Huzzah. Let’s make magic people!
Welcome to another action packed arrival by yours truly. Pardon my absence true believers as the end of June is already upon us and we’re in July. It seems ages ago when I crafted a cosmic entry but here we are and right on time. It’s my favorite time of the year. SUMMER! That’s right buff dude Christmas. Life is good but life is even greater when your raiment need only consist of a pair of shorts and a t shirt, and in some cases, a fresh wife blesser.
Where I got the term wife blesser…
With Summer comes vacations, great weather, beautiful women in all their scantily clad regalia while us dudes do our shirtless mob’n, cookouts, and a host of awesome summertime activities.
However…there comes a certain…danger…for many…a stark reality that many face. A horror that stares you in the face like a ghastly creature that can constantly appear on your path to greatness. This monster throws you off your fitness quest and derails your progress in the form of 1) Lack of exercise 2) Unwanted weight gain. How does this happen you ask? Well, think about what happens in the summertime. You go on vacation, you enjoy the thrilling adventure of relaxation. You do nothing. You eat anything. You drink anything. And this becomes a pattern. Patterns continue and lo and behold your weaker, less active, and you’ve gotten fatter. Ironically one of your very reasons for health and fitness was looking great during warm weather and now look at you doing the complete opposite of what you intended to do. You should be ashamed of yourself you bloody cur you. Well fortunately there are some strategies so that you can not only survive but thrive during the “poppin’ season.” If you can keep this mindset and these tips in mind, then will you always taste the sweet libations of victory.
Know this and breathe it. This path you walk. You must walk forever.
I know you’ve heard the cliche “it’s a lifestyle” but it’s more than that. It’s a lifelong sport with zero off season. You will do this and love this until you go off to glory. Aint no, “I need to get back in the gym” or “I’ve fallen off.” NAY! Verily I say unto you that you must first resolve to love this quest. Every bit of it. That’s why I preach fitness for performance and health vs aesthetics. Aesthetics is great, awesome even. However if you’re just trying to look good, your purpose on the field will be lacking. You will waver. You will give in. Your resolve is only as the strong as what it is tested up against and what you are willing to do for it. You need to hit the battlefield with a zeal for your personal eminence. If you’re resolve is weak, then to quote Achilles from Troy…
Yeah…that. Not even to get motivational. This part of the tome will apply to the latter parts and you’ll see why…but first…mission parameters and strategies…
Intermittent Fasting (IF)
You know how you sleep for 8 hours and eat the rest….well “IF” is the opposite. You eat during an eight hour window. Some people make their own window and eat during certain times. Basically you’re assigning your macros to certain times. What’s special about IF…NOTHING! It’s a tool based off your own personal preference. How does it help on vacation and cookouts? Well if you contain your eating to certain times, you’re less likely to frequently go over your numbers.
Do I have to count macros on vacation Bill? I don’t expect you to, but don’t go overboard. However, things like a protein bar or something simple, then I think you should.
Being Active on Vacation
I recently went to South Beach. As a matter of fact, as I pen this tome, I wonder how my beach chair, and umbrella are doing? I wonder if they wonder about me and the magic we made by just sitting around while the sun was massaging and messaging my godly melinated skin with her opulent cosmic rays accompanied with peaceful musing voice. Yes every bit of what I just said. Upon waking up, I’d eat a bowl of fruit and hit the beach workout area for a while then go hit the actual beach around the nearby walkway. Now one, this keeps more burns additional calories during my vacation. Two, it’s fun. I like lounging around but I’m a warrior. I crave intense physical activity. It makes my lounging much more enjoyable, because it’s a change of pace and I earned it. Three, I get a sick pump! My muscles are extra jacked as I traverse the beach and whatever moves I make. Pro tip-as suggested by another warrior, do a nightly pump session if you can. Even if it’s a few sets of , pull ups, push ups, dips and squats.
Discipline and Smart Choices
This one is obvious. Discipline. You can’t eat everything, no matter how good it looks. If I’m at a cookout, what I do is I focus on foods I really like. I don’t eat a lot of starch during cookouts. Why? Well, if I’m going to eat carbs, then I rather eat cake. Plus, most starch aint THAT great to me. It takes a special cook to really bring out the flavor in some starch. My focus is typically consuming delicious animal flesh, dessert and having some drinks. Now if it’s my infamous south beach steak and lobster burrito then yes I will treasure every morsel of rice and beans expertly crafted into Yahweh inspired excellence. Tacos. Verily, bring on the beans and rice and such. See what I’m doing here? I have a focus. I’m not really a fan of haphazard eating. I highly advise water as it’s calorie free, or diet soda as it’s also calorie free. Sodas also have a bad habit of filling you up. We don’t want the big huge belly on vacation, and we don’t want to full and immobile at the cookout anyway. Being food drunks sucks. Now on vacation, I’ll actually eat a salad if it’s offered among the side items at a restaurant. Why? I’m saving calories. It’s a heavy green induced salad, which it won’t be, then there’s the added benefit of micro-nutrients ( vitamins and minerals) which is vital for your performance anyway but it’s not THAT serious here. The goal is to minimize the damage so you can have an enjoyable meal later as well as not put on too many pounds. Be advised though, you can ruin this by dousing your salad with dressing. Chill on the dressing by asking them to put the dressing on the side. You’re less likely to go crazy when you pour it yourself. At a cookout, or something local of that nature, I don’t trip off veggies. Why? I eat them everyday, so who cares.
Alcohol
The real deal here. All I can say is chill. If you drink beer, add a light beer here and there. If liquor, then avoid all them fruity looking mixed drinks. 1) If you’re a man, you don’t need all them goofy additives in your alcohol. 2) Extra stuff adds calories. Learn to drink it straight. If you must do mixed drinks, then try to sip slow. You’ll still be inebriated. You’ll be fine.
Water
This is more of a performance protocol. Drink a lot of water if you’re in a tropical area. The RDA itself is 64oz a day. If you’re working out you should be drinking water anyway. You’ll feel better. I’m not going to go into the “health benefits of water.” I’ll just assume you can either defer to my wisdom from on high or you use your googling machine.
Morning fuel.
Everyday in the morning when upon waking up one of the first thing I’d do is cop a bowl of fruit before hitting the beach. Why? One it’s “inexpensive ” (not really). Two, I am one of those people who needs to eat before working out as I’m superhuman. If you tell me, you do “fasted cardio” I laugh as you know what that does? NOTHING. That’s right your fasted cardio does not help your body composition goals. In fact, you may be hindering yourself as food gives you fuel to crush your workouts. Does this mean you have to eat before hand? No, not at all as some people don’t have to and can function fine. Me I get hungry quick, so aint nothing happening if I aint eat. As far as fruit, it digests quick so I can workout shortly after. These bowls of fruit also came with water melon, and melon is low in calories. Fruit also contains water and helps with being hydrated. I’ll also sometimes eat a protein bar in the morning before I workout as well. I know that sometime that day I’ll be having an exotic meal, and the fiber from the protein bar and fruit will ward off the hunger until it’s time to eat. Plus…again…you can’t eat everything. Pick one demon what at a time.
Enjoyment
Ultimately, you’re on vacation for a reason. You’re here to enjoy yourself. The strategies listed above are to help you. However, enjoy it. Eat, drink and be merry. Don’t get so caught up in all this that you can’t even take time out for some indulgence. The key is not to go too overboard. I’m a big proponent of balance. Speaking of which, if you’re not aware and have made the mistake of not paying attention to my exploits, I’m a trainer at Balance Gym in DC so I can help get you ready for your vacation and help get you back on track after it. Ultimately again, enjoy your vacation. You’ve earned it. Eat it up and live it up.
In Closing
Really, it’s not that complicated or that difficult. All that is required is you stay the course. Fitness is a life long pursuit but also a fun one. Vacations are much better when you’re in shape. You can do more, appreciate more and look awesome while doing so. Aint nothing like confidently wearing the scantily clad (wife blessers for dudes) or shirtlessly walking along the beach knowing you’ve worked hard for your body. It’s a dope feeling. It’s even doper, knowing you’ve helped others reach that for themselves.
Well that’s it for today. Be sure to tune in for another action packed article. If you’re a woman, be sure to sign up for our next Black Girls Lift event. If you live in the city, then you can also holla at me at Balance Gym. If you don’t live in the city, then frankly you need to either find a way to get there or holla at me for training some way and get you on the righteous path of deified magnificence. Tune in next time for another Earth shattering epic. I bid you also an adieu and a huzzah.
Bill Walker is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), one of the top recognized agencies in the country. He’s also a Youth Fitness Coach in Washington DC. To set up an appointment or inquiry contact him at [email protected]
Instagram: @BilliusMaximus929
