To that end, we’ve put together this post to review four common misconceptions related to training and nutrition.
]]>To that end, we’ve put together this post to review four common misconceptions related to training and nutrition.
Let’s discuss.
One common misconception is that you must eat right after training to prevent muscle breakdown. If you don’t do that, all of your training efforts will be in vain.
While post-workout nutrition is important, especially if you don’t eat for a few hours before training, the rules aren’t as strict.
Research suggests that the post-workout eating window is far more flexible than most people imagine, and you don’t necessarily have to eat something or drink a protein shake as soon as you finish the last set.
In fact, if you have a decently-sized pre-workout meal, you might get away with not eating anything for hours after your session.
Prevailing wisdom suggests that a good training plan is one that pushes trainees to their absolute limits. The idea is that only tremendous effort can cause a large enough disruption necessary for progression.
Luckily, that isn’t the case. In fact, pushing yourself too hard can have the opposite effects: overtraining, muscle loss, and a drop in athletic performance.
A good training plan challenges you to a certain level but allows you to keep some gas in the tank. As a result, you make progress but recover adequately between workouts.
This one is more of a myth than a misconception but deserves a couple of paragraphs nonetheless.
Too many people still fall for the idea of spot-reducing body fat by performing exercises that target specific areas of the body. For example, someone interested in getting abs might do countless crunches and sit-ups to melt belly fat.
Unfortunately, that’s not how the human body works. The only way to shed fat is to be in a calorie deficit––consume fewer calories than you burn. Unfortunately, even then, your body decides where to burn fat from. In many cases, belly fat is the last one to go and the first one to return if you start overeating.
Ketogenic diets have become quite popular in recent years, and many people attribute their fitness results and well-being to low-carb eating plans.
The truth is that reducing carb intake can be beneficial for some people, especially if recommended by a doctor after a thorough health exam. For instance, the approach can be helpful for people who need to lose a lot of weight and those struggling to control their blood sugar levels.
But, labeling keto as ideal for everyone is misguided because numerous factors determine how one approach might affect someone.
Carbohydrates are one of the three primary nutrients (along with proteins and fats), and cutting them out from your diet can have adverse effects. So, it’s best to consult your doctor before making radical lifestyle changes.
]]>And the glutes? These muscles are important, but they get enough indirect stimulation from Romanian deadlifts, squats, and similar, right?
Well, that’s true, but only to an extent. Like any muscle in the body, the glutes offer numerous benefits and respond to direct work.
Read on to learn how to improve glute strength and what benefits you will enjoy.
The gluteus maximus is the largest and most powerful muscle in the entire body. It serves a crucial role in many activities, including jumping, running, and lifting weights.
Along with the glute medius and minimus, the glute max makes up a significant portion of the core musculature. The muscle group is necessary for proper pelvic alignment, hip stability, the prevention of lower back pain, and more.
Strong glutes promote stability, making it easier to maintain balance while working out, playing sports, and carrying out everyday tasks. In addition, glute strength can reduce the risk of falls in the elderly.
Some data also suggests that stronger glutes can promote a better posture due to the muscle group’s ability to extend the body.
Given the complex structure and function of the glutes, only relying on a couple of exercises won’t be enough to promote optimal development of the maximus, medius, and minimus.
But before we dive into exercise recommendations, it’s important to briefly look at muscle activation. You can’t hope to train and develop the glutes optimally unless you learn how to activate the area in your training.
Start with simple activities that feature hip extension and leg adduction/abduction to improve glute activation. Doing so will help you target all three muscles.
Here are some simple activities you can start doing:
The objective is to perform slow repetitions and consciously try to activate your glutes on every repetition. Don’t rush the process, and don’t introduce external resistance too early.
Once you’re capable of engaging the glutes and possibly even experience some muscle soreness in the area, proceed to more challenging exercises and gradually introduce external weights.
For instance, instead of doing countless reps on the glute bridge, transition to hip thrusts and use a barbell to load your glutes. In addition, consider ankle weights or resistance bands for bird dog, clamshells, glute kicks, and other exercises.
As for frequency, research suggests that training our muscles more often is better for strength gain. You can do exercises for your glutes twice per week and eventually bump the frequency to three times if you feel the need.
For example:
As with any other muscle, progressive overload will play a significant role in your development. Aim for steady improvements (more reps, weight, etc.) while maintaining proper form and feeling your glutes activate on every rep.
]]>Unfortunately, the temporary tweak can grow into something more serious and require serious attention.
Today’s post will review the best training practices while injured, allowing you to stay active without impeding recovery.
]]>Unfortunately, the temporary tweak can grow into something more serious and require serious attention.
Today’s post will review the best training practices while injured, allowing you to stay active without impeding recovery.
Injuries often occur after months or years of doing the same exercises. The more you stress your body in specific ways, the more damage certain tissues take and the higher the risk of irritations and overuse injuries.
Experimenting with new exercises is one beneficial change you can make if you’re dealing with an ache or injury. Try various movements and see what allows you to stay active without irritating the affected joints or muscles.
You can also tweak the exercises you’re currently doing by adjusting grip width, torso angle, stance, and more. For example, if regular squats bother your lower back, switch to front squats for a while.
That variation allows you to maintain a more upright torso and not put as much stress on your spine.
Another option for training around an injury is to keep your training the same but use lighter weights.
You can even try blood flow restriction (occlusion) training. The objective is to place a tourniquet at the base of a limb (e.g., an arm) and lift light weights (as little as 20 percent of your maximum) for more reps.
So long as you don’t feel irritation in the affected area, the approach can help you maintain and improve your fitness while healing from the injury. Plus, the blood flow to your muscles can support the recovery process.
A more significant injury might require not training the affected area at all. This is particularly true after surgery or when dealing with a muscle strain.
In that case, you can focus on the muscles of the opposite side. Doing so can be good for maintaining more muscle and reducing the amount of progress you lose while your injury heals.
Another practical way for training around an injury would be to shorten the range of motion. In many cases, that can allow you to keep training safely without irritating the affected area.
For example, if you’re dealing with a shoulder injury, you can introduce some chest training in the form of push-ups. Begin by lowering yourself a few inches at a time to see if a shorter range of motion would result in less irritation.
If you see that shortening the range of motion helps, you can apply the tactic to other exercises that involve your shoulders: flyes, bench press, etc.
Dealing with an injury can be tricky. You’re limited on what you can do, and you’re unsure when things will return to normal.
Plus, you wouldn’t want to push yourself too hard because that could irritate the injury and lengthen the recovery process.
Luckily, there are many creative ways to train around an injury, stay active, and limit how much progress you lose while you heal.
]]>In any case, read on to learn about the most common symptoms of a sedentary lifestyle and practical steps you can take to resolve each.
]]>In any case, read on to learn about the most common symptoms of a sedentary lifestyle and practical steps you can take to resolve each.
Let’s dive in.
A common symptom of a sedentary lifestyle is tightness in the traps and neck, resulting in aches and stiffness.
In addition, spending too much time in a static position causes the neck to move forward, which can put stress on the cervical vertebrae, increasing the risk of disc degeneration.
Two good ways to fix these issues are:
Tight hips are the second common symptom of a sedentary lifestyle. Spending too much time in a seated position causes the hip flexor muscles to shorten, resulting in:
The best way to alleviate hip tightness is by stretching the area. Here’s one stretch you can do:
The third common and harmful side-effect of leading a sedentary lifestyle is weakness in the glutes and legs.
Weak glutes are incapable of supporting a proper pelvic position, contributing to anterior pelvic, which we mentioned above. Similarly, weak leg muscles impair your functionality and make everyday tasks, including climbing stairs and carrying groceries, more challenging.
The most practical way to strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors, and calves is to follow a balanced workout plan. Fantastic exercises include:
Lower back pain is the fourth common symptom of sedentary living, particularly in people who spend most of their time seated improperly.
Hunching over while seated causes anterior muscles like the pectoralis major to shorten, leading to poor posture. The risk of spinal compression increases, leading to premature degeneration and chronic pain.
Certain cases might require professional attention and specialized treatment, so it might be best to consult a doctor.
Still, beneficial tactics for improving lower back pain include:
Leading a sedentary lifestyle can lead to a whole host of health issues. The above are only four common physical issues resulting from a lack of physical activity.
We hope our recommendations have given you some ideas for boosting your activity level and potentially alleviating some of the above issues.
]]>With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 5 simple rehab activities you can do at your desk.
]]>
The problem is that many people go about rehabilitation the wrong way, moving as little as possible to avoid irritating the affected area.
While limiting certain activities can be good, staying active is good for maintaining muscle tone, promoting blood flow, and potentially speeding up the healing process.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 5 simple rehab activities you can do at your desk.
Let’s review.
The standing hip flexor stretch is a fantastic rehab movement that improves hip mobility. Doing these once or twice daily is beneficial because the hip flexor muscles get tight from all the sitting we do at work, at home, while driving, etc.
To perform these, stand next to a chair, bend your leg, and place your knee on the seat. Have the top of your foot against the back support. Squeeze your glutes and press your hip forward until you feel a stretch above the thigh.
Once finished, go to the other side of the chair, place your other knee on top, and stretch.
Chin tucks are another valuable rehab exercise you can do at your desk and virtually anywhere else. (Well, it might look weird to others, but who cares?)
The simple activity is excellent for strengthening crucial muscles in the neck region and improving your posture. Doing so can alleviate neck and upper back pain.
To perform these, sit upright on a chair with your shoulders back. Tuck your chin as much as possible. You can even press your chin lightly to support the motion.
Do multiple reps where you hold for at least three seconds.
The standing quad stretch is not exactly a desk exercise, but it is still beneficial, particularly for people who’ve injured the muscle in the past.
Stretching the muscle promotes blood flow, allowing more nutrients and oxygen to travel to the area and promote tissue repair.
To perform the quad stretch, stand tall, bend your right knee, and grab your right foot, pulling it to your buttock. Feel free to place your left hand on your desk or a chair for balance.
Once finished, stretch the other quad in the same way.
The plank is an underrated isometric exercise that strengthens a range of small and large muscles in the body, promoting whole-body stability and strength.
Performing the plank is an excellent way to reduce the risk of future injuries and stabilize joints.
To perform these, place your chair against a wall, put your hands on the edge of the seat, straighten your arms, and extend your body into an incline push-up position. Squeeze your abs to create a natural lumbar curve, and hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds.
Russian twists are another excellent rehab exercise you can do to stay active, strengthen your core, and develop your rotational strength. The activity develops the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques.
To perform these, sit upright on a chair, engage your abs, and begin twisting your torso to the left and right, squeezing your obliques on every repetition.
For an extra challenge, lift your feet several inches off the floor.
]]>Unfortunately, certain situations call for taking time off training.
If you’re in this situation, you might wonder how long you should wait before returning to training after giving birth.
]]>Unfortunately, certain situations call for taking time off training. One such example is pregnancy.
If you’re in this situation, you might wonder how long you should wait before returning to training after giving birth. Let’s talk about it.
Women who’ve had a healthy pregnancy and normal delivery can return to exercise within a few days. Of course, you should listen to your body and start exercising when you feel ready. There is no point in rushing the process.
Having a baby through C-section, dealing with a complicated pregnancy, or experiencing significant issues during the delivery call for a different approach. In such a case, giving your body at least a few weeks to recover before doing any form of intense exercise is best. It’s also crucial to discuss the issue with your doctor.
Returning to the gym after giving birth is not much different from taking an extended break. You become de-trained, lose some of your adaptations (muscle mass, strength, endurance, etc.), and need some time to gain momentum.
Having a newborn baby will likely result in some sleep loss, so it’s best to take it one workout at a time. Focus on being consistent, move your body, and exercise to the point of moderate discomfort. You shouldn’t experience too much muscle soreness after each session.
Gradually increase the difficulty over several weeks and listen to your body. Push yourself if you feel good, but take it slow if it gets overwhelming. Being consistent will help you develop your capacity and eventually achieve your previous form.
Even if it isn’t at the same level as before, doing some form of training can be great on several fronts. It can help you manage stress, sleep better, feel calmer, and carry out daily tasks more easily.
Having a baby can be one of the most fulfilling things in life, but it can also make other things difficult to manage. Most notably, it can be challenging to find the time for exercise.
One option is to get some essential equipment and exercise at home, at least for a while. Good choices include adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, and an exercise mat.
Alternatively, have shorter workouts at the gym. Instead of spending the usual 45 to 60 minutes at the gym, do 20 to 25 minutes. Take shorter rest periods and consider intensity tactics like supersets, dropsets, and circuits to do more work in less time.
Setting an exercise schedule can also be beneficial and help you follow through. Many new parents feel overwhelmed and give up on positive behaviors due to the lack of time and sleep. But, given some structure, you can find the time for exercise and get back into a routine.
You shouldn’t see exercise after giving birth as a luxury. Physical movement is one of the most beneficial things you can do to recover, elevate your well-being, improve your sleep, and deal with stress.
]]>When done correctly, strength training can improve the integrity of various tissues in the body, making them more resilient and better able to handle physical stress.
Let’s discuss what that means for you.
The stimulus-recovery-adaptation (SRA) concept refers to the fact that muscle and strength gain are by-products of physical stimuli.
In the context of weight training, lifting provides the stimulus, nutrition and sleep promotes recovery, and adaptation refers to the progress you make: muscle growth, strength gain, superior athleticism, etc.
So long as your workouts become increasingly challenging to disrupt homeostasis and you recover well, you will make progress specific to the type of training you do. For instance, high-repetition training with lighter weights will develop superior muscular endurance, whereas those utilizing heavy weights will get stronger.
Interestingly, your muscles aren’t the only type of tissue that adapts in response to weight training. Your bones, connective tissues, and joints possess the same qualities that allow them to get stronger in response to weight training. The objective is for these tissues to be resilient enough to handle the same physical stress better in the future.
For instance, research finds that resistance training improves bone mineral density. The results are strong bones, greater fracture resistance, and a lower risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.
Fortunately, strengthening your joints doesn’t require a unique approach. You must follow the same best practices:
Some people can experience joint pain when lifting weights, but that typically occurs for one of three reasons:
You can experience pain when training because you’re subjecting your body to more stress than it can handle.
For example, your true strength might allow you to bench press 100 kilograms with proper form. If you constantly load more weight, your joints, ligaments, and tendons must handle more stress, leading to structural damage and pain.
Another reason for pain during strength training could be poor technique. Not performing exercises correctly can lead to more stress on your joints and connective tissues, resulting in pain.
The third reason you might experience joint aches is that you’re not warming up well before starting. A good warm-up is necessary for preparing your body for physical stress.
A combination of light cardio, dynamic stretching, and warm-up sets (where you gradually increase the load until you get to your working weight) prepares your muscles, mobilizes your joints, warms up the synovial fluid that lubricates all joints, and more.
]]>The same paper also shows us that over 36 million falls occur annually among adults aged 65 or older. Of these falls, a whopping 8 million (or almost one-fourth) result in injuries, 950,000 require hospitalization, and 32,000 people die.
Falls present a threat to the health and well-being of older individuals. The question is, what leads to these millions of falls, and what steps can the elderly take to reduce the risk of injuries.
Age-related muscle loss is a significant problem that leads to various health problems, especially as people enter their sixties, seventies, and beyond. Aside from increasing the risk of various health issues, losing muscle leads to loss of functionality, making self-preservation more challenging.
Data also shows that older men are at a higher risk of falling from ladders while doing maintenance work around their homes. This could at least partially be attributed to loss of functionality and grip weakness.
Poor balance is another common reason for falls in the elderly. The problem could occur for various reasons, including low blood pressure, recovery from a stroke, and certain medications. Poor muscular development is also a common cause of poor balance, especially when performing more demanding tasks.
Losing muscle causes people to also lose strength in crucial areas responsible for maintaining balance: the feet, thighs, hip region, midsection, and back.
The third common reason why many older adults are at high risk of falling relates to pre-existing conditions and certain medications. For instance, older adults who take pills to control hypertension might be at increased risk of experiencing dizziness.
These reasons aren’t necessarily due to low muscular development, but their origins are often linked to two things:
For instance, a person who has been sedentary and hasn’t paid much attention to their eating habits is more likely to be overweight. A higher BMI is linked to blood pressure elevation, which leads to a range of health issues if not managed. In contrast, active individuals are more likely to be in better shape even as they get older, thus less likely to need medications to avoid health complications.
Regaining functionality, losing excess weight, and getting in shape are the three things you should focus on, regardless of age or circumstances. Though it may seem impossible, it’s never too late to turn your life around.
One of the best approaches is to introduce some resistance training in your life. Consult your doctor about safe activities you can perform and find a coach who can teach you the fundamentals of safe exercise.
As little as three sessions per week can go a long way in helping you preserve the muscle you have, become more functional, and regain your independence in daily life. Most importantly, doing some form of physical activity can improve your health and reduce your risk of future falls.
]]>We’ve put together this post to go over the importance of mobility and how you can improve yours with a few simple movements.
]]>Retirement can be the time to travel, learn new skills, enjoy more physical activity, and take on new hobbies. But, for all of that to be possible, one must take good care of their mobility and prevent stagnation from setting in.
We’ve put together this post to go over the importance of mobility and how you can improve yours with a few simple movements.
Mobility refers to your ability to move through space. It encompasses physical strength, balance, joint range of motion, muscle flexibility, endurance capacity, and more.
Older individuals often face mobility issues that prevent them from doing many things, even simple ones like walking or climbing a flight of stairs. According to data from a recent study, mobility issues can occur due to impairments in central nervous system activity, muscle weakness, past traumas, joint issues, and more.
Taking good care of your mobility is vital for leading a more fulfilling and independent life. It leads to better functionality, a lower risk of falls, and greater independence.
Glute bridges are an excellent movement that strengthens your hip extensors (glutes and hamstrings). The movement is simple to learn and promotes stability in the hip and midsection, allowing you to move more freely and maintain balance.
You can begin with three sets of 5 to 15 reps weekly.
Wall push-ups are a beginner-friendly version of the classic exercise. Performing the movement against a wall is a great way to strengthen your upper body, stabilize your shoulders, and promote good mobility.
Like glute bridges, you can begin with three sets of 5 to 15 reps twice weekly.
Band pull-aparts are a good strength and mobility exercise you can perform with a simple resistance band. The objective is to grab a band with both hands, raise your arms in front of you, and pull to the sides. Doing so strengthens your shoulders and upper back, promoting good mobility and improving your posture.
Depending on how much resistance your band offers, you can do three sets of 10 to 30 reps, making sure to feel a burning sensation in your shoulders and posterior musculature.
Banded lateral walks are slightly unorthodox, but they work incredibly well to strengthen the glutes (maximus, minimus, and medius), piriformis, psoas major and minor, and more. Doing so is terrific for improving your balance, opening up your hip region, becoming more functional, and reducing the risk of falls.
An excellent way to perform the exercise is to take a small looped band and place it just over your knees. Once set up, begin taking lateral steps in one direction, engaging your buttocks and outer thigh musculature. Then, take the same number of steps in the opposite direction.
Start with ten steps to the left and ten to the right. You can do the movement daily or every other day.
]]>While the gym is undoubtedly a great place to develop your physical abilities, it is far from the only option. In today’s post, we’ll review good alternatives and exercises you can leverage to build strength and become more functional outside the gym.
Let’s break it down.
Before diving into any specifics, it’s essential to discuss what leads to strength gain in the first place. Working out at a gym is not inherently unique, but it works well for strength gains because it allows you to provide the necessary stimulus and create an overload.
Strength is simply your body’s response to external stress. Whether the stress comes from lifting a barbell at the gym or doing push-ups at home, the results are identical. Of course, for any form of training to be effective, it must disrupt homeostasis––the state of equilibrium your body strives to maintain.
Home exercise is more tricky for strength gain because it tends to be more difficult to overload your muscles. The primary option is to do more reps as you get stronger, but there are other effective methods you can use.
Building strength and balance starts by working on your ‘core.’ As the name suggests, the core refers to the collection of muscles that make up your midsection. Aside from the abs and obliques, other core muscles include the transverse abdominis, diaphragm, pelvic floor muscles, erector spinae, and glutes.
Developing the core is crucial for building strength because these muscles keep you stable, provide safety, and allow you to perform at your best.
Good core exercises you can do at home include:
You can also use basic fitness equipment like a balance mat or a resistance band to do more challenging exercises and keep your training engaging. For instance, the job of a balance mat is to improve your proprioception––your ability to sense movement, external forces, body position, and more. A balance mat also strengthens the muscles in your feet and ankles due to the increased stability demand.
Two fantastic exercises you can do on a balance mat are basic squats and single-leg balancing with a hip hinge (Romanian deadlift). Squats are much easier to do, but they are still challenging. Romanian deadlifts are a more advanced movement because you have to deal with twice the instability: supporting yourself on one foot and being on a balance mat.
Similarly, resistance bands are a fantastic addition to your training because you can do various effective movements to develop core strength and overall stability. One notable example is the Pallof press, where you attach a resistance band at stomach or chest height, grab it, and stand sideways to the attachment point. You then must take a couple of steps away to create band tension. Once in position, begin pressing the band forward and returning it to your stomach while resisting the torso rotation. The exercise is fantastic for developing your obliques and other core muscles, leading to more stability and solid rotational strength.
]]>Let’s dive in.
The first thing that makes training addictive is the positive impact on your mood and well-being. Physical activity brings numerous physiological changes that result in euphoria, motivation, and clear-headedness. As a result, you feel uplifted, and your productivity improves. One likely mechanism is that training promotes the release of endorphins––opioid hormones that suppress pain and bring about a state of euphoria.
Additionally, data suggests that physically active people are less likely to suffer from mental conditions like depression and anxiety.
The second thing that makes training addictive is the sense of fulfillment it brings. Working out is a fantastic way to feel better about yourself because you’re doing something beneficial, which is deeply personal and goes a long way in improving your mood.
Another benefit of training is that it makes you more confident in yourself and your abilities. It improves how you look, resulting in less anxiety. Plus, by overcoming challenges and improving, you develop confidence in your abilities to excel.
The fourth thing that makes training addictive is the positive impact on your functionality and independence. Working out boosts your physical abilities, making you better able to handle everyday tasks like carrying groceries, climbing stairs, and more. Such a benefit might not seem all that important but seeing your physical abilities develop is incredibly rewarding and sure to keep you returning to the gym.
One reason clients tend to quit early is a lack of results. More specifically, a lack of the results they want. Beginners often don’t know what to expect from working out and believe that a huge transformation happens in weeks. Unfortunately, progress takes much longer, so clients must start with the right expectations.
Another reason why clients often quit is that they feel overwhelmed or don’t believe change is possible for them. For example, if clients often struggle to complete their workouts and barely recover from one session to the next, they are more likely to give up simply because it all feels too challenging. Instead of feeling fresh and invigorated, they experience significant muscle soreness and fatigue after each workout. A practical way to prevent that is to give clients time to get used to training and not push them too much right from the start.
The third reason why many clients quit is boredom. Many people simply don’t enjoy the specific type of training they are prescribed and struggle to find motivation. Feeling excited about upcoming workouts is vital for consistency and allows people to work harder and make better progress in the long run.
Whether you’re a coach or someone looking to start training, be mindful of these three reasons and do everything in your power to set proper expectations, make fitness engaging, and do things at a sustainable pace.
]]>In this post, we’ll discuss the importance of glute strength and the first steps you can take to building buns of steel.
]]>In today’s post, we’ll discuss the importance of glute strength and the first steps you can take to building buns of steel.
Let’s dive in.
Learning how to activate your glutes and developing them are two of the most beneficial things you can do for good health, functionality, and injury prevention.
The glutes are part of the core musculature, and their primary function is hip extension (driving your hips forward). But, aside from that dynamic function, the glutes also influence the pelvic position and spinal alignment. The muscle group also contributes to walking, running, jumping, picking something off the floor, etc.
A notable benefit of strengthening your glutes is the lower risk of lower back pain. Since the glutes influence spinal alignment and contribute to stability at the pelvis, strengthening them allows you to protect your spine while playing sports, lifting weights, and doing everyday tasks.
Another benefit of strong glutes is improved balance and stability, contributing to functionality and reducing the risk of falling. The latter is essential for older individuals who are more likely to fall and experience debilitating injuries, such as hip fractures.
The third massive benefit of strong glutes is their positive impact on posture. While most people fixate on their upper back and neck as sources of poor posture, such issues often originate from a lower position: the buttocks region. Weak glutes fail to extend your body, causing your posture to worsen over time.
Strengthening the glutes starts by learning proper activation. Too many people rush into the training process and do complex glute exercises, only to train other muscles instead of the buttocks.
The best way to improve your glute mind-muscle connection and start strengthening the area is through simple activities, such as:
Each of these is excellent for activating your glutes, but you must perform repetitions slowly and mindfully. Move an inch or two at a time, consciously engaging your glutes and forcing them to do all the work. Despite being relatively simple, each activity should light your glutes on fire by the time you’re done.
Once you’ve gained some experience and can more effectively engage your glutes, consider introducing more traditional gym exercises to strengthen the area further. One of the best exercises for the job is the barbell hip thrust––a movement similar to glute bridges. Other suitable activities include deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, lunges, and Bulgarian split squats.
Training the glutes more frequently is ideal for strengthening them quicker and reaping the associated benefits. For example, train your glutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, giving the muscle group at least a day of recovery between workouts.
Most people don’t consider the glutes important and prefer focusing on other muscle groups, such as the chest and biceps. But, as you can see, strengthening your glutes is essential not just for athletes but for everyone interested in being more functional and staying healthy in the long run.
]]>But how does our nutrition drive muscle growth, and what factors make the most significant impact? Understanding these things is vital for optimizing your approach and building as much muscle as possible in the long run. So, let’s review.
A calorie surplus means consuming more calories than you burn each day. Your body stores the excess energy in the form of muscle and fat, resulting in steady weight gain.
Numerous studies show that muscle growth can occur without a calorie surplus, but most of that research is done on untrained individuals who are often overweight or obese.
Trained people with an average body fat percentage would struggle to gain muscle without a surplus.
Eating enough protein is also crucial for muscle gain. Proteins are organic molecules that consist of amino acids––the building blocks of life. Once ingested, your body breaks down proteins, absorbing their amino acids, contributing to the plasma amino acid pool.
Some of protein’s most notable functions relate to sustaining protein turnover rates (replacing old and worn-out proteins with new ones), repairing damaged muscle fibers, and causing them to grow and get stronger.
While many people consider carbs unnecessary or harmful to our health, the nutrient serves numerous essential fitness and muscle gain functions. Most notably, carbs are the primary fuel source during workouts. Carbs fill the body’s glycogen stores (a complex carb form), support healthy blood sugar levels, and promote ATP synthesis.
Carbohydrates are also the most insulinogenic nutrient. Once consumed, glucose forces the pancreas to release insulin, which absorbs the molecules, shuttling them to various body cells. Insulin is an anabolic hormone, and causing a release by eating carbs can promote hypertrophy.
Similar to carbs, dietary fats are a nutrient with a mixed reputation. Still, good fats from sources like eggs and fatty fish are crucial for brain health, hormone production, absorption of certain nutrients, and more.
Of all the nutrients, dietary fats have the smallest short-term impact on our fitness. Still, we must consume enough of them because an inadequate intake can contribute to vitamin deficiencies, chronic fatigue, impaired cognition, etc.
As you can see, each of the four ‘pillars’ contributes to muscle growth. Among the points discussed above, an adequate protein intake is likely the most important because the nutrient provides the raw materials your body needs to repair and grow muscle. Not getting enough protein would be like trying to build a house without bricks.
A caloric surplus comes second to that. While it’s certainly possible to build muscle without a surplus, it becomes increasingly difficult and slow as you become more advanced.
Your carbohydrate is also important, though not as much as the first two, because research finds that people on a ketogenic diet can also build muscle. Still, the nutrient is beneficial because it fuels demanding training sessions, replenishes our glycogen stores, and promotes muscle protein synthesis.
Finally, we have fats, which are essential for the overall functioning of your body and your health. But, as mentioned above, dietary fats have the smallest acute impact on muscle hypertrophy.
In other words, you must take care of your nutrition as a whole. A diet solely based on protein won’t get you far because you’d be missing several other essential components.
]]>What if there was another way of learning and helping others find what they enjoy doing?
]]>That makes sense because these people have enjoyed their respective activities and want to spread the message. But what if there was another way of learning and helping others find what they enjoy doing?
Let’s discuss.
Just as one can find their groove while dancing and enjoy themselves, they can do the same with their training. While people are quick to recommend a specific type of training based on your goals, there is more than one way to skin a cat.
For instance, people interested in getting stronger are more likely to pick up powerlifting because the sport helps them reach that goal. But what if you don’t enjoy that type of training and prefer to do something else, such as CrossFit or Olympic lifting?
The great thing about fitness is that you can approach it in many ways to achieve a particular outcome. I assume that everyone reading this wants to make progress, and the good news is that you don’t have to get married to one type of training because someone says it's the best.
Various exercises and training modalities can help you shed fat, build muscle, get stronger, and become more athletic. Experiment and find what gets you in the groove. Do what you enjoy, and you will be more consistent and more successful in the long run.
Powerlifting is a popular sport today, and many people participate to develop their strength and show off their hard work in competitions. The objective is to lift the most weight possible on the bench press, back squat, and deadlift.
Trainees enjoy the sport because it offers a real sense of progression, makes you more functional, supports muscle growth, and allows you to join a community of like-minded and hard-working individuals.
Olympic lifting is similar to powerlifting in some ways. You must lift the most weight possible on the two competition lifts: the snatch and clean and jerk. Still, the sport offers many more activities trainees can leverage to develop whole-body strength, power, and athleticism.
Many people enjoy Olympic lifting because the sport is more technical and leverages training form, explosiveness, and body awareness for optimal performance.
Bodybuilding training aims to build muscle mass. Unlike powerlifting, the objective isn’t to lift the most weight possible but to:
You should still focus on your performance, but that comes secondary to aesthetics.
CrossFit is another strength sport that’s become incredibly popular in recent years. Many people enjoy CrossFit because it is more fast-paced and offers a real sense of community. You attend group classes where a coach leads you through workouts that consist of various compound exercises like kipping pull-ups, squats, deadlifts, etc.
]]>Like most people who enjoy watching and participating in sports, you probably wonder how big a role strength plays in the equation. So, let’s discuss.
]]>Strength refers to your ability to produce force on physical objects. The stronger you are, the more force you have, allowing you to run faster, jump higher, lift heavier weights, throw objects farther, and stand your ground in contact sports.
Strength’s importance in sports depends on the activity in question. Some sports, such as snooker, are almost entirely based on skill. Participants don’t need exceptional strength, explosiveness, or endurance to compete at the highest level. Instead, they must rely on accuracy, consistent stroking, skill, and similar. The same goes for other sports like pool and curling. Bowling is also not that reliant on strength. Apart from being able to handle a bowling ball comfortably, you don’t need much strength to compete.
But, we also have many examples of sports where athletes heavily depend on strength to remain competitive and perform at the highest level. Some notable examples include football, soccer, and basketball. Of course, we also have to mention powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, and strongman, but these are more obvious examples.
In some cases, athletes need more power for explosive movements like throwing, jumping, and running. But strength is still essential because it is a component of power: the measure of how quickly your muscles can produce force. In other words, athletes still need to develop strength, but they also have to improve their rate of force production.
Let’s take basketball as an example. The most critical skills and attributes are:
But, basketball players also need to:
While the former skills and attributes don’t necessarily rely on physical strength, the latter ones do. Being able to dribble is a skill every healthy individual can learn and practice without having much strength. Accuracy is similar because the attribute doesn’t depend on strength but on natural talent and plenty of practice. You can also gauge the distance, intersect passes, shoot, and pass the ball without much strength.
But, the difference between a trained and an untrained individual becomes obvious when measuring speed, acceleration, standing your ground, jumping high, and blocking shorts. Each of these actions depends on strength, which, as discussed above, is a component of power.
For example, the ability to accelerate quickly depends on power from your power body musculature and stability in your midsection. Both of these attributes improve through traditional strength training. The same goes for jumping high. While some people possess a natural talent to propel themselves in their air, the only way to reach your true potential is to build strength and learn to produce force more quickly.
]]>For example, the leading cause of lower back might be poor posture in sedentary individuals and overexertion in athletes—context matters.
So, let’s dive into the topic and explore lower back pain.
Lower back pain is relatively common in athletes and can occur for various reasons. One such is overexertion, which impacts the muscles and connective tissues in the area.
Athletes might experience stiffness, soreness, and pain in their lower back. Such pain is typically nothing to be worried about because it goes away within a few days, and athletes can resume their regular training.
Another cause of temporary lower back pain in athletes is sudden movement that strains a muscle. Examples include sudden jerks, falls, or collisions with other athletes. Such minor injuries are somewhat common in sports where athletes perform a variety of dynamic movements.
A more concerning cause of lower back pain relates to improper form. For instance, if an athlete deadlifts with poor technique, they can cause undue stress on the lower back, leading to pain. Training like that for a long time can result in severe injuries, such as disk herniation.
Sciatica can also cause lower back pain in athletes. The condition occurs when there is irritation to the sciatic nerve, leading to pain originating from the lower back and running down the legs. In less severe cases, the condition occurs because a small muscle in the glute region spasms and puts pressure on the nerve. This is known as piriformis syndrome.
A common reason for lower back pain in sedentary individuals is poor sitting posture. Countless desk workers complain of back and neck pain precisely because they maintain a hunched posture for hours on end. Doing so results in the stiffening of crucial muscles related to posture and pressure on nerves. On top of that, poor posture can stress the spine, leading to severe conditions like degenerative disk disease, slipped disks, or disk herniations.
Another common reason for lower back pain is muscle strain. A lower back strain can occur suddenly, typically in people unaccustomed to physical activity. So, when they do something physical, such as picking something off the floor or playing sports, they are more likely to strain a muscle and experience lower back pain.
The third somewhat common cause of lower back pain in sedentary individuals is the onset of osteoporosis––a condition characterized by weak and brittle bones. Some research suggests that osteoporosis is more likely to occur in sedentary individuals, but it could also come because of low calcium intake, gastrointestinal issues, etc.
In such cases, people experiencing lower back pain are more likely to suffer from more frequent bone fractures, brittle nails, weaker grip, and more.
Check out our Rehab & Training Guide for simple yet effective exercises that will help you prevent injuries and get the most out of your training.
]]>There is always a risk of injury. Some sports are safer than others, but physical activity can result in small and significant injuries, especially in contact sports.
We go over four sports that carry a significant injury risk and how they compare to traditional weight training.
]]>There is always a risk of injury. Some sports are safer than others, but physical activity can result in small and significant injuries, especially in contact sports.
Athletes lucky enough can have a long career, free of major injuries that keep them on the bench for long stretches. But, some unfortunate sports players suffer debilitating injuries, often early in their career, and never fully recover.
In today’s post, we’d like to go over four sports that carry a significant injury risk and how they compare to traditional weight training.
Despite being a sport with limited contact, basketball still presents dangers for athletes. According to data from the NBA in the USA, lower body injuries were the most common. The most common were lateral ankle sprains, patellofemoral inflammation, lumbar strains, and hamstring strains.
One likely reason is that basketball is a highly dynamic sport that involves rapid acceleration, deceleration, jumping, change of direction, and contact with other players.
American football is perhaps less surprising than basketball because the sport is highly dynamic and involves a lot of physical contact. According to one study, there are an estimated 1.2 million annual injuries in the US. Among them, the most common injuries are to the knees, with sprains and strains being the most common.
Soccer, also known as football in Europe and other parts of the world, is another sport with high injury rates. The sport involves a lot of physical contact between players and involves rapid acceleration and deceleration, change in direction, and fighting for ball possession. Plus, given that players wear shoes with spikes, impact injuries occur in the blink of an eye.
According to one paper, injuries per 1,000 hours among competitive players range from 9.5 to 48.7.
Between the high-speed chasing, collisions, aggressive demeanor of many players, and the fact that it all happens on ice, hokey is among the most dangerous sports on the planet.
Data suggests that injury rates are 18.69 per 1,000 athlete exposures in men and 12.10 in women.
Many people associate weight training with injuries because of the heavy loads. But, you might be surprised to learn that resistance exercise is relatively safe, and the risk of injury is minor, especially when compared to dynamic activities like basketball and hockey.
According to a review from 2017, bodybuilding has the lowest injury risk, at just 0.24 to one injury per 1,000 hours. Strongmen were at a higher risk, suffering from 4.5 to 6.1 injuries per 1,000 hours.
In a more recent paper, researchers observed over 5,300 men and women in a US Army Division. The authors found that only 4.5 percent of men and 0.6 percent of women suffered a weight training injury in one year.
While lifting might seem dangerous, many people forget that the practice is highly controlled. So long as you use weights you can manage, avoid pushing past your limits, and maintain proper technique, you can stay injury-free for many years.
]]>
Let’s discuss.
Sitting isn’t necessarily bad for our health or posture. The problem is that the average person today sits for a long time, often slumping. Let’s take an average office worker as an example:
William works a 9 to 5 job for an IT company. He wakes up at 6:30 to shower, shave, dress, and eat breakfast. He is out the door by 8 because he must commute for around 50 minutes to get to the office. Will drives a car, which means he is sitting for the entire time, likely hunched over.
At the office, Will sits on his chair, hunches in front of his computer, and starts working. A few hours later, he gets up to sit in a different chair for his lunch. Once he’s finished lunch, Will might move around for a bit, but it’s back to the computer by 1 PM and working until 5. He then gets into his car for his evening commute, which takes him another 50-60 minutes.
The evening often consists of sitting at the computer or on the couch to watch TV, which adds a few more hours of sitting. By the time he hits the sack, Will has spent twelve or more hours sitting with his shoulders rolled forward.
Because of his lifestyle, Will is more likely to experience neck and back pain than people who spend more time standing and moving around.
The primary issue with sitting for prolonged periods is the tightening of crucial muscles in the body. Most notably, sitting with your shoulders rolled forward leads to tightness in the pectoralis major (chest), thoracic (mid and upper back) region, and neck. As a result, your posture worsens, and your spine loses its healthy and neutral position. Over time, that tightness results in spinal pressure and irritation of crucial nerves, leading to pain and poor mobility.
Sitting all day has the same impact on other muscles in the body, and the effects are magnified by weakness in the opposite muscles. For example, sitting can lead to tight hip flexors because these muscles remain in a shortened position for many hours. The effect becomes worse when the opposite muscles, the hip extensors (glutes and hamstrings), are weak and undeveloped.
One of the best ways to reduce the adverse impact of sitting is to break up periods of stagnation with regular movement. Even if you’re at work, getting up every 20 to 30 minutes will go a long way in keeping you healthy. You can get up, walk around the office for a minute, stretch, take a few deep breaths, and sit back down.
The second thing you should do is maintain a healthy sitting posture:
Slumping comes naturally once we’ve sat for a while, so you must be conscious and do your best to remain seated in the correct position.
Check out our Rehab & Training Guide for more rehab exercises you can do to prevent and relieve injuries.
]]>But have you ever stopped to think about the most and least dangerous sports out there? If you had to guess, which sport would you say has the highest injury rate?
]]>But have you ever stopped to think about the most and least dangerous sports out there? If you had to guess, which sport would you say has the highest injury rate?
We’ve put together this post to go over sports injuries, what activities carry a higher risk, and if there are commonalities between safer and riskier sports.
Let’s dive in.
In one paper from 2007, researchers summarized 16 years of injury surveillance data for 15 sports. The data included 182,000 injury cases and a bit over a million exposure records.
The first bit of data collected was that athletes were more likely to get injured during official games than during practice. Lower body injuries were also more likely than those in the upper region.
Football had the highest injury risk, and men’s baseball appeared the safest. Basketball, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball were also among the riskiest sports.
A paper from 2021 examined the injury rates of ten sports, including weight training and basketball. Soccer, judo and basketball presented the highest injury rates among the ten activities. In contrast, weight training and swimming appeared to be the safest activities.
For reference, bodybuilders suffer from 0.12-0.7 injuries per lifter per year, and strongmen get 4.5 to 6.1 injuries per 1000 hours. In contrast, just over one injury occurred per soccer match in the 2017 Gold Cup. Three-fourths of all injuries occurred due to contact between players, while the remaining 25 per cent happened as a result of non-contact mechanics. Remember that the traditional soccer match lasts for 90 to 95 minutes.
The shared attribute between these activities makes sense, given that physical impact increases the risk of falls that can result in trauma. After all, one of the papers we saw above indicated that 75 per cent of all soccer injuries resulted from physical contact.
The safer sports also tend to be similar in that they are solo activities or lack the physical contact we see in basketball and similar sports. For example, a swimmer can compete against nine other athletes, but none will reach a point of impact, as all of them have their unique lane.
As far as commonalities between high and low-risk sports, there likely are if we look hard enough. One such is that all professional athletes exert themselves maximally to score points, set the best time, and such. But, the differences play a more significant role in the safety rating of each activity.
Move more and eat less.
Doing that is easier said than done, especially in obese individuals who want to lose weight.]]>Move more and eat less.
While oversimplified, the above formula works because following it results in the necessary calorie deficit for weight loss. The longer you sustain this approach, the more weight you lose and the leaner you get.
Of course, all of that sounds good, but there is one fundamental issue here:
Doing that is easier said than done, especially in obese individuals who want to lose weight.
Let’s discuss what it all means.
Essential Considerations For Safe And Effective Weight Loss
As briefly mentioned in the introduction, creating and sustaining a calorie deficit is the fundamental thing you need to lose weight. By consuming fewer calories than you burn, your body has no choice but to start breaking down fat and lean tissue for the remaining energy it needs.
The calorie deficit should be moderate, allowing you to lose no more than 0.5 to 1 per cent of your body weight per week. Anything quicker than that increases the risk of muscle loss, fatigue, hormonal issues, and extreme hunger. In other words, fast weight loss might bring quicker results, but the risk of quitting and returning to square one increases.
Aside from a deficit, you should also consume enough protein to support your muscle tissue. According to research, consuming 1.6 to 2 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight seems optimal.
The following vital consideration relates to sleep. Specifically, you should sleep for at least seven hours per night. Doing so allows you to feel better, retain more muscle mass, and keep your appetite under control. Research finds that sleep deprivation alone can hinder your fat loss efforts significantly.
Doing some resistance training is also a fantastic way to make weight loss easier. For one, lifting weights burns calories, making it easier to maintain a calorie deficit. Second, weight training helps you maintain more muscle mass and instead lose fat.
How Does the Process Differ For Significantly Overweight And Obese Individuals?
The fundamental weight loss elements never change, regardless of a person’s situation. You still need the calorie deficit, adequate protein intake, sleep, and physical activity. Focusing on these will help you shed mostly fat and retain your muscle.
With that said, extremely overweight and obese individuals might need extra support on their journey because they might find it more challenging to stick with a weight loss plan. Often, an accountability partner or coach would bring great benefits.
Aside from that, obese folks should break up their weight loss journey into manageable chunks of 8 to 12 weeks, dispersed with week-long diet breaks. During these weeks, you should raise your calorie intake to maintenance. Doing so will give your body a break from dieting and allow your hormones to go back up. Plus, having occasional breaks is excellent for making the journey feel less daunting. Instead of thinking, “Oh, great. I have another year of dieting.” you can think, “I have to diet for ten weeks before I get a full week off.”
Obese individuals should also be more careful with their physical activity and avoid high-impact options, such as running. Instead, such folks would be better off with less impactful activities like weight training, riding a bike, and swimming to prevent excessive stress on their joints.
]]>“It often takes years to build noticeable amounts of muscle.”
But how true is that, and is there no hope of making significant improvements in the short term?
]]>“It often takes years to build noticeable amounts of muscle.”
But how true is that, and is there no hope of making significant improvements in the short term?
Let’s discuss.
Rates Of Muscle Growth Will Vary
There isn’t a clear answer for how long it would take you to build muscle because the process depends on several variables. Most notably:
In contrast, someone who has spent years in the gym will struggle to keep gaining muscle, and improvements will be less noticeable.
Okay, But What’s A Realistic Timeline?
According to most sources, beginners can expect to gain anywhere from 9 to 10.8 kilograms of muscle in their first year of training. If we break that up, it comes out to a gain of 0.75 to 0.9 kilos of muscle per month. Meaning, a true newbie can start noticing significant improvements in how they look within six to eight weeks of starting.
Spend half a year in the gym, and you can gain up to 5.5 kilos of muscle and a good amount of strength. Regardless of how you look at the start, that much muscle will improve how you look and function.
Sadly, rates of muscle growth take a dive after the first year of training and continue to diminish with each successive year in the gym. At some point, you will have to work twice as hard to gain no more than 0.5 to one kilogram in a year of serious and consistent training.
The good news is that most people are far from that point and still have plenty of room to grow and develop their strength. So, what does this mean for you? Don’t spend too much time obsessing over your genetic limit. Instead, focus on doing your work and being consistent. The road might seem long, but you will eventually reach a point where you look amazing, and people come up to you for advice.
]]>Let’s find out.
What is RPE Training?
RPE stands for rate of perceived exertion and is a simple scale you can use to gauge the effort you put into individual sets. An RPE of 10 means that you can’t do any more reps; a rating of 9 means that you can do one more rep; 8 means you can do two more reps; 7 means three reps, and so on.
Using RPE is a practical way to keep yourself honest, but it requires a fair bit of training experience to gauge accurately.
What is Percentage-Based Training?
Percentage-based training prescribes weights based on an athlete’s one-repetition maximum (1RM). Unlike RPE, which focuses on effort, percentage-based training emphasizes various intensity ranges for the exercises in your training plan.
For example, if your 1RM squat is 140 kilos, prescribed loads might look like this:
You should have a fair idea of your one-rep maximum for this to work. There are various calculators you can use to determine that.
Can We Mix RPE and Percentage-Based Training?
Yes, you can, and here is the surprising bit:
You’ve been doing it so far, whether consciously or subconsciously. For example, let’s say that you’ve been following a linear model of progression:
Week 1: 5x5 with 70 percent
Week 2: 5x5 with 75 percent
Week 3: 5x5 with 80 percent
You might not have thought about RPE during your training, but you’ve had a feeling that with each passing week, your training would become more challenging, and you would train closer to failure. In such a case, most trainees exercise common sense and autoregulation. For example, if the third set brings you too close to failure, you would drop a few kilos off the bar for the remaining two sets.
The decision signifies that you’re mixing some form of RPE into your training. In other words, RPE is not some independent concept but a tool that integrates into your training program and fits almost any context.
We can also say the same, even if you mostly care about RPE. For example, let’s say that you’ve decided to bring most of your training sets to an RPE between 7 and 9, but you also have some idea of how heavy you want to train. In that case, you would use your best judgment to prescribe loads for yourself and adjust based on how your workouts go. You might not think, “I’ll train with x percent of my max today.” but you will still arrive at that number, so long as you have some experience and common sense.
The RPE scale is simple to grasp and highly effective once you get used to it. It also works great for prescribing effort and keeping you from slacking off. Percentage-based training is also beneficial because it is simple, practical, and, for the most part, accurate. You can prescribe loads across most compound exercises using percentages to keep yourself in the correct intensity range for your goals.
]]>Whether you’re injured and can’t train, or you find yourself unable to make it to the gym, this article is for you.
Let’s discuss…
What Makes Us Lose Muscle Mass?
Unlike fat tissue, which we can only lose by being in a calorie deficit (consuming fewer calories than we burn), muscle loss occurs more easily.
Training hard, being active during the day, eating enough protein, and getting plenty of sleep are essential for muscle growth. But, not doing any of these can prevent your body from keeping the muscle you’ve built and instead break it down for energy.
For example, you might be training hard, but if you stop eating enough protein, your body won’t have the building blocks it needs to support your muscle. As a result, you will struggle to recover from training and begin losing muscle. Similarly, you might eat enough protein, but you will rob your muscles of the stimulus they need to grow if you stop training.
How Quickly Can We Expect to Lose Muscle?
The rate of muscle loss will be unique and dependent on your lifestyle and genetics.
For example, if you start training but keep eating enough protein and maintain an active lifestyle, you will probably start losing muscle after weeks out of the gym. In contrast, not training, not eating enough protein, and not sleeping will lead to muscle loss much more quickly. Couple that with a calorie deficit, and the rate of muscle loss will increase even more.
According to research, our muscles are resistant to breakdown weeks of no training. But, other factors will also play a role in when you can expect to start losing your hard-earned muscle tissue.
How to Maintain Your Muscle Better, Even If You Can’t Train For a While
But what exactly is power, and does it matter as much as people believe? More importantly, is being stronger good for your power output, or are the two unrelated?
]]>But what exactly is power, and does it matter as much as people believe? More importantly, is being stronger good for your power output, or are the two unrelated?
Let’s discuss.
What Is Strength?
Before looking into power and its meaning, we first have to look at strength, which refers to our ability to exert force. More specifically, strength measures a person’s ability to exert force on physical objects.
For example, dropping on the floor and doing a push-up means you can produce enough force to press your body against the ground. Bench pressing is similar because you exert force, but instead of pressing your body, you’re pushing a barbell away from yourself.
There are different types of physical strength, each with its applications in our everyday life and training. For instance, strength-endurance measures your ability to exert force over a specific period. We also have maximal strength, which measures the total force you can produce, detached from time.
Another type of strength is our ability to produce force quickly. Let’s take a look.
Power: A Component of Strength?
Power is what you get when you combine strength with time. Unlike absolute strength that only looks at your maximum ability to produce force, power measures how quickly you can produce force.
Being stronger can benefit your power output, but you need to train that characteristic with purpose. For example, a strong squat can improve your vertical jump, but you have to include power-specific training in your program. In doing so, you can first develop strength, then learn how to produce force more quickly.
How to Get Stronger And Increase Your Power
Concurrent power and strength training is an excellent way to improve both characteristics. One simple option is to have strength and power-specific days in your training.
For example, one lower-body workout can focus on heavy lifting, and the other can include sprints and jumping. One upper-body workout can focus on heavy pressing and pulling, and the other can be about throwing, barbell speed training, and other power-based movements.
Strength training is about focusing on three things:
Similarly, power-specific training requires an emphasis on fundamental principles:
More importantly, should you worry about timing these activities to reap better rewards, or does that not matter?
Let’s discuss.
What Is Stretching And What Benefits Does It Offer?
Stretching our muscles is something we are all familiar with, and you’ve probably done it numerous times in the past. The objective is to deliberately stretch various muscles in your body to improve their elasticity, bring about comfort, and increase your range of motion.
The primary way to stretch is to do it statically by elongating a muscle to the point of moderate discomfort and maintaining the position for 30 to 60 seconds. Another way to stretch is to do dynamic exercises, such as leg swings. These activities allow you to stretch your muscles for a few seconds at a time, followed by a release.
Both types of stretching offer benefits in the form of improved range of motion, reduced risk of muscle injuries, and more comfort during exercise. Some research suggests that stretching might improve blood flow, alleviate muscle soreness, and speed up recovery.
What is Foam Rolling, And How Does It Differ From Stretching?
Foam rolling, also known as self-myofascial release, is a newer option for people looking to warm up and work on their mobility. Unlike stretching, the goal here is to place some part of your body over a foam roller and move back and forth. Doing so puts pressure on your muscles, mobilizing the tissues and soothing tight areas.
Aside from its mobility benefits, foam rolling also seems good for warming up before training. The activity promotes blood flow and can raise your core body temperature, allowing you to loosen up and prepare your body for working out.
You can place as much of your weight over the foam roller as you feel comfortable. Start with less pressure on a foam roller with moderate firmness and gradually build it up. The activity will probably feel quite uncomfortable initially, but it will get easier over time.
Stretching vs. Foam Rolling: Which Is Better (And Why)
Research suggests that both activities can improve range of motion and possibly reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). But, data shows that static stretching before exercise can reduce power output, which isn’t good as it can lead to poor performance.
So, we recommend saving your static stretching for after training as a way to cool down before calling it a day. You can also do some static stretching on your rest days to move around and work on your mobility and flexibility.
Foam rolling can be useful for warming up before working out, especially if you have some tight areas and struggle to get going. For example, if you have trouble squatting well initially, some foam rolling of your hip and adductor area might help.
You can also include dynamic stretching before training because research doesn’t find it to be bad for your power output.
]]>What Is Mindset, And Why Does It Matter?
]]>While beneficial, these things don’t matter nearly as much as the attitude we carry. Mindset dictates our beliefs, the effort we put into our training, and the results we can achieve. In other words, your attitude is the foundation that dictates everything else.
Mindset could refer to numerous things, but perhaps the most accurate description is this:
Your mindset is the collection of biases, beliefs, and thoughts. We each carry a unique mindset, which allows us to perceive the world in unique ways. Five people could read the same article and interpret it differently.
For example, let’s say that two people read the same article on a successful weight loss story. Person A might conclude, “Ah, that guy has good genetics,” but person B might think, “Oh, the person must have worked hard for months!”
Researchers in the field of psychology have examined two types of mindset:
Folks with a fixed mindset believe that their abilities, habits, and life situation aren’t subject to change. In contrast, those with a growth mindset believe that every aspect of life can change for the better, so long as they are willing to work hard.
Having a growth mindset is necessary because it implies that improvements are possible through hard work and consistency. In contrast, people with a fixed mindset struggle to make good fitness progress or remain consistent because of limiting beliefs. After all, why would you work hard for something if you’re sure that improvement is impossible?
Step 1: Surround Yourself With People Who Have What You Want
A good way to start believing that change is possible is to surround yourself with people who’ve achieved what you want. For example, if you’ve always struggled to lose weight, find people who were overweight and have gotten fit. Interacting with these people can teach you a lot about what you need to do, and it will ingrain the belief that what you want is within reach.
Step 2: Push Yourself Hard
Part of developing a growth mindset comes from making progress toward a goal. But to do that, you need to work hard. In other words, confidence comes with experience.
One of the best ways to change your attitude is to start applying yourself. Consume some knowledge, apply it, track your progress, and make adjustments along the way.
Hard work creates some success, motivating you to keep going and make even more progress.
Step 3: Be Mindful of Your Thoughts
Thoughts come and go all the time, and we rarely pay much attention to their substance or origin. The issue is, entertaining the wrong beliefs can hinder your progress and prevent you from reaching your goals.
One common belief among people with a fixed mindset is that they have bad genetics. “What’s the point? I have wide hips and narrow shoulders, so I’ll never look good!” While negative beliefs might have some validity, feeding them does nothing positive for you.
Avoid these common traps by examining the origin of the belief, inspecting its validity, and replacing negative thoughts with more optimistic views. For example, you might not have the best genetics, but should this stop you from getting fit? Plus, how can you truly know you have bad genetics if you haven’t spent years in the gym, training hard?
]]>Let’s explore the value of training communities and what benefits you can reap.
]]>But, just as you can isolate yourself and attack your fitness goals alone, you can also become part of a local training community. Aside from your fitness results, being part of a community can offer numerous unique benefits, making the experience more fun and engaging.
With that in mind, let’s explore the value of training communities and what benefits you can reap.
1. Establish a Sense of Belonging
Whether we like it or not, we are social creatures and need to communicate with others. Research shows that people who lead isolated lives are at a much higher risk of mental disorders, including anxiety and depression.
Being part of a training community means that you get to interact with like-minded individuals. You can discuss ideas, goals, training approaches, and more. You can also share your knowledge, receive feedback from others, and improve your training process.
More importantly, you establish a sense of belonging to a group of like-minded individuals who are there to better one another.
2. Get Encouragement to Pursue Your Goals
Accountability is a powerful driver of human behavior. It’s easy for us to seek comfort by skipping workouts when we don’t feel like training. But, if we belong to a training community, others expect us to show up, making us much more likely to stay consistent, even when we don’t feel like it.
Aside from that, being part of a training community can be profoundly encouraging because you surround yourself with hardworking people. As a result, you feel motivated to work hard, which leads to better results.
3. Expand Your Perspective
Many people lose their drive to push themselves and improve because the wrong people surround them. For example, if you start training at a commercial gym, it won’t take much dedicated powerlifting training until you’re one of the strongest people there. Even if you come across some outliers, you can comfortably be the strongest person with numbers like:
While impressive, these numbers aren’t enough to put most people on any kind of a powerlifting map. Even worse, being the strongest among mediocre people won’t drive you to keep improving. Instead, you’re more likely to get complacent and only maintain your progress.
But, if you transition into a solid powerlifting gym, you will quickly see what strong looks like. That alone can be incredibly motivating, and it can help you understand that you can make a lot more progress.
4. Help Others
An old Chinese saying suggests, “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”
An underrated but incredibly fulfilling benefit of belonging to a training community is that you get to help others by sharing what you know. There is something unique about lifting others and helping them succeed.
Even if it took you a decade to accumulate knowledge, you would never regret sharing it with others. Seeing someone succeed thanks to your knowledge is a feeling like no other.
]]>Like most people, you probably set goals, began work and felt good about yourself. But, at some point, you lost the drive to keep going.
In many cases, we fail and go back to old behaviors because we never get clear on what we want to achieve. So, even if we make progress, it doesn’t seem fulfilling because we have no reference point.
To that end, let’s take an in-depth look at practical goal setting and how to apply the principles to your life.
Be Specific
What’s a common goal of many new trainees seeking personal training services? That’s right:
While both are good objectives to aim for, they are vague and don’t provide any true direction. A specific goal would be:
“I want to improve my squat by 50 kilos.”
Measure Your Progress
An issue related to pursuing goals is that many people fail to track their progress. As a result, they rarely know how things are going and are more likely to give up out of frustration.
Aside from setting concrete goals, you should also find ways to measure your progress. Let’s take our squat goal from the previous point as an example:
Add 50 kilograms to my squat.
Recording your workouts in a training log or fitness app will allow you to track how your squat improves and if you’re getting closer to your goals. With each milestone, your enthusiasm will renew, boosting your chances of achieving the objective.
Make Sure The Goal Matters to You
Introspection is by no means easy. But understanding what matters to you will allow you to set fulfilling goals. Often, people are unsure of what goals to establish, or worse - they set objectives that don’t matter.
So, when setting goals, or looking for personal training services, consider:
“Would I feel fulfilled if I achieved this outcome? How would my life improve as a result?”
Include Time Into The Mix
Introducing time to the goal-setting equation is crucial. How often have you found yourself thinking about a goal but procrastinating? For example, you want to lose some weight but fail to start eating better.
The problem is, even if a goal is specific enough, people often procrastinate because there is no rush to get started. Sure, you know what you want to achieve, but you haven’t set a deadline. Thanks to that, it’s easy to come up with excuses like, “I don’t have the time for it now. I’ll get to that goal once I free up more.” But, the time never comes, and we never reach our desired goals.
So, the final consideration for practical goal setting is to introduce a deadline. For example:
“I want to add 50 kilos to my squat in the next six months.”
The goal kicks you into action because you’ve introduced pressure in the form of a deadline.
]]>So why do people struggle to lose weight so much? Why do most people start dieting, make some progress, then give up, and go back to square one?
]]>So why do people struggle to lose weight so much? Why do most people start dieting, make some progress, then give up, and go back to square one?
Maybe there is more to the whole weight loss thing than we imagine?
Let’s see.
What Makes Weight Loss So Difficult?
To understand why weight loss is so complex, we must realize that the body’s primary purpose is to keep us alive. Your body doesn’t care about your aspirations to lose 20 kilograms or rock an impressive six-pack at the beach. It only cares about your well-being, which is why it has mechanisms that protect against dangers, such as starving to death.
From an evolutionary perspective, your body enjoys having more fat because the tissue stores a lot of energy, which the body can use during periods of famine. The body perceives dieting and losing that fat as a danger to our health, so it resists weight loss as much as it can.
One of the primary hormones involved in this protection against weight loss is leptin. The body release leptin from fat cells, and the hormone plays a vital role in regulating our appetite and metabolic rate.
The more fat we have, the more leptin we produce, leading to a higher caloric burn and a suppressed appetite. In contrast, the more fat we lose, the lower our leptin becomes, the more our metabolic rate downregulates, and the hungrier we feel. In other words, leptin is like a thermostat that keeps us within a specific body fat range, guarding against excessive fat gain or loss.
Other Factors That Guard Against Any Form Of Noticeable Weight Loss
Leptin is one key player in weight loss, but there are other roadblocks we need to clear. Another factor that greatly determines weight loss outcomes is mindset.
Many people approach weight loss with a rigid, black or white, good or bad mentality toward food, believing they should eat nothing but clean meals to lose weight. Having a free and more flexible approach to your food selection is much better because it allows you to enjoy some dietary freedom and still reach your goals. Your total calorie intake is what determines weight loss, so restrict yourself (and possibly consider calorie counting) but don’t fall for misguided ideas like:
“This cookie you’re eating will go straight to your hips.”
Habits also play a significant role in weight loss success. The problem is that most people don’t take the time to establish habits that lead to sustained weight loss but instead look for short-term solutions, such as diets.
Developing habits allows you to lose weight more easily and maintain your results after that. Some fantastic habits include:
Sleeping enough is also important because not getting enough rest can increase cravings, reduce impulse control, and impair your body’s ability to burn fat. Ideally, you should get at least seven hours of sleep per night.
]]>But here is the thing:
You are an individual, and even if something works for a hundred or a thousand people, it doesn’t mean it will work for you.
]]>But here is the thing:
You are an individual, and even if something works for a hundred or a thousand people, it doesn’t mean it will work for you.
In today’s post, we’d like to propose a unique idea to approaching your fitness––that of finding what works for you.
Let’s explore.
The Problem With Traditional Approaches to Fitness Today
When most people decide to get fit, they go on the web and start looking for solutions in diets, training plans, supplements, and more. For example, someone interested in muscle gain would, logically, look for a training program to build muscle.
The problem with the approach is that such training programs and diets don’t work equally well for everyone. In fact, there might even be circumstances where using such a solution would do more harm than good. Let’s take a look at a quick example:
John is a 21-year-old full-time college student who has lots of free time and little stress. Because of that, he can get away with a lot of training, recover in time, and make fantastic progress.
In contrast, Chris is 46, has a full-time job, three kids to take care of, and deals with much more stress. Because of his circumstances and age, Chris has to be more careful with his workouts to avoid overtraining.
John and Chris might come across the same muscle-building training program, but it will not deliver the same or similar results for them.
The Importance of Experimenting
We are huge advocates of experimenting because doing so allows you to see how your body responds to different variables. More importantly, experimenting allows you to streamline your process to achieve better results more quickly and without necessarily putting in more effort.
For example, instead of doing five weekly workouts, start with three and see how it goes. Prevailing wisdom suggests that doing more work leads to better progress, but that might not always be the case. As you saw from the example above, context matters.
Experimenting is also beneficial for your nutrition. For example, everyone recommends ketogenic dieting, but cutting carbs isn’t for everyone. Sure, you can try the diet and see how it treats you. But nothing is to say that you must make that diet work. You can try countless nutritional approaches to see what allows you to feel and perform at your best.
An underrated reason for experimenting has to do with enjoyability and sustainability. Fitness should be fun, and you should be able to sustain it for years, even decades. Too many people look for solutions but never ask themselves, “Is this diet or training plan something I can follow for the next few years?” Changing this up is undoubtedly beneficial, but the process should fit your schedule, preferences, and goals.
Finding something that works for your circumstances is the best way to ensure consistency, enjoyability, and long-term results.
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