Muscle Myths

 I don't lift heavy weight because I do not want to have big muscles.


Yes there is a dark side and it is full of myths that keep you from reaching your goals.


Ladies, lifting weights will not give you big muscles, classic example in our very own  Amanda Harris. She is 5'3" tall and weighs 135lbs at about 20% body-fat (leaner for competitions). Amanda has been lifting extremely heavy weights since she was 8 years old. In fact at age 10 she set a world record in the squat with a lift of 220lbs at a body weight of 64lbs and today she squats well over 400lbs. By looking at her you would never believe the numbers I just told you, but hey the proof is in seeing it for yourself. Amanda has documented her career as a 17 time World Champion Powerlifter by posting over 100 videos on Youtube. (just search Barbie Barbell).

"I don't want to workout lifting weights because I don't want to build big muscles " or "I just do aerobics and sit ups to lose weight because if I lift weights, I may build muscle and looked like a man."

Ladies. Have you made these comments before? Awww... c'mon ladies, if you have ever uttered these words, you have just done a terrible disservice to yourself and are missing out on many great benefits that working out with weights can give you. Have you ever pointed to your belly or butt and sweetly proclaimed, "I want lose weight here." So managed to convince yourself that sweating profusely is the answer to a slim and beautiful body and you hit the gym day in and day out just to sweat off your tummy or butt fats!


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So you peddle away on your stationary bike in the gym just like little hamsters or frantically stepping away on the step up machine and then you woefully do crunches after crunches in the hope of having a flat belly and a well rounded shapely butt not realizing that there is no such thing as spot reduction.

You never even bother take a look at the weight lifting machines or the free weights lying everywhere in the gym not to say even touching those weights. Gosh, this terrible myth of building big muscles on women is creating so much fear in women causing them never to train with weights at their detriment.

Ladies! If you are listening, I want to say this loud and clear. There is no way women will build big huge muscles unless you are on special supplementation and specially designed training system. Some of those muscle bound ladies you have seen may even be taking steroids which are illegal and obviously harmful. Never touch steroids to build muscles.

So, why is it difficult for women to build big muscles? Well, it is simply because you do not have enough of testosterone, a male hormone that encourages your muscles to grow. In fact, women have ten to thirty times less testosterone than their male counterparts. Women who accept the myth that they will build big muscles if they workout with weights will miss out on all of the benefits that weightlifting and bodybuilding can offer. This myth is so ingrained in women's psyche that even after explaining the facts to our women clients, they are still afraid to lift weights. So will women who lift weights in their workouts build more muscle tissue? Yes, of course, but it will not be those big huge muscles like those of male athletes. Your muscles will give you the body shape that you most desire, resulting in a tight, firm, healthy, attractive and desirable body. The body shape that is ever so sexy and healthy. Yes, you may have noticed an increase in weight when you step on a scale. This is because muscles weigh more than fat. Thus, as you increase your muscle tissue, your weight will increase but your fats will be reduced giving you a well toned sexy body which most women can only dream of.

Myostatin (also known as growth differentiation factor 8, abbreviated GDF-8) is another big reason females CAN NOT gain muscle size. Myostatin prohibits muscle growth and females typically have 10 times the amount of myostatin in muscle cells as do males. So combine the increased Myostatin and low Testosterone levels it makes it next to impossible for you to gain any male like size or characteristics that you see in the magazines. Trust me the women you see in the muscle magazines have been hormonally enhanced with testosterone. The only way a female can gain that type of size is by abusing her body with illegal drugs!

There are major benefits to having a little more muscle on your body.

Muscle burns calories naturally even when you are sleeping. In fact, research has shown that for each kilo of muscle you build, you will burn 70-100 more calories per day. So, if you gain 2 kilos of muscle and lose 2 kilos of fat, you will burn about 75 more calories per kilo, which equates to burning 150 additional calories per day, which translates into 4200 additional calories per month and ultimately results in a fat or weight loss of 7-8 kilos a year without doing anything! One kilo is 2.2 pounds. Doesn't that sound great?

Another reason that women should do weightlifting is the benefit it can have on your bones. Weight training is a powerful preventive action against osteoporosis, a disease caused by porous bone and low bone density. Women have a much higher risk than men to suffer from osteoporosis. In fact, most women will suffer from this disease as they age. Those plagued with osteoporosis have an increased susceptibility to fractures. These fractures can even be fatal. So, women should exercise with weight to strengthen and increase bone density. Research has shown that six months of weightlifting may increase bone mineral density by as much as 15 percent. As you increase your muscle tissue, your bones must adapt to accommodate this increase in your muscle mass, your bones respond by increasing in density. The result? You will own a stronger skeletal structure and a reduced risk for osteoporosis.

So, don't completely swear off weightlifting fearing that training with weights will build big muscles and turn you into an Incredible Hulk! You won't and you can't. Period.

OK girls, the weights are over there. Let's lift them now! Have the last laugh when your girl friends tell you that they don't want to lift weights and yet watching you transform your body that will make heads turn when you are in your bikini.

Have an awesome week!

From your Friends at Texas Metabolics

Let's get Motivated!

Do you lack Motivation?

Here is a great article on getting back on track and rekindle that fire within you!!!

Even the most motivated of us — you, me, Tony Robbins — can feel unmotivated at times. In fact, sometimes we get into such a slump that even thinking about making positive changes seems too difficult.

But it’s not hopeless: with some small steps, baby ones in fact, you can get started down the road to positive change.

Yes, I know, it seems impossible at times. You don’t feel like doing anything. I’ve been there, and in fact I still feel that way from time to time. You’re not alone. But I’ve learned a few ways to break out of a slump, and we’ll take a look at those today.

When I fall out of exercise, due to illness or injury or disruption from things going on in my life, it’s hard to get started again. I don’t even feel like thinking about it, sometimes. But I’ve always found a way to break out of that slump, and here are some things I’ve learned that have helped:

1. One Goal. Whenever I’ve been in a slump, I’ve discovered that it’s often because I have too much going on in my life. I’m trying to do too much. And it saps my energy and motivation. It’s probably the most common mistake that people make: they try to take on too much, try to accomplish too many goals at once. You cannot maintain energy and focus (the two most important things in accomplishing a goal) if you are trying to do two or more goals at once. It’s not possible — I’ve tried it many times. You have to choose one goal, for now, and focus on it completely. I know, that’s hard. Still, I speak from experience. You can always do your other goals when you’ve accomplished your One Goal.

2. Find inspiration. Inspiration, for me, comes from others who have achieved what I want to achieve, or who are currently doing it. I read other blogs, books, magazines. I Google my goal, and read success stories. Zen Habits is just one place for inspiration, not only from me but from many readers who have achieved amazing things. My  Mentor Dr. Fred Hatfield was the first man to squat over 1,000lbs and I followed in his foot steps to become one of the few to ever achieve the goal of being a 1,000+ LB squatter. I listened to his every word and followed his training cycle to the tee and surprise I eventually achieved success and hit 1,025.50 lbs and set a world record in the squat.

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3. Get excited. This sounds obvious, but most people don’t think about it much: if you want to break out of a slump, get yourself excited about a goal. But how can you do that when you don’t feel motivated? Well, it starts with inspiration from others (see above), but you have to take that excitement and build on it. For me, I’ve learned that by talking to my wife about it, and to others, and reading as much about it as possible, and visualizing what it would be like to be successful (seeing the benefits of the goal in my head), I get excited about a goal. Once I’ve done that, it’s just a matter of carrying that energy forward and keeping it going.

4. Build anticipation. This will sound hard, and many people will skip this tip. But it really works.  If you find inspiration and want to do a goal, don’t start right away. Many of us will get excited and want to start today. That’s a mistake. Set a date in the future — a week or two, or even a month — and make that your Start Date. Mark it on the calendar. Get excited about that date. Make it the most important date in your life. In the meantime, start writing out a plan. And do some of the steps below. Because by delaying your start, you are building anticipation, and increasing your focus and energy for your goal.

5. Post your goal. Print out your goal in big words. Make your goal just a few words long, like a mantra (“Exercise 15 mins. Daily”), and post it up on your wall or refrigerator. Post it at home and work. Put it on your computer desktop. You want to have big reminders about your goal, to keep your focus and keep your excitement going. A picture of your goal (like a model with sexy abs, for example) also helps.

6. Commit publicly. None of us likes to look bad in front of others. We will go the extra mile to do something we’ve said publicly. Now, you don’t have to commit to your goal in your daily newspaper, but you can do it with friends and family and co-workers, and you can do it on your Facebook or Twitter page if you have one. And hold yourself accountable — don’t just commit once, but commit to giving progress updates to everyone every week or so.

7. Think about it daily. If you think about your goal every day, it is much more likely to become true. To this end, posting the goal on your wall or computer desktop (as mentioned above) helps a lot. Sending yourself daily reminders also helps. And if you can commit to doing one small thing to further your goal (even just 5 minutes) every single day, your goal will almost certainly come true.

8. Get support. It’s hard to accomplish something alone. When I started Powerlifting my goal was to win a local meet and maybe even a State Championship. As I progressed and got better and stronger I realized that I needed help to spot me while lifting heavy weights to prevent injury or even death. As I improved and started winning National Level shows I recruited even more help with coaches and mentors to help improve me even more and once I was ready for the world championships I surrounded myself with guys that had already been where I was going. The knowledge I received from these people helped me attain things I never even realized I could do. I ended up winning five (5) World Championships and a World Record in the squat of 1,025.50 LBS and yes I was DRUG FREE! Since then I've taken my experience and my knowledge and passed it on to others with great success including my daughter Amanda Harris who now is the top female Powerlifter in the world and a 17 time World Champion with 464 State, National and World Records. SO SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS!!!!!

9. Realize that there’s an ebb and flow. Motivation is not a constant thing that is always there for you. It comes and goes, and comes and goes again, like the tide. But realize that while it may go away, it doesn’t do so permanently. It will come back. Just stick it out and wait for that motivation to come back. In the meantime, read about your goal (see below), ask for help (see below), and do some of the other things listed here until your motivation comes back.

10. Stick with it. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Even if you aren’t feeling any motivation today, or this week, don’t give up. Again, that motivation will come back. Think of your goal as a long journey, and your slump is just a little bump in the road. You can’t give up with every little bump. Stay with it for the long term, ride out the ebbs and surf on the flows, and you’ll get there.

11. Start small. Really small. If you are having a hard time getting started, it may be because you’re thinking too big. If you want to exercise, for example, you may be thinking that you have to do these intense workouts 5 days a week. No — instead, do small, tiny, baby steps. Just do 2 minutes of exercise. I know, that sounds wimpy. But it works. Commit to 2 minutes of exercise for one week. You may want to do more, but just stick to 2 minutes. It’s so easy, you can’t fail. Do it at the same time, every day. Just some crunches, 2 pushups, and some jogging in place. Once you’ve done 2 minutes a day for a week, increase it to 5, and stick with that for a week. In a month, you’ll be doing 15-20. Want to wake up early? Don’t think about waking at 5 a.m. Instead, think about waking 10 minutes earlier for a week. That’s all. Once you’ve done that, wake 10 minutes earlier than that. Baby steps.

12. Build on small successes. Again, if you start small for a week, you’re going to be successful. You can’t fail if you start with something ridiculously easy. Who can’t exercise for 2 minutes? (If that’s you, I apologize.) And you’ll feel successful, and good about yourself. Take that successful feeling and build on it, with another baby step. Add 2-3 minutes to your exercise routine, for example. With each step (and each step should last about a week), you will feel even more successful. Make each step really, really small, and you won’t fail. After a couple of months, your tiny steps will add up to a lot of progress and a lot of success.

13. Read about it daily. When I lose motivation, I just read a book or blog about my goal. It inspires me and reinvigorates me. For some reason, reading helps motivate and focus you on whatever you’re reading about. So read about your goal every day, if you can, especially when you’re not feeling motivated.

14. Call for help when your motivation ebbs. Having trouble? Ask for help. Email me. Join an online forum. Get a partner to join you. Call your mom. It doesn’t matter who, just tell them your problems, and talking about it will help. Ask them for advice. Ask them to help you overcome your slump. It works.

15. Think about the benefits, not the difficulties. One common problem is that we think about how hard something is. Exercise sounds so hard! Just thinking about it makes you tired. But instead of thinking about how hard something is, think about what you will get out of it. For example, instead of thinking about how tiring exercise can be, focus on how good you’ll feel when you’re done, and how you’ll be healthier and slimmer over the long run. The benefits of something will help energize you.

16. Squash negative thoughts; replace them with positive ones. Along those lines, it’s important to start monitoring your thoughts. Recognize negative self-talk, which is really what’s causing your slump. Just spend a few days becoming aware of every negative thought. Then, after a few days, try squashing those negative thoughts like a bug, and then replacing them with a corresponding positive thought. Squash, “This is too hard!” and replace it with, “I can do this! If that wimp Leo can do it, so can I!” It sounds corny, but it works. Really.

My personal thoughts.....

The energy you put out, is exactly the energy the universe will give back to you. Please remember to think positive always focus on the solution, not the problem. Avoid negative people, they will bring your energy down, surround yourself with like minded people and feed off of each other. I wish you are much happiness and success!

No Bad....Just Good.....Better and Best

No Bad.....Good...better & Best!

Over the last few months I've done allot of reading and research and I've seen some really poor articles and I've seen some really great articles that provide people with information they can actually use.

Some self proclaimed industry experts are writing articles to self promote their own personal agendas and that in my opinion is where the confusion begins. Many of these gurus will bash sound exercise programs telling people that some exercises that have been around for decades are absolutely useless. In fact I read just a few days ago where one of the self promoting gurus announced that the Tricep push-down exercise is a complete waste of time. In fact the use of machine weights were a waste of time in his strongly opinionated article. What's really sad many people will buy this garbage and stop the exercises completely.

In my opinion, there is always a good, better & best with everything and that includes exercise.

Every single person that has decided to begin an exercise program should do just one thing to start and that is get up off your butt and MOVE!

No one will ever improve their health sitting around talking about how they are going to get in shape. So less talk and more action!

Next is really simple, do NOT get caught-up reading articles in magazines because 95% of them are written to get you to buy a supplement or a program by the gurus of the industry.

The bottom line is any exercise beats no exercise every day of the week.

If you are wanting to lose body fat, great stick to the basics, squats, dead-lifts, Olympic style lifts and high impact cardio. Build the big muscles in your body and let them burn your fat.

If you are in shape already and want to do some fine tuning of a particular muscle group great, add those tricep push downs or bicep curls to your routine.

In my opinion if you are exercising your are making progress to a healthier YOU! If you need help seek out a good trainer that can take you to the next level. Find one that fits your personality, don't hire the first one that you meet, interview several and pick the trainer that best listens to your needs and proves to be knowledgeable and will be able to take you to that next level. Remember YOU are the client and it's your money, the trainer works for YOU.

In closing the object of this article is just to help you get going in the right direction and that all starts with ACTION! Sitting and talking about it never accomplished anything. Clearing the air about all these self proclaimed experts was also important, do not get caught-up in believing that one program is superior to another. In the big picture all programs are either good, better or best. It's all up to YOU on what best fits your own personal needs.

Making Exercise a Habit.....

Making Exercise a Habit.....

We know that it’s not the easiest habit for most people, and most people’s experiences consist of starting and stopping and starting again. Which is fine — don’t beat yourself up about it. The important thing is starting again.

The Main Problems
So why do most people have trouble making exercise a regular habit? Well, there are probably a number of factors, but here are a few of the obvious reasons exercise in not a habit for everyone.

1. Too difficult. People set out with a lot of ambition and enthusiasm, and start out with a big goal. “I’m going to go to the gym for an hour a day!” or “I’m going to run 30 minutes every day!” The problem is that the goal is too difficult to sustain for very long. You can do it for a few days, but you soon run out of energy, and it becomes a drag to do it.

2. Too many goals or unrealistic goals to start. Often we set out to do too much. We want to run, and lift weights, and eat healthy, and quit sweets, and stop drinking soda. Some of us have an image in our heads of exactly what we want to look like and set a time to get there! STOP!!! Take your time and focus on getting daily exercise first, clean up your diet and drink water with fresh lemon or lime juice instead of soda. If you stick to the plan and get the good habits to replace the bad then the rest will fall into place. Your body will reflect your new habits but be patient you didn't get in the shape your in overnight so it certainly won't be fixed overnight either.

Golden Rule never give yourself a deadline for looking good!
3. Not enough Motivation. So many times we start with good intentions yet the motivation dies quickly. Well if that's the case lets fix it!!!! Starting May 18, 2013 we will start our support group for everyone that needs motivation. That is a Saturday and we will meet at the Studio at 7:00PM sharp. If you want to stay motivated you have to have a great support team to help and that's what your trainer and our staff is here to help you do "STAY MOTIVATED"
 

Solutions

1. Start by setting your goals low and attainable for you. Remember if you set unrealistic goals you will FAIL! Set goals that will assure your SUCCESS! As you become more fit and eager for more that is when you step up and make those harder goals, just remember to baby step your way up to the bigger goals!!!!

2. Write your goals down and keep them posted so you can see them everyday multiple times a day! Remember out of sight out of mind!

3. Be specific with your goals both short and long term. Write down the exact exercises you plan on doing everyday and DO THEM!!! Make a date with yourself everyday and stick to it so at 3:30PM I will walk 2 miles and do 25 push-ups and 25 set-ups. Like I said be detailed with your daily goals. Once you've completed the goals write down how you feel and how easy or difficult the exercise was for you, evaluate yourself and increase or decrease the exercise based on how you feel.

4. Look for a Trigger mechanism that will spark the motivation to exercise daily. This will help you get into the habit and stay there. We all have events that happen everyday without fail. So take one of those events and use it as a trigger for your exercise program. Here's what I'm talking about. Many of us wake-up to coffee brewing in the kitchen or an alarm clock blasting in our ears that starts the day rolling it makes us focus on the task at hand, "getting ready for the day". Many of us now have smart phones so set a timer or your alarm for your workout time and give yourself ample time to get where you need to be to exercise. If you work 15 minutes from the gym then set your alarm on the phone 30 minutes before you need to leave. That way you can close things down, take your pre-workout supplements and get to the gym on time.

5.Hold yourself accountable- Journal every workout everyday. Be detailed and write down exactly what you did for the day. As you get in better condition your will be impressed with how much more you are able to do with greater ease. This will help establish the good habits and boost your self confidence and self-esteem.

6. Visualize your new image....cut out pictures from magazines clip out articles on fitness and nutrition and post them where you work and live. If you can see yourself in a bikini or that cute dress you saw at the mall, chances are you will succeed by staying focused. Remind yourself with visual images.

7. Avoid Negative People, the last thing you need in your life is a nay sayer! You know the type always giving you an excuse as to why you are wasting your time! Remember this, they just want you to quit because what you are doing is making them feel bad about themselves. Stay away from these people, remember misery loves company. Stay in contact with people that are lifestyle friendly with your new program. These people will support you and encourage you to stay focused.

8. Educate yourself on what you are doing to your body. Take the time too learn how your body is responding to the exercise and the nutrition programs just don't follow a plan without actually doing some research and learn what really works best for you. Remember the only person that can build the perfect program for you is YOU! Sure trainers can help and I highly recommend using one if you are just getting started but lets face facts few us us want to pay money for years and years and never learn a thing. Personal Trainers are a great way to start your program and if you are training for a specific sport or event you need one. But they can not tell you how you feel after you train with them! Only you know how you feel and only you can adjust to get maximum results with your efforts.

So get in the habit of being accountable to YOU! Set your goals and get in the right HABIT!!!!

Ten Steps to a better leaner YOU!!!

Ten Steps to a better leaner YOU!!!

10. Take Measurements

You'll never reach your destination if you don't know your starting point. A great place to begin is calculating your bodyfat percentage.

This will allow you to set accurate goals and measure progress. The most accurate (and available) method of measuring body fat percent is the skin-fold method.

This is a simple process that only requires a scale, a bodyfat caliper, and an equation. If you don't have body fat calipers, then take girth measurements—waist, hips, chest, arms, etc. Don't just rely on the scale. The more information you have on your body, the better you will be able to see and analyze your progress.

9. Eat 5-6 Meals Each Day

You've probably heard this countless times before but it just can't be stressed enough. Eating 5-6 meals containing protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat each day is key, regardless of your training goals.

To begin, if you are looking to drop some body fat, then eating more often allows you to better manage your insulin levels for increased fat burning. Controlling insulin levels when dieting is critical as insulin is the body's most potent blocker of lipolysis (i.e. liberation of stored fat to be used as energy).

Another added benefit of controlling insulin levels is consistent energy levels; your blood sugar won't rise and crash throughout the day. Purposefully spreading the traditional "three square meals" into 5-6 smaller meals will allow you to increase your fat-burning ability while at the same time providing your body with nutrients required to build muscle.

8. Train With Weights 3-4 Times A Week


Lifting weights is an essential part of developing a lean physique. Not only will weight training boost you metabolic rate for extended periods of time, it will help you build muscle (which will allow you to burn more calories just sitting around!).

Let's say you love lifting weights. You might ask, "Why just 3-4 times a week? Professional bodybuilders lift 5-6 days a week double sessions!"

When you are dieting, you are in a calorie-deficient state. This will put your body in a compromised position where you will have limited recovery capabilities. 3-4 sessions of intense training sessions are perfect for most people to stimulate their muscles and metabolism without beating themselves into the ground (or worse a state of overtraining).

7. Don't Overdue The Cardio

A lot of people go cardio crazy when trying to lose body fat. The days of getting on the bike or treadmill for 40-60 minutes 5-6 times per week are done! If burning body fat and building muscle is your goal, shorter, more-intense interval-based cardio sessions are the way to go.

Cardiovascular activity performed in a high intensity interval fashion (high intensity is a term relative to your personal fitness level) has been shown to burn more calories than the old school 40-minute cardio sessions.

This means you'll burn more fat, in less time. If you have been doing longer cardio, don't quickly jump into this higher-intensity cardio.

Give your body time to adjust over several weeks by slowly replacing the interval sessions for the longer sessions. Most people find that 3-4 interval sessions give them better results than 6+ traditional longer cardio sessions.

6. Plan Your Meals The Night Before

This one has made all the difference in my personal fitness journey. Not only does it make eating multiple meals per day easier, but it changes your focus during the day from creating a nutrition plan to executing one.

You have enough going on during the day that you don't need to be worrying about where your next meal will come from and how you can make it fit perfectly into your plan. Eliminate the added stress, plan the night before, and just follow your roadmap during the day.

5. Drink Green Tea

Ever since the FDA put the clamps down on Ephedra, supplement companies have been searching for a replacement. The winner is ... Green Tea extract. While it is not as effective as Ephedra, it is the best thing most companies have to work with.

The compound within green tea that contains the metabolic enhancing effects is a polyphenol called EGCG. To make a long story short, scientific studies have shown EGCG to produce a thermogenic effect (increased rate at which calories are burned as heat) in the body.

Another interesting feature that makes green tea more attractive to dieters comes from a 2004 study published in Life Science. Researchers found that green tea was a potent inhibitor of fatty acid synthase (FAS).

As you may be able to deduce by the name, this is an enzyme in your body responsible for synthesizing fatty acids. The last thing you want your body to do when you are trying to lose fat is to synthesize fat.

You don't have to supplement with green tea extract either, you can get the same result by simply drinking a pot of green tea each day (3-5 cups). In addition, green tea is a great substitute and much better for you than diet soft drinks.

But remember green tea is naturally caffeinated which is perfect (Mother Nature knows best right?) as the combination of EGCG and caffiene is best for eliciting fat loss.

4. Get Rid Of Bad Friends And Bad Food

Don't let your environment sabotage your weight-loss efforts. If you are trying to eat healthy foods you can not have the freezer stocked with Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and the cupboards full of BBQ potato chips.

As it gets to be later at night you know you'll be tempted. Don't set yourself up for temptation and failure; create an environment where you can't fail! It can be simple, if the food isn't in your house, then you won't eat it. So, throw out the junk, high sugar, over-processed high-fat foods!

The same goes for your friends. If you are constantly being scoffed at and joked about because you choose to have a grilled salmon salad instead of buffalo wings, or because you asked the waiter to bring you steamed broccoli instead of french fries – get new friends! Find people that are supportive of your fitness goals and the behaviors that they require.

3. Drink Lots Of Water

Water is essential to life and a healthy body. Dehydration will wreak havoc on you and your fitness goals. If you are dehydrated your body cannot function at its optimal level. For example, your muscles will lose strength, you won't burn fat as quickly, and you'll feel tired and fatigued.

A 2003 study entitled 'Water-Induced Thermogenesis' was published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. It was stated that drinking 2 Liters of water spread throughout the day burned up to 100 extra calories (the equivalent of running a mile).

2. Take Time Off To Rest And Recover

Fat loss training and dieting is mentally draining. That is why you need to take extra care of yourself. Extra stretching and foam rolling, epson salt baths, going to bed an hour early, and/or taking a magnesium supplement prior to bed are all simple ways that you can help accelerate your recovery (and progress).

One of my favorite sayings is: "Physiology trumps diet." This means that if your body chemistry and physiology is off, you won't be able to maximize your fat loss. Trying to lose weight is no excuse for being unhealthy and it will in fact hinder your progress. Rest, recover, and you'll lose more weight.

1. Apply The Previous Nine Rules

It is important that you realize that the statement "Knowledge is Power" is false! Applied knowledge with passion and consistent persistence is power! The chances are you know everything that you have to do to achieve your best body but you're not applying your knowledge. Stop...take the time to focus and execute the steps above with a well structured game plan and achieve all your goals.

What is the best time to Train?

The best time to train!

What time of day do you feel at your best?

The combination of scientific advances and our own analytical mind gives rise to a multitude of questions. Our inquisitive nature leads us down many roads of discovering the best and most efficient way of doing things. One question many of us have probably wondered about is how the time of day can influence our performance in activities.

One such activity to be analyzed is weight training. As we will see, though, the answer to the question of "when in the day is our weight training performance best?" is not clear cut. There are many paths to choose from, with different roads leading to various results depending upon the individual.

The human body has evolved to function and sustain itself automatically, so that the brain can devote more energy to higher-level tasks. We have all adapted to cues in our environment that help our body trigger activation of certain systems and processes, while suppressing others.

The biggest environmental cue our bodies recognize, and react to, is light. The regulation of our bodily systems based on time of day is referred to as our circadian rhythm.

It should be noted that everyone's biological rhythms are different, and I will discuss the influences on performance based on a person with consistent sleeping and waking habits. This consistency actually helps to prevent unwanted stress and injury, and improve your performance in various activities. Assuming this regularity, the biggest difference between peoples' circadian rhythm tends to be their waking time:

Larks Vs. Owls:

There are some that rise from sleep earlier-waking up enthusiastic and full of energy. Such people are called "larks." Another type of person, the "owl," wakes later and more slowly than most, taking a few hours to get functioning and feel alert. Generally speaking, the owl will perform better in the late afternoon, while the lark will perform better in the morning.

Both these types of people actually form a minority, though. Most people, about 60% to 70% of the population, are indifferent. This means they fall somewhere in between the lark and the owl.

Understanding the bodies circadian rhythm and your hormonal functions is important to actually knowing when the best time of training is for YOU.

The following compilation reviews points of interest for the average circadian rhythm:

Morning:

Testosterone is at its daily peak.
Mental alertness peaks late morning.
Memory works best.
Body temperature is still low.

Afternoon:

Pain tolerance is highest.
Possible point of low energy around noon.
Late afternoon, adrenalin and body temperature has a rising trend.
Late afternoon, there is an optimum period of mental/physical function balance.

Evening:

Coordination, stamina, body temperature at a peak.
Lung performance is best.
Flexibility and strength at their greatest.
Mental focus is waning.

Night:

Starting around 9pm, the body produces additional melatonin, preparing for sleep. Bodily processes should be slowing down in preparation for sleep.

Notice that many systems will not be at peak performance at the same times of day. Because of this, and with the addition of individual differences, it is difficult to give a time at which a person will be at their best. But with the given information so far, I would suggest late afternoon as a time of optimum performance in most of your body's processes.

From the given information on circadian rhythm, here are some suggestions based on unique goals:

1. Morning - Best potential for building muscle because testosterone is critical in protein synthesis and for rebuilding muscle fiber damaged in weight training. There is also greater mental focus, which may allow for greater mind-muscle connection and greater efficiency of muscle work done.

2. Afternoon - Best potential for breaking plateaus by employing muscle shocking techniques because pain threshold is highest and the limits of the body might be able to be pushed further than usual.

3. Evening - Best potential for strongest performance. This is the time of day when the body is in peak condition for physical activity.

Besides the purely physical observations about circadian rhythm that have been mentioned, there are other considerations that one might take into account when deciding the best time of day to weight train:

Morning:

Is fat loss or fat storage prevention a goal? Morning exercise may help in reaching this goal partly due to higher than normal testosterone. It also helps that your body has not had much food to process yet, and may turn to fat for energy instead.

1. Exercise has shown to increase serotonin levels. Low serotonin has been shown to be related to depression. Exercising in the morning could possibly help elevate mood slightly for the rest of the day. It should be noted, however, that significant changes in overall mood can take a long time to occur, and will happen as a result of a general increase in serotonin.

2. Is the gym open at the time you want? I know my gym currently does not open at an early enough time for me to schedule a workout.

3. If you are able to get to a gym in the mornings, there are generally less people there. You won't have to fight over weights or machines. You're more free to move about and choose the exercises you'd like with less interruption and possibly less embarrassment if you're the shy type and trying something new for the first time.

4. By doing a workout in the morning, it will be out of the way, out of mind. There will be less worry about missing a workout and less stress in anticipation of your performance if it gets done sooner in the day.

Afternoon:

*** A good balance between all the issues discussed in both morning and night sections. ***

Evening:

1. If working out too late, this can affect you're body's natural time of slowing things down for sleep.

2. Working out increases ability to absorb nutrients on a cellular level. If adequate nutrition is not in place after a workout, the body might soon be left hanging for an eight hour fast while you sleep.

3. Is the gym open late?

4. More people tend to be at the gym because they are done with work or school for the day. It may be harder to get in all the specific exercises desired in a reasonable amount of time, as there may be waiting times for equipment.

5. How worn out a person gets from there school, work, or other daily activities might also play a role in their evening weight training efforts.

The Best:

Based on both these more obvious considerations and from the circadian rhythm information, I would recommend that weight training in the afternoon would be best. It has a nice balance of all the aspects and issues presented. In fact, the only real drawback I could think of might be that it may be harder to schedule for some--due to other commitments like work or school.

For those that cannot do afternoons, just try to schedule training at a time that is either most comfortable, convenient, or when equipment is most freely accessible. What is most important is not placing undue stress upon yourself by worrying too much about when you train-your body will figure things out no matter what time it is.

The best advice given is to follow your bodies reaction to the training you put it through.

1. Do you feel like you are getting the most out of your workouts? If not maybe trying a different time of day to train may just do the trick.

2. In my opinion there really is no one perfect time to train for everyone. I've always trained when I felt ready to train. The key to long term success is basically to train consistently regardless of the time of day. There is no need to stress over the time of day not being perfect for your training.

3. Remember to get maximum benefits from training it's not all about the time of training, remember that proper nutrition, supplementation and rest are all equally as important.

This article is simply designed to give you the knowledge so you can make a more educated choice on when you should train. Just remember follow what works best for YOU and get in the gym and train!

Women & Weight Training......

Women & Weight Training...... 

I attended a continuing education seminar a few weeks back and still to this day some medical some doctors do not feel that females should lift weights. I was shocked to hear these words come out of the mouth of a medical doctor. I do not have much respect for them in the first place but when I heard this I almost got up and walked out of the room. However I paid to listen to this buffoon and I needed the CEU's so I bit a hole through my lip and remained in my chair. After the lecture I told him what I felt about his theories of conditioning and attempted to explain his mistake in not promoting weight training for his female patients. He asked me if I had every picked up a Muscle Magazine and seen the horrible damage that weight training had done to the women in these Magazines and I laughed out-loud at the man. I then asked him if he ever once thought that just maybe it was not the weight training changing these women into men , it is the anabolic steroids they were using? Then I pointed out many of our current fitness and figure women that have maintained a beautiful physique and he informed me that they maintained their looks through strict diet and cardiovascular exercise! Once again I laughed out-loud. I ended up just walking away from him and chalking him up as a lost cause.

The moral to this story is DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR FROM YOUR MEDICAL DOCTOR!

These doctors are not trained in the benefits of a healthy life-style at all! Very few doctors have ever taken classes or studied nutrition and almost none of them know anything about a weight room!

Until the medical industry comes out of the dark ages and accepts the facts of prevention instead of shoving a pill down your throat we will continue to be a sick and fat society. In fact if you really think about it what is their motivation to change it?

If we were all healthy we would not need them, nor would we need the expensive tests or drugs they prescribe.

We must take it upon ourselves to understand proper nutrition and exercise leads to a longer healthier life!

The Rebound Effect, get the best results for muscle gains after your diet!!!

THE REBOUND EFFECT......

THE BENEFITS OF PROPER EATING AND TRAINING, POST COMPETITION DIETS or any diet!!!

 
You've worked so hard to build your body with a hard core diet and exercise don't throw it all away in just a few short weeks! Let me show you how to take advantage of this situation and pack on some really good muscle instead of the fat your body will gain if you go back to the same old ways of eating.

Take Advantage of this time and add some lean muscle to your body instead of the bloat that often follows a hard diet.

If you've ever dieted for a bodybuilding contest—or for an extended period just to reduce body-fat—then you know what you want to do right after that: nothing but eat all the decadent foods that you've been avoiding for the past couple of months.

Sure, that's one way to follow-up a restricted diet, but it can turn into a disaster, resulting in startling body-fat gains. A better strategy is to use this time to gain impressive heaps of muscle by taking advantage of the body's rebound effect.

The best gains of an entire year often come in the first few weeks after a cutting phase, making that period of time ideal for growth. In fact, you can easily gain five, six or even 10 pounds of real muscle mass in just six short weeks.

As with exercise the bodies digestive system also adapts to it's environment during the course of a long hard diet. You have restricted the amount of carbohydrates and therefore you have not the need for particular digestive enzymes in the gut. So your body dramatically lowers the enzyme count simply because they are not needed. Here is where the bloat and fat gains begin in the rebound from the diets.

It is best to begin the intake of carbohydrates slowly increasing the amounts you eat over the first few weeks, making sure you eat moderate to low glycemic index carbohydrates. Slowly increase the carbohydrates over the period of 4-6 weeks allowing your body to ramp up the proper digestive enzymes for the carbohydrates. I can not place a gram count on here because that will vary with each person based off of your metabolism and body type. There is NO one set amount for everyone. It is also highly suggested that you separate your consumption of proteins from your carbohydrates. I recommend eating your proteins at least 30 minutes before you eat your carbohydrates. Proteins are more difficult to digest and take longer to break down into usable amino-acids, than carbohydrates take to break down into sugar. When you load the weakened digestive system with proteins and carbohydrates simultaneously you have created a fat storing nightmare. In fact even when you are dieting you should eat your proteins and carbohydrates separate. Separating the proteins and the carbohydrates allows for higher absorption rates of both. It allows the body to produce the right enzymes to break down each food. When you eat proteins and carbohydrates together they do not digest as well and when you are in a rebound from a hard diet you have a much higher potential to store both as fat.

There are two things that can really help you with cravings and help keep you feeling full.

1. Take in one gram of L-Glutamine before you eat each meal. This will help you to digest the protein and help prevent muscle break down. L-Glutamine must be present to bond to the amino acids in the proteins you eat in order for them to be properly utilized and help prevent them from storing as fat. Also make sure you are taking a high dose of L-Glutamine before bed as well. This will prevent muscle break down at night when you body looks to replenish L-Glutamine storage in the gut.

2. Cook your foods with healthy fats, I highly recommend Coconut Oil. Coconut oil is 100% medium chain triglyceride oil and does not store as fat, in fact it will help keep your metabolism burning at a higher rate. Using coconut oil in place of consuming huge amounts of carbohydrates will give you the energy you need and prevent the cravings for sugar. Remember your digestive system has been altered and can not handle huge amounts of carbohydrates like most of us are accustom to consuming after a long diet.

Training during the Rebound.

The absolute best thing you can do for your body is let it rest for at least 7-10 days. Allow your muscle tissue the time it needs to repair itself and slowly allow glycogen storage to replenish. Once you have had ample time to heal from the training and calorie restriction then it is time to shock the muscle and stimulate the central nervous system (CNS). Make sure you hit the muscle with a variety of heavy weight low rep sets and mix in the higher reps to keep the muscle stimulated. Do not fall back into training the same way as you were training during contest diet.

Heavy weight with low repetitions can stimulate the CNS and enable you to increase the work loads during training. Increase work loads can and will increase muscular hypertrophy. This period of time after a long diet is an excellent time to build lean body mass. Stimulating the CNS and lifting heavier weights with less repetitions is perfect for adding lean muscle mass to your body.

The next 4-6 weeks post diet/rebound phase is actually one of the best opportunities to gain lean muscle mass as the body is prime for growth. This is in fact the best time for muscle gains because your body will be at its highest anabolic state during this time frame. It's sad that more competitors do not take advantage of this small window to add on some real quality muscle is such a short period of time. Defeating the urge to binge and following the plan set out in this article can and will add some serious muscle to your frame.

Remember what you eat, when you eat it and how you eat it, along with some rest followed by some really intense training will pack on some serious muscle during the 4-6 week rebound phase in a post diet situation.

You're Never Too Old!

Reverse Aging with these Simple yet very Effective Steps!
 
Forget Low Fat Diets.
 
Low fat everything has been the craze now for decades and look around. What has that wonderful bit of advice done for the bodies you see? We're fatter, sicker, and more addicted to sugar and carbs than any other time in history. And, we're passing these habits to our kids.

Fats are not to be feared – they're to be embraced. They do not make you fat; rather, they help your body regenerate your power hormones. Testosterone, the 'strength' hormone, for example, is the direct result of cholesterol and dietary fat intake. That's right: "Cholesterol" isn't a dirty word! Your body needs dietary fat and cholesterol in order to produce ANY AND ALL vital hormones.

People on low fat diets look drawn, gaunt, and weak. They are often sick, sometimes to the point of literally breaking down. And, they can never just enjoy eating out. Every meal and every gram must be accounted for. Do you really think this will make you younger? Of course not... it will worry you to death if it doesn't kill you first!


Stop Running in Circles

Gym classes can be fun, if you like sitting in one place and torturing yourself. But have you noticed how little people change their bodies in these classes? Sure, it's good "cardio", but cardiovascular conditioning can be gained with far less time and effort.

Treadmills, and any form of endurance training (especially running) does very little to help the age reversal process. Many times, these long-duration exercise bouts accelerate the aging process by increasing free radicals. These free radicals are scavengers that prey on your body's essential nutrients and tissues.


Stop Blaming Everything On How Old You Are

Your body doesn't own a clock. Studies have shown that men and women in their 90s were able to gain muscle tone in just a matter of weeks of simple weight training. I've personally seen men and women transform their physiques at literally all ages—25 to 95! In the picture above this lady is 82 years young and stronger than many women 50 years her junior.

If you're around those naysayers who are constantly talking about growing old, all their aches and pains, and how life is just down hill after 40—LEAVE! Surround yourself with positive thinkers who absolutely crave a challenge. A challenge is what keeps you YOUNG, and the best challenge there is happens to be taking control of your health and body.
Avoid Chronic Dehydration

Water isn't just "good for you" — water burns fat. Water suppresses hunger. Water renews your skin. Just drinking 12 ounces of pure water every day can take a few years off your face in a matter of weeks. You'll also drop fat, have more energy, and save your kidneys and liver from chronic overwork.

When your kidneys are taxed from too little water, your liver has to take over. Now, get this: Your liver is your number one fat-burning organ. Do you REALLY want it processing liquids and toxins rather than BURNING FAT? No way, right? Well, grab a glass of water, and watch the mirror. Within a few weeks, the change to your face and body will be noticeable.


Work Out LESS (Yes, Less)

If you don't work out at all, you're going to lose muscle tissue every year. That means you'll get fatter and flabbier each and every year with less shape and more sag. Is this what you desire? No way, right?

Well, the answer is old school resistance training. Mix your cardio in with your weight training and exercise 3 times weekly using both weights and cardio.