LIFE & FITNESS

Short Circuiting Your Conditioning

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 07:34:00 +0000

For many a first-time gym-goer, the journey to a stronger, fitter body began at some rudimentary circuit — some neatly sequestered, dated set of machines that provided a safe, controlled introduction to the wide world of resistance training. And after training a few movement patterns, it was time to take that newfound strength to the free-weight area. From this point, most people never look back — circuit training is forever associated with newbie status and is therefore mothballed.

But circuits still hold as much utility as they ever did. You just have to be willing to think beyond the innocuous confines of that initial bank of machines. With a little creativity, you can rekindle your relationship with circuits, adding heaps of new muscle and stripping your body of unwanted fat in less time.

Why Circuits?

Your initial foray into circuit training wasn’t just some willy-nilly, haphazard way to get you training, even if it was recommended to you by some pushy salesman in a red polo. There’s a method to the madness. Although circuit newbs are welcome to take the exercises at their own pace, the near-universal recommendation is to complete a certain amount of reps — generally 10 — then move as quickly as possible to the next station. This process is repeated until the entire circuit is completed. A circuit usually comprises eight to 10 exercises, one for each muscle group.

By keeping your resistance and rep counts in known hypertrophy ranges and pairing that with relatively short rest periods (about 30 seconds), you could see improvements in strength, muscle size and stamina. The best of most worlds.

It is worth noting that although dedicated circuit trainers will never win a deadlift competition or the CrossFit Games, they will experience appreciable improvements across multiple domains of fitness. One of the greatest benefits? A welcome departure from the usual lift-things-up-and-put-them-down approach that can be so painfully repetitive.

Circuits 2.0

While circuits are great, machine training has plenty of limitations, chief among them being that machines work in a preset range of motion — one that neglects your body’s natural movement. With free weights, movement usually occurs in subtle arcs; very few movements occur in straight lines. This means that with machines you’re missing out biomechanically, leaving you vulnerable to strength gaps and imbalances, and impeding your ability to move athletically in multiple dimensions.

Another big drawback? Doing the same 10 exercises three times a week is the lifter’s equivalent to filling out those TPS reports for Bill Lumbergh — just agonizingly boring. In order to progress, you have to incrementally introduce new challenges to your body. That means new movements, shorter rest periods, advanced techniques, new exercise pairings, different equipment and other variables that can rejuvenate an ailing gym life and stoke new and exciting changes in the mirror. Revisiting circuit training can help you do that.

But as a more experienced lifter, you are likely proficient with multiple forms of exercise and equipment and your own bodyweight. This opens up a whole new world in the training variety department. However, when trying to circuit train away from your gym’s “machine row” — especially during the facility’s rush hour — you have to be wary of equipment usage (yours and others’). You don’t want to hog the 30-pound dumbbells for a half-hour while you’re whizzing through your eighth or ninth round. That’s why it pays to break up your circuit work into several smaller-but-strategic circuits that take equipment use into account, keeping you in the good graces of those you share the floor with.

Rewiring Your Circuitry

These four short circuits can be done individually as add-ons at the end of a workout or they can be strung together — as many or as few as you’d like — to create a supercircuit of epic, sweat-soaked magnitude.

Perform each circuit three or four times through. Rest no longer than 30 seconds between circuits.

The venerable kettlebell is one of the most valuable (and fun) workout tools to come into wide use in recent memory. In this circuit, you’ll start out with a simple two-hand kettlebell swing. The explosive nature of this hip hinge calls for a high degree of energy, which is why it comes first. This exercise targets your glute-ham tie-in while strengthening the whole of your posterior chain musculature. The upright positioning of the body during the goblet squat emphasizes your quads while also taxing the deep stabilizing muscles of your core, which is what makes it a good second move. The half Turkish get-up we’re recommending isn’t textbook — this variation is essentially a single-sided, weighted crunch, calling for you to flex your midsection to lift your shoulder blades off the ground as high as possible. This imbalance places a high (and unfamiliar) demand on your obliques.

In the interest of furthering the global arms race, we’re offering up this circuit-based arm routine for an out-of-this-world shock to lagging biceps. The supine dumbbell curl places you in a position similar to the preacher curl but without the stabilizing comfort of the bench. With your elbows hanging freely below the level of the bench, you are forced to stabilize your arms in place, thereby necessitating more deliberate, controlled reps. This move, which is akin to a Scott curl, places greater emphasis on the inner head of the biceps. The familiar seated dumbbell curl, which is the strongest move for many avid curlers, is a bit more of a challenge as the second move in this circuit. Finally, the two-arm row — which is obviously targeting your back — requires additional elbow flexion, only now in concert with other pulling muscles. It’s the perfect finish for a small-but-mighty biceps circuit.

Exercise

Supine Dumbbell Curl10

Seated Dumbbell Curl10

Two-Arm Dumbbell Row10

The barbell is the undisputed king of strength and size development when it comes to gym equipment. Here, we’ll call for the judicious use of three key exercises that hit your body from head to toe. Leading off, of course, is the barbell squat. This staple mass builder requires a great deal of energy because of how much musculature is involved. With an emphasis on the large muscles of the hips, quads and low back, the squat should be done with a weight that you can handle for 15 to 20 total reps. This should put you within range of a good overhead pressing weight — if it doesn’t, make a quick adjustment down or have another fixed barbell at the ready. Standing overhead presses aren’t just about bigger delts — the standing position requires laser-like focus and a rock-solid core in order to complete your reps cleanly and without catastrophic injury, even at moderate weight loads. The good morning finishes off your now-tender lower back and reinforces the hinging movement that you’ve been practicing with kettlebell swings.

Bodyweight is your best friend. After rolling through your weight work, you can confidently abandon all equipment (not including a pull-up bar) for this circuit. The pull-up, which should be worked on year-round regardless of goals, comes first. Perform 10 clean pull-ups using any grip that you’d like, then move immediately into 10 plyo push-ups. On each push-up, it is vital to transfer as much force as possible through the floor in order to maximize height and fast-twitch muscle recruitment. You’ll finish with 10 big jump squats before resting 30 seconds and repeating the circuit.

The venerable kettlebell is one of the most valuable (and fun) workout tools to come into wide use in recent memory. In this circuit, you’ll start with a simple two-hand kettlebell swing. The explosive nature of this hip hinge calls for a high degree of energy, which is why it comes first. This exercise targets your glute-ham tie-in while strengthening the whole of your posterior chain musculature. The upright positioning of the body during the goblet squat emphasizes your quads while also taxing the deep stabilizing muscles of your core, which is what makes it a good second move. The half Turkish get-up we’re recommending isn’t textbook — this variation is essentially a single-sided, weighted crunch, calling for you to flex your midsection to lift your shoulder blades off the ground as high as possible. This imbalance places a high (and unfamiliar) demand on your obliques.

Exercise

Kettlebell Swing10

Goblet Squat10

Half Turkish Get-Up10 (each side)

Six Big Mistakes that Minimize Your Max

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 05:19:00 +0000

Notching a one-rep max on a major lift is exhilarating, and the feeling of accomplishment when you set an all-new personal record is like nothing else. Thing is, people tend to make a lot of mistakes in the pursuit of those PRs, turning an already challenging process into a frustrating backslide.

To ID those costly errors head-on, we recruited Heather Farmer, a personal trainer, CrossFit group-class instructor and top-ranked national Olympic weightlifting competitor based in New York. Here, Farmer calls out the six most heinous mistakes she sees and the Rx she recommends for hitting those PRs.

Mistake #1: Expecting to make fast, uninterrupted progress.

As you train, your strength may initially advance more rapidly than your ability to execute proper technique, and you may actually need to dial back on your weight for a while to focus on form. “You can’t always expect to just add weight or reps without plateaus in your progress,” Farmer explains. “A cycle is progressive. It’s designed to build up your strength over time.”

When squatting, for example, your back may be a weak link, unable to stabilize properly in the bottom. Taking time to strengthen this bodypart is essential when trying to build to a max, according to Farmer, and should be prioritized.

Mistake #2: Only performing the lift you want to PR.

“If you want to PR your snatch, you can’t just snatch all day, every day,” Farmer warns. “You need [to perform] auxiliary exercises to strengthen the components of the lift.”

Buttress your training with movements that hit the same muscle groups and stimulate similar muscle recruitment patterns as the lift you’re targeting. For instance, do hack squats and lunges to bolster a squat, and overhead squats and barbell pulls from the floor for a snatch, says Farmer.

Mistake #3: Failing to focus.

Try to do too much all at once and everything will suffer. “Pick one or two exercises at most to focus on as your primary training goal,” Farmer suggests. “Those should take priority in designing the rest of your program.” For instance, if you’re working on your squat max, put your leg/lower-body training day first in your split, after a rest day. Your squat should be done first after a warm-up, when you’re strongest. And the intensity for the rest of your lifts and bodyparts should be scaled back accordingly to allow for optimal recovery of the main targets.

Mistake #4: Doing higher-rep sets in your pre-max training mode.

If you want to hit a one-rep max you’ve got to progressively move toward that rep range. And though you might start with heavy five-rep deadlifts at the beginning of a cycle, you should phase into lower-rep sets to prepare for your ultimate goal.

“There is deeper muscular recruitment required to hit a one-rep max than a 10-rep-max set,” explains Farmer. “Make sure that as you near the peak of your cycle, you’re emphasizing a rep count similar to that at which you want to peak.”

Mistake #5: Ignoring flexibility training.

“If you lack mobility in any lift, you’ll be limited in what you can ultimately achieve, or you’ll develop strength in a shortened range of motion,” says Farmer. To that end, you’ll want to do dynamic stretching preworkout and stretch and foam roll afterward, paying extra attention to your trouble spots such as the hips, hamstrings, calves and shoulders.

Mistake #6: Skipping active recovery.

While Farmer thinks true overtraining is rare, it’s important to be aware of the signs. “Soreness and fatigue, which are normal effects of training, should not be confused with loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and racing resting heart rate, which indicate a more serious overtraining issue,” she says. Consider recovery modes such as sauna, massage, swimming, and even recreational games like table tennis or basketball, as part of an active recovery plan to prevent overtraining and avoid injury.

Protein-Packed Funfetti Cupcakes That Build Muscle!

noreply@blogger.com (Angelina Rose) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:25:00 +0000

You may not believe me until you make them for yourself, but these protein cupcakes taste just like cake batter. They’re ridiculously moist, smothered in creamy frosting, and topped with sweet gummy bears. Each 110-calorie cupcake contains only three grams of sugar and is packed with 11 grams of muscle-building protein. How can this be?

You can thank the delicious flavor ofJamie Eason Lean Body for Her Whey Isolate in Natural Vanilla, and these fiber-filled (virtually sugar-free!) gummy bears from Smart Sweets. If you’ve made my recipes before, you already know how much I love Jamie’s all-natural protein powders, but these gummies are new to my kitchen. They’re made from tapioca fiber, stevia, coconut oil, and real fruit flavors, and they’re delicious.

If you don't have coconut flour on hand, you can use 6 tablespoons oat flour, all-purpose flour, cake flour, or gluten-free baking blend. You can also substitute the Stevia blend with 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 4 tablespoons Stevia or sugar can be used in place of the erythritol.

Next time you need something sweet, do yourself a favor and make these incredible cupcakes—and try your best to save one for a friend!

Ingredients

Vanilla protein powder: 40 g
Coconut flour: 3 tbsp
Pyure organic Stevia blend: 3 tbsp
Baking powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt: 1/8 tsp
Egg whites: 1/4 cup (2 large)
Nonfat plain Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt): 1/4 cup
Unsweetened applesauce: 2 tbsp
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Vanilla extract: 1/2 tsp
White vinegar (optional): 1/4 tsp
Butter extract (optional): 1/4 tsp
Almond extract (optional): 1/8 tsp
Sprinkles (optional): 1 tsp

Frosting

Fat-free cream cheese or Neufchatel: 3 oz.
Nonfat plain Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt): 3 oz.
Swerve confectioner's erythritol: 4 tbsp.
(or 2 tbsp. stevia blend, or 4 tbsp. stevia or sugar)

Toppings (Optional)

Smart Sweets gummy bears: 20 g
More sprinkles!

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat together the wet ingredients.
Mix dry and wet until smooth, then gently stir in sprinkles.
Line the cups of a muffin pan with paper, silicone, or foil liners, and lightly spray the insides with cooking spray. Or, skip the liners, and lightly coat the inside of each cup with cooking spray.
Divide the batter between six cups, filling them about 2/3 of the way to the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted at the center comes out clean.
While the cupcakes cool, combine the frosting ingredients until they're smooth. Place the frosting in the fridge while the cupcakes continue cooling.
Frost the cupcakes using a piping bag or a sealable baggie (like a Ziploc) with one corner cut off.
Decorate with gummy bears and more sprinkles!
Enjoy immediately or freeze for later (no preservatives).

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1 cupcake (including frosting and toppings)
Recipe yields: 6 servings
Calories: 110
Fat: 3.6 g
Carbs: 9 g
Protein: 11 g

How to add an inch of muscle to your arms

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:22:00 +0000

You know the saying: Sun’s out, guns out. So here’s a simple but effective training template to add an inch to your arms by summer.

Minute 1: Do 8 to 12 reps of a biceps exercise
Minute 2: Do 8 to 12 reps of a triceps exercise
Minute 3: Rest

That’s 1 round. Do 5 total rounds.

Perform this 15-minute routine to start your workout when you’re most fresh. Do it up to 3 times per week, switching up the variations every time you do it. This provides the right amount of volume, intensity, frequency, and variation for max gainz.

Speaking of variation, below are some of my favorite options for the biceps and triceps exercises.

Biceps: chinup, close-grip chinup, preacher curl, barbell/E-Z bar curl, dumbbell curl, hammer curl, cable curl, Zottman curl

Triceps: dip, close-grip bench press, floor press, close-grip pushup, triceps extension, triceps pushdown, overhead triceps extension, board press

Progress from session to session by increasing your total rep count, using a heavier load (once you can do 5 sets of 12 reps, bump up the load), or choosing a more difficult exercise variation.

For the bodyweight exercises, add weight or use assistance as needed to stay within the 8 to 12 rep range. You can also use a more advanced variation of the same move. For example, elevate your feet on the close-grip pushups of you can get more than 12 on the floor.

In this Instagram video, I'm showing two of my favorite dumbbell options, both with a wrist twist.

You’ll also see what the last 4 reps should look like on the final set. You have to grind them out if you want to change.

Consider this your official call to arms. Now to get work, men!

This article originally appeared on MensHealth.com.

The Most Effective And Equipment Free Ways To Build Muscles

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:20:00 +0000

Do you want strong muscles and a sleeker physique? Are your days so packed that you can’t find the time to go to the gym? Do you need a faster, easier way of getting your workout in? The answer is right here — bodyweight exercises.

Bodyweight exercises have been shown to help teens, men and women build muscle without having to go to the gym or even buy expensive fitness tools. All you need is your body, time, and determination.

Below are some of the most effective bodyweight exercises that don’t require any extra tools. These are so effective that even the military uses them. I’ve also added some videos so you can see just exactly how you’re supposed to do each move so you’re never left wondering what proper form looks like. Remember that you can do all of these together in HIIT style, or alone for more concentrated results. I also advise you to consult with your doctor before starting any new workout routine.

Ready? Let’s get started.

Squat

Squats are one of the best ways for anyone to strengthen their glute and leg muscles. As you can see from the pictures above, you want to make sure that you keep your legs shoulder width apart and that you keep your posterior parallel to the floor when you squat. Controlling your movements like this will ensure that you keep your balance and proper form.

Benefits:

They release the hormone testosterone, which is essential to promote the growth of muscle fibers.
Strengthens the bones in the legs as well as connective tissue, which means there’s a reduced risk of injuries.
Helps you maintain your balance by ensuring that you always know where your center of gravity is.

Burpees

Burpees are the ultimate all-over body workout in one exercise. It also burns a lot of calories per minute. If you’re new to this exercise, take it slow and make sure you’re keeping proper form like shown in the photos above. Once you’re comfortable with your form, try to do as many burpees as you can within a five-minute window for an exhausting, but rewarding, workout.

Benefits:

Great for conditioning for any endurance sport.
Works all the large groups of muscles in your core, arms, and legs.
Will make push ups and squats easier as isolated exercises.

Push-ups

Push ups are the number one way to strengthen your core and arm muscles. It’s important to remember when doing this exercise to keep your spine neutral and rigid. If you allow your back to sag while doing the push-up, you could seriously injure yourself. Try doing push-ups with the help of a mirror to ensure you have the correct form.

Benefits:

Will strengthen your bones as you age, which will decrease your chance ofosteoporosis.
Increases your metabolic rate both during and after your workout.
Strengthens, tightens, and tones your core.

Wall Sit

This exercise is perfect for people who want to build their back muscles. It’s also very simple. Just find a wall and pretend that you’re sitting on an invisible chair. Make sure you keep your legs together and your back straight while you’re doing this exercise. Try to hold the position for at least a minute.

Benefits:

Strengthens your back, as it engages support muscles while you’re doing the exercise.
Acts as a meditative exercise and incorporates flexibility into your workout.
Will increase your endurance in all other areas of your workout.

Plank

This is probably one of the hardest exercises on this list, but it’s also one of the most beneficial. Try to keep your body in a straight line while doing the plank. Make sure to keep your forearms on the ground.

Benefits:

Will safely strengthen your core, which is actually made up of 29 groups of muscles.
Perfect for people with back issues because it doesn’t require any more steps than just holding the position.
Corrects your posture with noticeable effect.

Lunge

Lunges are very similar to squats except that they isolate the muscles in each leg, toning the muscle groups by concentrating your attention on one leg at a time. If you’re a beginner and need help balancing, put your hands on your hips. This will help you with the exercise. When you feel more comfortable, move on to lifting your hands over your head. This will improve your balance.

Benefits:

Strengthens muscles from your legs to the small of your back in one continuous exercise.
Can be used as a stand-alone HIIT workout for maximum results.
Creates a strong core when hands are held over the head, leaving the core to work harder.

Glute Bridge

This is an exercise that focuses your attention on your core muscles, but don’t be fooled — it’s possible to also strengthen your legs and arms with the glute bridge. When performing this exercise, focus on keeping your back as neutral and as rigid as possible when pushing your posterior to the sky. This will ensure proper form.

Benefits:

Reduces back and knee pain by strengthening the muscles in the back, taking the pressure off of your knees.
Improves your posture by engaging the erector spinae, a set of muscles that sits at the small of your back.
Conditions your body for better athletic performance.

These, again, are very basic bodyweight exercises. With time, you’ll be able to move into more advanced versions of these same exercises, which means you can keep challenging yourself to do better!

Featured photo credit: Scott Web for Unsplash via unsplash.com

Is Cardio Necessary For Super-Low Body Fat?

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:17:00 +0000

Bodybuilders and fitness models need more than strength training and a good diet to get shredded. But how much more?

You’ve probably heard a fitness guru declare, with biblical certainty, that “abs are made in the kitchen.”

It’s one of the more absurd clichés. The guys you see in Men’s Health, or in supplement ads, or posing down in a bodybuildingcontest, built those bodies in the weight room, and then employed superhuman discipline to stay out of the kitchen while dieting down to photo-ready shape.

But there’s one more part of their program, and it involves something the average meathead doesn’t like to think about: cardio. We know anecdotally that bodybuilders do a lot of it. But is it absolutely necessary?

“I think it is,” says Christian Finn of muscleevo.net, a veteran fitness expert who’s trained himself and others to get ultra lean. But it also depends on how low you need to go.

“You can get ‘looking good on the beach’ lean without any cardio,” he says. “And there are folks with fast metabolisms who can get ‘abs visible from across the room’ lean withoutcardio. But for most people most of the time, some form is going to be necessary.”

That brings us to the more pressing questions: how much cardio, and what kinds?

Cardio and Low Body Fat

In a recently published case study of a natural bodybuilder, the authors reported that he did five 40-minute cardio sessions a week in the final month of his contest prep. He did well: In 14 weeks, he cut his body fat in half (from 14 to 7.2 percent) and finished seventh out of 19 entrants.

But he also lost 11 pounds of muscle, which was 43 percent of his total weight loss, and higher than expected. The researchers wondered if excessive cardio created too big a calorie deficit, noting that the less body fat you have, the less there is to lose.

Another possibility is one that a lot of cardio-averse lifters worry about: Enduranceexercise will interfere with their ability to increase or at least maintain their strength and muscle mass.

A recent study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness offers two reasons for concern:

Strength and endurance exercise develop different fibers in different ways, only one of which will look impressive on the beach.
Both types of exercise drain glycogen from muscles, potentially leaving a lifter with limited fuel for training when he’s simultaneously cutting calories.

You won’t be surprised to learn that the interference effect is most pronounced in the muscles you force to do double duty. Running especially has been shown to affect strength and size in your lower body, due to the fact that running induces more muscle damage. Walking and cycling are safer choices.

Which brings us to intensity. We know high-intensity interval training—HIIT—causes less interference with strength training. But that’s because it’s so similar to strength training, which, as Finn points out, “is itself a form of intense intermittent exercise,” if you’re doing it right.

Intense exercise requires recovery. Two forms of intense exercise only increase that requirement, especially when you’re also dieting down to reach single-digit body fat. “It can often lead to you feeling burned out, tired, and irritable,” Finn says.

That’s why cardio exercise, for lifters, is a lot like the 2016 presidential election. You have to decide which is the lesser of two unattractive choices. But unlike the election, one of those cardio options—low-intensity, steady state walking or cycling—is clearly better than the other.

“Three to five hours of lower-intensitycardio, spread across four to five weekly sessions, is usually enough to get the job done,” Finn says. But if you can do less and still get the results you want, you should.

Now we get to perhaps the biggest irony of physique training: Those abs you see on the leanest guys may have been started in the gym. They may have been enhanced in the kitchen, mostly by staying out of it.

But they were finished on the treadmill. Which could be the least motivational cliché of all time.

Lou Schuler is an award-winning journalist and contributing editor to Men’s Health. Check out his new book Strong: Nine Workout Programs for Women to Burn Fat, Boost Metabolism, and Build Strength for Life, with coauthor Alwyn Cosgrove.

6 Sure-Fire Ways to Eat Healthy At A BBQ [Tips From Fitness Experts]

noreply@blogger.com (Angelina Rose) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:16:00 +0000

It’s summertime and BBQs are a summer tradition. We all love having a good time with friends, family, and all of the food that is usually available. The problem is that many of us end up going overboard with our eating. It all looks so yummy, and we tend to forget about all of the healthy eating we’ve been doing for weeks, months or even years.

To help all of us stay on track while having a good time during a BBQ, here are some tips from nutritional experts.

#1: Remember the 80/20 Rule

Jillian Michaels recommends, “Make 80 percent of the food you eat healthy and take 20 percent of your daily calories and make them fun.” We love this idea because it’s easy. For every meal, simply make most of your plate healthy and then have small portion of not-so-healthy food. This is easily achieved at a barbeque. You can load up on some salad, raw veggies and fruits, a hamburger, and then a cupcake. By the time you get to the cupcake, you’ll likely be stuffed and you wouldn’t have gone overboard.

#2: Calorie Count It
We usually throw out the calorie counting when we go to a BBQ because we figure there’s no point. However, there is a point to it – you’ll eat less. Kim Dolanleto is the Director of Family Health and Wellness for the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) and she recommends, “Learn the math behind your weight loss goal. Educate yourself on what portions should look like. Count your calories until you are familiar with them.”

So, pay attention to the number of calories you’re putting on your plate. The average calorie count for a hamburger is 200 calories, and a cup of salad is just 11 calories. Pay attention to the amount of salad dressing you put on the salad keeping it at about a tablespoon and you’re at about 300 calories for all of it. Research the calories for other traditional BBQ foods before you go and have a plan for what you’ll eat, so you can remain within your calorie goal for the day.

#3: Choose Smaller Plates
If possible, we should always choose smaller plates because it will keep us from consuming too many calories. Studies show people who use smaller plates, bowls, and cups will serve themselves 20 to 40% less food. It’s all about how much we put on that plate. A big plate will look bare if we don’t fill it up, but that same bare amount will look like a lot on a smaller plate. So yes, we do eat with our eyes!

If the BBQ doesn’t have a smaller plate, try a bowl instead. If there is no bowl, you will have to use what is available. Try to keep food in the middle of the plate and envision there isn’t as much space around the edges. When you can remain in control of what you’re perceiving, you’ll have much more success in limiting the amount of food consumed.

#4: Eat Slower
When we eat while doing something such as talking to friends and family, we’re more likely to eat more, not taste and enjoy your food, and suffer from indigestion, according to the University of Minnesota. Eat slowly to enjoy it. After all, one of the best parts of a BBQ is enjoying the good food, but if we’re not paying attention to it, we miss it.

When eating, take a few minutes to really taste the food. Remember why it’s so good and just appreciate being able to taste it. When we eat slower, we often catch the signs of not being hungry anymore faster than when we’re busy while eating. That’s the secret. It’s not about eating until we are full – it’s about eating until we are no longer hungry.

#5: Start with Vegetables
We need to focus on veggies. If possible, get a plate of veggies first, recommends Elisa Zied, a registered dietician in New York City. Just be sure it’s unadulterated, meaning it’s not coated in high calorie dressings and dips. Raw veggies are the best.

When we stick with veggies as our appetizer, we’ll be less likely to load up some of the more calorie-rich foods such as the potato salad, macaroni salad, hamburgers, hot dogs, barbeque chicken, and so on and so forth.

#6: Always Choose Mustard
As much as we all love ketchup and mayonnaise, they can be like bombs to our healthy lifestyle. Mayonnaise is loaded with calories and fat, and ketchup has hidden sugar. According to registered dietician Cheryl Forberg, “A tablespoon of Dijon mustard has 18 calories with no added sugar or fat, while mayonnaise has 57 calories and 5 grams of fat.” If we skip the Dijon mustard and choose the yellow mustard instead, we won’t consume any additional calories!

Eating healthy at a BBQ this summer is possible. Just keep these tips in mind, and you’ll walk away happy and confident that you’ve kept your healthy lifestyle tack while having a great time.

I know having a good breakfast will make me energetic and healthier, so I will always have healthy breakfasts that include whole grains, fruits and proteins.

8 Core Workouts For The Attractive Body Shape

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:11:00 +0000

Other than having great toned abdominals that look good on the beach, having a strong core helps prevent injuries, as most movement starts at the centre and moves outwards. This means that if you have a strong core, it will ensure your general movements are strong and pain-free. A strong core helps to relieve back pain, as this pain is usually caused by a weak core.

Having a strong core will also help protect your organs since your core muscles surround these organs along with your nervous system. Strong muscles will allow vital organs, such as the heart, to work to their full capacity.

Core is important when it comes to posture. Having a strong core will allow you to stand, sit, walk, and run with the muscle support needed to maintain good posture and prevent back pain or difficulties.

With all these points in mind, here are 8 great core exercises that you can follow to get yourself on the road to a much-needed optimal core.

1. Plank

One of the best core exercises out there, the plank concentrates on the muscles running all the way through your body.

Lie on your front and gently raise your body onto your elbows, making sure elbows are shoulder-width apart.
Slowly raise yourself onto your tip toes and hold.
Beginner: Try holding a plank for as long as possible. Aim for 30 seconds to a minute and increase this over each workout.
Advanced: Once you’ve mastered a basic plank, try different plank variations, including side planks — these are great for challenging your core muscles.

2. Side Jack Knife

This exercise is great for your abs and will give you an effective workout for your core muscles. It really squeezes your obliques as you lift your legs.

Lie on your side with your legs nearly straight and slightly raised off the floor.
Lift your torso off the floor and keep your left forearm on the floor for balance. Hold your other hand behind your right ear, with your elbow pointing towards your feet.
Lift your legs towards your torso while keeping your torso stationary. Feel the stretch on the side of your body and pause for a few seconds.
Slowly lower your leg.
Beginner: Repeat this for 3 sets of 10 reps before changing sides.
Advanced: Try a more advanced version that gets you using both top and bottom abdominals at the same time.

3. Squats

Core workouts that include squats are essential. Not only do squats help with stability and mobility, they work the muscles through the entire body from the abdominals downwards, creating a great all-round optimal exercise.

Start with your feet hip-width apart, keeping your back straight with shoulders pulled back, then straighten your arms out in front of you.
Slowly bend your knees and push your butt out and down as though you’re about to sit down on a chair.
Lower yourself so that your thighs are parallel to the floor, your knees are positioned slightly over your ankles, and your head and shoulders are aligned over your knees.
Using your leg and butt muscles, slowly push up, keeping your weight evenly distributed throughout, and come back to a standing position.
Beginner: start off with a repetition of 3 sets of 10 squats and increase the amount of squats in each set by 1 squat each day.
Advanced: To make this move more difficult, add handheld weights, keeping them at your side throughout the exercise. Increase weights for more intensity.

4. Arm, Leg, and Chest Raises

This move really concentrates on your core muscles and allows them to work at their full potential.

Lie on the floor, face down with arms stretched out and legs straight.
Slowly raise both arms up as far as you can and at the same time lift up both legs.
Keep this position for a few seconds and then release your arms and legs back down to the floor.
Beginner: Do 3 sets of 10 reps trying to increase the amount of time you’re engaging the core muscles.
Advanced: Try adding a roll into the exercise by engaging the core on your front and then rolling carefully on to your back with legs and arms above you. This will work your core muscles even further.

5. Quadruped

This move tightens your abdominal muscles and improves balance.

Start on your hands and knees. Place your hands directly below your shoulders, align your head and neck with your back, and tighten your abdominal muscles.
Raise your right arm off the floor and reach ahead. Stay in this position for 5 seconds. Lower your right arm and repeat with your left arm.
Raise your right leg off the floor, making sure to use your muscles to maintain balance. Hold for 5 seconds and lower your leg to the floor. Repeat with the left leg.
Beginner: Repeat full arm and leg movements 5 times each, raising the amount of time you hold positions to add a challenge.
Advanced: Hold a weight in your hand for an added challenge or raise both the opposite arm and leg together to work the core muscles more.

6. Abdominal Hold

While it may be tough at first, this move will help you build strength in your core.

Make sure you have a sturdy chair.
Sit tall on the edge of the chair and place your hands on the chair down beside you, holding on to the sides.
Tighten your abs and gently lift your toes about 2-4 inches off the ground and lift your butt off the chair.
Beginner: Hold this position for as long as you can — aim for 5 -10 seconds.
Advanced: Try challenging yourself by holding for up to a minute or add a stable weight to your lap to create added resistance and work the abdominals even more.

7. Side Crunches

Side crunches as part of your core workouts are a good way of targeting your mid-section.

Lie on your left side with your legs lying on top of each other.
Bend your knees so that they are at a rough 90-degree angle.
Begin by moving your right hand to your right ear with the elbow pointing up. Start to move up and over to the side slightly until you can feel the burn in your obliques. Repeat on opposite the side.
Beginner: Do 10 reps 3 times on both sides, increasing as you feel ready to to keep your abs challenged.
Advanced: Try these advanced side crunches to get an extra burn.

8. Using a Stability Ball

Simple exercises using a stability ball can activate twice as many core muscles as classic belly toners like crunches and sit-ups, so it’s well worth investing one.

For beginners, this core workout is a really great introduction to using a stability ball. Incorporate this into the rest of the workout or pick and choose certain exercises if you have time constraints:

This is great for more advanced stability ball exercises, working your core to the maximum:

Tips When Doing Your Core Workouts

Write down a schedule of your workouts as this will help you to keep your motivation high. Start with a weekly or monthly timetable of each daily workout you do. Make sure you show exactly how many reps you will do for each exercise and show a progression throughout the week or month by adding weights and intensity.
Be aware of your limits — if you feel pain at any stage, then stop the exercise immediately. Start easy and work your way up as this will make the workouts a lot more beneficial and will help you to avoid injuries.
Always drink plenty of water when doing workouts as you can get easily dehydrated.
Talk with your doctor if you suffer from back pain or are pregnant as these exercises may not be suitable.

10 Reasons Why Almond Milk Is Worth Drinking

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:09:00 +0000

Without some of milk’s major nutrients, is almond milk worth drinking?

4/5 experts say yes.
This one’s no cold case. Almond milk is a worthy addition to your fridge, according to most of these experts.
Those looking for a dairy-free milk substitute have probably stumbled across almond milk and wondered, “Is almond milk good for you?” Whether you’re a vegan, sensitive to milk or just don’t like the taste, almond milk is a fabulous alternative.
While almond milk is becoming more and more popular, it’s important to note that it doesn’t provide as much protein or calcium to be a complete substitute, so make sure you receive adequate amounts from other sources. One cup only has one gram of protein versus 8 grams in cow’s milk, and 2 milligrams of calcium versus 300 milligrams in cow’s milk.
As with everything you buy, make sure to check the labels and purchase almond milk that contains the least amount of preservatives and other additives.

10 Benefits of Almond Milk

1. It helps with weight management.

One cup of almond milk contains only 60 calories, as opposed to 146 calories in whole milk, 122 calories in 2 percent, 102 calories in 1 percent, and 86 calories in skim. It makes for a great substitute that will help you lose or maintain your current weight.

2. It doesn’t require refrigeration.

Knowing that you don’t have to refrigerate almond milk means you’ll be more likely to take it with you to work, or on a camping trip. It’s perfectly fine at room temperature which makes it a convenient, nutritious staple to pack, automatically upping your daily intake of all the fabulous nutrients above.

3. It keeps your heart healthy.

There’s no cholesterol or saturated fat in almond milk. It’s also low in sodium and high in healthy fats (such as omega fatty acids, typically found in fish), which helps to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease.

4. It keeps your bones strong

While it doesn’t offer as much calcium as cow’s milk, almond milk does offer 30 percent of the recommended daily amount, as well as 25 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin D, reducing your risk for arthritis and osteoporosis and improving your immune function. Plus, these two nutrients work together to provide healthy bones and teeth formation.

5. It keeps your skin glowing.

Almond milk contains 50 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E, which contains antioxidant properties essential to your skin’s health, such as protecting it against sun damage.

6. It barely impacts your blood sugar.

Almond milk (with no additives) is low in carbs, which means it won’t significantly increase your blood sugar levels, reducing your risk for diabetes. Because of its low glycemic index, your body will use the carbs as energy so the sugars aren’t stored as fat (score!).

7. It contributes to muscle strength and healing.

Although almond milk only contains 1 gram of protein per serving, it contains plenty of B vitamins such as iron and riboflavin, both important for muscle growth and healing.

8. It keeps your digestion in check.

Almond milk contains almost one gram of fiber per serving, which is important for healthy digestion.

9. It doesn’t contain lactose.

Lactose intolerance impacts about 25% of the US population, which means they have difficulty digesting the sugar in cow’s milk. This makes almond milk a suitable, lactose-free substitute.

10. It tastes better than cow’s milk.

Almond milk doesn’t taste like cow’s milk, perfect for those who are turned off by the taste. It has its own unique flavor many describe as being light and crisp. Bonus: it’s versatile, meaning you can use it instead of cow’s milk in recipes that require it. It won’t have the same taste, but it will have the same consistency.

Top 10 Best Chest Exercises with [Complete Guide]

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:06:00 +0000

Ever since artistic (and admittedly nude-obsessed) Greeks and Romans took chisel to marble, a developed, well-defined chest has been a classic physical ideal.

For men, muscular pectorals are a symbol of strength. The most basic movement, the bench press, has served as a primal proving ground ever since someone had the keen sense to craft iron into handy circles that could slide onto each end of a long metal pole.

That aforementioned exercise (spoiler alert!) still rules when it comes to pec development. But we are about to reveal nine others that comprise the 10 best traditional exercises for this revered bodypart, ranking them from 10 to 1.

10. Dumbbell Pullover

Some people would contend this exercise doesn’t belong on a top-10 list for chest. They’ll either swear up and down that it trains the back, or they’ll belittle it as a relic once revered but now relegated to the training scrap heap because of its potential danger to the shoulders.

The first group is right — it doubles as a fine back exercise. But for those who claim shoulder-impingement concerns, well, we’d instead argue that the problem isn’t the pullover; it’s the lack of flexibility prevalent in today’s gyms. If you don’t have full mobility in your upper back and delts, the pullover simply won’t feel comfortable. You need to work on that, and start doing this staple that served some of the best bodybuilders of all time, from Frank Zane to Arnold Schwarzenegger to Dorian Yates.

Main Areas Targeted: pectorals, latissimus dorsi, serratus

Strengths: Most chest exercises fall into one of two categories: They involve pressing a weight (bending and extending at the elbows) or doing a flye motion (keeping your elbows fixed and closing and opening your arms in front of your body). The pullover is one of a scant few options that work the chest at a completely different angle, in a top-to-bottom contraction.

How-To: Lie on a bench with your upper back, head and neck supported and your feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell with your arms extended above your face. Maintaining just a slight bend in your elbow throughout, slowly lower the dumbbell backward, allowing your elbows to come to a point at which they align with your ears. When you’ve stretched as far as you can without bending your elbows, flex through your chest and lats to reverse direction to bring the dumbbell back overhead.

9. Push-Up

Your drill instructor was a son of a you-know-what, but he was on to something when he screamed, “Drop and give me 20!” The quintessential bodyweight exercise is nearly perfect in its simplicity. “The push-up is a great standard exercise because it requires one piece of equipment — you,” says fitness expert Levi Harrison, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and author of The Art of Fitness: A Journey to Self-Enhancement.“This exercise targets the triceps, pectoralis major, deltoids — especially the anterior portion — and the serratus anterior. When properly done, the push-up also can engage your core muscles effectively.”

Main Area Targeted: pectorals (Note that you can change the emphasis depending on your angle: With feet and hands on the floor, you’ll take aim at the midpecs; elevating your feet on a bench focuses on the upper pecs; and putting your hands on a bench with your feet on the floor hits the lower pecs.)

Strengths: Ever try to pack a set of dumbbells and a bench in a suitcase? (Don’t laugh. Many a gym rat about to go on a trip has contemplated it.) Thing is, most exercise equipment is hard to lug around. Weights are heavy — by design, of course. The answer to staying fit on the road is, in part, using your own body as resistance. Push-ups can be done in hotel rooms, parks, prison cells ... anywhere you have solid ground to work with.

How-To: In a plank position, place your feet together, toes on the floor, with your hands wider than shoulder width and flat on the floor and your elbows extended. Keeping your head neutral and abs tight, lower yourself by bending your elbows until your chest gently touches the ground, then press through your palms until your arms are straight once again.

8. Pec-Deck Flye

First, a clarification: When we say “pec-deck flye,” we are referring specifically to the version in which you bend your arms 90 degrees and put your elbows on pads. The other variant — in which you hold handles and your elbows roam free, which we refer to as a “machine flye” in this magazine — is certainly a fine exercise, but in our opinion, not quite on the same level. Why? The pec-deck places better focus on the all-important squeeze when you bring your arms in front of your body, causing the muscle fibers at the center of your breastplate to spring to full attention.

Main Area Targeted: middle pecs

Strengths: When performed correctly, with arms in constant contact with the pads — a mental trick is to think of leading with your elbows — the pec-deck pits your pectorals directly against resistance while offering a broad range of motion and a reduced risk of injury when compared with free weights.

How-To: Sit with your lower back fully in contact with the pad and your feet flat on the floor. With your elbows at 90-degree angles and forearms flush against the pads, move your arms slightly forward to disengage the weight from the stack. From here, deliberately flex your pecs to bring the handles out in an arc until they meet in front of your body. Squeeze hard, then slowly return to the start, stopping when your upper arms are even with your torso, and repeat.

7. Decline Bench Press

No self-respecting bodybuilder or exercise physiologist would dare suggest the decline bench press is equal to its two more celebrated siblings, the incline and flat bench press. But that doesn’t make it a black sheep. It still targets the pectorals, although the focus is on the lower-pec area rather than the more prominent and more aesthetically critical upper and middle regions.

Main Area Targeted: lower pecs

Strengths: Although the lower pecs are targeted to an appreciable degree by flat bench presses, the decline is a direct way to chip away at them. It’s not all that necessary for beginners, but if you’re fine-tuning a developed physique, it’s undeniably helpful.

How-To: Lie on a decline bench. Your torso should be fully supported from your head to your hips, with your knees bent and feet harnessed behind roller pads. Grasp the bar with a wide, overhand grip. Bend your arms and slowly lower the bar toward your lower chest. When the bar reaches chest level, forcefully extend your arms, elevating the bar back to the starting position.

6. Cable Crossover

Wanna practice your “most muscular” pose? Join all the competitive bodybuilders out there and hit the cable-cross station for some flyes. Thanks to the cables, this single-joint movement allows for constant tension on the pecs. Our only concern? If you bend a little too much at the waist (a constant temptation when trying to squeeze heavy weights at the end of a taxing workout), you’ll shift the focus of the exercise from the lower pecs to the middle pecs. Not a bad thing, necessarily, unless you’re counting on the cable crossover to be the one exercise hitting that lower region.

Main Areas Targeted: inner pecs, lower pecs

Strengths: Cables offer a direct line of pull against resistance, and that resistance remains constant throughout the entire range of motion of the flye. When you do flyes with dumbbells, the pull of gravity wanes at the top, meaning it gets easier at just the point you want to squeeze the hardest.

How-To: Stand in the direct center of a cable-cross station with your feet staggered, knees slightly bent and your focus forward, and grasp D-handles attached to the upper pulleys. Starting with your palms facing downward and elbows bent slightly, flex your pecs to draw the handles down and together, meeting below your waist. Try to keep your elbows up throughout the movement. Pause a moment for a peak contraction, then slowly allow the handles to return to the start position. Don’t let the weight stacks touch down between reps.

5. Dumbbell Bench Press

Fact: You could design a whole chest regimen out of nothing but dumbbells and a bench, and over the course of time build a strong, solid, formidable chest. Fact: Because of that, you could arguably rate the dumbbell bench press a lot higher than fifth. But let’s put the quibbles and contrivances of a “ranking” aside for a second and give this exercise the props it deserves. It offers a full range of motion and a direct line of resistance for the pecs, and it doesn’t let a weaker pec compensate for a stronger one during the push phase.

Main Area Targeted: middle pecs

Strengths: In addition to the benefits already mentioned, the dumbbell press boasts another vital advantage: It allows for varied hand positions, anything from palms facing away to facing each other and any degree in between. If your wrists give you fits on barbell presses, dumbbells are your salvation.

How-To: Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand just outside your shoulders. Powerfully press the dumbbells upward toward the ceiling, stopping when they come to an inch or so away from each other above your upper-middle chest, then slowly bend your elbows to lower the weights back down to a point even with your torso.

4. Incline Dumbbell Flye

Some exercise physiologists would agree with our assessment of the incline flye, considering it a stalwart for targeting the upper pecs, which lag on an inordinate number of bodybuilders. Others would banish it from this list altogether, questioning its effectiveness and citing its injury potential. When it comes to this move, neutrality is rarely an option.

Main Area Targeted: upper pecs

Strengths: The press is more effective overall to build your pectorals, but it involves a concerted effort between pecs, delts and triceps. On the other hand, the flye (in all its variations) isolates the pecs by having them do exactly what they were intended to — bring your arms forward to the front of your body, forcing them to handle the load without assistance. So in the incline flye, you have a motion that directly engages the intended muscles, and by performing it on an incline, you’re further pinpointing the all-important upper-chest region.

How-To: Lie on a bench set to a 30- to 45-degree angle with your feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip, and extend your arms above your chest, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows. Slowly lower the dumbbells in a wide arc down to your sides. Stop when your elbows reach shoulder level and reverse the motion.

3. Incline Bench Press

It’s not fatal, but if you’ve been diagnosed with meaty middle pecs and flat upper pecs, you’re all too aware how embarrassing a condition it is. However, if you can stomach the medicine, the ever-challenging incline bench is your remedy.

Although you won’t be able to handle as much weight as in the flat and decline versions, the incline press is without equal in its potency for curing sickly upper pecs. MRI research indicates this exercise engages the upper pecs 5 percent more than the bench press.

Main Area Targeted: upper pecs

Strengths: Trying to build a huge chest without pressing is like trying to hit a Justin Verlander fastball with a Wiffle ball bat. Sure, you can attempt it, but your chances of success are slim. It is without equal among chest exercises for its combination of direct engagement of the upper pecs and the total resistance you can place on those muscles.

How-To: Lie on an incline bench set at 30 to 45 degrees and place your feet flat on the floor for support. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip just outside shoulder width and unrack it, holding it directly over your upper pecs. Slowly lower the bar to your upper chest, touching down for a brief count before powerfully pressing it back to full elbow extension.

2. Reverse-Grip Bench Press

Like Ben Affleck donning the iconic black cape, this is admittedly a bit of stunt casting on our part. However, despite the assumed controversy, the reverse-grip bench does merit this role ... again, similar to the Academy-spurned director of Argo who may just make a very fine Batman, thankyouverymuch. We’ll tell you why in a second.

Main Areas Targeted: middle and upper pecs

Strengths: Ready for this? Research has revealed that a reverse grip increases upper-pec involvement by 30 percent when compared to the standard overhand-grip bench press. That means that with this press, you’re capturing much of the benefit of the bench while engaging more of that harder-to-prod upper chest.

How-To: Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor. Using the usual overhand grip you’d use for a regular bench press, unrack the bar, but then rest it on your abs and switch your grip, grasping the bar with a wider-than-shoulder-width underhand grip. Press the bar up, driving the weight away from you until you almost lock out your elbows. Bend your elbows to bring the bar back down, allowing it to gently touch your upper abs before pressing it again.

1. Bench Press

Sometimes, the most obvious answer is also the right one. The bench press has been the go-to chest move for decades, part of the three-pronged powerlifting pantheon alongside the squat and deadlift. That’s no accident — this gold-standard exercise is one of the purest tests of strength in the weight-training arsenal, and despite imperfections, it earns the No. 1 spot on this list with ease.

Main Area Targeted: middle pecs

Strengths: You’d be hard-pressed (pun intended) to find another weight-bearing movement that so efficiently combines the resistance potential and biomechanical advantages that the bench press delivers. In other words, you can hoist a ton of weight — up to 722 pounds if you happen to be world-record bench presser Eric Spoto, who set that record in 2013 — and fire a ton of muscle fibers.

How-To: You’ll perform this like the reverse-grip bench, with the obvious adjustment: Maintain an overhand grip throughout the movement and track the bar over your lower pecs instead of upper abs.

Strength Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bench Press	4*	10, 8, 6, 4
Reverse-Grip Bench Press	3	10, 8, 6
Incline Bench Press	3	10, 8, 6
Incline Dumbbell Flye	3	8-10
Dumbbell Pullover	2	8-10
Not including onewarm-up set

Mass Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Incline Bench Press	4*	8-12
Dumbbell Bench Press	4	8-12
Decline Bench Press	4	8-12
Pec-Deck Flye or Cable Crossover	4 4	8-12 8-12
Push-Up	4	to failure
*Not including onewarm-up set

The 3-Month Mass-Gain Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:03:00 +0000

When it comes to gaining mass, everybody’s an expert. From the late-night infomercial guru to the chatty, grizzled gym veteran, it seems that everyone has a gimmick for getting huge. This pervasion of mass-gain punditry makes it difficult for the average lifter to zero in on what exactly needs to be done.

Luckily, there are a few universal truths that anyone can apply to elicit the gains he or she is looking for. We not only present three of them here, but our expert also used each of them to craft the accompanying mass-gain program, making it a proficient and practical method to gain an appreciable amount of new muscle over the next three months.

Truth No. 1: Muscles Grow With Big Lifts In The 8 to 12 Rep Range

Some people like to take a high-volume approach to muscle growth, insisting that challenging, high-rep sets flush the muscles with blood and trigger new growth. Other lifters are monogamous to big-weight lifts, clinging to the fact that to-the-brink sets will build the most muscle, even with very few reps. The middle ground, however, works for everyone — if it’s done right.

Jimmy Peña, MS, CSCS, a Los Angeles–based fitness expert, celebrity trainer and founder of PrayFit (www.prayfit.com), insists that the greatest gains in muscle come to those who stick to the most proven rep range for muscle growth — eight to 12 reps. “This is the range that is most known, physiologically and anecdotally, to elicit muscle growth,” he says.

Amazingly, there are still debates in fitness circles about which exercises should be used to build mass. Some argue that the greater the variety of exercises, the greater the stress placed on your musculature, the greater your growth in the long run.

“That’s ridiculous,” Peña says. “You can always add variety with single-joint moves, but if gaining mass is your primary goal, you need to stick to bread-and-butter, compound exercises like the bench press, squat and deadlift. Forcing multiple muscle groups to work in concert against progressively heavier resistance is the way to go, period.”

Applied Truth: In this program, you won’t ever perform a set with less than eight or more than 12 reps. Because this is the optimum rep range for hypertrophy — your main goal these 12 weeks — it makes no sense to deviate from it for novelty’s sake. Also, single-joint movements will be a rare find. Major lifts comprise the bulk of the exercises here.

Truth No. 2: Progression Is The Key To Growth

Show us a person who has stopped growing and we’ll show you a person who has stopped challenging his or her body. Sure, sometimes a break is all that’s needed to get back into the growth zone, but more often than not, a plateau is because of a lack of creativity and ambition; once your body gets too accustomed to one routine, you can say goodbye to gains.

The best way to avoid that is to insist on progression and to build it into your plan. “Comfort is the worst thing that can happen to your physique, regardless of your goal,” Peña insists. “Remember, your body will only change to the degree at which it is stressed. Put another way, without throwing in new variables — in this case, more weight and varying rep protocols — your body will not respond well, if at all.”

Applied Truth: For the next three months, you’ll continually switch things up. Each month, you’ll handle progressively heavier weight loads in more challenging rep schemes (still within the eight to 12 window) to confuse your muscles and spur new growth.

Truth No. 3: Training To Failure (And Beyond) Is Required

One of the most misguided gym practices is stopping a set at a certain number when you clearly had more in the tank. Almost every time you see a prescribed rep range, in this magazine or elsewhere, the goal is to hit failure at that number. Failure is the point at which you can no longer perform reps with good form on your own. So if you bang out 12 reps when you could have done 15 or 16, you’re missing out on a slew of anabolic benefits.

“The key for any set that is based on a particular rep or rep range is to select a weight that causes you to fail at that particular rep,” Peña says. “Weight selection is of paramount importance to this program and just about any other. Hitting failure at these rep ranges triggers the pathways in your body where growth occurs. Going with a weight where you can complete more than 12 reps will instead move you more into the endurance-building zone.”

You can also get additional hormonal benefits by adding key intensity techniques to your sets. Extending sets by lowering the weight and continuing to perform reps after initial muscle failure, also known as drop setting, is one easy way to squeeze even more growth-inducing intensity into your workouts. Another way to build mass fast is by taking short, calculated breaks to take advantage of your body’s rapidly replenishing, explosive-energy stores so you can continue for a few more reps. This is known as rest-pause training. Variations on both techniques will be used in this program.

Training to failure, and beyond, causes additional damage within the muscle bellies which, when paired with proper nutrition, is the ideal environment for exponential growth.

Applied Truth: While you will be striving to reach muscle failure with each set in this program, you will add some intensity boosters in the second and third phases that are designed to help you take your muscles beyond failure.

Plan of Attack

Now that you understand the underpinnings of the program, here’s more detail on how you’ll be spending the next 12 weeks in the gym. In Phase 1 (weeks one to four), you’ll lay the foundation for future size gains. “In this phase, you’ll select your 12 rep max for your base line working weight,” Peña says. “After your first set of 12, you’ll rest no more than one to two minutes, then perform another two sets with that same weight, achieving no more than 12 but shooting for at least 10 on the second set and eight on the third set.”

In Phase 2 (weeks five to eight), you’’ll bring on more poundage. “This month, you’ll go a little heavier, selecting your 10 rep max, right in the middle of the magic growth range,” Peña explains. “You’ll do your first set so that you fail at 10. After your first set, you’ll be noticeably fatigued, but your second set is another 10 rep-max set. This means you will probably need to drop the weight slightly to achieve another 10 reps on each of the next two sets. Remember, the key is to fail at 10 reps. If you can do more, you went too light. If you can’t quite reach 10, you need to lower the weight a bit.”

Finally, in Phase 3 (weeks nine to 12), you’ll put your expanding muscles to maximum use. “Keeping with the theme of progression, your eight rep max will serve as your base weight,” Peña says. “And as you’ll see, we have you going for 10 and 12 reps after your initial set of eight. You might be asking how it’s possible to get 10 or 12 reps using a weight that causes you to fail at eight. The answer is you won’t, technically. When you get to eight on your second set, we want you to rest for roughly 15 seconds, then do another two reps to get you to 10 total. And on your third set, we want you to rest for 30 seconds before attempting an additional four reps to get you to 12 reps. It’s not necessarily a true rest-pause set, but the mentality is identical. You rest long enough for your explosive energy stores to replenish, then perform more repetitions, paving the way for more growth.”

One more note to keep in mind: These protocols will not apply to abs, which you will instead train twice per week at a standard rep range for all 12 weeks. Because you’re focused on getting bigger, you just want to keep your abs conditioned, but save the hardcore ab work for your get-lean plan.

Now, before you begin, one more truth to mention: Any training program is only as good as the effort you’re willing to put in. We assume you want to pack on impressive muscle gains and are willing to put in the intense work required — now it’s your turn to prove us right.

The Three-Month Mass-Gain Program

WEEKLY SPLIT:
Day	Bodyparts Trained
1	Chest, triceps
2	Legs, calves, abs
3	Rest
4	Shoulders, traps
5	Back, biceps, abs
6	Rest
7	Rest

DAY 1: Chest & Triceps		Month 1	Month 2	Month 3
Exercise	Sets*	Reps	Reps	Reps
Chest:
Incline Dumbbell Press	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Flat-Bench Barbell Press	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Incline Cable Flye	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Weighted Dip	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Triceps:
Close-Grip Bench Press	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Lying EZ-Bar Triceps Extension	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Cable Pressdown	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
*Does not include warm-up sets.

DAY 2: Legs, Calves & Abs		Month 1	Month 2	Month 3
Exercise	Sets*	Reps	Reps	Reps
Legs:
Barbell Squat	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Romanian Deadlift	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Leg Press	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Leg Extension	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Lying Leg Curl	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Calves:
Standing Calf Raise	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Abs:
Weighted Crunch	4	12	12	12
Hanging Leg Raise	4	To failure	To failure	To failure
*Does not include warm-up sets

DAY 3: Rest

DAY 4: Shoulders & Traps		Month 1	Month 2	Month 3
Exercise	Sets*	Reps	Reps	Reps
Shoulders:
Seated Barbell Press	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
EZ-Bar Upright Row	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Bent-Over Lateral Raise	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Traps:
Dumbbell Shrug	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Smith Behind-the-Back Shrug	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
*Does not include warm-up sets.

DAY 5: Back, Biceps & Abs		Month 1	Month 2	Month 3
Exercise	Sets*	Reps	Reps	Reps
Back:
Deadlift	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Bent-Over Barbell Row	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Seated Cable Row	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
T-Bar Row	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Decline Barbell Pullover	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Biceps:
Standing Barbell Curl	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Incline Dumbbell Curl	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Hammer Curl	1	12	10	8
	1	10	10	10
	1	8	10	12
Abs:
Weighted Crunch	4	12	12	12
Hanging Leg Raise	4	To failure	To failure	To failure
*Does not include warm-up sets.

Undercover Fat Burners

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:58:00 +0000

You don’t have to shop in the fat-burning aisle to bolster your get-lean efforts. Some of the most powerful fat burners are already hiding in your supps cabinet.

When it’s time to drop a few pounds or lose a little belly fat, many people seek the help of fat burners to stimulate their metabolism and lipolysis and to suppress appetite. Most of us have a favorite supplement (or two) for this task, and we encourage you to stick with what works. However, we’d like to point out a handful of products that can help you get lean even though they aren’t marketed as such. Here are four undercover fat burners and the science behind their body-shredding mojo.

Whey Protein

There’s a high likelihood that you’re already using a whey protein supplement for muscle building, but did you know that whey also helps you get lean and stay lean?

The Secret: Whey protein significantly boosts your muscle-building capacity and spares lean muscle while dieting, resulting in an elevated metabolic rate and increased fat metabolism. In a clinical trial published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, subjects who took whey protein while undergoing a reduced-calorie diet retained twice as much lean mass and burned off nearly twice as much fat mass as the control group (with the same diet). In addition, drinking a pre-meal whey protein shake has been shown to stimulate hormones that control satiety — the feeling of fullness after a meal — and regulate blood sugar levels after eating.

Dosage: Mix 10 to 20 grams of whey protein isolate or a whey protein blend with 8 ounces of water and drink it 20 to 30 minutes before breakfast and dinner.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate has been the king of strength- and muscle-building supps for decades. In terms of fat loss, increased muscle mass means an elevated metabolic rate. Some people think taking creatine while dieting hinders fat loss, but they’re just wrong.

The Secret: In an article published in Metabolism, it was reported that subjects who took creatine (for 28 days) and didn’t work out had an approximately 3 percent increase in resting metabolic rate. Even more impressive, when subjects took creatine while completing a resistance-training program, their metabolic rate went up by almost 6 percent. While you might be taking creatine for size and strength, when you combine it with training and diet, you can greatly magnify its fat-burning benefits.

Dosage: Although creatine monohydrate dosing is bodyweight- and tolerance-dependent, a good starting point is to first complete a loading phase of 5 grams four to six times per day for a week. After the loading week, take 5 grams 30 minutes before and immediately after training. On rest days, take 5 grams with breakfast and 5 grams later in the day.

BCAAs

Branched-chain amino acids consist of the essential aminos leucine, isoleucine and valine. They’re considered essential because the body cannot produce them, so they must be consumed in your diet. In the supplement world, BCAAs are most commonly used to promote an anabolic/anti-catabolic environment in muscle.

The Secret: Of the BCAAs, the key player in anabolic response is leucine. However, research shows that it’s best to take branched-chain amino acids in a 2:1:1 ratio where leucine takes the lead over isoleucine and valine.

As mentioned above, increases in anabolism eventually result in increased metabolism and fat loss. Besides providing an anabolic kick, leucine supplementation may make dieting more tolerable. It has been reported that the amount of leucine in a meal plays an important role in leptin production and sensitivity. Leptin is a hormone that’s secreted by fat cells (and other cells in the body) in response to food ingestion and acts as a potent appetite suppressant. BCAAs also provide the liver with substrates to produce glucose (a process called gluconeogenesis) to regulate blood sugar, which helps keep sugar cravings at bay and increases dieting success.

Dosage: The BCAA product you choose should have at least twice as much leucine as the other aminos. Take 5 to 10 grams of BCAAs upon waking, 30 minutes preworkout, immediately postworkout and between meals to regulate hunger throughout the day.

Fish Oil

Is there anything this stuff doesn’t do? The omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish have been shown to reduce inflammation, boost cardiovascular health, increase the efficiency of the heart during exercise, maintain healthy blood lipid profiles and, more recently, increase fat metabolism and lean mass gain.

The Secret: Fish oil directly improves body composition by promoting anabolism, increasing fat utilization and lowering the catabolic stress hormone cortisol. It also significantly improves exercise efficiency and ratings of perceived exertion, which means fish oil can help you work out harder and longer without feeling as tired.

Dosage: To reap all the health and exercise benefits of fish oil, take 1 to 3 grams of high-DHA and -EPA fish oil with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Joint Custody (7 Tips for Pain-Free Elbows)

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:58:00 +0000

If you want to press heavy weight, you better take care of your triceps tendon.

Big arms are like fast cars: everyone wants to have them, but not many are willing to pay the cost to get them. If you’ve been in the iron game for a while, you probably understand that a large portion of the arm anatomy comes from the posterior aspect of the arm known collectively as the triceps. As the name implies, the triceps consist of three heads: the long head, medial head and lateral head. While the origins of the heads are all slightly different, they all insert into one common triceps tendon. A well-designed program has you performing exercises that hit all three heads. The problem is, all of those exercises utilize the same triceps tendon, which has a tendency to become inflamed from overuse.

The action of the triceps is to extend (straighten) the elbow. Compound movements such as bench presses (barbell or dumbbell), shoulder presses and dips all target the triceps. Isolation exercises such as rope or straight-bar pressdowns, triceps kickbacks and overhead triceps presses (with dumbbells/barbell/EZ-bar) also target the triceps. While isolation and compound exercises are fairly common knowledge among experienced lifters, it’s often forgotten that the triceps also statically contract in exercises such as pullovers, straight-arm lat pulldowns and bent-over lateral raises/reverse flyes. This can sometimes lead to trouble — you might think you’re giving the muscles a rest day after your triceps workout the day before, but if you’re incorporating pullovers or straight-arm lat pulldowns as part of your back workout, you’re not really resting the triceps at all. This could result in overtraining and injuries to the triceps and/or the triceps tendon.

Due to the different insertion points of the triceps, specific exercises target certain areas more effectively. For example, an overhead triceps exercise such as a skullcrusher will target the long head of the triceps more effectively because that head is put in a prestretch position due to its anatomical origin. These particular exercises, while providing fantastic results, must be integrated into your training program intelligently due to the amount of excess tension that the prestretch position places on the long head of the triceps as well as the triceps tendon.

Strain on the triceps tendon from repetitive pushing movements or from overloading it beyond what it can tolerate may cause triceps tendonitis, which is when damaged triceps tendon tissue experiences swelling and pain in the posterior aspect of the elbow or slightly above or below the posterior aspect of the elbow. In severe cases of triceps tendonitis, you may notice swelling in the back of the elbow or experience weakness when attempting to straighten the elbow against resistance. You may also feel pain and tightness when performing a stretch to the triceps or point tenderness when firm pressure is applied near the posterior aspect of the elbow. In less severe cases, you may only experience a minor ache or stiffness when performing activities requiring a forceful or repetitive contraction of the triceps.

Once you have developed triceps tendonitis, it’s essential to provide a period of rest for healing to take place and for the swelling to subside. (Even if you can’t see the swelling, the tissue may still be swollen internally.) Ice, flexibility exercises and, occasionally, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are sometimes recommended by your health-care practitioner. A certified athletic trainer or physical therapist may also help in providing you with an appropriate rehabilitation plan that will get you back to your normal activities. See “7 Tips For Pain-Free Elbows” for some tried-and-true injury-prevention tips to help keep your elbows healthy.

7 Tips for Pain-Free Elbows

1. Perform a general cardiovascular warm-up for five to 10 minutes and a movement-specific warm-up for two to three sets before beginning your heavier work sets.

2. Don’t begin your triceps workout with an overhead movement, as this places excess stress on the triceps tendon. Instead, start with either compound triceps exercises such as dips, or isolation exercises such as rope triceps pressdowns.

3. Allow at least one day of rest between working the triceps. Remember that exercises such as shoulder presses, chest presses, pullovers, straight-arm pulldowns and reverse flyes also recruit your triceps. If you perform these exercises the day before or after triceps training, you’re not really providing adequate rest.

4. Perform no more than one to two overhead triceps exercises for a maximum of eight sets per workout so as not to provide excessive strain on the triceps tendon.

5. Check your ego at the gym door. Don’t lift more weight than you can safely handle, and don’t reach failure on every rep of every set of every exercise.

6. Stretch your triceps with static stretches upon completing any workout in which you utilized the triceps.

7. If you feel elbow tightness or discomfort, ice the elbow for 15 minutes as a preventative measure.

The Newbies Diet (Mass Gain)

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:57:00 +0000

Can’t tell protein powder from baby powder? Aren’t sure about the difference between amino acids and antacid? Don’t worry: We'll show you how to eat right to get the body you want.

It all starts with the first bite. Just as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s road to the Mr. Olympia title began with his first rep and Sir Edmund Hillary’s climbing of Mount Everest began with his first step, your new diet will begin with a single chew.

And like those first reps and steps, your first chew will be followed by thousands more, each one of equal importance as you feed your muscles the fuel they need to build the physique you want. The key, then, is to make every bite count.

“The top diet mistake that I see athletes make when it comes to gaining muscle is they immediately eliminate fats and overdose on protein,” says Pete Bommarito, the president and director of Bommarito Performance Systems (bommaritoperformance.com) in southern Florida. He has trained hundreds of top NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB players, including more than 50 NFL first-round picks and more than 50 NFL Pro Bowlers. “When you want to gain muscle, there are fats that are beneficial and fats that aren’t. And there’s only so much protein that your body can consume, process and utilize in one sitting,” he explains.

Yes, you’re often surrounded by foods containing fats that aren’t good for you, and yes, protein does build muscle, but completely eliminating the former while endlessly shoveling the latter down your throat is akin to taking a chainsaw to your diet when all you really need is a steak knife.

A Protein Primer

“The main factor in protein consumption is not necessarily how much protein you consume but when you consume it,” Bommarito notes. “People think that if they lift weights, they need an influx of protein all day. That’s simply not true. The timing of the protein is what’s important.”

So is there a timing window that’s more crucial than others? “Immediately after you’re done exercising,” Bommarito says. “When your workout is over, you want an infusion of proteins with some complex sugars. It’s all about getting the nutrients to your muscles at the right time.” He recommends a postworkout protein shake with at least 20 grams of quality whey protein isolate — which digests rapidly in the body — with branched-chain amino acids to saturate your muscles with the building blocks they need in the wake of a rep-riddled beatdown.

Of course, you also want to eat a healthy portion of protein with each meal — 30 grams seems to be the optimal number, according to the research — from a clean source of protein such as fish, tuna, turkey or chicken. When you’re training to gain muscle mass, three meals a day will do, so long as you approach your 30 grams of protein per feeding.

The old mainstay of eating five to six smaller meals throughout the day is fine, too, but you must keep an eye on your daily total protein intake, which should be 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight. That means a 180-pound athlete should consume anywhere from 180 to 270 grams per day. Aim for the low end and adjust up from there, if needed, based on your body’s rate of muscle gain.

Fat Facts

Since the foods most commonly associated with obesity are also heavy in fat (fast food, potato chips, ice cream, etc.), fat itself has earned a bad reputation. But saying that all fats are bad is grossly unfair to the fats that are essential for muscle growth. So if you’re going to bad-mouth fat, at least slander only trans fats and saturated fats, and even then make sure to tread lightly.

Trans fats are what you usually find in fried, processed and packaged foods, while saturated fats are found in meat, dairy and eggs. These are the “bad” fats correlated with high cholesterol, heart disease and weight gain. Even so, saturated fats do have some value to active males because they help keep testosterone levels where they need to be.

“Good” fats are called unsaturated and monounsaturated fats. They’re found in raw nuts, avocadoes, olive oil and salmon. They’re important because they aid nutrient absorption, which is extremely beneficial to your muscles if you want them to grow. They also bolster joint and brain health and can help increase fat burning.

“I’m constantly telling my athletes to increase their intake of good fats,” Bommarito says. “In just 1 ounce of raw almonds or cashews, you’re going to get well over 200 calories and around 15 grams of protein, which is what you need to build muscle.”

Other sources of good fats are pure virgin olive oil and organic, all-natural nut butter. “I’d say the No. 1 thing I go through when I’m training my guys is getting them to have a constant influx of good fats,” Bommarito continues. “After that, it’s getting them to watch their high-glycemic carb index.”

Because fats have a higher caloric density than the other two macronutrients — 9 calories per gram versus 4 calories per gram for carbs and protein — it’s a good idea to consume fat with discretion. Generally, 0.5 gram per pound of bodyweight per day is a good target; as always, you can adjust up or down from there.

Carbs Count

While protein and good fats build muscle, you still need energy to burn while you work out. That’s where carbohydrates come in. In the body, carbs are broken down into simple sugars that your body then uses as its primary source of energy. Just like there are “good” fats and “bad” fats, there are also “good” carbs and “bad” carbs.

Sadly, bad carbs are the most common and abundant on store shelves, and they’re what you want to stay away from when you’re trying to gain clean muscle while keeping unwanted body fat far, far away. (One exception is postworkout, when you want quick-acting carbs along with your protein to kick-start recovery.) Enriched pasta, white potatoes, processed white rice, cereals, granola and white bread are all considered bad carbs because they raise blood sugar levels rapidly and invite wild surges of insulin that can convince your body it needs to store an extra “layer” for survival. “Basically, anything that’s processed or enriched, you should stay away from,” Bommarito advises.

Good carbs include fiber- and nutrient-rich foods such as long-grain brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, red-skin potatoes and whole-wheat bread. “When you’re trying to gain muscle, you want to have a much higher percentage of good carbs in your diet,” Bommarito says. “These carbs will give you the long-lasting energy you need to exercise.”

Those looking to gain muscle while staying relatively lean tend to make the mistake of under-indulging in carbs, which can leave them with an apocalyptic, “walker-like” swagger in the gym. Such subpar workouts will produce subpar gains. Aiming for 1.5 to 2 grams per pound of bodyweight per day, then adjusting up or down based on energy levels and body composition, is a good newbie strategy.

One More Bite

In the end, getting bigger and stronger comes down to this: You must feed your muscles not only the optimal fuel to maintain high energy levels for better workouts but also the necessary building blocks for recovery after those training sessions. With these nutrition and supplement guidelines, you have the information you need to succeed on both fronts. Are you ready to conquer your personal version of Everest?

Start Strong

The following sample diets are meant to give you a quick-look blueprint at how to construct your own beginner’s diet. It’s important not to obsess over the gram-for-gram guidelines but rather build your dietary acumen through practice. The following takes the math out of the equation and presents what a solid day of chow should look like, with the calories and macros all balanced and accounted for.

Sample Training Day Diet

Breakfast

½ cup egg whites + 2 whole eggs
1 cup oatmeal Fresh fruit (your choice)
¼ avocado

Snack1 apple (sliced) with peanut butter

Lunch
6-8 ounces chicken breast
Mixed green salad with olive oil or balsamic vinegar dressing, or fresh fruit
1 medium to large sweet potato

Preworkout DrinkProtein/carbohydrate drink containing a creatine/amino acid mix

Postworkout DrinkProtein shake: 16 ounces skim milk + 1 scoop whey protein

Dinner8 ounces salmon
1 cup brown rice
Mixed green salad with olive oil or balsamic vinegar dressing

Bedtime SnackProtein shake with 20 grams whey or casein protein powder

Sample Off-Day Diet

Breakfast½ cup egg whites and 2 whole eggs
1 cup oatmeal Fresh fruit (your choice)
¼ avocado

Snack Protein or MRP (meal replacement) bar

Lunch

Tuna wrap on a whole-wheat tortilla

Afternoon SnackProtein shake: 16 ounces skim milk + 1 scoop whey protein

Dinner 8 ounces chicken
1 medium to large sweet potato
Mixed green salad with olive oil or balsamic vinegar dressing

Bedtime Snack1 banana + 2-3 spoonfuls peanut butter

5 (More) Muscle-Building Rules

1. Never drastically reduce, eliminate or over-indulge with any macronutrient. Protein, carbs and fat all have a place in your muscle-building diet and should be eaten in relative balance, with a slightly higher calorie count from protein.

2. Drink plenty of water to keep your muscles, brain and organs hydrated. Aim for half of your bodyweight in ounces per day. Falling just short or going just over is fine.

3. Choose good fats over bad fats and good carbs over bad carbs whenever possible.

4. Limit or eliminate from your diet any foods whose labels list “enriched” ingredients.

5. Develop a solid supplement plan to augment your diet.

Being Overweight May Age Your Brain By 10 Years, Study Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:53:00 +0000

You already know being overweight isn’t healthy. It can cause tons of problems, especially later in life. But did you know a study done by the journal Neurobiology of Aging actually took brain scans of overweight and slim people, compared them, and found the overweight people’s brains showed signs of being 10 years older?
Let’s back up. Science proved a long time ago that the white matter in our brain shrinks as we age. This white matter contains connecting branches called axons. These connect neurons together, which is referred to as the “cerebral highway” because there are so many pathways going across your brain where electrical impulses travel as the different parts of your brain communicate.

The Study

Researchers recruited 527 volunteers aged 20 to 87. Each one was classified as either “lean” or “overweight” depending on their body mass. After scanning the brains of all participants, the study authors found that from middle-age onwards, the brains of overweight people tended to shrink more than those in the lean group.

Most of the overweight participants’ brains showed as much shrinkage as lean participants’ brains which were 10 years older. The study’s co-author, Lisa Ronan, explained in a statement that “it isn’t clear why people who are overweight have a greater reduction in the amount of white matter,” adding that “we can only speculate on whether obesity might in some way cause these changes or whether obesity is a consequence of brain changes.”

What Science Shows

Unfortunately, the researchers aren’t sure exactly what causes this effect. They think it may have to do with inflammation. As we get older, we experience higher levels of oxidative stress, which is the production of certain molecules that cause damage to body tissues. Previous studies have shown that this often leads to inflammation, which in turn causes the loss of white matter.

The buildup of fatty tissue causes inflammatory compounds called cytokines to release alongside inflammatory hormones like leptin. Researchers believe this may partially explain the reason behind obesity causing such extreme signs of aging.

Thankfully, despite the loss of white matter, overweight people didn’t appear to have lost any cognitive capabilities — meaning they had no problem thinking like everyone else. They also performed just as well as lean people of the same age on IQ tests.

So if you’re overweight, you may want to start thinking about changing your diet and getting proper exercise. Even without shrinkage of your white matter, there are many other consequences of remaining at a high weight. If you need some help getting started, LifeHacks, One of Our Partner, has a great goal-setting program to help motivate you to stick to your goals.

9 Running Injuries That Can Result From The Wrong Running Shoes

noreply@blogger.com (Angelina Rose) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:53:00 +0000

While running, wearing suitable shoes are important for your feet. If the choice of shoes are not proper, running causes a lot of strain on ankles, knees and feet. It can even result in serious injury.

The perfect running shoes should be able to provide adequate arch, heel cushioning and ankle support. Do not go running with worn out shoes. The size of the running shoes should also be half a size larger than the standard size. Here are some of the injuries that can occur because of ill-fitting running shoes:

1. Runner’s Knee:

If you are experiencing moderate pain behind the kneecap or around it, then it is a sign of patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee. It is caused by the constant pounding of the feet on the pavement. Muscle imbalance can cause it, as can downhill running and weak hips. It can be prevented by putting less stress on knees and ankles. You should choose your shoes carefully. Knee braces and anti-inflammatory medications can be used against runner’s knee.

2. Achilles tendinitis:

Achilles is the tissues that connect heels to the lower-leg muscles. This condition can be caused by factors like rapid increase in mileage, natural flat foot, tight calf muscles or wrong footwear. This condition can be prevented by stretching the calf muscles before every workout and wearing correct shoes.

3. Plantar fasciitis:

This condition is caused because of irritation and inflammation of the tissue present at the bottom of the feet. Unsupportive footwear is one of the reasons for this state. It can lead to stiffness and pain in the arch of the foot. Choosing proper fitting running shoes with firm ankle and arch support can help in the prevention of this condition.

4. Shin splits:

It is one of the most irritating injuries. It is caused by the swelling of muscles and tendons present on the shinbone. This damage can be avoided by using shock absorbing insoles. These insoles help in absorbing the shock and keeping the bottom of the feet safe. The running shoes that you choose should not only be a perfect fit for the feet, it should also be able to absorb the impact of the pounding on the roads while running.

5. Patellar tendinitis:

It is also known as jumper’s knee. This injury is not just common in jumpers, but also in distance runners. It can be caused by training too much, overpronation and too much running in the hills. The risk of this condition can be reduced by strengthening of hamstrings and quads. Use ice packs on the knee for relief, when you feel any related pain.

6. Blisters:

Blisters are caused by rubbing of the heel against the shoe. The top layer of the skin can will tear and leave a bubble between the layers of the skin. Prevention is the best way of dealing with blisters. Good running shoes are also vital in making sure there are no blisters. Make sure that the shoes fit smoothly and do not chafe.

7. Ankle sprain:

The sprain occurs when the ankle rolls outward or inward. It can stretch the ligaments, causing pain. The time of recovery depends on the severity of the injury. Having comfortable and suitable running shoes can help in the prevention of strain.

8. Iliotibial band syndrome:

It causes pain on the outside of the knee. Long distance runners are more prone to this condition. It is caused by inflammation of the iliotibial band. The pain can be reduced with proper care of the feet. Decreasing the inflammation with foam rolling can help with the pain.

9. Stress fracture:

These are tiny cracks which are caused by the constant pounding while running. It is a serious condition, so it must be dealt with carefully. If you have such a fracture, then physical therapy can help you. If the condition gets severe, then you need to go under surgery. These kinds of problems can be prevented by avoiding overstraining yourself, wearing proper shoes and making sure that the bones get enough calcium.

This Bodybuilder Left His Career, Country and Family to Become Arnold Schwarzenegger

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:52:00 +0000

Sometimes you have to get through the nightmare to achieve your dreams.

Even someone who spends his or her time binge-watching QVC has seen Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Pumping Iron. I know because I’ve done both. It’s basically written in the American bodybuilding instruction manual to be familiar with Schwarzenegger. But for one young man who was completely unaware of the American weightlifting culture, this film was not just a documentary, it was the ultimate motivation to leave his native country of Singapore and dedicate his life to his physique.

As a young teen approaching adulthood, Mike Wang wasn’t spending his time rambunctiously chasing city life or playingMario Kart like I was — he was studying America’s sporting culture and its athletes, committing himself to transform his body to become a legend like Schwarzenegger.

“I remember I first saw pictures of Arnold when I was 14 and I thought, I need to be like him.” Wang says.

That’s a bold statement coming from a man whose country has little to no bodybuilding culture. At that age, the only thing I dreamt of being was an astronaut. But there was Wang — growing up in Singapore with a dream of becoming larger than life. His situation was as much of a long shot as me becoming an astronaut, only I didn’t have his focus and dedication.

“In Singapore, I was always told that being a bodybuilder or model was a waste of time and that I wouldn’t get paid for it and it wouldn’t give me a future,” Wang says.

Under outside high expectations, Wang put his personal dreams on hold to follow the path laid out by his parents. He earned a degree in business and education and opened his own business. His family was happy for him, but he knew there was more to life than just meeting someone else’s expectations.

“I was an educator for international students and helped prepare them for finding the right path, the right school and the right place to study,” Wang says. But every day that passed was another day that Wang kept his dreams at bay. “I had everything you could want — a degree, my own business, finances — but something wasn’t right with my life and I had to change it,” he says.

Fed up with watching his students move on to excel in their passions, he decided to reconnect with his bodybuilding dream and fully commit himself to the lifestyle he fell in love with at 14.

The next thing he knew, he closed his business, left his family and his belongings, and moved to Venice Beach, California. Gone were his business ties and suitcases and in their place an open-armed embrace of Schwarzenegger’s legacy complete with a membership to Gold’s Gym. “I knew what the costs and benefits were. Of course there was a risk, but I realized I needed to follow my passion.” Wang says.

Not only did Wang abandon his business and his family, but he also abandoned the way he ate. He ditched the rice and high-carb meals he loved and replaced them with a ketogenic diet.

Wang’s 6-foot, 200-pound physique is completely keto. He’s living proof that it’s possible to bulk and look like you’re cut from stone on a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet. In order to be the best, Wang knew he had to eat like the best. He experimented with low-carb diets, carb cycling and even carb backloading, but with keto, he saw the most results.

Wang’s diet of ground beef, steaks, whole eggs, chicken thighs, cheese and peanut butter keep his physique at a tight 10 percent body fat. He credits his results to his disciplined mindset, and training and sticking to keto was easier after moving to the U.S. To this day, he’s still amazed at the variety of food and the intense fitness culture in America.

Wang immediately noticed an abundance of protein bars and supplements — not just in stores such as GNC but also in every gas station, market and vending machine.

“In Asia, there’s a small circle of men who work out, but it’s nothing like that in America where fitness is for everyone,” Wang says. “There are women in their 60s going to the gym, and there are people in wheelchairs working out. That’s unheard of in Asia.”

Feeding off the energy of other fitness-minded people only fuels Wang’s determination and motivation to train and eat right. He now has the confidence to enter his first competitive bodybuilding competition.

Though Wang may have initially walked down the path of his parents, the decision to sacrifice a comfortable life in his homeland to chase his bodybuilding dream was, as he puts it, “the best decision I ever made.” As his discipline continues to progress into the Arnold Schwarzenegger that he wants to be, he shows no signs of slowing down.

I can’t help but think of one of the oft-overlooked quotes from Pumping Iron, the documentary that inspired Wang, and smile. In the film, Schwarzenegger says, “Keep your dreams, no matter what.” Despite what his family and peers think of his decision, every rep and every keto meal takes Wang one step closer to realizing his dreams.

Danielle Hazlett is a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, a bodybuilder, and an adventurer and health extraordinaire. She has competed in bodybuilding shows, works for her university’s Athletic Department and Exercise & Sports Studies Department, and is committed to learning how to become the best version of herself. [Editor’s Note: Hazlett was an intern at Quest during the summer of 2016.]

Maximize Your Nitric Oxide Levels

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:51:00 +0000

Want an insane pump, enhanced endurance and increased strength? iForce Nutrition’s Hemavol will get you there.

Achieving the "pump," that feeling of blood flowing to working muscles, is one of the most satisfying feelings you can have after a workout. Aside from the mental and aesthetic benefits you get, attaining the pump is also conducive to muscle growth. When your muscles are full, when you increase the volume and mass of your muscle cells, you automatically increase your power.

So what if you could enhance the pump? The product that set the standard for preworkout supplements and changed the energy levels and muscle pumps for an entire industry is back. Hemavol, from iForce Nutrition, has set the standard for the category by combining ingredients that will give you massive muscle pumps, increased endurance and newfound strength. Hemavol volumizes muscles with fluid and nutrients like no other preworkout before it.

The primary functional ingredients in Hemavol are:

Citrulline malate for increased vascularity
Glycerol monostearate to support hydration
Agmatine sulfate, a nitric oxide booster
Norvaline, an arginase inhibitor

When iForce Nutrition introduced Hemavol in 2009, it began an era for advanced functional preworkout supplements unlike anything the industry had ever seen before. Users reported unparalleled energy and stamina, massive vascularity, engorged muscle pumps, focused training and feeling rejuvenated when they woke the next morning.

Ingredients for Power

Citrulline Malate: L-citrulline supplementation results in reduced fatigue and improved endurance for both cardio and resistance training. Supplementing with L-citrulline also increases L-ornithine and L-arginine levels. This means L-citrulline increases nitric oxide metabolism while increasing waste products such as ammonia.

Agmatine Sulfate: A lot has been written about agmatine, and with good reason — it is one of the best producers of NO science knows of. It’s that amazing component that gives incredible muscle pumps, increased vascularity and helps with recovery. Agmatine also hosts a number of other studied benefits like the potential to combat hypertension, stroke and increasing pain tolerance. For athletes however, its role in L-arginine production is its biggest grace. For bodybuilders, it also provides incredible vasodilation.

Norvaline: L-norvaline is a very unique amino acid. It’s a form of the branched-chain amino L-valine, commonly taken to fuel muscle growth. It works by inhibiting the enzyme arginase, which is the “shut off valve” for NO production from L-arginine. What scientists have concluded is that no matter how much L-arginine you take to “pump you up,” without norvaline, your body will halt NO production. As with every check-and-balance system in the human body, while NO is undergoing production, at the same time the process of producing enzymes to inhibit and cap that production is also happening. Norvaline behaves in a way to block that “check” from happening.

Glycerol Monostearate: You can’t have a massive pump at the end of your training session if you have no blood volume to pump you up. Glycerol monostearate supports the most important thing you can do for yourself every day — stay hydrated. It also improves the absorption and efficiency of other materials such as amino acids, creatine monohydrate and other supplements. The end mechanism is a faster delivery of nutrients and fluid to the areas you are training at that time. Because of this, it is the catalyst for prolonging those massive muscle pumps during and especially after your workout.

Vitamin B12: B12 plays a key role in athletic recovery. Its primary responsibility is to keep red blood cells happy and functional. Without healthy red blood cells, none of the other ingredients in Hemavol, or any other supplement, would be very functional. Red blood cells control the body’s pH. Too acidic or too alkalotic and you simply cannot perform close to optimally, no matter what supplements you add to your diet. The optimal dosing of B12 in Hemavol can give you peace of mind knowing that your training is safely protected.

With its amazing ingredients, Hemavol set the standard for powerful preworkouts several years ago. If you are looking to push yourself harder, faster and longer than ever before, come back to the original and see what millions of others already know about this amazingly powerful product: Hemavol works. Easy to mix and with delicious flavors like watermelon cooler and cherry limeade, Hemavol is as delicious to drink as it is functional to use.

Complexes For A Shredded Physique

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:50:00 +0000

Crush calories and hammer your heart rate with these brutal back-to-back lifts.

It’s easy to adapt to different methods of training, especially when it comes to fat loss. A general rule of thumb I like to apply to my own training and to that of my clients is to include exercises that will cause difficulty due to inefficiency. In other words, it means incorporating movements you’re bad at. Doing so will burn more calories and help you drop more fat because your body isn’t trained to be efficient at the lift just yet. Needless to say, the big lifts still deserve their place at the top of the food chain (at the very least, variations of those lifts). Even the most minor of tweaks can make a major change to your training effect and results.

That’s where the use of complexes comes in handy. With them, you get the best of both worlds to address your goals: being exposed to exercises you might be unfamiliar with and including large, compound movements into your program.

What Is a Complex?

A complex is a set of exercises performed one after the other without putting the weight down in between. Typically a complex consists of anywhere from three to six movements.

Lifters should use a weight that allows them to maintain form while also challenging them in each of the chosen exercises, but it shouldn’t be so heavy that it frustrates the athlete’s ability to get through the prescribed set. In order to make this process easier, it’s fair play to adjust rep ranges depending on the exercise. Also, choosing exercises that “flow” together and complement each other in a way is a smart move. Doing so will enable a lifter to make a smooth transition rather than fumble for positioning and risk an injury due to the change.

The name of the game with complexes is time under tension. Not being allowed to put the weight down between exercises turns a number of different movements and sets, in a way, into one giant set that lasts upward of three minutes straight. This will burn more calories and keep the heart rate up for much longer. Because of the anaerobic component of part of the set, it can also contribute to EPOC (excess postexercise oxygen consumption, or afterburn).

A complex can be performed with either a barbell or dumbbells. The chart shows examples of both. And they both include an exercise that many trainers might not be all that familiar with — the hang power clean or the renegade row, for example.

The Groundwork Training Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 14:02:00 +0000

Sometimes you have to go back to the basics in order to spark new growth.

Getting your reps in with big moves like bench presses, barbell squats, overhead presses, rows and the like is great. In fact, if you’re looking for the biggest bang for your buck, nothing beats those moves in the weight room. However, when so much of your year-round training routine becomes focused on improving your PRs for those lifts, you become completely debilitated when one neglected area of training is put to the test: groundwork.

What is “groundwork”?

Groundwork is basically stripping exercises down to ground zero — these are challenging exercises that involve minimal or no weight at all. Why do we do this? To develop strength and skill. Developing control of your body while performing unloaded moves is critical to improving performance when you add load back to the workout.

For example, if your bench-press numbers are going up but your push-up numbers are suffering, it’s a sign that you aren’t developing functional strength. In other words, if you bench more than 300 pounds but can’t perform sets of conventional push-ups, something is wrong.

Major deficiencies manifest themselves when you go back to basics, and despite most trainers’ level of conditioning, brushing up on the proper techniques of groundwork staples such as push-ups, pull-ups, planks and goblet squats is in order. You’ll probably realize areas where you’re dropping the ball.

Sometimes you must take a step backward to reassess your “why” when it comes to weight training. If you’re moving tons of weight but struggling with the basics, it’s time to backtrack and strengthen the foundation. It’s a smart move that could help prevent the house from falling apart a few years down the line. Good groundwork should be a skill you’ve mastered that no one can take away from you. Ever.

Push-up

The push-up is as simple as hitting the deck and pushing yourself back up with your arms, right? Wrong. The push-up is actually a highly underrated, complicated movement that should be taken more seriously and should be performed with more focus. Done properly, the push-up involves quite a bit more than just the chest and triceps, which is the reason it often feels more demanding than even a heavy bench press. If you want to fine-tune your form, there are key components to a push-up that need to be addressed.

Set It Up

When doing a standard push-up, most trainers place their hands too wide. This can cause shoulder stress and create a position of weakness when performing the move. Instead, place your hands at shoulder width and tuck your elbows closer to your body when they bend. From above, your body should create an “arrow” rather than a letter T. Having a closed elbow position places the humerus in a much safer position and avoids force on the rotator cuff.

Range of Motion

Above all, never sacrifice your range of motion. As you get tired, it’s easy to let your face fall by craning the neck toward the floor. This can create the visual sensation of still making it all the way down, when in reality, you’ve cut your distance in half. In this case, it serves you best to cut your reps in half and simply do more sets of fewer reps, using brief rest periods to reset your technique and rep quality.

Core and Glute Activation

The push-up is as much a core exercise as it is a chest and triceps exercise. If you don’t feel your abs working hard during a set of push-ups, your form is out of line. The hips should be held high and the glutes engaged, so the body moves completely together. At the lowest point, the chest and toes should be the only things contacting the ground, with the chin tucked (while looking at the floor) and the hips and stomach an inch away from the ground. Keep the core engaged by drawing the abdominal muscles in, and squeeze the quads and glutes. This will help neutralize the pelvic position and contribute to a rigid body.

Pull-up

It’s erroneous to think a proper pull-up is quantified by whether or not you get your head over the bar. There’s more to it than that.

You can’t fake a pull-up. You’re either strong enough to pull yourself up or you aren’t. Pull-ups will uncover weaknesses in physical strength — which is probably why so many trainers neglect them or don’t do them properly.

The pull-up is widely viewed as a prime back exercise for strength and development. Sadly, it’s rarely performed in a way that exploits the back muscles properly. The hollow, pencil-straight body that most lifters pull with actually disengages the back muscles from doing the work and encourages the arms to pull the body over the bar.

Lead With Your Chest

To achieve the right form, think about raising your chest to the bar as you engage the lower traps and depress the shoulders to start each rep. Once you’ve mastered this, your body should move up toward the bar by a couple of inches before your elbows bend. Then pull with your arms.

Arch the Back

Many trainers think the body should be completely straight during pull-ups, but to develop the back, encourage an arch. Retract your shoulder blades to engage the lats, rhomboids and lower traps more effectively. Even if you don’t make it as far over the bar, you’ll be using the correct muscles to perform the movement. You should be feeling proper pull-ups deep in the bellies of the lat muscles — the meatiest portions of your middle back — not just in your armpits.

Elbow Position

Don’t engage your elbows first because that turns this into a biceps exercise. During your reps, drive your elbows back and down, and use your back muscles, not your arms, to pull your chin above the bar.

Try This

To get stronger at pull-ups and enforce good form, add eccentric reps to the end of your pull-up workout. Once you’ve hit failure and can’t pull your body up to the bar, assist yourself to the top using a box or step, and slowly resist the negative rep (the falling phase) until you reach a dead hang. Aim for a five- to seven-second descent. Perform as many additional reps as possible.

Plank

The plank is a test of core strength but it’s probably the most commonly botched movement in the world of groundwork. Lifters often pride themselves in being able to hold a plank for upward of three minutes, although it has zero translation to their actual core strength. Relying on your arms, shoulders and lower back to perform a plank allows a lifter to find much more muscular endurance for long holds compared to strictly using the muscles of your trunk in good form.

Build Your Foundation

Pull your quads tight by pushing your knees as high toward the ceiling as they’ll go. At the same time, pull inward as though you want to make your elbows touch your toes (or “drag the floor toward itself”). Just like the push-up example, you’ll notice that you can’t maintain this kind of tension and technical precision for a significant length of time — so don’t. Keep your focus on quality, and do multiple sets of 15 or so seconds each, creating as much abdominal tension as you possibly can for that time.

Keep Your Hips Up

The first thing to fix when planking is the pelvic position. If you aren’t engaging your core muscles your hips will sink. Not only does this do nothing for core strength, but it strains your lower back. Raise your hips one or two inches higher, and then tuck your tailbone under by squeezing your glutes hard. Doing this will immediately engage the lower abs.

Try This

Once you’ve mastered the basic plank, remove a base of support for an additional challenge. Set a target such as a medicine ball or step at arm’s length in front of you and slowly reach forward to touch the top of it, alternating arms. Make sure you don’t lean over to support yourself each time an arm leaves the floor. Your body position should look like both arms are down the entire time. To ensure this, have a partner place a light object like your cell phone or shoe on your lower back. If it falls off, you have work to do.

The 8 Best Exercises (You’re Not Doing)

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 14:00:00 +0000

Squats, benches and bent-over rows form the backbone of a good mass-building workout, but here are eight “forgotten” exercises that made our list.

Of all the tools at your disposal to help change your body, there’s one vital technique that is dramatically overlooked: exercise selection. Typically, people think that adding variety is just a way to prevent gym boredom. But boredom isn’t your concern. Frankly, if you’re bored, go home.

No, the idea of changing exercises is so that you can submerge your body in as many growth environments as possible. Remember, your body is extraordinary and it adapts fairly quickly to the stresses you subject it to. So even though your typical routine resulted in marked changes and improvements at one time or another, rest assured that even the “best” exercises could become less than effective from overuse during the course of a yearly split.

By adding exercises you’ve never tried, you’ll automatically force your body to adapt in new ways. The mere fact that you’ve made it to this point on the page is a good indicator that your system is in dire need of a wrench. Indeed, the neurological adaptation and mind-muscle connection required to perform brand-new moves, coupled with the altered angles that recruit muscle fibers in various new ways, makes the following list an invaluable buffet to the hungry bodybuilder.

Thus, the exercises we’ve highlighted this month are definitely not your run-of-the- mill moves. On the contrary, by adding any or all of these moves to a particular bodypart attack, you’ll surely draw the attention of the familiar crowd doing all the familiar moves. But like they say, “To have what you’ve never had, you must do what you’ve never done,” and if you’re ready to start growing again, that time is now.

#1 Barbell Hack Squat

Target: Quads, hamstrings, glutes primarily; back secondarily

Best In Workout: Perform the barbell hack squat early in your workout. Because it’s a full-body move, it’s best done with heavy weight. Plus, it’s tough on the lower back, so you want to be as fresh as possible on each set.

Sets & Reps: Perform 3–4 sets with 6–12 reps.

Stance: Space your feet shoulder-width apart and firmly plant them on the floor; then, drop into a squat position. You want a firm foundation and it starts with your feet. If you’re new to this move, or deadlift-type exercises in general, you might notice that your heels tend to rise off the floor at the start. Work to keep your feet flat — this will get easier as you warm up and become more accustomed to the move.

Arms: With your arms fully extended, grasp the bar using a pronated grip just outside your legs, locking your thumbs around the bar. This position should resemble the start of a deadlift, only with the bar behind you. Many guys make the mistake of trying to use their arms to pull the bar up. If you bend your arms in an attempt to raise the bar, you won’t be nearly as strong as you could be. Your arms should act as hooks, attaching yourself to the bar.

Breathe: Inhale deeply, holding your breath as you begin the move. You want to hold your breath at the start of the move. Not only are you stronger when you do so, but it’ll also increase the intra-abdominal pressure and stabilize your spine while protecting you from injury. As you begin the descent toward the start (bottom) of the move you’ll also naturally and necessarily hold your breath.

Legs: Drive through your heels, extending your hips and knees simultaneously until you’re standing erect with the bar, exhaling at the top of the motion. At this point, the bar should be just under your glutes. The barbell hack squat is very similar to the deadlift in that it’s a pressing move for the legs. Again, if you try to pull the weight up with your upper body without concentrating on the legs, you’ll defeat the purpose of the exercise, not to mention risk injury. Remember to squeeze the quads, hams and glutes at the top as you catch your breath. Use pulling straps, since the amount of weight you can press with your legs will probably exceed how much weight you can hold in your hands.

#2 Standing One-Arm Overhead Press

Target: All delt heads, with emphasis on front and middle heads

Best In Workout: Great as one of your first exercises, not only because it’s a compound move for delts, but it also brings your stabilizers into play, and you want those fresh. You can also precede this move with front and lateral raises if you wanted to pre-exhaust the delts. However, if you do so, your weight selection will be drastically reduced.

Sets & Reps: Perform 3–4 sets with 8–12 reps.

Dumbbell: Stand holding a dumbbell at shoulder level. Don’t worry about holding the dumbbell at a 90-degree angle at the start; just ensure your elbow is pointing down at the start, with the dumbbell just above your shoulder.

Opposite Hand: Your non-working hand should be on the same-side hip. By not holding on to a stable post with your opposite hand, you automatically call upon your core musculature to a higher degree and this will cause you to be stronger in every aspect of your training. As you fatigue, holding on to a stable post like a power rack or Smith machine is fine and can allow you to bust out a few more reps.

Body English: You don’t have to be “perfect” throughout each rep. In other words, your upper body doesn’t have to remain perfectly straight. Go ahead and allow a bit of a dip in your shoulder as you lower and press the dumbbell overhead. This will happen naturally, especially since you’re using a heavy weight.

Stance: With your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your abs tight, press the dumbbell straight overhead to full arm extension. You can vary how far apart your feet are, but having a wide, solid base will help you during the move and also alleviate lower-back stress. Be sure to keep your knees unlocked and your legs flexed. Many guys think they’re stronger on the seated version, but actually, if your lower back and core are fit, you’re capable of lifting more weight overhead from a standing position. Ever see an Olympic lifter seated? Nope.

#3 Decline Cable Crunch

Target: Abs with emphasis on the upper abs

Best In Workout: In general, always do abs last in your workout, following your major bodyparts. But within your ab-specific training, put this weighted crunch before your bodyweight moves.

Sets & Reps: Perform four sets with 10–15 reps.

strong>Bench: Place a decline bench near a low pulley (your head nearest the stack). Most gyms have portable abdominal benches, so drag or carry one to the pulley station. Place it a couple of feet away from the stack so that when you grasp and place the rope in place, the weight rises off the stack and won’t touch down between reps.

Rope: Hook a rope attachment to the cable and hold the handles tight to your body outside your ears. You can also grasp both ends of the rope and hold them on one side of your head. The emphasis isn’t altered all that much and could be more comfortable and practical depending on the attachment. But if you do so, be sure to transfer your hands to each side of your head from set to set.

Range Of Motion: Crunch up as high as possible, bringing your elbows toward your quads. Because you’re holding a cable that provides constant tension, you can raise your body as high as possible. In other words, you don’t have to stop short of perpendicular to the floor as you do during the bodyweight version to keep the abs engaged and stimulated, but come up as high as you can go. Try not to pull through your quads to lessen the engagement of the hip flexors

Back To Start: Squeeze your abs hard and then slowly lower yourself to the start position and repeat. Feel free to come all the way down until your head touches the bench, but if you want to make it more difficult, stop just short of letting your shoulder blades touch the bench. Either way, don’t let the weight plates touch down at the bottom of each rep.

#4 Smith-Machine Drag Curl

Target: Biceps, with emphasis on the long (outer) head or “peak”

Best In Workout: You can place the drag curl anywhere in your training repertoire, just as long as you precede or follow it with moves that hit the short, inner head as well as your forearms.

Sets & Reps: Perform 3–4 sets with 12–15 reps.

It's A Drag: Stand holding a bar in front of your upper thighs, with your chest up, shoulders back and eyes focused forward. Begin the move by pulling your elbows back as you raise the bar toward your upper abs/lower chest. With the drag curl, you’re forced to eliminate as much deltoid involvement as possible. This means you want to keep your elbows back and pull your elbows behind you as you drag the bar up your abdomen, which is why the range of motion is so limited.

Range Of Motion: The bar shouldn’t come any higher than your upper abs. If it does, it means you’re allowing your elbows to travel too far forward, engaging more delts than desired. Make sure those elbows move backward not forward.

No Balance Required: Because you’re using the Smith machine, you don’t have to worry about balancing the bar. Therefore, you can probably lift more weight than you’d typically lift with the free-weight version. Don’t be afraid to overload the muscles.

#5 Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Barbell Row

Target: Lower lats

Best In Workout: Because you’re so much stronger during this move and because it’s a bent-over move that taxes the lower back to a great extent, perform this early in your training.

Sets & Reps: Perform four sets with 6–12 reps.

Stance: Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, grasp a barbell with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. A firm, solid foundation will help you get the most out of the row. The reverse grip will automatically allow you to be stronger (than the overhand-grip version) because you’re engaging your biceps.

Bent Knees: Keeping your knees slightly bent, lean forward at your waist until your torso is roughly parallel with the floor. You want to have a little “give” in your knees throughout the set. Slightly opening and closing the angle of your knees will allow for just enough body english on each rep while also alleviating your lower back from undue stress.

Barbell: The barbell should hang straight down and very close to the front of your shins. Without raising your upper body, pull the barbell up toward your lower abdomen, bringing your elbows high and above the level of your back. You can actually drag the bar up the quads to your lower abs. By dragging the bar, you’re sure to fully engage those lower-lat fibers with better accuracy because it’ll keep your arms in line with the sides of your body.

At The Top: Hold the bar in the peak contracted position for a brief count then slowly lower along the same path. When the bar is near your abdomen, your elbows should actually be behind the plane of your back. It’s at that point that you can squeeze your lower lats with incredible intensity. Try holding that point for up to two seconds before lowering the bar to full arm extension.

#6 One-Arm Low (Or High) Cable Crossover

Target: Pecs, with emphasis on the upper and middle chest fibers

Best In Workout: You can use this move as a pre-exhaust exercise preceding the compound presses necessary for mass, or you can put this last in your workout to flush and pump the muscle full of water, blood and nutrients.

Sets & Reps: Perform 3–4 sets with 15–20 reps.

D-Handle: Grasp a D-handle attached to the low cable and place your non-working hand on the same-side hip. Similar to the single-arm overhead press, using only one side of the body will help engage and recruit more stabilizer activity than you typically experience. As your core fatigues, you can hold the opposite handle in the non-working hand, helping you anchor and balance yourself.

Stance: Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and tighten your abs. Standing equidistant between the two low cables with a wide stance provides a stable foundation.

Slight Bend: Stand up straight and keep your working arm slightly bent. You should work to keep that slight bend in your elbow fixed throughout the entire set. Doing so will help focus the attention on the chest fibers. If you open and close the bend in your arm, you’ll lessen the effectiveness and shift some of the focus off the chest and onto your arm.

Range Of Motion: Pull the handle up and across your body. Bring the handle all the way across so that at the end of the range of motion, the handle is in front of the opposite shoulder. During the typical cable crossover, the handles meet in front of your chest or face, but working one side at a time allows you to cross your body, engaging more pec fibers for a longer ROM before returning to the start position and repeating.

#7 Three-In-One Triceps

Target: Triceps, all three heads with emphasis on long and lateral heads

Best In Workout:This three-in-one move is so brutal that it’s best to put it early in your routine. Follow this move with reverse-grip pressdowns to exhaust the medial head.

Sets & Reps: Perform three sets with 10– 15 reps.

At The Start: Lie down on a bench with your head at the very edge and have a partner hand you a loaded barbell. If you don’t have a partner, you can place the loaded bar at the very edge of the bench, then lie down and grasp it.

Wrap Those Thumbs: Hold the bar with an overhand grip, slightly inside your shoulders. Wrap your thumbs around the bar for safety. Because you’re bringing the bar over the face, it’s imperative that you completely wrap your thumbs around the bar. Your hands will sweat, and you don’t want to drop the bar at any point during the move.

First, The Skull: The first part of the move calls for a traditional skull-crusher, in which you bring the bar to your forehead, stopping an inch or so away from your head before pressing it back up to full arm extension. You can also do a modified skull in which your upper arms remain at a 45-degree angle to the floor, but it’s your preference. The 45-degree skull will not affect the other portions of the move.

After The Skull: Lower the bar down toward the top of your head and all the way down to the floor. On the way down, the bar should just miss the top of your head/bench. You basically want to think about reaching toward the spot where the floor meets the leg of the bench.

The Pullover-To-Press: After a good stretch, keep your arms bent and pull the bar directly over your face to your lower chest. To keep the bar an inch or so above your face as you move it to your lower chest takes incredible triceps strength. From your lower pecs, press the bar straight up as you would during a close-grip bench press. Squeeze the triceps hard and go right into the skull-crusher and the sequence continues. All three moves constitute a single rep.

#8 Incline Barbell Front Raise

Target: Front delts

Best In Workout: Perfect as a finishing move for the front delts, following the bigger, compound exercises such as overhead presses or upright rows.

Sets & Reps: Perform three sets with 15–20 reps.

Set The Incline:

Grip: Hold a barbell with an overhand (pronated) grip about shoulder width apart. To start the move, raise the barbell a few inches above your quads, keeping your arms as straight as possible. The “start” of this move feels as though you’re right in the middle or the end of the exercise because to raise the barbell off the quads takes a lot of effort, so start out light. You’ll quickly realize you don’t need a lot of weight on this isolation move to elicit results. Many of you may have tried the version of this move in which you face the incline bench, however, the supine version doesn’t allow the lower traps to assist in the execution.

At The Top: Raise the bar up over the face until your arms are just short of perpendicular to the floor (not shown). If you raise the barbell too high, your arms will reach a straight up-and-down angle to the floor, which will all but release any tension on the front delts. A point of reference might be to stop the bar when it’s in direct line with your line of sight.

Constant ension: Squeeze your delts hard, then lower the bar under control to a point just above your quads without letting it touch your legs. By stopping short of touching your quads, you automatically force your delts to continue working. Only after you fatigue should you allow the weight to momentarily touch.

The Best Workout For You, According To Your Zodiac Sign

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 15:47:00 +0000

Since ancient times, people looked up in the sky when times turned harsh, looking for some comfort. As they accumulated more knowledge, astrologists were born and the stars began to “speak” to us more and more. Zodiac signs were established and since then we always listen to the horoscope before starting our day. How to find your perfume, how to spend your honeymoon and how to deal with a broken heart, can all be decided based on your zodiac sign.

Before the workouts, let’s find more about astrology and zodiac signs

However, there are skeptics like me who need more in order to believe their destiny is altered by the month of their birth. As always, I turned to science, trying to find a connection between the astrological sign and personality traits. First, there are more and more Americans who do believe in astrology, according to data gathered by the National Science Foundation.

But the really amazing findings are those which link personality traits to birthdays, to be more specific, zodiac signs.

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorders are more common in people born under Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are studied intensively, being two of the most common personality disorders, which affect the patient’s entire life. Some studies looked at the incidence of these ailments among patients and found that people born in January, February and March have the highest risk of developing these conditions. A study conducted at the Queen Mary University of London revealed that January is the month where most schizophrenia patients are born, being closely followed by February and March.

Suicidal tendencies are more common in people born under Aries and Taurus

Still, in London, another study, this time conducted by St. Helen’s College, University College London and the University of Liverpool found that suicide is more common among people born in April and May. The study found that people born in Aries and Taurus have a 17% more risk of committing suicide, compared to people born under other signs. Out of these, women born in April and May have 13% more chances of becoming suicidal, compared to men born in the same months.

People born under Sagittarius, Aquarius and Capricorn have a lower agreeableness level

There are five main personality traits, according to science: agreeableness, extraversion, openness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. Agreeableness is that warmth of character, which, according to a study conducted at the University of Tokyo, is not found in people born in December, January, and February.

Men born under Gemini, Cancer and Leo have a lower conscientiousness level

Another personality trait is conscientiousness, which is the ability to be careful. According to a study conducted at the University of Bologna, men born in summer rate lower for this trait. Another interesting find of this study is that people born in autumn or winter are morning people, while those born in spring or summer are “night owls”.

Now that we know horoscope zodiac signs can and do alter our personalities, let’s check the best workouts, according to your astrological sign.

Aries – Personalized training

Because Aries likes to be the center of attention and is prone to take the competition to another level way too often, a personal trainer is the best option for you.

Taurus – Cardio workout

Taurus natives are sensual and love art, so dance is the best workout for you, as it offers the intense exercise you need and the sensual form you crave.

Gemini – HIIT

Gemini becomes bored very quick, so a high-intensity interval training is exactly what you need. The intense reps and the short reps don’t let you get bored and provide you with the intensive workout you need.

Cancer – Community workouts

This one is a bit harder to explain: Cancer natives love to have other people around, so if you want the best from your training, you should find someone who can become your exercise mate. Pump up the music and start exercising together.

Leo – Full body workouts

Leo natives are competitive, strong-willed and ready to take up a challenge, so for you, full body workouts are the best pick. Your motivation is never low, so you can pull it off easily, especially if you have other Leo natives around you.

Virgo – Barre workouts

Virgo is critical and this means you love to repeat until it’s perfect. Barre workouts are based on repetition, while they emphasize form and technique, making them perfect for you.

Libra – Kickboxing

Libra is the sign of balance, so kickboxing is going to provide you with the dose of full body workout you need and the opportunity to unleash your wild side.

Scorpio – Running

Scorpio natives are very focused, especially on great goals, so running a marathon is a great workout for you because it uses your focus and your endurance.

Sagittarius – Rock Climbing

Social and adventurous, Sagittarius natives are going to love rock climbing sessions. These also provide a complete workout and get you out of your comfort zone.

Capricorn – Ironman or mud competitions

Capricorn natives are tough and determined, so training for the notorious Ironman or mud competitions, which are extra tough, is going to provide you with the disciplined workout you need.

Aquarius – Team Sports

Aquarius natives are team players by nature, so team sports are their best pick when it comes to working out. Plus, the competition is going to sparkle your interest.

Pisces – Yoga

Pisces are said to have a slippering personality, but this is not why yoga is the best for you. Yoga helps you connect with your spiritual side and tone your body, during the same exercise.

Eat and Drink Your Way to Feeling More Energetic

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Sat, 29 Oct 2016 12:36:00 +0000

Do you feel tired all the time? What you eat and drink can have a huge effect on your energy levels. Foods high in fat can make you feel sluggish and less alert while sugary foods can give you a boost, at first, only to leave you feeling drained later. However, the foods and drinks listed here fight fatigue, benefit your health and help you feel energetic all day.

1. Begin the Day with an Omelet

Whether you eat them scrambled, poached, or as an omelet, eggs are very delicious and healthy. Plus, eggs are an excellent source of protein. The protein aids the body in maintaining constant blood sugar levels while the B vitamins found in eggs support the body’s energy production.

2. Enjoy Some Dark Chocolate

You may have heard that eating dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure, but did you know it can also give you a boost of energy? Dark chocolate is rich in the antioxidant polyphenols. Polyphenols help to regulate cellular activity in the body and increase energy. Eating dark chocolate also increases serotonin, a chemical in the brain that controls feelings of tiredness. An imbalance of serotonin can bring on bouts of depression. So grab yourself a few bites of dark chocolate for an extra boost of energy throughout the day.

3. Eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains

Fruits and vegetables are known for being rich in water, and whole grains for being a good source of fiber. These foods have the ability to keep us feeling fuller for a longer period of time, boost energy, and help fight obesity by reducing acidity in the body. In fact, when the human body has far too much acidity, it tries to compensate by building up thick layers of protective fat. So the effective way to make the body more alkaline and to fight obesity is to increase our intake of them.

4. Cook Some Oatmeal

Oatmeal is rich in fiber and can provide you with quick energy due to its high carbohydrate content. However, unlike other cereals, oatmeal will not send you crashing back down from a sugar rush. The carbohydrates in the oats are stored as glycogen which is a substance in the body that provides fuel for your brain and muscles.

5. Indulge in a Handful of Almonds

Nuts are packed with protein and fiber, providing you with enough energy to keep you moving throughout the day. Almonds, in particular, contain the mineral magnesium that turns sugar into energy. Mix some raisins with your almonds for a simple way to boost your energy levels even more.

6. Eat a Cup of Yogurt

Choked full of probiotics and protein, yogurt is good for your digestive system and offers a quick boost of energy that will not send you crashing down later. Because the protein in yogurt stays in your stomach for a longer amount of time than carbohydrates, it promises an even longer lasting supply of energy. Yogurt is also easily digested, unlike ice cream which can sometimes cause stomach pain.

7. Pour Yourself a Glass of Green Tea

Green tea is a proven fatigue fighter because it offers natural caffeine and is full of antioxidants. Green tea also contains polyphenols and L-theanine, both of which provide many positive health benefits. Along with boosting energy levels, these nutrients can increase alertness, improve memory and concentration while decreasing stress and anxiety.

8. Drink More Water

Most people do not get enough water. Lack of water can make you feel tired and rundown. By keeping yourself hydrated, the body can carry out necessary actions. When the body becomes even slightly dehydrated, various bodily systems slow down causing both your body and mind to suffer.

There are many reasons why you might feel tired and sluggish. Certain medications, too little sleep, and overeating are just a few things that can contribute to low energy. However, these foods can help you maintain a steady stream of energy. So grab a handful of almonds, a tall glass of water and enjoy feeling better longer!

Featured photo credit: shutterstock via image.shutterstock.com

Mass Gain Made Simple

noreply@blogger.com (Gagan Deep) — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 08:27:00 +0000

It may take a lot of work in the gym and a lot of food on the plate, but building mass is a straightforward project, once you have the right plan for your body type.

OK, gaining mass isn’t that simple. You need to know how to eat, and you definitely need to know what to take to supplement your diet and exercise program. And that means you need one of our straightforward mass-gain plans, outlined below.

The Easy-Gainer: Slow And Steady

Frankly, there’s no real reason to gain weight slowly. This technique isn’t for those who have all the patience in the world. Instead, the Slow and Steady method of mass gaining is for those who gain fat a little more easily: Guys who have aged out of the lightning-fast metabolism that the young bucks enjoy, those who are born endomorphs and have to be careful about their calorie intake, and anyone who is close enough to competition (or bathing-suit season) to want to put on pure mass without adding extra layers of flab.

Training

We assume you know that training for mass requires mixing things up so that your muscles are continually kept guessing. That process of systematically cycling your training is called periodization. One of the most common variables to cycle is the amount of weight you lift, and therefore the number of reps you can complete per set. Heavier weights yield lower numbers of reps; lighter weights, higher reps.

This training plan includes four phases:

PHASE 1: Choose a weight with which you can get 12 to 15 reps per set.

PHASE 2: Choose a weight with which you can get 10 to 12 reps per set.

PHASE 3: Choose a weight with which you can get eight to 10 reps per set.

PHASE 4: Choose a weight with which you can get six to eight reps per set.

In each phase, remain within the prescribed rep range for all exercises, and spend about two weeks in each phase for a total of an eight-week training program.

Train each bodypart once per week, breaking it up into a four-day split where you target related bodyparts (like chest and triceps) on the same day. This allows you to hit your larger muscle groups hard and heavy at the outset with assistance from smaller muscle groups that get direct work later in the session. This adds both volume and intensity, which is part and parcel of any mass-gain program.

Ideally, you’ll want to do 12 to 16 total working sets for larger body parts such as chest, back, quads and hamstrings, while performing nine to 12 total sets for smaller body parts. Generally, this should be divided over two to four exercises so that you can hit each muscle from a variety of angles. And it should go without saying that if mass is your main concern, your focus should be on multijoint exercises that allow you to use the most weight for the target number of reps. In other words, 16 sets of cable flyes isn’t going to be as effective as, say, 12 sets of angled presses and dips followed by four sets of flyes.

As for cardio, we bet you were counting on us telling you that because this is a mass-gain plan, you don’t have to do any. Sorry! To ensure that you gain quality muscle and don’t put on fat, you should do a little bit of cardio, namely 15 to 20 minutes of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) three times per week.

Nutrition

Because this plan entails gaining mass at a more reasonable pace, there’s only a small bump in calories on the nutrition side. Aim to get between 18 and 20 calories per pound of bodyweight, which equates to between 3,240 and 3,600 calories per day for a 180-pound man (multiply calories by pounds, or 18 x 180).

Because you can’t build muscle without protein, take in 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (1.5 x 180 pounds = 270 grams per day). Carb intake should remain moderate, between 1.5 and 2 grams per pound of bodyweight, or 270 to 360 grams for the 180-pound man. Focus on slow-digesting, whole-grain carbs such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread and brown rice, and limit your carb intake after dinner. Fat intake should stay low, at 0.5 gram per pound of bodyweight.

Most mass-seekers prefer to take in all these calories in five to seven feedings throughout the day, but studies show that three meals per day can be just as effective.

The right supplement plan is also key if you expect to pack on clean mass, as opposed to 20 pounds of mixed goo. For an all-day supplement schedule, turn to page 51.

The Hardgainer Plan: Fast and Furious

It’s not that you’re any more dedicated or in a bigger rush than those who are following the slower route to mass. In fact, your journey might actually be more difficult, filled with more hard work in the gym and more careful caloric calibration. That’s because guys who need to take this path to mass are most likely hardgainers, natural stick people (aka ectomorphs), young dudes with fast metabolisms who struggle to gain any weight, or those who plan to spend the next few months wrapped in sweaters and jackets and therefore don’t care about how defined their abs look.

Training

You gotta hit the gym, and you gotta hit it hard. Get ready for some intensity techniques. Here’s how. You’ll follow the same four-day split as the Slow and Steady crew, but instead of cycling weights you’ll pick a weight you can get eight to 12 reps with. Do one warm-up set per exercise, then go to muscle failure on every set except the last one or two. On those, really stress the muscle by doing either a drop set or the rest-pause technique. The same guidelines on total training volume apply, with larger bodyparts getting 12 to 16 total sets of work and smaller ones getting nine to 12.

REST-PAUSE: Rest-pause simply means you terminate a set a few reps shy of momentary muscular failure, rest 15 to 25 seconds, then continue the set again using the same weight. This process is repeated multiple times for a fragmented set with a higher rep total. For example, instead of performing three sets of eight reps on the bench press with 225 pounds, you might perform five reps, rest 20 seconds, then repeat this process four more times before taking a two- to three-minute break. By the end of this rest-pause set, you’ll have completed 25 total reps instead of your originally targeted eight. Of course, total reps will vary depending on overall strength and conditioning. This system takes advantage of your body’s explosive energy system (phosphagen), which replenishes fairly quickly — although not completely — between bouts of work.

DROP SET: On a drop set, go to failure with the original weight you’ve been using to get eight to 12 reps. Then immediately drop 20 to 30 percent of the weight and go to failure again. You can perform multiple drops, but two to three is generally sufficient to create the stimulus you’re looking for. This process allows you to train your muscles beyond failure, creating more microtrauma to the fibers, which paves the way for more muscle gain during recovery.

Nutrition

The overarching goal of this nutrition plan is to bump insulin levels and keep them high. Sound scary? The truth is, hardgainers don’t have a problem with their insulin levels, and because it’s an anabolic hormone, we’re going to put it to work for you with fast carbs and an insulin booster.

But first, the calories. You’ve got to eat more to gain, so Fast and Furious trackers get to consume between 21 and 23 calories per pound of bodyweight. Let’s say our typical hardgainer tops out at 150 pounds. Multiply that weight by 21 and you get 3,150 calories; multiply it by 23 and you get 3,450. Protein intake remains critical, so we recommend you eat between 1.5 and 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (between 225 and 300 grams per day). Carb intake is also increased, to between 2.5 and 3 grams per day. Fat remains low, at 0.5 gram per pound. (Those grams should be primarily of the healthy, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated variety).

As with the easy-gainers, you can go the traditional “three squares” route, or you can divide your calories and macros up over five to seven meals and snacks throughout the day.

The Easy-Gainer Calories + Macros Plan: Split To Grow

Day 1: Chest + Triceps + Abs

Day 2: Quads + Hams + Calves

Day 3: REST

Day 4: Shoulders + Traps + Abs

Day 5: Back + Biceps + Forearms

Days 6 & 7: REST

The Hardgainer Calories + Macros Plan

PROTEIN: 1.5-2 grams per pound of bodyweight

CARBOHYDRATES: 2.5-3 grams per pound of bodyweight per day

FAT: 0.5 gram per pound of bodyweight per day

CALORIES: 21-23 calories per pound of bodyweight per day

The Mass List

Don’t overcomplicate things. Follow the guidelines outlined in this article and adhere to these simple, proven principles of packing on size.

1. Stay Compound: Focus on multijoint movements such as presses, rows, squats, pull-ups, dips and deadlifts. These exercises not only build greater strength but also target more muscle, burn more calories and trigger a greater release of testosterone and growth hormone, which contribute to greater muscle gain.

2. Go Big First: Single-joint, or isolation, exercises such as flyes, extensions and curls have their place in a mass-gain program but should be done after your heavier, multijoint moves.

3. Insist on Progress: You should always strive to handle the most weight you can for the prescribed rep ranges. Even if you’re on a two-week cycle, you may find that you can increase weight each week, which is ideal for improving strength and size.

4. Check Your Volume: Some rare athletes may be able to get away with doing 25 to 30 sets per body part, but this is simply not advisable for most individuals. For most, the ideal volume is 12 to 16 total sets, divided over multiple exercises, for larger muscle groups such as chest, back and legs. Smaller body parts can be sufficiently stimulated with nine to 12 sets. You grow while you recover, not while you train.

5. Rest: On the days where rest is outlined, you should do exactly that. There’s little benefit derived from tacking on an additional session for a lagging bodypart as this will, again, impede overall recovery and hinder gains.

6. Supplement Right: Our comprehensive supplement plan will educate you on which supplements to take and when, while also providing the most effective dose. Supplements fill in gaps as you strive to reach your daily caloric and macronutrient goals and provide welcome jumps in performance and hormones that facilitate hypertrophy.

7. Be Strict: Of course, you should be strict with your diet and only feed your muscles nutrients it can use for growth, but you should be equally strict with your form in the gym. When gaining mass, there’s a temptation to overdo it with weight loads, which leads to poor form and invites injury. Better to maximize muscle stimulation by using the heaviest weights that you can control at a given rep range than to sideline yourself with a catastrophic injury.

How To Improve Your Physical Appearance Through Diet And Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Angelina Rose) — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:35:00 +0000

Getting fit and improving your physical appearance doesn’t have to be complicated, but it is not achieved overnight. There are solutions to get in shape and regain your youthful vigor through diet, exercise, and sleep and relaxation. You don’t even have to join a gym or spend a ton of money!

Exercise

Exercise encourages muscle strength and provides additional support to your organs by encouraging overall blood circulation. There are various exercises that can be done to also improve your appearance. For example, if you want to tone your arms, abs, and thighs, you can perform a variety of strength training exercises. Bicep curls are recommended to tone the upper arm area. Exercising with a stability ball is highly recommended for arm and chest strengthening. Namely, for many women, the upper thigh area can be a bit saggy. To achieve toned thighs including a more toned rear, aerobic exercises such as walking, biking, dancing, kickboxing, and swimming are recommended.

Another part of the body that is often overlooked when exercising is the shoulders. Your shoulder’s health, strength, and stability are maintained by exercising the muscles surrounding it. This can be achieved by doing shoulder workouts such as pushups or dumbbell lifts.

Food and Vitamins

The foods you choose to consume are very important in maintaining not only your health, but your overall physical appearance. Food encourages health from the inside by nourishing organs and providing nutrients to them. In addition, a combination of nutrient-rich foods and vitamins and minerals are necessary for radiant, healthy hair growth. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, biotin, iron, vitamin-C, and protein play a significant role in promoting healthy hair growth and improving other bodily functions.

Fish, eggs, avocado, and nuts are excellent sources of fatty acids (provide energy, transport oxygen throughout the body, improve brain function, etc.).
Biotin is a B-vitamin (needed for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver) which can be consumed by eating nuts, oatmeal, and other healthy grains.
You can obtain iron (an essential element for blood production) from leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach, nuts, and berries. Iron is best absorbed when vitamin-C is highly present in the body.
Foods rich in Vitamin-C (needed for the growth and repair of tissues) include citrus, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
Protein (required for the structure, regulation, and function of the body’s tissue) can be obtained from lean meats, beans, cheese, and seeds.

Beautiful Skin

Besides your face and hair, your skin is the most noticed part of the body. It is vital to ensure your skin stands out and showcases its healthy, beautiful characteristics. To do this, exercise is important. Exercise affords you the benefits of glowing and toned skin after a workout. It also strengthens and tones the muscles, and helps rids your pores of nasty bacteria and toxins.

Rest and Relaxation

Getting the right amount of sleep is critical in healing tired and sore muscles after exercising. Sleep is also useful in reducing anxiety and emotions such as depression.

Intangible Benefits

Exercise can also boost physical appearance in intangible ways. Others will notice your confidence as you stroll along with more pep in your step. You can walk into a room knowing that you look good and be the envy of the social scene. You’ll also be more pleased with the person who is looking back at you from the reflection in the mirror.

Another intangible benefit to exercise, but positively impactful on your physical appearance, is the reduction of stress. Stress is mostly felt from the inside, but there are instances when others will recognize this from your facial expressions. Exercise can release stress hormones by circulating blood throughout the body.

There are also opportunities to improve your appearance by meditating, hitting the sauna, getting a massage, and healing your mind through other relaxation techniques.