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Spring is almost here and that means that pool parties, day-trips to the beach, and weekend get-aways to Vegas and Palm Springs are all just around the corner! Unfortunately, many of our favorite spring activities revolve around social scenes involving alcohol and alcohol has a negative impact on the development and maintenance of lean leg muscles.

This doesn’t mean that we can’t have drinks from time to time. As much as I would love to tell everyone to stop drinking entirely, I know that it will only frustrate my followers and cause most to give up too soon. Let’s just focus on baby steps for now. At the end of this blog, I will offer some helpful tips on how to get the body you want without completely eliminating the beer, booze, and ability to maintain a social life.

In the meantime, let’s explore the effect of alcohol on the body:

1) alcohol consumption has a negative impact on the body’s ability to make protein. Proteins are made from the process of combining amino acids. Alcohol consumption can slow this process by up to 20%! Since muscles are made of protein, this will decrease our body’s ability to create or restore muscle.

2) alcohol affects our hormones. Consumption decreases testosterone levels and testosterone is the most important hormone for building lean muscle. Alcohol also increases estrogen levels and this hormone is responsible for the production and storage of fat as well as increased water retention that often leads to feeling “bloated.”

3) alcohol consumption causes dehydration. In order for the kidneys to break down alcohol, large amounts of water need to be consumed. Unfortunately, most of us do not drink enough water to begin with. Water intake is critical for building lean muscles because the more hydrated a muscle is, the more potential it has for force generation. The more force a muscle can produce, the more opportunity for lean muscle development.

4) alcohol consumption leads to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Vitamins and minerals play a crucial role within our bodies and many are responsible for proper muscle-firing. This muscle firing action is necessary for the development of muscle definition.  Specific vitamins and minerals depleted by alcohol consumption include vitamins A, B’s, C, calcium, zinc, and phosphorus.

5) Last, alcohol is made up of empty calories and this will absolutely lead to excess fat. Our bodies convert the calories we eat into usable energy. However, the 7 calories per gram of alcohol consumed can’t be converted into energy. When calories can’t be converted, they are either eliminated or stored. If weight loss is your goal, then stored calories are your enemy. The only calories you want in your diet are those your body can use to keep you going.

So, how do we get the body we want without losing our social life? My best advice is to be disciplined by using alcohol as a reward for constructive and successful behavior.

I allow myself drinks 2 nights per week and I plan them in advanced. My strategy is to ditch the booze Sunday-Thursday and to workout for at least 1 hour for these 5 days. I make plans in advanced for Friday and Saturday nights and I enjoy myself and my alcohol on those days because I have made efforts toward self-improvement all week. If I don’t get my 5 hours in, then I don’t let myself drink on the weekends.

This has been my best self-monitoring strategy and a great motivating force for me throughout my career as a trainer, nutrition coach, and national figure competitor. It also has given me something to look forward to during all of my intense training.

It’s easy to do. If you want your body to change, then just set yourself some boundaries before you enjoy your beer and booze. Cheers!