none response. Either they contract or they don’t, so “hitting the muscle from several different angles is simply a waste of time. There are plenty of simple exercises that have been proven time and time again to stimulate muscle growth, which again, is extremely important for preservation while we’re focusing on fat loss and body transformation. Following these principles, even a novice exerciser can hit the ground running.

The Caveman Training Principles are simple:

1. Focus on weaknesses.
2. Choose compound exercises
3. Force progression by regularly increasing intensity
4. Plan your workouts in a logical sequence to allow the necessary recovery.

By design, the Caveman Nutritional Strategy isn’t overloaded with hundreds of food. Some people may think of this as boring and tough, but once you get into the rhythm, it’s easy, requires little thought, and keeps you from adding things in that stand in the way. Let’s face it, we’re not doing this out of necessity - we’re doing this because we don’t like hiding behind a towel when we walk by a mirror. When we’re at the beach this weekend and there are pictures taken, we are excited about seeing them. We know damn well how much we enjoy the various comments about how we “workout”, answering the questions like “so what is your secret” and while it is early March, we’re dying for the warm months to get here so we can reveal the fruits of our labors. Sacrificing junk food, processed and refined foods, and foods loaded with things we don’t need is a very small price to pay for the stares, the compliments and the “Wow, you look great” comments that those who follow this program will hear regularly.

I’ve used these principles on hundreds of people, and when followed, the results are consistently amazing and far and above what the individual had originally thought possible.

I intend on adding an approved Caveman Food List, approved Caveman Exercise Selection (to at least base your program off of), and the necessity of eating different amounts of different macro-nutrients on different days. I’ll talk more about program design, progression, and everything else you’ll need to help you change your body. Of course, comments and questions are always great.

Until next time,

Boyd Myers
boyd@the-personal-trainer.com

Caveman Training - A Bit On The Actual Training (The, Uh, WORKING Part)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:20:00 -0600

Hey Cavepeople,

I just completed an intense, caveman leg workout. The people that I have discussed my philosophies with usually have similar questions about the style of training I use with my clients and recommend for those who follow the Caveman Lifestyle Program. Often, the discussion leads to exercise selection and the use of machines, and this goes for you too, Caveladies.

First and foremost, the caveman was excellent at making the most of what he had. Let’s face it, diesel engines and electricity were still hundreds of years away. HAD the caveman had access to these things, he would’ve used them, and might have even avoided his doom and extinction. As I mentioned in a previous post - we have many advantages over the first version of the caveman, so we are going to utilize what we have.

Today, my workout consisted of all free weight training. I did regular squats, stiff-leg dead lifts, hack squats and walking lunges with a dumbbell. Aside from having a squat rack for safety (again, an advantage of modern day common sense), I used no elaborate Hammer Strength or Cybex equipment.

Now, that isn’t to say that I’m anti-machine. The caveman had a machine - he called it the wheel. So there’s no need to re-invent the wheel. It is very important to understand the importance of free weight exercise for overall body development and the strengthening of every muscle.

Machines target specific muscle groups, removing the weaker muscle groups in a way of which they kind of “fill in” for those weaker groups. From an ease of use standpoint, a machine version of the squat is much easier to figure out than the standing, free-weight version. A machine bench press is much less intimidating than laying down under a weight wonder how you’re going to get the last one off of you if you run out of energy. But understand, since machine exercises often fill the role of the weaker muscles that should be stabilizing during an exercise, the strong muscles become stronger from the exercise, while the weaker muscles (that need to become stronger) are barely used, resulting in a greater strength imbalance.

The key to the Caveman Training Philosophy is training weaknesses and improving upon things that you aren’t good at. Our caveman ancestor’s didn’t survive - those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it!

For the above reasons, it is imperative that you center your training routine around compound exercises, or exercises that use multiple muscle groups. The more muscle fibers that are recruited during the exercise, the more a) calories that are burned during the exercise and b) the more stimulus for an increase in lean body mass the body has.

Using machines to supplement free weight training is fine, as the current caveman legion isn’t going to take a total anti-machine stance. Cables and machines like leg press definitely play a role in overall physique development and body transformation, but it’s important to understand the word “supplement” (in addition to). The Caveman Training Approach revolves around free weight, compound exercises (variations of the barbell and dumbbell bench press, squats, dead lifts, rows, etc) and bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups, dips, etc.

Now, back to your caves.

Boyd Myers
boyd@the-personal-trainer.com

Caveman Nutrition (Or Diet, If You Must Use That Word) - An Overview

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:56:00 -0600

Hey Cavemen and Caveladies (or Cavewomen?):

Welcome back to the Caveman blog. Remember my goal with this program: the Caveman loves simplicity - if you don’t understand what I’m writing, it does me no good to write it. One step at a time, keeping it as easy to understand as possible!

Since I tend to put a lot of emphasis on nutrition, it’s probably best that I actually start with nutrition. Don’t get me wrong - I like exercise to be absolutely brutal. Not passive, not a good time to chat with friends, and not a good time to text, watch stock, catch up on the news, etc. There’s a reason it’s called WORKING OUT.

For now, let’s take a look at the basics of the Caveman Nutritional Philosophies. Remember, our focus is rapid and extreme body transformation, regardless of your current condition, gender, age, or goals.

First and foremost, is food selection. What do we eat?

Simply put, if a caveman didn’t have it to eat, you don’t need to eat it. This goes for anything that is refined, enriched, contains high fructose corn syrup, flour, etc.

So, what did the caveman eat and what will the new, current group of cavemen and caveladies eat?

-Protein: Fresh cuts of lean meat (chicken, lean cuts of beef, wild game, lots of fish, eggs)

-Carbohydrates: Whole Grains (brown and long grain rice, oats), Certain Fruits

-Certain Vegetables (lots of them). Cavemen love green and white vegetables.

-Healthy Fats: Certain Nuts, Natural Oils (olive, fish, flax, etc)

We have numerous advantages over our ancient ancestors, as we have access to Kroger, HEB, Albertson’s, Piggly Wiggly, Franks, Brunos, Winn Dixie, etc. We don’t have to hunt (but some people may find this much more enjoyable than grocery shopping).

We also have healthy and non-impactive ways to season our foods other than salt.

After food selection, we must focus on nutrient timing, or when we choose to eat certain types of foods.

Ultimately, this was probably the reason that the average caveman may have looked less than athletic. With freezes, droughts, laziness and the lack of a decent firearm to kill potential dinners, the caveman had to eat what he could, when he could. He couldn’t have the proper pre and post-workout meals. Long periods of fasting leads to the body invoking the starvation reflex, which, more than likely, contributed to the Caveman’s lack of a desirable physique.

Here are the basic caveman nutritional rules (In future posts, I will give explanations for each of these principles):

-Every meal must be centered around and contain a source of lean protein

-No meal can contain both a source of carbohydrates (grains or fruit) and a source of fats (nuts, oils). However, each meal should have one or the other along with a protein source.

-Vegetables can be eaten unlimited at any time, and are in a category by themselves.

How does the caveman determine when he should have a source of carbohydrates versus a source of fat?

There are two conditions that the body requires carbohydrates: for fuel or for replenishment. After a fast (such as sleeping at night), the body requires carbohydrates to “break the fast” and to stop the catabolic (muscle tissue degrading) effects of sleeping.

The other times that carbohydrates are desirable are before and after strenuous exercise.

Now, as mentioned previously, the caveman’s undesirable physique could probably be attributed to a very slow metabolism. Think about this, since there were no cars and what “machines” or “tools” that were available were no where near as efficient as what we have available today, it’s probably safe to guess that the caveman had a much higher level of activity than people today do. I mean, according to popular opinion, calories in versus calories out means less body fat, right? So why do the images of these people that have been constructed by scientists show that the caveman appeared to not have very low levels of body fat, even though their activity levels were probably much higher than that of today’s humans?

First, the “calories in versus calories out” to get lean (and “lean” implies lower body fat, not low “WEIGHT”) is bullshit. There, I said it. You can be lean, or you can be a skinny fat person. There are plenty of people with low body weights that don’t have desirable physiques, soft and “smooshy”.

The reason that the caveman had a less than desirable physique, even though he probably ate much healthier food choices than his relatives of today and more than likely burned more calories in a typical day than he consumed is because fat is a much denser source of calories. The body will preserve fat if it fears that it is being starved. Due to prolonged periods of not being able to eat (ice ages, lack of source, no HEB, etc), the caveman had induced periods of fasting. In turn, the body, in an attempt to preserve itself, metabolized what muscle may have been available for energy and attempted to preserve fat for as long as possible to deal with these long periods of fasting.

So for those who are thinking they’re going to go on a diet of salad and do 1-2 hours of cardio per day to “change their body”, think again. You will only become what I affectionately refer to as a “skinny fat person”. Or, you’ll live up to my analogy of going from a “large pear” to a “smaller pear”. Neither are desirable results and should not be the physique transformation you are looking for.

Nutritionally, the way you increase your metabolism is to eat regular meals, spaced out throughout the day (not eat less).

The final factor in Caveman Nutrition is this: How much should today’s caveman and cavewoman eat? This is the part that varies greatly based on a number of factors:

-The caveperson’s goal

-The caveperson’s current condition

-The caveperson’s activity level

-The caveperson’s gender

-The caveperson’s metabolic rate

Over the next few weeks, I’ll teach you how to judge the amount of food you need to be consuming. No, I will not be delving into complicated formulas and calculating calories - CAVEMEN HATE MATH AND NUMBERS. For now, take what I have given you and view your stomach as a fuel tank - you never want it to be completely empty, nor completely full; rather somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of the way full.

Remember, the body is a very adaptive organism, so it is imperative that we do everything we can to keep it sensitive to the nutrients that we are providing, while not allowing it to lower the metabolism in effect for preservation. Understand, the body lowers the metabolism as a defense mechanism! If it senses that less food is available (and it makes this determination based on what it is being fed), then it will reduce the metabolism. That is why in the coming days I will explain why it is important to manipulate macro-nutrient (protein/carbohydrates/fat) intake day to day and week to week.

I think that’s enough to chew on, for now. I’ll be adding a lot as we go, so stop back by regularly and stay caught up!

Until next time,

Boyd Myers
Master Fitness Trainer, Performance Nutrition Expert
210.391.1454

Here’s a quick video blog on my Caveman Program, which is the...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:32:41 -0600

Here’s a quick video blog on my Caveman Program, which is the top fat loss and body transformation program you’re going to find absolutely anywhere.

Caveman Program - An Introduction

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:28:00 -0600

Hey everyone, welcome to the Caveman Blog!

I’ve been working on a lot of things over the last few months: my online personal training service, expanding my personal training studio and a few other projects. Right now is the perfect time to introduce you to my “Caveman Program”.

Most people look at a lifestyle change (and a subsequent physique transformation) as a daunting and overwhelming task. Reading through the accumulated resources that we have available (magazines, books, internet message boards, etc) is tedious and a bit nerve-racking in itself, because as soon as you “learn” something, the information is completely contradicted in the next article you read.

Losing fat and drastically changing the body is not an easy task whatsoever. In theory, it is a simple thing. Make no mistake – there IS a lot of science behind the process. Every exercise you do and every bite of food you take should have a distinct purpose. However, unless you just like to know “how” things work, you need not bog yourself down with these details to will lead to “paralysis by analysis” and eventual discouragement (leading to not reaching your goals).

With that being said, my personal training service is built on “doing it” AND “understanding it”. I’ll get you where you want to be and help you understand, to any level of detail you may be interested in, why we’re doing what. However, after training hundreds of clients over the years, I realize that many people just want to get from point A to point B and know how to sustain the results while continually making progress once they have completed their personal training program with me. Obviously, the more simple I keep things, the more progress they are able to make in the long term, even long after they have stopped using my services. Hence, the creation of my “Caveman Program“.

Don’t confuse this with anything else you’ve read or done before. I could tell you how easy it is and how you will obtain the greatest results anyone has every obtained on any exercise program or diet. Exercise OR diet – which is the Caveman approach? Neither. Or, maybe both, and a bit more. I prefer to think of it as a lifestyle.

No matter what your goals are, the first thing you have to do is understand one simple thing: “Why am I not already there?” Is it because you eat junk food? Is it because you’re unable to stay consistent? Is it because you’re too busy to do what you need to do? Ask yourself why you aren’t where you need to be and face it head on. While there are many programs, books, DVD’s, and websites out there that tell you that you only need to eat this, take this or do that, this is not one of those.

Regardless of who you are, the greatest exercise program and nutritional strategy will not work if you are not willing to address your personal faults and do what is necessary to fix those issues.

This program is NOT for every person that is looking for a quick fix. I’m not going to push any crazy supplements on people. No miracle fat loss pills. No 15 minute workouts. This is about correcting bad habits, putting forth effort, working hard and being accountable. Everything has a purpose, even the name of the program.

There’s a difference between this program and our ancestors from thousands of years ago. First and foremost, through science, we know that the caveman was actually not in physically appealing shape, mainly, because they went against many of the principles that I preach and require clients to practice (had I been around, I would’ve kept the caveman in much better shape). The caveman, due to circumstance, had imposed fasting (as they obtained food by hunting and gathering, and these things are greatly restricted by conditions such as inclement weather). Of course, the caveman didn’t have the modern gyms and fitness centers that we have now. Believe it or not, this isn’t as important as one may think, as training in itself, in a primitive style (the simple lifting of objects) is the most effective style of exercise ever created. The over-complication of program design, crazy machines and ridiculous exercise gadgets has turned the science behind exercise into a joke and had limited more people than it has empowered. Think I’m wrong? Walk into any gym in your town right now – tell me how many people are actually in shape. You’ll see that very few people even look like they workout. I think that’s kind of funny, as there are several franchises, such as Planet Fitness, that sale the “no intimidation zone” as part of their sales pitch. Trust me, the condition and shape at your average gym or fitness center is typically no better than you’ll find at your local bar or coffee shop.

We have a couple of advantages that the caveman simply did not have:
-Availability of food. We control when we eat and what. The latter, for many people, is a concern that will be addressed. I will be educating you on WHAT to choose and HOW to choose it.

-We have more than trees and rocks to lift.

No matter your fitness goals, if followed, this will be the most effective fitness program you will ever follow. It is not a one size fits all program. It isn’t casual. It isn’t as simple as doing one thing or the other. It will not work well with Nutri-systems or Weight Watchers. The program is scalable and is designed for all fitness levels and fitness goals. Whether your goal is to look better in a bathing suit, lose fat and transform your body, compete in a fitness competition, get ready for the beach or a wedding, or to simply improve performance in day to day tasks, this will be the only program you will ever need.

What makes me so sure? Well, I’m fortunate enough to have my own group of test subjects (clients) and their results are anything but typical.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be writing much more and also posting a few video blogs about the Caveman Program. I’m also working on a website dedicated strictly to the program. And yes, the book is coming as well.

There’s so much to discuss and so many aspects of the program that I will be discussing, but I wanted to take a second (or over 1000 words, sorry) to get the idea out there. Get ready – the Caveman Program isn’t for everyone. It’s only for those that are completely serious and committed to obtaining the body of their dreams.

Boyd Myers