Alcohol & Strength Training
Sep 15th, 2007 by Mehdi Tags: Nutrition, Strength Training
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It’s Saturday. Many of you will go out tonight & have a drink. One reader contacted me with a related question:
“I’m 5′6″ at 196lbs. My goal is to get down to 165lbs while building muscle. I don’t have a systematic nutritional/strength training regimen yet. But I’m doing my best to turn everything around.
I just turned 21 and doing my best to avoid calories. I know alcohol is full of empty calories, but it’s tough avoiding my friends phone calls when everyone’s going out.
I’m sure the answer is to cut out alcohol all together, but is there a smarter alternative that you’re aware of? Guinness has been my drink of choice lately, and there are only 125 calories in 16oz.
Obviously strength training is my priority over drinking. I’ll stop alcohol if I have to. But I’d still appreciate your thoughts. I feel like the fat kid when everyone’s drinking beer and I order a diet coke.”
Benefits of Alcohol. Next time you drink: ask yourself why.
- You drink because you’re thirsty: water works.
- It makes you more confident: you have a problem.
- You drink because your friends do: you have a problem.
You don’t need to fill the expectations of others. So what if they see you as “the fat kid drinking diet coke”. It’s your life. Maybe they like their man boobs & beer belly. You obviously don’t. Do what gets you closer to your goals.
The Problem With Alcohol. Some drawbacks of alcohol consumption.
- Beer contains estrogen - female hormones.
- Estrogen causes man boobs & beer belly.
- Slows fat loss.
- Contains empty calories.
- Affects quality of sleep.
- Dehydrates. Causing hangovers.
- Bad for your liver.
What I do. I rarely drink on weekdays. Week-ends I have my share of drinks. I never drink to get drunk. I drink because I like the taste. Especially wine when dining out. I don’t drink beer. Only wine & sugar alcohols.
Sometimes I go out & won’t drink during the whole night. Sometimes I’ll drink water when dining out. Drinking alcohol is not a habit neither a necessity.
My friends know I drink a lot of water & respect my choices. People who don’t know me are often surprised when I tell them water will do. “You’re ill?” “We have plenty of other drinks you know”
Like I wrote above: it’s my life. I do what I want. The idea of drinking alcohol because others do is a lack of individualism to me.
My Advice. Drink alcohol once or twice a week & have fun. Get back into your healthy habits the day after. Plenty of water & food. Watch out if it alcohol becomes a daily habit. Focus on your goals & health.
Day Afters. Drink plenty of water before sleeping & on getting up. Alcohol dehydrates, causing hangovers. Force yourself to drink & eat.
I sometimes train the day after. As long as they didn’t have to drag you home the night before you can do it. Drink, eat & get your mind over it. Not the best condition to train in, but certainly builds character.
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Since is started training i almost never drink beer / alchohol drink.
If u gain weight fast in normal life (like me), alchohol is one of the first things that need to go.
“# It makes you more confident: you have a problem.
# You drink because your friends do: you have a problem.”
hahahahah
very funny
not saying i disagree, i think this is very right, it’s just funny to read it put so bluntly
If you drink to get tipsy or for sociability, drink Bacardi 151 or Everclear 190. These are mainly alcohol without added chemicals, flavors and calories. Dilute a small amount with water if you must talk with friends with a glass in your hand. I like to drink 1/4 cup of Bacardi 151 (Everclear isn’t available in my state) with ice.
Alcohol really messes with your circadian cycle, so don’t use it to fall asleep or right before bed time!
Pens. If you have problems losing fat/losing weight: decrease the alcohol consumption & see how you react. It’s often the solution.
Brent. It really is. I know people who need to drink when going out, who need to have a glass in their hands, who need to get tipsy to get social, etc. You don’t acohol for all of that.
Pennyflame. That Bacardi 151 is 75% alcohol
And agreed, acohol messes with sleep.
euhm in my comment im telling you that i stopped drinking alchohol from the beginning of weight loss
i think u got my post wrong
Ok, my fault then Pens. Posted too fast
Hey, one question from a regular reader … where did you get the info that beer contains estrogen? I was googling it and didn’t find any strong evidence (only funny articles like I published here).
Thanks and btw. great post and great blog!
if you drink alcohol and don’t want it to mess with your sleep, smoke a joint. you’ll be knocked out for the 8 hours you need for optimal muscle recovery and energy for the next day.
Thanks for the movitating words on the blog Torsten. I like what I do, glad to read you like it too.
Beer contains hops. Search for hops & estrogen. You’ll find plenty of info. Then look at practical evidence: beer drinkers have the typically “peer” shape.
RZ. Joints might be good for catching sleep, but they also have their own side effects. I wouldn’t advise it.
It can help to look at the beer drinking from a strict calorie consumption perspective. If you can budget it into your calorie consumption for the weekend, then so be it. Just keep in mind that if you eat 2500 calories of meals all week, but also drink a 6-pack on Friday and Saturday, we’re talking a minimum of 1200 extra calories on the weekend. If you’re trying to lose weight you should be tracking your calorie intake anyway, so you should be seeing the main effect that alcohol is having–extra calories.
Aside from that, training with a hangover blows. On the rare occasions I do it, I find it to be a very frustrating battle with fatigue that wouldn’t be there if I hadn’t gotten drunk the night before. You really shouldn’t be drinking if you plan to work out the following day, it will only hinder your progress.
Oh, and if you’re trying to improve your diet, smoking joints is probably not the way to go…
Great advice Seth. Keep the comments coming, I like your posts.
[...] Ok, Mehdi gave me a hint … beer contains hops (of course!) and now google for hops and estrogen :-/. No [...]