7 Questions With Productivity & Fitness Junkie Mark McManus
Written: 08/14/2007
Dieting is intimately linked to fitness and exercise. Honestly, I maintain my figure and weight by playing football regularly and doing some weight lifting. So I approached an "expert" in the domain of exercise, fitness and dieting to ask him to share his unique fitness tips with Diet Hack readers.
Mark McManus is a productivity junkie whose aim is to help people increase every area of their life. He is a 26 year old, Irish guy who blogs at Build Your Life To Order. He got started in the productivity field on reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This literally changed his life because he has achieved a lot since then. He has increased his income by 24%, has become a real estate investor, has started his own business and the most important for us, he has obtained his dream body! Mark's blog is packed with personal and honest tips on how to to go about to lose weight and get the body you want. I highly recommend you to subscribe to his blog. So let's see what Mark can teach us about Dieting and Fitness.
- Hi Mark. Thanks a lot for being my first interviewee. Is that your picture on Build Your Life To Order?
No problem Gyanish, it's a pleasure! Yes it sure is my picture. That was taken in summer '06 so I should have some updated ones coming soon. It generates interest and I think lets people know that the exercise and nutrition information I'm giving is coming from a source that has tried it all and knows for certain what works. I still want to improve my body of course. More definition and slightly bigger shoulders are my plans for the future fitness-wise. It's like any other goal in life, you don't just arrive one day and that's it, job done. You are always striving because it's the journey that makes life exciting!
- Can you give us some background on yourself? How did you get started in fitness and dieting?
Well as a teenager I felt like I was too skinny so at age 18 I began lifting dumbbells in my bedroom, nothing too serious but I gained a few pounds. Unfortunately the advice I was getting was eat, eat , eat, so a lot of that was fat. By the time I was 21 I decided to take it more seriously. I was still training for size though. It was all about lifting heavy and eating like crazy to fuel muscle growth. I got bigger and liked the muscle development but I was around 22% body fat which, while not very fat, wasn't what I wanted. Everytime I sat or bent over I had that bulge over my belt, yuck! At around age 24 I saw 'Fight Club', the movie with Brad Pitt in which he has a fantastic, ripped-to-shreds physique. I thought to myself, "Why am I training and eating like a mad man to get a body that doesn't look or feel half as good as that?" I knew then that I had been going about things all wrong. I started really educating myself about cardiovascular exercise and nutrition (I already knew a lot about weight-lifting). I tried different ways of eating to shed body fat and finally, and quite hesitantly, I tried low-carbing. All diets work if followed properly but I felt like I could strip fat off quicker while restricting carbohydrate intake. It isn't a one-size-fits-all approach and I would encourage people to find what they feel works best for them. One crucially important point though is that if you are going to try to lose weight without exercise, forget it! Exercising, in some form, should become a part of your new lifestyle approach. A new, healthy, happy and vibrant you!
- What qualities do you feel a dieter needs to have reach his/her goals?
As with all other goals in life, the same formula is applied. I formulated this process from reading tons of personal development material over the years and applying it to my own life. First, of course, you must clearly define what it is you want i.e. a target weight, waist size, body fat percentage, six-pack abs. That's step 1 - easy!
Secondly, I feel that in order to have something, we must first be something. So if you want to become a millionaire you must first internalise the millionaire's mindset. In this case you must adopt the mindset of the type of person who already has the type of body you want. You might do this by learning everything you can about this person, finding out what makes them tick and adopting their values and their beliefs as your own. Once you embed this into your subconscious mind, the steps you must take to reach your goal seem much easier and more natural. For example you wouldn't dare skip a workout or eat fast food for the hell of it, it actually becomes natural to work out consistently and make healthy food choices. In Neuro-Linguistic Programming this is called 'Role Modelling' and is highly effective. You don't need to re-invent the wheel, model others and achieve the same results they did. Changing the content of your subconscious mind can be a tough process but here is an article I wrote that will help readers do this quite quickly and with little effort.
Okay, with this completed we then find the ways and means of accomplishing the goal. This will prove much easier than if you had not completed step 2. The thing about the subconscious mind is that once it has been programmed with an instruction, it will work day and night to find the means of accomplishing your goal for you. It's quite extraordinary when you see it working in your life, you are literally becoming a different type of person - we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.
In the last step you will find numerous methods and begin to implement them in your life. Remember you can always 'Role Model' here too. Who did you choose in step 2? How do they eat? How do they train? etc.. This will save you a lot of time making your own mistakes. For people who have a lot of weight to lose any dietary approach will work. However, many diets only work to a certian extent then stop. People then often get dissatisfied then go back to their old eating habits. I recommend, on my site, the low-carb approach for permanent weight-loss as people are eating way too much sugar in their diets today as we can see with the rising rate of diabetes. If this way of eating is coupled with exercise, you can lose a phenomenal amount of weight and usually a lot quicker than with other eating plans. You don't need to skip carbs altogether and you don't need to low-carb forever either. My carbohydrate level per day is currently around 120 grams so I'm having bread, cereal, vegetables and plenty of fruit. Some people just don't like this way of eating, though, and that's fine. When you couple your diet with exercise, you'll reach your goals no matter if it's low-fat, low-carb, low GI, weight-watchers etc.
So to recap. The 4 stages of achievement are:
(1) Decide specifically what you want (and write it down)
(2) Acquire the Mindset of those who already have what you want i.e. Become what you want
(3) Find the Strategy - Remember to 'Role-Model'
(4) Act! - Implement that strategy
Always measure your results periodically too. For weight loss I recommend weekly weigh-ins to ascertain whether or not some sort of change is needed. If you go 2 weeks with no further weight loss, repeat step 3 and go for it again. Did you know that an aeroplane is going in the wrong direction for 90 - 95% of its journey? It can reach its destination successfully though because it is constanty measuring its results and changing its direction. You must develop the same radar for success. Periodic measuring of results is crucial!
- After how much time did you get the results you wanted? Was it easy for you?
Well I would say yes it was quite easy. However, I know quite well that this is because I have the correct mindset internalised. I think that 3-6 hours training a week is easily worth the results. Ask a 'couch-potato' to do the same and he'll probably think you were insane. So it all depends on your attitude which in turn depends upon your mindset. As I have stated I was working out and educating myself for years before I found a solid way to attain results, I made many mistakes. It needn't take others years. If you 'Role-Model' the right people you can achieve your goals in a much shorter period of time. If, for example, you're a man with 18% body fat and you would like a six-pack. Firstly, you must know that you have to get your body fat below 10% to see your abs. Losing >8% body fat can be done in a few months, 3 should be enough and you can do it in less if you really want to. Of course you can take as long as you wish, you can do it 6 if you wish to not be as strict.
- Describe your current training program?
Well I describe my current weight-training program here. It's basically this:
* Monday - Biceps and Triceps
* Tuesday - Shoulders and back
* Wednesday - Chest & Abs
* Thursday - Legs
4 - 8 reps per set. 6-9 sets per body part. That's it, nothing too complicated. I stick to the basic moves like bench press, dumbell curls, sit-ups with added resistance - these should constitute the core of your workouts.
I have yet to write an article about my cardio routine but again it's simple. 5 - 7 days per week at present I perform 20 - 40 minutes cardiovascular training. I use a cross-trainer for this or I go out cycling or jogging. The only important thing to me is that I try to beat the calories burned at each session. So let's say that I burned 250 calories in 20 minutes on Monday. On Tuesday I'll try to get 251 or more. A slight progression each time is best so that you can keep improving each time.
- What role do you feel supplements have in developing a great physique? Which ones do you use, and why?
Supplements play a role for me. It's a small role but I wouldn't be without it. Make no mistake, food is the best nutrition you can get. The only time I take supplementation is after my weight training sessions. Within 30 minutes of finishing I have 40 grams of whey protein, 5 grams of creatine monohydrate and 5 grams of L-Glutamine in one shake. The protein provides the muscle what it needs for repair and growth. Taking creatine post-workout is great because at this time your muscles are primed to take up nutrients. The L-Glutamine helps prevent muscle catabolism i.e. muscle breakdown, something we certainly want to avoid. Some people also take 60-100 grams of fast-digesting carbs post-workout like glucose because this gives the body an insulin spike which helps shuttle creatine into the muscle, prevents catabolism, and boosts effective muscle growth due to the increased growth hormone levels this supplementation can provide. I include glucose for periods when I am looking to increase muscle mass and also add 3-5 grams of micronized creatine monohydrate 30 minutes pre-workout. For when I want to get as lean as possible I drop the glucose and pre-workout creatine.
- I see you relate spirituality to dieting and fitness. Can you give us a reason why you embrace this mindset?
I see our spirit, mind and body as 3 aspects of ourselves that should all be nurtured. I see some people only focus on 1 or 2 areas and ignore the other. If you're spiritual you tend to ignore the body and assume that that's a good thing. If you're a bodybuilder you might ignore your mental health and spiritual welfare. I think true happiness comes when we tend to all aspects of who we are. I feel this gives a more balanced perspective on life. As I stated in a recent article, "Being ‘Spiritual’ to me means embracing and caring for all aspects of who you are".
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to speak to your readers Gyanish, I really appreciate it and I hope I have helped some people out there.
Mark McManus
No problem Gyanish, it's a pleasure! Yes it sure is my picture. That was taken in summer '06 so I should have some updated ones coming soon. It generates interest and I think lets people know that the exercise and nutrition information I'm giving is coming from a source that has tried it all and knows for certain what works. I still want to improve my body of course. More definition and slightly bigger shoulders are my plans for the future fitness-wise. It's like any other goal in life, you don't just arrive one day and that's it, job done. You are always striving because it's the journey that makes life exciting!
Well as a teenager I felt like I was too skinny so at age 18 I began lifting dumbbells in my bedroom, nothing too serious but I gained a few pounds. Unfortunately the advice I was getting was eat, eat , eat, so a lot of that was fat. By the time I was 21 I decided to take it more seriously. I was still training for size though. It was all about lifting heavy and eating like crazy to fuel muscle growth. I got bigger and liked the muscle development but I was around 22% body fat which, while not very fat, wasn't what I wanted. Everytime I sat or bent over I had that bulge over my belt, yuck! At around age 24 I saw 'Fight Club', the movie with Brad Pitt in which he has a fantastic, ripped-to-shreds physique. I thought to myself, "Why am I training and eating like a mad man to get a body that doesn't look or feel half as good as that?" I knew then that I had been going about things all wrong. I started really educating myself about cardiovascular exercise and nutrition (I already knew a lot about weight-lifting). I tried different ways of eating to shed body fat and finally, and quite hesitantly, I tried low-carbing. All diets work if followed properly but I felt like I could strip fat off quicker while restricting carbohydrate intake. It isn't a one-size-fits-all approach and I would encourage people to find what they feel works best for them. One crucially important point though is that if you are going to try to lose weight without exercise, forget it! Exercising, in some form, should become a part of your new lifestyle approach. A new, healthy, happy and vibrant you!
As with all other goals in life, the same formula is applied. I formulated this process from reading tons of personal development material over the years and applying it to my own life. First, of course, you must clearly define what it is you want i.e. a target weight, waist size, body fat percentage, six-pack abs. That's step 1 - easy!
Secondly, I feel that in order to have something, we must first be something. So if you want to become a millionaire you must first internalise the millionaire's mindset. In this case you must adopt the mindset of the type of person who already has the type of body you want. You might do this by learning everything you can about this person, finding out what makes them tick and adopting their values and their beliefs as your own. Once you embed this into your subconscious mind, the steps you must take to reach your goal seem much easier and more natural. For example you wouldn't dare skip a workout or eat fast food for the hell of it, it actually becomes natural to work out consistently and make healthy food choices. In Neuro-Linguistic Programming this is called 'Role Modelling' and is highly effective. You don't need to re-invent the wheel, model others and achieve the same results they did. Changing the content of your subconscious mind can be a tough process but here is an article I wrote that will help readers do this quite quickly and with little effort.
Okay, with this completed we then find the ways and means of accomplishing the goal. This will prove much easier than if you had not completed step 2. The thing about the subconscious mind is that once it has been programmed with an instruction, it will work day and night to find the means of accomplishing your goal for you. It's quite extraordinary when you see it working in your life, you are literally becoming a different type of person - we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.
In the last step you will find numerous methods and begin to implement them in your life. Remember you can always 'Role Model' here too. Who did you choose in step 2? How do they eat? How do they train? etc.. This will save you a lot of time making your own mistakes. For people who have a lot of weight to lose any dietary approach will work. However, many diets only work to a certian extent then stop. People then often get dissatisfied then go back to their old eating habits. I recommend, on my site, the low-carb approach for permanent weight-loss as people are eating way too much sugar in their diets today as we can see with the rising rate of diabetes. If this way of eating is coupled with exercise, you can lose a phenomenal amount of weight and usually a lot quicker than with other eating plans. You don't need to skip carbs altogether and you don't need to low-carb forever either. My carbohydrate level per day is currently around 120 grams so I'm having bread, cereal, vegetables and plenty of fruit. Some people just don't like this way of eating, though, and that's fine. When you couple your diet with exercise, you'll reach your goals no matter if it's low-fat, low-carb, low GI, weight-watchers etc.
So to recap. The 4 stages of achievement are:
(1) Decide specifically what you want (and write it down)
(2) Acquire the Mindset of those who already have what you want i.e. Become what you want
(3) Find the Strategy - Remember to 'Role-Model'
(4) Act! - Implement that strategy
Always measure your results periodically too. For weight loss I recommend weekly weigh-ins to ascertain whether or not some sort of change is needed. If you go 2 weeks with no further weight loss, repeat step 3 and go for it again. Did you know that an aeroplane is going in the wrong direction for 90 - 95% of its journey? It can reach its destination successfully though because it is constanty measuring its results and changing its direction. You must develop the same radar for success. Periodic measuring of results is crucial!
Well I would say yes it was quite easy. However, I know quite well that this is because I have the correct mindset internalised. I think that 3-6 hours training a week is easily worth the results. Ask a 'couch-potato' to do the same and he'll probably think you were insane. So it all depends on your attitude which in turn depends upon your mindset. As I have stated I was working out and educating myself for years before I found a solid way to attain results, I made many mistakes. It needn't take others years. If you 'Role-Model' the right people you can achieve your goals in a much shorter period of time. If, for example, you're a man with 18% body fat and you would like a six-pack. Firstly, you must know that you have to get your body fat below 10% to see your abs. Losing >8% body fat can be done in a few months, 3 should be enough and you can do it in less if you really want to. Of course you can take as long as you wish, you can do it 6 if you wish to not be as strict.
Well I describe my current weight-training program here. It's basically this:
* Monday - Biceps and Triceps
* Tuesday - Shoulders and back
* Wednesday - Chest & Abs
* Thursday - Legs
4 - 8 reps per set. 6-9 sets per body part. That's it, nothing too complicated. I stick to the basic moves like bench press, dumbell curls, sit-ups with added resistance - these should constitute the core of your workouts.
I have yet to write an article about my cardio routine but again it's simple. 5 - 7 days per week at present I perform 20 - 40 minutes cardiovascular training. I use a cross-trainer for this or I go out cycling or jogging. The only important thing to me is that I try to beat the calories burned at each session. So let's say that I burned 250 calories in 20 minutes on Monday. On Tuesday I'll try to get 251 or more. A slight progression each time is best so that you can keep improving each time.
Supplements play a role for me. It's a small role but I wouldn't be without it. Make no mistake, food is the best nutrition you can get. The only time I take supplementation is after my weight training sessions. Within 30 minutes of finishing I have 40 grams of whey protein, 5 grams of creatine monohydrate and 5 grams of L-Glutamine in one shake. The protein provides the muscle what it needs for repair and growth. Taking creatine post-workout is great because at this time your muscles are primed to take up nutrients. The L-Glutamine helps prevent muscle catabolism i.e. muscle breakdown, something we certainly want to avoid. Some people also take 60-100 grams of fast-digesting carbs post-workout like glucose because this gives the body an insulin spike which helps shuttle creatine into the muscle, prevents catabolism, and boosts effective muscle growth due to the increased growth hormone levels this supplementation can provide. I include glucose for periods when I am looking to increase muscle mass and also add 3-5 grams of micronized creatine monohydrate 30 minutes pre-workout. For when I want to get as lean as possible I drop the glucose and pre-workout creatine.
I see our spirit, mind and body as 3 aspects of ourselves that should all be nurtured. I see some people only focus on 1 or 2 areas and ignore the other. If you're spiritual you tend to ignore the body and assume that that's a good thing. If you're a bodybuilder you might ignore your mental health and spiritual welfare. I think true happiness comes when we tend to all aspects of who we are. I feel this gives a more balanced perspective on life. As I stated in a recent article, "Being ‘Spiritual’ to me means embracing and caring for all aspects of who you are".
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to speak to your readers Gyanish, I really appreciate it and I hope I have helped some people out there.
Mark McManus
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