Can You Build Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time?
February 18, 2010
Can You Build Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time?
One of the goals that many people just starting to work out try to achieve is to simultaneously build muscle while losing body fat. They think that working out will magically take them from having a flabby body to a body like Brad Pitt’s ala Fight Club or Snatch. But the truth is, it just isn’t that simple.
A basic understanding for the mechanics of how the body works dictates that you must consume an excess of calories to build muscle, but must be at a calorie deficit to lose body fat.
As you can see, these two goals require the exact opposite treatment to achieve them. So obviously, losing body fat and building muscle at the same time is impossible, right?
Muscle Recovery Supplements
February 17, 2010
Muscle Recovery Supplements
If you’re a beginner and just started training or if you’re super advanced and have been training for years, muscle recovery is absolutely key to your success. When it comes to supplementation we of course want to try and get all our nutrients from a diet rich in lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meats like fish plus whole grains and beans. However, having a diet that is perfect in this way can be really challenging especially if you are always on the run or trying to keep to a budget.
If you’re finding that your muscles are always sore or you’re not getting the results you think you should be getting then supplementation to our diet can be considered after we take the time to understand what supplements are safe for us and will work with our routine.
Let’s take a quick and brief look at some of the safest and most tested supplements for muscle recovery in the market.
Lower Back Pain Stretches
February 16, 2010
Lower Back Pain Stretches
A few weeks ago I wrote an article on Lower Back Pain Exercises and this week I thought I’d come full circle and talk about lower back pain stretches we can do to relieve all that tension.
The thing about lower back pain is that it can be alleviated quite easily if we spend a few minutes a day stretching it out. But before we get into that I thought it was important to look at the possible causes of lower back pain…
Lower Back Pain Causes
Let’s first look at the main cause for lower back pain. Most people I know have a job that involves them sitting down for most of the day, but even those who have the top of the line lumbar supporting chairs, lower back pain is still common.
Muscle Memory
February 15, 2010
Muscle Memory
The question many people weight training ask is how does muscle memory work and how can we capitalize on this in our workouts? Well the answer may be a little more complicated than it seems but this article seeks to demystify the muscle memory phenomenon and provide you with strategies to make the most of your workouts even when you miss a few days or weeks.
What is Muscle Memory?
Physiologically speaking muscle memory is also known as nerromuscular facilitation whereby our muscles memorize movements and through space and time.
When Is It Time To Take A Break From Your Diet?
February 14, 2010
When Is It Time To Take A Break From Your Diet?
Too many dieters fall into the trap of dieting for long periods of time. What usually happens is this: as the weeks move on, the pounds stop coming off.
Instead of taking a break from their diet, they just reduce calories or increase their levels of cardio, but, in the end, they don’t end up losing any more weight.
What they should have done is take a break from their diet. But, how do you know when it is time to take a break?
Whey Protein Powder Should You Use – Whey or Casein?
February 12, 2010
What Protein Powder Should You Use – Whey or Casein?
Protein powder is an essential supplement for anyone looking to improve their overall health, strength and endurance. But, what kind of protein powder is best for you? Is whey better than casein?
One form of protein is not better than the other, they just serve different purposes.
The main difference between the two kinds of protein is their rate of absorption…
Low Glycemic Carbs for Weight Loss?
February 12, 2010
Low Glycemic Carbs for Weight Loss?
Do You Really Need To Avoid Simple Carbs And High GI Carbs If Your Goal Is To Lose Weight?
Everyone has heard it before – if you want to lose weight, you have to cut out simple carbs that have a high glycemic load and focus on getting complex, low glycemic load carbs. But, is this true? Is eating a sweet potato better than eating a white potato for weight loss? Is oatmeal better than pasta?
For weight loss alone, there doesn’t seem to be any benefits to avoiding simple, high GI carbs.
Benefits of Whole Foods
February 10, 2010
What Are The Benefits Of Eating Whole Foods Over Taking Supplements To Get Your Daily Nutritional Requirements?
If you have looked in a nutrition store any time in the past few years, you will know that there is a supplement for almost everything. Protein powders are the most common, but there are carb supplements, and even fats (fish oil, etc) in supplement form. In theory, someone could get all the daily nutritional requirements by taking just supplements. But, this is clearly you can be smarter than this.
There is a reason they are called supplements – they are to supplement your normal diet. There are many different vitamins and minerals that are found in whole foods that just aren’t found in many supplements. Sure, you can probably find them in pill form, but you will probably end up taking upwards of 30 different pills per day, and this could get expensive. Supplements are very convenient, but they are in no way a substitute for real food.
How To Wake Up Early
February 9, 2010
How To Wake Up Early
Without a doubt sleep is a critical component of your training/weight loss plan and competitive athletes are very aware of this. Sleep is the time when our body repairs all our muscles and prepares all waste products to be removed so if you are doing all the training in the world but you’re not getting enough sleep then you are also not going to see the results you should be getting.
I’ll be honest waking up early has always been a struggle for me and is something I have been working on a lot lately mostly because I’ve found when I wake up early and get to the gym first thing my energy levels are heightened for the rest of the day. This is extremely effective in making you far more productive in your work and opens up time to spend with your friends and family so the rewards are pretty awesome.
How To Wake Up Early Tip 1
When is the Best Time To Workout?
February 8, 2010
When is the Best Time To Workout?
Many people wonder if the actual timing of your workouts matter. Is it better to workout in the morning so you can take advantage of a raised metabolism throughout the day? Or is it better to workout at night to burn up any extra calories you have ingested throughout the day? Many people have varying opinions on this, but the general consensus is that it doesn’t matter when you have your workout.
Some people like to do fasted cardio and workouts in the morning, because they think it will help them burn fat due to the lack of available carbs. There is a little evidence to support this, but there is also evidence of muscle breakdown, which may outweigh any of the benefits of fasted cardio.
