If you think the chicken looks like last night's leftovers, you are wrong, it's more like last week's.

Meal 2: 4 pieces of Bacon, 1 oz. coconut chips (big tubs can be bought from TropicalTraditions.com for pretty cheap)

Coconut chips make for good snacks if you like coconut. Captain Obvious is obvious.

Meal 3: On the way to class I dropped by Jack in the Box and got their “3 items for $3″ deal. I opted for 3 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers without the buns.  Not the best thing to always eat, but not too horrible. Delicious? You bet.

Meal 4: (After a torturous 4-hour night class) 2 eggs, 1 cup spinach fried in butter

Meal 5/Bedtime snack: We all have our favorite comfort/cheat foods. Mine is peanut butter. Peanuts are legumes (not nuts) and therefore will cause issues in our digestion system, but peanut butter is just so delicious so I will enjoy it in moderation. Before I go to sleep tonight I will help myself to a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. I will also drink a scoop of ON Whey because I feel like having a bit more protein today and plus the glutamine and BCAAs will help some.

My favorite brand of peanut butter.

Total: I realize I did not reach my maintenance amount of calories (due to having a 4 hour class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings), but it’s okay. I will make up today’s (and maybe also Thursday’s) calories tomorrow. Slightly overshot 30g of carbohydrates, but that’s alright because 12.2g of those carbs are actually fiber.

Questions? Comments? If you want to send me more Naturally More Peanut Butter for free, I will humbly accept. That is all.

After a few months of a mostly unweighed and unmeasured Paleo diet, I’ve decided to try Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale’s Anabolic Diet (or carb cycling) in an attempt to further lower my body fat percentage while continuing to gain strength and mass.

On weekdays, you’ll see that my carbohydrate (CHO) intake is low, protein (PRO) intake high, and fat (uhh…FAT) intake very high.  On average, I will be eating about 55-60% FAT, 30-40% PRO, and no more than 25-30g CHO (yes, you read it correctly, it’s GRAMS of carbs).

On weekends, I will carb load for 24-36 hours, or until I feel my body begin to soften up.  The macronutrient breakdown will be something like: 50-60% CHO, 30-40% FAT, 10-20% PRO.

On one of my upcoming posts, I will explain why it is I decided to go with the Anabolic Diet and further explain the effects of the diet.  However, if you are in urgent need of the information, I’ve learned most of what I know about nutrition in regards to athletic performance from these great resources:

• Robb Wolf’s Blog (Listen to his podcast too, it’s full of good information)
• Mark Sisson – Primal Blueprint Blog (This is a very good place to start if you know absolutely nothing about Paleolithic/Primal dieting, etc.)
• maurodipasquale.com (Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale is a licensed physician and a champion powerlifter.  He is the creator of the Anabolic Diet, now called the Anabolic Solution.)

I will be eating roughly around 2790-3000 calories, determined from Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale’s recommendation of multiplying bodyweight by 18 (155lbs * 18 = 2790).

Current body composition stats:

• Weight: 155lbs
• Body Fat: 9%

Goals:

• Weight: 170lbs at least by end of 2010
• Body Fat: Less than 9%

Now for the the actual log!

It’ll seem like I only eat bacon, but that’s mostly because I haven’t gone to get more groceries yet, so I don’t have much variety to choose from.  But once I head to the store, the dishes shouldn’t be so boring….What?  Did you agree?  How can bacon be boring?  Burn the heretic!

Meal 1: 4 pieces of Bacon, 4 Eggs (fried in bacon grease), 1 cup of Coffee (Black)

Meal 2: 4 pieces of Bacon crumbled onto 3oz. of Romaine Lettuce

Pre-workout: 1 scoop ON Whey

Workout:

• 5/3/1 Backsquat
• Accessory work: Barbell Lunges, Good Mornings, 100lb Timed Dumbbell Holds

Post-workout: 1 scoop ON Whey

Meal 3: 4 pieces of Bacon, 6 Eggs (fried in butter)

You can't go wrong with good ol' bacon and eggs

Meal 4: Pan-fried Herb Butter Chicken, 3oz. Romaine Lettuce

Just coat chicken with crushed garlic and lots of herbs like Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, whatever you got, and fry in a pan with lots of butter. Yum.

Meal 5: Leftovers from Meal 4.  I cooked 16oz. of chicken and I couldn’t finish it all in one meal.

Total: (graphic of the nutrient breakdown from FitDay.com)

With technology we can achieve incredible accuracy. But we lazy.

That’s all for today, folks.  Please provide comments/suggestions or things you want me to include.

___

Charles Lee
http://music.charleslee.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/charlesleemusic
Facebook: http://facebook.com/charlesleemusic
Email: contact@charleslee.com

But anyway, that’s not the point of this post.  I just want to announce that I will be redesigning this blog (not that it was designed before).

Beyond just a change in this blog’s appearance, I want to expand the topics I will post about.  Namely, instead of just talking about music-making or album releases, I want to share more of what I know about fitness, strength, and nutrition as these are the topics, other than music, which interest me greatly.  I have invested countless hours researching and educating myself about proper nutrition in relation to athletic performance and body composition.  Not to mention the countless hours spent testing it out on myself, whether it be what I eat or what I do at the gym.

Constipation

I will still continue to post music recording tips and other things related to music and songwriting.  So, in order to organize the blog so that it is not too difficult for people to find what they are most interested in, I will be looking for good ways in which I can allow readers to easily call up the posts about either music, nutrition, training, or whatever else.  This can actually already be done due to the fact that I categorize all my posts, but the key is to make it easier (think one-button click).  That is my goal.  As I continue to refine the design of the blog, please feel free to provide comments and suggestions!

I hope you guys will enjoy the new design and the new posts!  Let me know what you would most like to see (training routines, what do I eat at each meal, etc.).  Have a good past-midnight!

Grace and peace,

Charles Lee
http://music.charleslee.com

http://twitter.com/charlesleemusic
http://facebook.com/charlesleemusic

I am very happy to say that my debut album “Road to Calvary” is now available for download! (Hint: Read to the end of this post to get some delicious insider information)

Places to download “Road to Calvary”:

iTunes

Currently it is only available in the US iTunes Store. I will let you know once it is available internationally.

Included in the download:

• 7 MP3 Tracks with integrated album cover
• My sincere thanks

Amazon.com

If you are not in the US, Amazon is another place where you can buy my album.

Included in the download:

• 7 MP3 Tracks with integrated album cover
• My heartfelt gratitude

My Website (music.charleslee.com)

I will also sell my album through my website, where you can stream the tracks in full.

Included in the download:

• 7 MP3/WAV/FLAC/whatever format Tracks with integrated album cover AND lyrics (awesome when you are playing it on your iPod or iPhone)
• World Peace…I mean, peace in my world.

And Many More…

Road to Calvary will also be available at many other digital distributors including eMusic, Rhapsody, Napster, Spotify, Liquid Digital, Verizon V-Cast, Lala, Shockhound, Nokia, Amie Street, Last.fm, Zune, MediaNet, Didiom, Tradebit, InProdicon, GreatIndieMusic, Lime Wire, Thumbplay, etc.

And now for some…Insider Information:

• On iTunes, Amazon, and most online digital distributors, Road to Calvary costs $6.93 + tax.  But at my website, it just costs $6.50 with no tax! But the most important thing you might want to know is…
• I have discount codes for 20% off if you buy from my website http://music.charleslee.com! How to get one? I’m glad you asked. There are a couple of ways:

• • On Twitter, I will DM you the discount code if you do these steps: 1) follow me (@charlesleemusic) and 2) tweet this message:

The debut album Road to Calvary by @CharlesLeeMusic now available! – http://bit.ly/CL-RTC (RT for discount code)

• • Or on Facebook, I will send you a message with the discount code if you: 1) fan (like?) me on Facebook and 2) update your status with this: (remember to select my page on the drop-down menu when you type @Charles Lee so I know.  If I don’t send you the discount code within a day, message me, I’ll gladly make sure you get it!)

The debut album Road to calvary by @Charles Lee now available! - http://bit.ly/CL-RTC
Also available on iTunes, Amazon, and many more online music stores.

Thanks for all the support!  I’m incredibly honored if you do listen to and buy my album.  If you have any questions or would like to give me feedback, I am always glad to listen.  Hope you enjoy!

Cheers,

Charles Lee
http://music.charleslee.com

http://twitter.com/charlesleemusic
http://facebook.com/charlesleemusic

Are physical copies of albums still desirable? That’s what I’m trying to figure out. It seems like unless my physical CD album is able to mow your lawn and defend your kid from bullies, there aren’t many reasons why you would want a CD. Does your computer still even have a CD player? I thought everything now uses witchcraf…I mean wireless? Or bluetooth, which sounds like some dragon age mystical power up. But anyway, I realize that there are people (and I am one of them) who still kind of like having something that can be held. I’ve always loved flipping through the inserts when I first bring a cd home.

But nowadays, when it’s just as simple for me to post all the information, pictures, lyrics, etc. somewhere online or even e-mail it to you, is it worth the money and waiting to hold a physical CD in your hand?  I don’t look like Jessica Alba, so this won’t be something you can look at while you fall asleep.  Since the music will be readily available in digital format for you to put onto your mp3 player, the CD might be a bit obsolete. But this is just my opinion.

So, let me know what you think.  In this day and age, when Tuesdays no longer mean album release day, should I still release physical copies of my album along with the digital version?

One more thing, have you heard my music?  If not, this is the website where I post my tracks as I complete them (although they are currently still pre-mastered): http://music.charleslee.com

I would be honored if you would have a listen! And leave comments on what you think. I appreciate any and all feedback.

___

Charles Lee
http://music.charleslee.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/charlesleemusic
Facebook: http://facebook.com/charlesleemusic

I’ve been there (the “no idea how to record listenable music” not the baby seal mind-blowing) so I know how frustrating it is when you know that what you’ve written is not the same piece of crap that Sound Recorder is spitting out.

Here I will list out the three most basic things you should consider if you want listenable songs, not professional, but at least clear enough to know it’s a song and not horse mating captured on a cell phone.

I will focus on digitally recording your music, meaning using your computer (hope you have one) to record and arrange sounds.

Be warned: this is for the outright beginner, if you already have extensive experience recording your own music, you are going to be bored out of your underwear.

Also: This guide won’t make your tracks sound like a professional album, but it will make your tracks sound clear and presentable enough so that it could be mastered to sound like a professional album. I will discuss the need for mastering in future posts.

1. Microphone

Okay, so you have the newest 70″ iWall with a 20GHz processor and speakers that can alter your heartbeat to whatever song is playing, but chances are, your built-in microphone still sucks.  Maybe your built-in microphone is actually okay, but it has to go through a sound card, which makes a difference too.

In the future, you might decide on swapping out your sound card or buying an audio interface, but at this time I won’t go into using audio interfaces/sound cards. However, if you are interested, this is a good read: How to Get Audio into Your Computer

At the bare minimum, I believe that having a good microphone makes a difference. But as I said earlier, going through a poor sound card will affect the sound. So what’s the solution?  USB.  There are currently quite a few USB Microphones in the market right now. Sending your sound signal through USB means that it completely bypasses the sound card, eliminating the need to have a good sound card to have good clear sounds.

Do some research on how much you are willing to pay for a USB Microphone. prices can vary from $10 to over $400.  Decide what kind of microphone you want, generally a solid condenser microphone does the job for most people.

Blue Microphones makes some very good professional-quality USB microphones.  I personally use a Blue Snowball Microphone and I have to recommend it to anyone who wants a well-priced, good condenser microphone.

The Blue Snowball Microphone

Take note: By no means am I saying that having a USB Microphone is the only way to get good clear sounds, but I am recommending it because it bypasses your computer’s sound card and I have had success doing it this way.

2. Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

A Digital Audio Workstation or DAW is just a program you can use on your computer/laptop to help you record, arrange, and edit sound clips. Even if you are a “One-man A cappella and Dog Howling” group that does not need multiple tracks or sound clips to produce a song, a DAW will still help tremendously.

Imagine you sang all the 5 verses and 7 choruses perfectly but screwed up on the final ending chorus.  With a program to help you cut and paste and adjust volume and whatever else needs to be fixed, you don’t have to sing the whole 20 minutes again.  Instead, you can just re-sing the last chorus and then, using a DAW, attach it to what you recorded earlier.

Audacity is a good (and free) open source DAW.  It is available on both Windows and Mac platforms.  I myself have not used much of audacity, but it has gotten a reputation of being more powerful than what its price tag leads us to believe.

For PC users there is Mixcraft. Mixcraft is a powerful DAW that provides a lot of good virtual instruments and gives you plenty of control over your tracks. The cost is about $64.95 but there is a free trial you can download and try. Head over to the website to see more details: http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/

For Mac users you already have GarageBand packaged with your mac, unless you have already mastered everything there is to know about GarageBand and can make your cat’s meow sound like Spartan war, I believe that it is more than enough.  GarageBand really is a powerful tool for recording artists who want to do their recording at home.  It has a large library of virtual instruments, lots of effects, and just the overall ease-of-use to make your tracks sound good.

This is what GarageBand looks like. Pretty right?

The only problem I have with GarageBand is that it does not allow me to export my tracks as uncompressed wav files.  But otherwise use GarageBand if you have it, it’s great.

3. Patience for your Passion

Recording good or reasonable-quality songs is not simply a matter of having the right equipment or writing the best songs. It takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what makes your songs sound their best.

After you’ve at least given your voice/guitar/bass/triangle a nice clear recording and have it set out in your DAW, you need to fiddle around with what your DAW allows you to do. Adjust the volume levels, the EQ, add compression, just mess with it.  As you get more comfortable with the DAW you are using, you’ll learn to pick out what makes your songs sound better; it could be panning your guitars to the left/right while keeping your vocals, bass, and drums in the center of the project in the DAW (also called the mix). You’ll find out.

Basically, just keep making awesome music and recording said awesome music and let me listen!  I would love nothing more than to hear what you’ve written and give you my feedback.

Thanks for reading so far, this is a long post! If you have any further questions or would like to correct me or give me additional pointers please feel free to do so!

I don’t intend to make myself look like I know everything there is to know about recording and I definitely am far from being anywhere near the best, so I want to hear what you all think!  I would be incredibly appreciative if you had things to add.

Btw, if you have twitter, come say hi and I would appreciate a follow! I just joined recently – http://www.twitter.com/charlesleemusic

And of course, if you haven’t checked out my music it can be heard at my website: http://music.charleslee.com

Cheers,

Charles Lee
http://music.charleslee.com

I just started this blog mainly to share certain things:

• My own material as I complete recording the tracks.
• Talented musicians you might or might not have heard.
• How I record my tracks without spending big money for a professional studio.
• How I’m so cold right now that my nipples hurt.

If you are a fan of music, an aspiring musician, or just like reading english words, come back often and check out some good music, talk to me about your experiences, or laugh at my inability to handle cold weather, etc.

If you have a twitter account, I would love it if you followed me @charlesleemusic (http://www.twitter.com/charlesleemusic). I just started using twitter not too long ago, you can show me the ropes!

I also love hearing good music, so if you have anything you want to share with me, I’d be more than happy to hear what it is.  Just send me a link, I’ll listen to anything other than your dog farting at 3am. Thank you.

Cheers,

Charles Lee