At 6 foot 3 and 180 pounds, Zain Meghji says he's skinny fat. And after gaining a job-related gut, the former entertainment reporter for CTV learned camouflage chic has its limits.
So this year, the host of makeover series How to Look Good Naked Canada (on the W Network) is on a mission to restore body confidence, shedding fat as he puts on muscle. But with erratic eating patterns, Mr. Meghji's breaking the cardinal rule of bodybuilding and creating conditions for a metabolism malfunction.
My goal
"It used to be to look like Ryan Reynolds, until someone pointed out that I don't fight aliens. I'm skinny-limbed and have a bit of a gut, so now my goal is to get a more muscular physique."
My workout
"It's sporadic. I was doing P90X [a home exercise DVD series]because I wanted to look like the guys doing the workout, but I was getting lean, not putting on mass. So that's when I started following the book The New Rules of Lifting. …
"Three times a week I do five compound exercises with free weights such as lat pull-downs and limit my cardio."
My lifestyle
"It's hectic. I work full nine-hour days with no breaks and I miss meals, so my cortisol [commonly called the stress hormone]kicks up. …
"Typically, breakfast is a bowl of Kashi GoLean cereal and two eggs. Lunch is a turkey and cheese sandwich or butter chicken and rice at a pub. Dinner is steak and shrimp and veggies.
"When I was with eTalk I travelled a lot and eating, or not eating, was a way to deal with stress. I was fat, and fat on a skinny guy was a whole lot of wrongness."
My motivation
As it is for the candidates on his makeover show, Mr. Meghji says looking desirable in the buff is a powerful motivator. "I did a picture of myself naked and keep it on my iPhone screen and it keeps me on track reminding me: 'How can I have the best body?' "
My workout anthem
"I'm a huge Top 40s lover - those are my jams. [Since]I started this new routine, I don't listen to music. Not listening to music keeps me focused."
My challenge
Mr. Meghji's work schedule has him skipping meals or relying on quick hits of sugar from candy, despite his favourite mantra. "Susan Powter said stay away from three things: refined flour, refined sugar and refined men. Food is my biggest challenge. I eat well, but not often enough and don't consume enough calories."
The critique
To help Mr. Meghji get the most from his program, we went straight to the source: Lou Schuler, co-author of The New Rules of Lifting and a certified strength and conditioning specialist.
Follow break-in phase with fat loss
To ensure Mr. Meghji's making continual progress, and that his muscles will get bigger as his body gets stronger, Mr. Schuler suggests using a training system called "linear periodization."
"It's a fancy term for a simple concept: You work with progressively heavier weights, using a progressively higher volume of exercise and progressively more challenging exercises."
Core training first
Because Mr. Meghji is concerned about fat around his belly, Mr. Schuler also recommends making abs a priority by targeting them first with core training before each workout.
"Although core exercises won't burn off the fat around Zain's middle - he needs high-protein meals for that - they will improve his posture and tighten up the muscles in his midsection, which will give the appearance of a smaller waist."
Mr. Schuler prescribes planks and side planks, concluding the core workout with kneeling roll-outs; forearms placed over a Swiss ball, pushing the ball away from the body to form a line from neck to knees, and then pulling the ball back, bringing the body to an upright position.
Master muscle and metabolism
The key to changing the way his body looks is simple: protein. Mr. Meghji already eats eggs, chicken and steak, so he's consuming the best muscle-building proteins available through whole foods, Mr. Schuler says.
However, he is likely not eating enough protein to fill out. "All I'd suggest is that he adds a whey protein shake right before or right after his workouts, and a snack with some protein in it in between his breakfast and lunch. A handful of cashews and an apple make for a decent snack."
In addition, skipping meals is a problem for a person who's trying to build muscle and change his ratio of muscle to fat, Mr. Schuler says. As a final bit of guidance, he advises Mr. Meghji to correct the metabolism mayhem caused by skipping meals by having protein bars handy for occasions when it's not convenient to have a meal.
"An erratic eating pattern has been shown to affect your metabolism in a negative way," Mr. Schuler explains. "You want your metabolic rate to speed up after meals in a consistent way. That's how you can leaner, stronger and more muscular at the same time."
Special to The Globe and Mail