Fit Junction: So Jorden, we finally got you online. Why don’t you start by telling us how you got into fitness and how many years you’ve been helping others achieve their fitness goals
Jorden:
Well, I got into fitness when I was in the 8th grade. I was highly involved in sports year round so I was always trying to find ways to be stronger and faster. My fitness journey jumpstarted about 10 years ago, when I went to the Arnold. It’s held in Columbus, Ohio and is one of the biggest fitness expos in the world. I was fascinated by all the bodybuilders and fitness models. From that point on I’ve been devouring every health and fitness magazine and dvd possible.
I’ve been helping people from the very get go. I started helping guys in the gym who had questions about what I did or how to do an exercise. Over the years I decided to help others on a high level so I got certified in several areas so I could help such a broad range of people.
Fit Junction: Were you ever overweight or obese
Jorden:
I started out being skinny and over the years I’ve added muscle. I was overweight at one point though. It was after I did my first body building show. I weighed in at 152 and 2 months later I was 192. That was by far the most I’ve ever weighed. My normal weight was about 160-170 on average.
Fit Junction: Looking at your pics and your profile, people might think that you live in the gym and getting a body like yours is next to impossible by the average person. What do have to say to that.
Jorden:
This is actually one of the biggest messages I have to all guys. I’m all natural and I have never touched anything questionable. You don’t need steroids to get big, you can do it naturally. I’m definitely not a fan of steroids because there’s too much of a health risk. People are always looking for a “quick fix” but I’m looking for real permanent results. That comes through knowledge not a pill or drug. I’m here to tell you, you can do it without drugs or pills all you need is information.
Unfortunately, I do not live in the gym. I spend around 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes 3-6 days a week depending on my goals. My clients have gotten great results from going twice a week for an hour at a time.
It all comes to breaking down your muscles. If you’re just starting an exercise routine, it won’t take much to do that. If you’re advanced it will take a little more to break them down to the same point. One of the biggest mistakes I see is overtraining, mostly from the guys. I never go over an hour and 15 minutes because after that point your muscles are normally broken down as much as possible. Anything after that, your muscles won’t be able to repair and grow, which will hinder your results.
Now to section which all our readers look forward to – Getting those valuable fitness tips
Fit Junction: What are your top 5 exercises for weight loss
Jorden:
For weight loss I believe in getting the most “bang for your buck”. By performing compound exercises, that incorporate more than one muscle group, you’ll burn more calories and increase your heart rate a lot quicker. The following are just a few of what I recommend to clients to accelerate their fat burn:
- Squats to over-head dumbbell press
- Jump Squats
- Burpees
- Push-ups to single-arm dumbbell rows
- Mt. Climbers
Fit Junction: How about the top 5 for muscle gain
Jorden:
If you’re trying to build muscle, stick with lower reps and heavier weight. Focus on your bigger muscle groups such as back, chest, and legs.
- Pull-ups or Lat Pulldown
- Bench Press
- Squats or Leg Press
- Standing Barbell Curl
- Lying Triceps Extensions (Skullcrushers)
Fit Junction: A popular one from the guys “It’s next to impossible for me to get rid of those love handles. Is there any special diet or exercise routine I can follow to achieve this seemingly unachievable task”
Jorden:
I call it “Cut the Crap!” If you eliminate all processed foods, control calories, cut out alcohol, get an adequate amount of sleep, and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), you’ll be able to turn your body into a fat-burning machine that’ll hit all your trouble zones.
Fit Junction: Do you have any 10-15 minute full body circuit that you can recommend to our readers
Jorden:
Sample workout: 3 ROUNDS. PERFORM EACH ROUND 3 TIIMES THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT.
(Take little to no rest in between each set. After completing a round 3 times, rest 1-2 minutes before moving on to the next round.)
ROUND 1
- 15 SQUATS (Body weight or with weights)
- 1 MINUTE JUMP ROPE
- 30 SECOND PLANK HOLD (on forearms)
ROUND 2
- 15 PUSH-UPS (modify on knees if needed)
- 30 MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
- 30 BICYCLE CRUNCHES (Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. With your hands gently holding your head, lift your knees to about a 45-degree angle. Alternate touching your elbows to the opposite knees as you twist back and forth.)
ROUND 3
- 15 (each leg) REVERSE LUNGES WITH KNEE LIFT (Body weight or with dumbbells in hands. Take a step back and lunge down. Balance on front leg and bring lunging knee up to hip height. Go right back into lunge and repeat all reps on one leg. Repeat with other leg.
- 10 BURPIES
- 20 PLANK WITH ALTERNATING KNEE DIPS (While holding a plank on forearms, bend and lower one knee toward the floor and straighten back up. Alternate with other knee and repeat.)
Fit Junction: Creatine as a supplement. Good or bad. When should one take it if he/she should that is
Jorden:
Here’s my take on creatine. For one, it’s all natural. Our bodies produce it and it’s found in meats such as beef, salmon, and tuna. Creatine received a “bad rap” back in the 90’s because people were taking way above the recommended dosage. We should consume 5-10 grams of creatine a day preferably right after a workout. The problem is that the bad reports were coming from people taking well above that, maybe 50-60 grams. If you overdose on anything over a long period of time it can be harmful to you, even vitamins. If you’re working out you should take a form of creatine such as creatine ethyl ester rather creatine monohydrate. It can help build tissue, regulate metabolism and increase endurance.
Fit Junction: Heres a popular one that comes up from the ladies. “I want to tone my thighs and butt. Is there a small circuit you can recommend for that.”
Jorden:
If you want to tone up your thighs and butt I would recommend you focus on losing overall body fat first. You can’t spot reduce fat for a trouble zone so you’ll need burn body fat overall so you can see the definition in your thighs and buns.
One of the best ways to “burn and tone” is to run at an incline on the treadmill. That way you target your glutes, hamstrings, and calves with the cardio effect. I would also recommend squats or sumo squats to target the inner thigh. You can try jump squats for a double whammy also.
Fit Junction: What would be the 3 worst things one could eat to totally derail them from their fitness goal of losing weight.
Jorden:
- Foods containing hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils (Trans fat!). Ex- doughnuts and pancake mixes normally contain Trans fat
- Refined processed foods. Ex- Chips, nachos, corn chips, cookies, cakes, pies, deep fried foods
- Artificial sweeteners. Ex- Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
There’s so much more than this but I think this is a good start. Oh I forgot to mention. Stay away from fast food unless you like added hormones and chemicals!
Fit Junction: What about the top 3 snack choices that are healthy yet tasty
Jorden:
I’ll list some of my top 3 power food snacks!
- Organic apples
- Organic blueberries and straw berries
- Raw almonds
These are quick and easy but you should eat the apples and the berries with the raw almonds to avoid a sugar spike.
Fit Junction: What’s your take on alcohol. How regularly can one have that and how much could one have without compromising his/her weight loss goals
Jorden:
Here we go; this is when the hate mail comes.
I’m just going to advise against it. It’s so hard to get results with alcohol in the diet. In no way does alcohol help you. If anything it will lead you to binge eat.
Even worse for the guys it will decrease the amount of growth hormone released. This decrease can be up to as much as 70%, resulting in less muscle building.
Fit Junction : Your Top 3 tips to lose that holiday weight?
Jorden:
The damage is already done so it’s time to move on and stop dwelling on it.
- Set a goal and focus on one thing at a time.
- It takes 21 days to install a new habit so take things one at a time. Most people quit new year resolutions because they jump into it too hard and get overwhelmed. This should be a life style not a quick fix.
- Make small changes to your diet or workout routine.
- Change the quantity of your food (smaller portions)
- Change the quality of your food (eat power foods)
- Eat breakfast
- Have a time limit in the gym to prevent overtraining (maybe 45 min – an hour)
- Go to the gym either first thing in the morning or right after work (don’t go home first)
Fit Junction: What would you recommend as a regular healthy eating routine (how many times should one eat what kind of food should they eat each meal etc)
Jorden:
This question depends on your goals.
- If you have a lot of weight to lose then you could eat 3 small meals and a snack.
- If you have that last 15 lbs. to go then I would eat 5-6 small meals a day.
First off, eat foods you like or else you’ll go downhill quickly. I hate tuna so I don’t touch it.
Your diet should be rich in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale. Whole grains are a vital part of what you eat also. Try eating steel-cut or rolled oats, brown or wild rice and quinoa. You should also consume colorful fruits like red bell peppers, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes. Make sure you get your meat in too. I recommend lean grass-fed beef and Alaskan wild salmon. If you’re not big on meat then try eating more beans like black beans, lentils and pinto beans. A very important part of your diet should be the healthy fats. Flax seeds, pecans, coconut oil and extra-virgin olive oil are great sources of fat.
Fit Junction: Jorden you’ve been kind enough to answer so many questions so we’ll ask you just one more – “What the most valuable advice you can give to all our readers.”
Jorden:
Don’t let other people hinder your results. You will always have people making comments about what you’re doing and being negative to you. Recognize that deep down they have an issue and they may be jealous that you’re taking action of controlling your life.
Realize that life is always throwing things at you and you’re probably going to fail from time to time. The key to success is never give up because true failure is when you quit.