Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

Building Your Muscles

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:29:00 +0000

Let's face it, every time you look at your body you always find something that needs improvement, even if no one else thinks so. Probably one of the biggest areas that gets this kind of criticism is your muscles, specifically your arms, chest and abs. Every guy goes to a mirror, flexes and thinks, "I want bigger muscles!". Well lucky for you I have the answer for you. See the results you want in as little as 2 weeks! Just follow my helpful hints and I'll guide you to those muscles you've always wanted.

First decide what you want to do, either tone your muscles or build your muscles. If your answer stick around for future posts about how to tone, but for now we are going to focus on building that muscle mass. Well obviously the first step is start training, weight training to be exact. A fun fact not everyone knows is while you are at the gym you actually don't build muscle! It's true, you are actually destroying your muscles and tearing them! But don't worry thats a good thing, your muscles begin to grow in the recovery process. So that is where we will begin, what you should do AFTER a workout and during the day as well.

Eat, Eat, Eat!

To gain any kind of mass you will need to increase your daily calorie consumption. Specifically foods with a high protein content such as meat, chicken and eggs. Keep in mind you can't just eat high protein foods, you have to have a well balanced diet. Be sure to include your vegetables, carbohydrates, fruits, and yes even some fats. Some good examples of things to eat would be things such as spinach, bananas, brown rice, whole wheat products, oats, olive oil and many more foods, it's up to you!

In the muscle recovery process there is nothing quite as important as protein. Protein helps heal your muscles and supply them with nutrients they need. The standard is you should consume 1 gram per pound of body weight. Now with this said, that would be a lot of steaks in one day so instead almost every person trying to build you will see consuming a shake like drink during the day or right after their workouts. These are protein supplement shakes. There are two types of protein you can get, Whey or Casein, both with advantages over the other. Keep posted for posts giving you the best supplement advice!

Whey protein is to be consumed directly after your workout or within 30 minutes after. Whey is fast absorbing protein, usually fully absorbed within 45 minutes, and aids in the repairing of your muscles. You will notice that your muscles won't hurt as much thanks to the protein.

Casein is a very slow absorbing protein. You would not take this after a workout, but instead around bedtime. Consuming it right before bed allows it to settle and slowly work its way through your body, repairing the muscle fibers.

So now you know what to do after a workout and during the day, but what do you do for your actual workout? It is actually quite simple, focus on certain muscle groups on certain days. For instance spend one day and focus entirely on your biceps and triceps. When determining weight to lift, aim high. Aim for around 6 reps at a relatively high weight and do it for 3-5 sets. When working out, machines are great, but when it comes to building mass machines are NOT the answer. Using free weights and bars allow you to move in a free range of motion. This works your muscles way better than being constricted on a machine. Don't get me wrong machines are great, but if your looking to gain size fast free weights are your best bet.

Want an actual workout plan guaranteed to work? Stay tuned for posts of the actual workouts!

Images from:
http://www.family-wellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/080205121740-large.jpg
http://www.hardbodysuccessblog.com/.a/6a00e00995147488330133f31202c1970b-800wi

Where Do I Start?!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:57:00 +0000

Before you begin your journey to your own 'perfect body,' you must first step back and think to yourself, "What do I want to accomplish?" Maybe you want to lose a whole pile of weight, or maybe you want to build up muscle, or maybe you want to tone up and chisel out your features and get that ripped body; whatever you choose, it all starts with setting a goal. I will outline every step of the way to help you with that process for each of these goals.

Weight Loss

Take a moment and look at how you are eating right now. Are you eating healthy? If the answer is no this is the first place to start. The average person will eat three meals a day, usually not in the right proportions. That's the first mistake people make, three meals a day isn't enough! If you've tried dieting before, you know that there would be times in the day you find your stomach grumbling for food. This is because when you diet you usually cut back your food intake from what you were used too. This isn't necessarily a good thing, you see if you cut too much food from your diet your body will start to go into starvation mode. So any food you do eat will be stored as fat so the body has energy to burn. Now is that what you want, always being hungry yet still gaining weight? The answer to this problem is really quite simple, eat more! I'm not saying to eat chips, candy, etc; after all we want to get rid of the fat. You should instead eat six meals a day.
I know a lot of you are probably reading this saying, "Six meals a day?! I'll for sure gain weight!" But that is not at all the case, when I say eat six meals a day I don't mean go out and have yourself a buffet for three of those meals, I'm saying eat small meals portioned correctly. One of the greatest tips that not many people know when it comes to losing weight is this, never give your body the chance to get too hungry. The longer you wait to eat again, the hungrier you become, and the hungrier you become the more food you are likely to eat at your next meal. It's as simple as that, eat! And of course I mean eat healthy. Below are just a few things you should consider switching in your diet and also an example of how a six meal day might look.

Instead of white bread switch to a whole wheat, whole wheat is part of the 'good carbohydrate' group

Fiber is key- choose to eat such things like pears or whole grains

Try to eliminate things called 'empty calories.' These are things like soda that really have no nutritional value for your body.

Drink, drink, drink! Drink water of course is what i mean. Try to drink a glass every morning and have at least eight glasses throughout the day.

Meal 1: 3-4 egg omelet- mix your favorite veggies in too!

2 slices wheat toast

Piece of fruit (apple, banana, pear)

12oz cup of coffee (caffeine stimulates weight loss)

Meal 2: 1 cup brown rice

1 medium apple

At least 2 glasses of water

Meal 3: Medium sized salad (putting things like eggs and beats is a great idea)

2 Glasses of water

Meal 4: 2 cups of chicken and vegetable stir-fry

1 cup yogurt mixed with some flax seed and fruit of your choice

2 glasses of water

Iced Tea

Meal 5: 5oz chicken breast (grilled)

3-5 small roasted potatoes

1 cup steamed vegetables

2 glasses of water

Meal 6: 1 1/2 cups low-fat yogurt

2 glasses of water

Note: This is not a strict diet by any means. Adjust portions where necessarily and fill in things you like that are healthy. This is just a guideline to help you get started.

Eating right is only half the battle when it comes to losing weight. Exercise and weight loss go hand in hand. One of the best types of exercise to do is cardio. What is cardio you ask? These are workouts like for instance jogging or riding a bike. There are two different types of cardiovascular exercise, high impact and low impact. What you choose is entirely up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

Just to give a brief rundown of what each are, high impact exercises include things such as running and plyometrics. They are considered high impact because of the toll they take on joints and ligaments. As you can imagine running can take a toll on some peoples bodies, however it is not necessarily a bad thing. Using high impact workout you strengthen those ligaments and joints making you a stronger person, also high impact workouts tend to burn more calories due to your feet always moving and doing something.

Low impact exercises are less straining on your body. Low impact exercises include things such as a slow walk, swimming, cycling and elliptical machines among other things. As you notice these are all things that do not require your feet to impact the ground with great strain. Some argue low impact exercises are all around better for you, saying not only is it better for your joints, but can burn even more calories than high impact training. When it comes down to it however, the choice lies with you. Both are an excellent way to lose weight and keep it off.

I'm going to start you off in the right direction by outlining your first day for you.

Day 1

8:00- Meal 1 (breakfast)

11:00- Meal 2

12:00- Protein Shake*

2:00- Meal 3

5:00- Meal 4

6:00- Since this your first day start with a light 30 minute jog for today's exercise

Close to bedtime- Meal 6

* For your protein shake simply mix 1 scoop of whey protein with whatever you like. A scoop of strawberry whey mixed with skim milk and some real strawberries is an excellent tasting way to get your nutrients.

Images from:

http://www.scenicreflections.com/ithumbs/cycling_Wallpaper_fj3s0.jpg
http://www.namasteshopper.com/Namaste/images/stories/Health/woman-jogging.jpg
http://www.bellenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/weight_loss_vegetables_eat_healthy.jpg
http://simplehealthybliss.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/women-man-6-pack-abs1.jpg

Lose Those Extra Pounds

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:57:00 +0000

When people think of losing weight the first thing that pops into their minds is diet, diet, diet. That word alone scares people into thinking they can't do it. So for those of you who hate that word, I have good news for you; you don't have too! When you talk about losing weight it's not about how much food you put in your body, it's what kinds. As a matter of fact, if you cut too much food out of your daily consumption you can actually gain weight! When your body is food deprived it goes into survival mode and instead of burning fat cells,it stores them. So we aren't going to focus on limiting food but instead on eating the right foods. Below is a list of foods you should start eating to start you on your path to your dream body.

Eggs
Eggs are a key breakfast food. Consider switching your bagel or your muffins with 2-3 eggs every morning. Eggs keep that 'full' feeling in your stomach longer. Many studies show people who ate eggs for breakfast rather than breads and such lost almost double the weight!

Celery
Get the munchies a lot? Try grabbing for some celery sticks instead of those tempting pretzel sticks. A fun fact about celery, it actually burns more calories to eat it than are actually in it!

Apples
You know how the saying goes an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well the same can be said about fat. An apple is only around 100 calories but is relatively high in fiber. When trying to lose weight, fiber plays a significant role in keeping you full longer.

Oatmeal
Another healthy breakfast alternative, oatmeal is part of a class of foods that release carbohydrates slower than other foods. This slow release helps the body maintain normal sugar levels which in turn gives you the satisfaction of feeling full for long periods of time.

Salad
Eating a salad before a meal is good for you in many ways. Not only are you getting multiple nutrients, but studies show eating a salad before a meal can cause you to eat up to 20% less during the meal.

Black Beans
Black beans are part of the high protein foods. Black beans can supply you with up to 20 grams of protein without any of the fats found in other foods! Protein is vital when trying to grow and recover muscles.

Brown Rice
Brown rice is a healthier pick over white rice. Its packed with fiber and resistant starch, a healthy carb that boosts your metabolism which in turn burns more calories!

Salmon
Choosing any fish over meat is a smart choice. Salmon especially is leaner and higher in protein not from fat in comparison to red meats.

Pears
Eating a pear or two a day curbs that appetite by filling you with fiber. Make sure to eat the skin! That's where the fiber is hiding.

These are just a few of the foods you should eat. Stay posted for even more foods and recipes!

HyperSmash

Images from:
http://lovingthebike.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/black-beans.jpg
http://bitchingkitchen.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/celery-lg1.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ddgo_mhRclo/TKp2eJjyKUI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/1pBXrpNW4MY/s1600/waistline.jpg

Get Fit!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 05:28:00 +0000

Summer is quickly approaching, and we all know what that means; bathing suite season. For some that is a welcomed time of the year, a time where they get to strut their stuff knowing how hard they worked the rest of the year to show it off. But for some of us, we don't have the time, the motivation or just plain will-power to actually follow through and complete a workout plan. That's where this blog comes in. Chances are if you are reading this that you haven't had the time to sculpt that dream body everyone craves. But I have good news, it's not too late to chisel out that beach body, just in time for summer. You will find on this blog workout routines for both men and women, advice and the answer to the ultimate 'dream body.'

Ping your blog

Image from http://www.gainmusclemass.net