Ryan J. Mathias's Blog, page 11
July 30, 2020
Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain 101
As we quickly approach fall season for many high school and Collegiate athletes across the country, strength gain and muscle hypertrophy are common goals for many athletes. What are some ways that we can promote strength gain as gym-goers and athletes? Let’s take a look…
This is a Guest Post from EverybodysPersonalTrainer.com
Keys To Building Muscle Size and Strength
Linear Progression
Before we can discuss muscle hypertrophy and strength, we need to first take a look at the physiological response our muscles have to exercise. When a load is placed upon a muscle belly, the muscle tissue is broken down and thus needs time to recover. During this recovery process, your muscles adapt by growing bigger and stronger; through muscle hypertrophy.
So it goes without saying that one of the most important ways to increase muscle size and strength is to linearly increase the load upon the muscle in the form of increased poundage.
Proper Rest
Ample rest and recovery time between bouts of exercise is also very important for strength and muscle gain. Have you ever heard the saying that you grow and become stronger outside of the gym? Therein does lie the truth. Much of the adaptation that is being made is happening on those rest and recovery days outside of the gym.
Proper Nutrition
Now that we have discussed load and weight-bearing activity as well as rest and recovery, we now have to consider proper nutrition. Protein is responsible for building, maintaining, and repairing muscle tissue. As a strength athlete or gym-goer looking to promote strength gain, it is very important to get at least 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily. Ideally spacing these meals at 2-3 hour intervals throughout the day is best.
According to personal trainer Eric Leader, post-workout protein and carbohydrates are essential. It is said that the 30 minutes after a bout of exercise is typically called “the anabolic window” and is an excellent time to take in additional protein.
Consistency
Finally, consistency over time may be the most important factor to increase muscle size and strength. As long as you exercise consistently over time, you will experience results. The name of the game is to stay vigilant and to stay in it for the long haul.
July 14, 2020
5 Reasons Why Good Quality Sleep Is Beneficial To Your Health & Fitness
Often we hear that sufficient good quality sleep is vital for our physical and mental well-being. But, we often focus on our diet and physical activity when trying to improve our health and fitness and ignore sleep. Though sufficient good quality sleep is a must for our body to rest and recover. And is equally important for us to stay healthy and fit.
In 24 hours of a day, we try to accomplish as many tasks as possible. But, when we don’t find enough time to complete our tasks, we tend to sacrifice sleep. Insufficient good quality sleep or poor sleep has an adverse impact on your hormones; which can lead to weight gain, mental stress, depression, anxiety, and other life-threatening diseases like cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes.
As per sleep experts, 7-8 hours of good quality sleep each night is best to achieve optimal health benefits. Sufficient good quality sleep allows your body to take the complete rest that is required by it to recover from the hard work of the day and be ready for the task that needs to be accomplished the following day.
Insufficient good quality sleep also affects your social well-being, as it can make you irritable and moody. Plus, it can reduce energy levels and motivation to perform your daily tasks, ruining your productivity.
Older adults are more resistant to the effects of sleep deprivation. But young adults and children don’t have the same level of resistance and may become hyperactive or rebellious.
So, here are 5 reasons why sleep is good for your health and fitness…
1. Prevents Excess Weight Gain
Sufficient good quality sleep helps your body to prevent excess weight gain by stopping you from overeating and it allows your body to balance hormones, Ghrelin, and Leptin. These hormones control your hunger. Ghrelin, also called the “hunger hormone”, stimulates appetite and increases the intake of food; whereas Leptin inhibits hunger. Ghrelin promotes the storage of fat whereas leptin helps in reducing fat storage.
Insufficient sleep disrupts your body from using insulin properly. Your body becomes insulin resistant which allows fat to circulate in your blood resulting in the generation of more insulin. This excess insulin is stored as fat in your body
Insufficient good quality sleep also results in increasing your stress level. When your stress levels increase, your body starts producing more Cortisol; which forces your body to store more calories as fat.
2. Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases
When you are asleep, your blood pressure level lowers down which results in giving your heart and blood vessels a rest. Insufficient good quality sleep or poor quality sleep is known to increase the stress level and increase anxiety; which can increase your blood pressure level and cholesterol levels. High blood pressure and excess cholesterol level in your body can lead to serious life-threatening diseases like hypertension, coronary heart diseases, and diabetes mellitus.
In addition to diet control and physical activity, doctors recommend that 7-8 hours of good quality sleep daily is vital to reduce the risk of developing many cardiovascular diseases.
3. Improved Concentration and Productivity
Another reason why sleep is good for your health is because it helps to improve your brain health. An adequate amount of good quality sleep can boost levels of your concentration, problem-solving skills, and productivity.
Insufficient good quality sleep or poor sleep can impair the functioning of your brain, make you tired mentally, and reduce the level of alertness and concentration. Sleep deprivation can throw clarity of thoughts out for a toss and you won’t be able to make the simplest of decisions, and forget making complex ones because of which your productivity suffers.
The deep sleep stage is essential for your brain to consolidate memories and link stories of the day. While your body is resting, your brain is at work in consolidating feelings, memories, events, thoughts, and other sensory inputs gathered during the day and preparing for new inputs, memories, thoughts, events to be registered the following day.
4. Boosts the Immune System
Your immune system helps you to fight infection by identifying harmful viruses and bacteria and getting rid of them. Another health benefit of adequate good quality sleep each night is that it can help you improve your immune system and help fight infections like the common cold.
As per some studies, even a small reduction in the amount of required sleep can weaken your immune system. It found that people who sleep less than 7 hours per night are 3 times more likely to catch a cold than those who sleep a minimum of 8 hours per night.
Sleep deprivation weakens your immune system and your body is not able to fight infections with the same strength or pace. Due to a weak immune system, you may fall sick more often.
5. Helps to Reduce Inflammation
Insufficient good quality sleep increases stress hormones and anxiety which raises the level of inflammation in your body resulting in making your body prone to developing cardiovascular diseases, even cancer, and diabetes.
Also, inadequate good quality sleep or poor sleep has a major undesirable impact on your body as your body may develop inflammation due to cell damage. It may lead to recurring inflammatory bowel diseases due to inflammation of your digestive tract.
Conclusion
In addition to a healthy diet and a good amount of physical activity, sufficient good quality sleep is vital for your physical and mental well-being.
Sufficient good quality sleep is good for your health and fitness because of several reasons:
it boosts your immune system to fight infections
helps you to avoid weight gain
helps you to avoid developing life-threatening cardiovascular diseases
improves concentration
helps in reducing stress levels and inflammation
and getting rid of anxiety
Sufficient good quality sleep helps you to rest and recover from the tiring efforts of the day which is vital for being productive the next day.
This is a Guest Article from SleepStandards.com
More Sleep Articles:
How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need? >>
June 22, 2020
5 Benefits of Pyramid Sets
Pyramid sets are considered to be one of the best methods for gaining both size and strength.
They’ve stood the test of time, much like their counterparts in the Egyptian desert.
But when it comes to actually talk about the benefits, we don’t always focus on more than this.
In this article, we’ll be discussing just a handful of those other benefits that you should know about before going back to doing straight sets.
This is a Guest Post by Robert Grayson of GGPhysique.com
#1 – Pyramid Sets Warm You Up
Starting off your pyramid sets with lower weights is a great way to get warmed up.
Many people perform 3 or more sets just to get warmed up. And this can prevent injuries and also get your muscles primed for heavier lifting.
Performing pyramid training is all about gradually increasing the weight each set, while simultaneously decreasing the reps.
So, for this reason, warm-ups are built into your training from the outset!
#2 – Helps Activate CNS
Activating your CNS (Central Nervous System) is one of the key ways to maximize your strength. And it’s no secret that pyramid sets are great at doing this.
Many people go into the gym and try to lift a weight from the beginning and can’t. But when using pyramid sets to build their way up by activating their CNS and warming up, they often can.
#3 – Pyramid Sets Keep You Motivated
One way to make sure you’re not motivated is to always be doing the same workouts, lifting the same weights.
If those weights are especially heavy you might start to dread your sessions. And that’s the worst thing possible for any lifter.
Consistency is the ladder to success. And without motivation, you can’t be consistent.
#4 – Allows You To ‘Feel It Out’
Going back to our second point, sometimes people will go into the gym and try to lift a weight and fail.
However, with pyramid training, you’re going to be able to know before you attempt a lift whether it’s going to be too heavy for you or not.
If you’re struggling with your warmup sets, it’s going to be unsafe for you to try your heaviest working set.
It’s usually a good sign that you’re tired, not fully recovered, or haven’t eaten enough.
It’s incredibly useful feedback that can save you injuries and a lot of frustration.
#5 – Keeps Energy In The Tank
Usually, most people are going to be performing more than a single heavy compound lift during a workout.
So pacing yourself is really important. And pyramid training does that for you. Each set increases the workload but decreases the reps.
So your total volume is moderate rather than insanely high. This then allows you to repeat the same process on other lifts and exercises.
Conclusion on Pyramid Sets in Training
Pyramid sets have many benefits, including psychological ones, not just strength and muscular based ones. Implementing them into your training from time to time is a great idea and shouldn’t be overlooked.
May 26, 2020
The Ketogenic Diet for Athletes: Main Pros & Cons
Many people are sure that active sports and a keto diet are not compatible. They believe sports records can be set only by absorbing a lot of protein and carbohydrates. So, let’s see how a keto diet training differs from the usual training methods of others.
Technically, all types of regular physical activity can be attributed to two types:
Aerobic Exercise: Low-intensity and high-duration exercises, such as long-distance running, low-intensity aerobics, walking, and cycling.
Anaerobic Exercise: High-intensity and short-duration exercises, such as strength training, Crossfit, and short-distance races.
In a state of ketosis, our body is predisposed to an aerobic type of physical activity. Glycogen, which is stored in the muscles, can be spent in one marathon. But there are great fat reserves in the body of even a very slender person. So there will be enough ketones for a very long period of physical activity.
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Keto Diet and Strength Training
First of all, let’s determine for what purpose you are using a combination of a keto diet plan for athletes and strength training.
Option A: You are already on a ketogenic diet and would like to increase muscle mass and strength. In this case, it is worth keeping a positive balance of daily calorie intake; taking into account regular training, and maintaining the perfect keto ratio of 20/75/5. Sometimes, a slight shift towards protein is precisely recommended in cases where the goal is to increase muscle mass. Read some reviews on the best keto protein powder to learn more. Also, your proportions may change slightly to 25% of calories from protein, 70% of calories from fat, and 5% of calories from carbohydrates.
Option B: While in ketosis, you are trying to reduce body weight, in particular, get rid of excess body fat. Here, of course, the calorie balance should be negative while maintaining the same classic keto ratio of 20/75/5.
Keto Training Details
However, no matter which option you choose, the pros and cons of the keto diet during strength training remain the same and comply with the following parameters:
Training frequency: No more than 2-3 times per week. After several weeks from the beginning of strength training, it is advisable to break the trainable muscle groups by days – training each muscle group once a week.
Selection of Exercises: Without a doubt, preference should be given to compound exercises. Ideally, these should be free-weight exercises. But if you replace them with exercise machines due to poor technique or old injuries, this would be a worthy alternative.
Repetition Mode: It is optimal to adhere to a range of 5-8 repetitions in working sets. You should select your working weight within two sets into the exercise.
Training Duration: Workouts should not exceed one hour, provided that you exercise at a calm pace. Thus, you will get 5-6 exercises for 3-4 sets.
Compliance with the above principles is due to the essence of the impact of strength training on a keto diet for athletes.
Understand that the main task of this type of load on the musculoskeletal system is to stimulate the production of hormones – testosterone and growth hormone. This production begins after the training is complete, and the rest and recovery phase begins. That is why strength training should not be frequent.
Intermittent fasting, with the right approach, in combination with a keto diet, will help in the production of growth hormone.
Conclusion
Our advice is to treat regular strength training as a daily routine. This is precisely the place it should occupy in your life. And most importantly, remember: the main influence on metabolic processes is not in what to eat before your workout on a keto diet, but after – in the recovery period. And special attention must be given to the quality of recovery. First of all, use stress-reduction techniques and take care of healthy sleep.
Do you practice keto diet and strength training? Do not hesitate to share your thoughts in the comment section!
About the Author: My name is Adam Reeve and I have been a professional personal trainer and fitness instructor for over 10 years. Also, I’m a life coach, wellness writer, and low carb diets, enthusiast.
May 21, 2020
Utilizing a Proper Warm-Up System for Strength Training
Resistance bands offer a better way to warm up dynamically alongside various non-resistance band movements. A mixture of both is the best way to activate your muscles prior to lifting and increase your joint range of motion (ROM) temporarily to perform better. There are a variety of ways to warm-up prior to training, such as foam rolling, and adding resistance bands could make several beneficial changes.
This is a Guest Article by Sarah Peterson of ProPRTeam.com
Get our in-depth How To Warm-Up Guide >>
What’s the Purpose for a Warm-Up?
A proper warm-up is recommended to improve your performance regardless of what your training focus is. The intent behind a warm-up is to physically and mentally preparing your body for the workout through increased heart rate, range of motion, and muscle activation.
Muscle stiffness and soreness often reduce flexibility, which can affect the way you execute exercises, especially when the resistance is higher. For example, tight hamstrings and glutes can make it difficult to execute squats efficiently.
Foam rolling and dynamic stretches help relieve this tightness and improve overall flexibility. Then light muscle activation for stabilizer muscles to be used that day may help drastically.
This is accomplished through mobility work and a dynamic warm-up. Injury prevention may be a factor for the warm-up with some, but the overall purpose is doing better during your training. Studies are very mixed when it comes to preventing any injuries.
Learn more with our complete How To Warm-Up Guide >>
Different Phases of the Warm-Up
Your warm-up prior to training doesn’t need to take a long duration. The point is to choose areas for foam rolling purposes to improve mobility for the focus of the day. Then dynamic stretches for flexibility and priming muscles through activation exercises.
Increasing Heart Rate
This is a quick 5-minute portion for your warm-up to increase your body temperature and blood circulation. Flexibility occurs better chances to improve and relieve muscle tightness after they have been warmed up.
During this phase, you can do a brisk jog, cycle, rowing, and other various cardio activities. This is an important phase for your warm-up and is often overlooked. But it is not an intense set of sprints or anything. Simply brief cardio to increase your heart rate and get the blood pumping.
Mobility Support
Sustained pressure from foam rollers, lacrosse balls, and other various myofascial release tools help with mobility. This is not to be confused with actual mobility work, which is taking a limb through its entire range of motion.
Instead, you are working on the tight muscles to relieve this stiffness in order to allow joints the ability to move freely in their ROM. The main ones for lifts are shoulders, knees, hips, elbows, and ankles.
If mobility is still difficult after muscle release techniques, then you may want to consider adding some actual mobility exercises that are necessary for the areas that need focus.
Dynamic Stretching
This type of stretching is active movement instead of static holds. You will be able to get your muscles warmed up and activated better through this method. Static stretching is okay to do at the start within short holds but holds over 10-15 seconds may possibly signal your muscles to relax as opposed to activating.
Effective bodyweight dynamic stretches can be single-leg raises, pendulum swings, arm circles, and even the cat-cow warm up. Exercises such as these assist with the muscle warm-up phase and offer activation also, but better activation for stabilizer muscles occur when resistance bands are used.
Muscle Activation
The muscle activation phase is often executed wrong when the resistance bands come out. Due to their elasticity, many often do quick movements and allow the band to slingshot back into position. Short, quick movements with little control would be more dynamic stretch opposed to muscle activation.
Controlling your movements with resistance bands and fighting against the pull help the stabilizer muscles to activate. You can understand this need for activation by understanding how prime movers work.
Prime movers are essentially your larger muscle groups working to move the weight during an exercise such as the quads and glutes for back squats. The muscles supporting these prime movers with proper movement patterns and control are the stabilizer muscles. These muscle groups supporting the prime for squats would be hamstrings and calves, amongst others.
Together they create the force necessary to move weight effectively. However, during warm-up some smaller stabilizers may not be activated, such as the gluteus medius, which affects external hip rotation.
This could be one reason for knee caving since the knees cannot be kept in alignment during the squat. The following resistance band exercises help activate the gluteus medius and strengthen it as well.
Resistance Band Exercises for Muscle Activation:
Clamshells
Lay on your side and loop a hip circle or resistance band around your legs, near your knees. Keep both knees bent about 90 degrees, then simply raise and lower your top leg, while keeping your lower leg pressed into the floor. Make sure to work both sides equally.
Side-Lying Hip Abduction
Lay on your side and loop a hip circle or resistance band around your legs, anywhere between your ankles and knees. Then simply raise and lower your top leg. Make sure to work both sides equally.
Monster Walks
Stand with both feet inside a hip circle or resistance band, and pull it up anywhere between knee and mid-thigh height. Then walk around both forwards and backward, taking big steps and maintaining constant tension on the band.
Lateral Walks
Stand with both feet inside a hip circle or resistance band, to where there is light tension. Squat down and walk laterally (side to side) while maintaining constant tension on the band.
The hip circle bands work best for these exercises since they maintain their circular shape and easily slid up and down where needed. Victorem Gear has some quality products in sets to choose from. You can go here to check them out.
Learn more with our complete How To Warm-Up Guide >>
Warming Up is Simple and Effective
Warm-up phases seem like they would take an hour. But in reality, they should only take 20 minutes if you are moving through the phases and not allowing distractions to occur, i.e. conversations, phone use, etc.
Each phase has its own purpose and importance to the workout that follows. And some do choose to skip them after figuring out what works best for them. You should do the same and develop your own style of warming up after you get into the rhythm of using this concept.
The biggest thing is to not rush the movements while muscles are still “cold” leading to injury. Going straight into the activation phase with expectations to lift immediately may result in muscle strain or other injuries. Have patience and do everything correctly.
Learn more with our complete How To Warm-Up Guide >>
April 28, 2020
Keto Diet – 7 Unexpected Health Benefits
People have been flocking to the Keto Diet in recent years because of its reputation for enhanced weight loss. And a survey of dieticians in the United States in 2020 showed that the Low-Carb Ketogenic Diet will continue to be the most popular fat loss diet this year. But there are tons of other health benefits of Keto apart from total weight loss.
You might already know that ketogenic diets were actually developed to reduce symptoms in epilepsy patients. Or that Keto can help to boost your immune system function. However, there are lots of other unexpected health benefits that are contributing to the Keto diet reigning supreme.
So, here are seven other unexpected health benefits of the Keto diet…
A Guest Article by Melody Johnson from TotalShape.com
1 – Lowered Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
On a ketogenic diet, carbohydrates are cut to just 5% of your daily food intake. High-fat and low-carb intake is part of the keto basics. Your body usually breaks down carbs to produce glycogen which fuels your body. On Keto, the high fat intake and reduced carb intake trains your body to start burning fat into chemical compounds called ketones for energy instead.
Type 2 diabetes usually develops as a response to overconsuming sugary and starchy foods. Eating too much of these foods causes your pancreas to make high levels of insulin in an attempt to regulate blood sugar levels. When your insulin levels are consistent that high, your body becomes resistant to insulin which is a key marker of Type 2 diabetes.
But on the Keto diet, your body is not relying on carbs and sugar for energy. The drop glucose helps to regulate blood sugar levels, and therefore lower insulin levels. Doctors often recommend lower carbohydrate intake for patients with Type 2 diabetes, and studies have shown that the Keto diet helps to improve weight loss and reduce insulin levels.
2 – Alleviation of Depression & Anxiety Symptoms
Depression and anxiety are closely linked to the brain. And early research has begun to establish a link between ketogenic diets and the alleviation of typical symptoms of these common conditions.
A study conducted on rats showed promising results. Low physical activity is a common symptom of depression in people. In this study, one group of rats were put on a ketogenic diet. Those rats showed similar results to other groups of rats that had been treated with antidepressants. The scientists concluded that the Keto group were less likely to show “behavioral despair.”
In another study, one group of pregnant mice were fed ketogenic diets while another group was fed a standard diet. The mice born to the Keto group were more active physically than their standard diet counterparts.
The exact link between Keto and depression and anxiety has not been established. But anecdotal feedback among people who suffer from depression and anxiety has been very positive so far.
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3 – Improved Sleep Quality
In the short term, Keto can actually have a negative impact on your sleep. This is most likely due to lower levels of serotonin and melanin. But these symptoms are short-lived. And research suggests that in the long term Keto can lead to better quality, deeper sleep.
Once you transition into ketosis (when your body is primarily burning fat into ketones for energy), your body settles down into better sleep patterns. Not only does Keto result in a deeper sleep and increased time in the all-important REM cycle, but a study by the International League Against Epilepsy found that people on Keto diets also needed less sleep time.
Learn more about proper sleep >>
4 – Healthier Liver Function
Fatty liver is a chronic condition that can lead to very serious health implications including cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. It’s also a condition that affects around 25% of adults in the Western world.
Two significant research studies have shown that low-carb diets, such as the Keto Diet, can quickly and dramatically reduce liver fat and the risk of these conditions. The first was a small study but produced highly compelling results. Participants experienced a massive loss of liver fat when following a low carbohydrate diet.
In another study, patients following a ketogenic diet showed significant improvement in the risk for non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD), liver scarring, and a 60% reduction in liver fat.
5 – Increased Brain Function
In the early twentieth century, ketogenic diets were developed to help relieve symptoms in epilepsy patients with groundbreaking results. More recently, studies suggest a link between the Keto diet and reduced risk for other neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease amongst others.
Some followers of Keto experience alleviation of chronic ailments like headaches and sleep disorders. It also has the potential to decrease the risk of certain brain cancers.
The science behind Keto and improved brain function is complex and not conclusively established. But scientist’s early research suggests the production of certain chemicals and ketones interact differently with the brain as a more efficient energy source.
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6 – Healthier Cardiovascular System
Following the Keto diet has also been shown to improve cardiovascular health and may help prevent heart disease. However, this health benefit is closely linked to the nutrition sources used by Keto diet followers. It’s vital that your high fat intake is achieved from healthy sources and the “right” type of fat.
For example, a study in 2010 found that, between two low-carb diet groups, those that sourced their fats from vegetables and rich Omega-3 fatty acid foods decreased the risk of heart disease by 23% more than those who sourced fats mostly from meats.
To derive cardiovascular health benefits from Keto, it’s essential to source fats from unprocessed options like avocado, salmon, and nuts.
Learn more about proper Diet >>
7 – Improves Acne
Much of the evidence that says ketogenic diets improve acne is largely anecdotal. However, when you examine what we know about how acne flare-ups are triggered, combined with conclusive biological changes due to ketogenic diets, the effect of Keto on acne makes sense.
Acne is caused by a build-up of excess oil on the skin through sebaceous glands. This causes blockages in the pores which result in acne breakouts.
In one small study, it was found that diets low on the glycemic index reduced insulin levels and androgens (male hormones) which contributed to a reduction in acne. Keto is also proven to reduce inflammation in the body. And since inflammation can drive acne flare-ups, it’s logical that this may be a contributing factor in how ketogenic diets alleviate acne symptoms.
It’s pretty clear that the benefits of ketogenic diets go far beyond weight loss. So, if you’ve been thinking of trying Keto to eat clean and improve your general health and wellness, give it a try!
Keto Diet Starter Guide
Get started on your Ketogenic Journey today with this awesome infographic from TotalShape.com.
Workout Program >>April 16, 2020
How To Build A Home Gym for Less Than $1,000!
Gym Closed Because of Coronavirus? Here’s How To Build A Home Gym for Less Than The Price of a Gym Membership!
A Guest Article by Brian of HomeGymStrength.com
We are all stuck at home these days and can’t even go to the gym because of social distancing. So, this is the perfect time to build a home gym for less than the price of a gym membership!
“YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS”, you might yell.
Let me assure you, I am very serious about fitness and a home gym is one of the best ways to maintain your physique.
And yes, a home gym can not only cost less than a typical gym membership but also save you money in the long run.
A normal gym membership costs around $100 a month. This is for a gym that gives you good equipment and facilities. You can count the time and transport expenses on to that and it quickly balloons to a $1200 per year ordeal.
While this may not seem like a lot, especially if you are getting some quality equipment, that membership can’t be used in the lockdown.
Building a Home Gym
A home gym is not only convenient but it can help you stay fit even during Coronavirus. The best part is, it doesn’t even need to cost a lot.
You wake up, go to your home gym, do some quality exercises and that’s it. No need to wear masks and gloves to drive to the gym that is probably closed or only allowing a few people inside.
How to Build a Home Gym
Building a home gym for Coronavirus is not that hard. You just have to look for good equipment online and have it delivered at your place.
Get Used Equipment
Finding used equipment is going to save you a lot of money when building your home gym.
Sure, if you can afford new stuff, then it is all good. But usually used equipment is not only cheaper but also just about the same quality. Gym equipment is made with durability and reliability in mind. So if someone used the equipment responsibly, it should still be in top condition.
You can find used equipment on Facebook Marketplace, Let Go, and even Craigslist. This guide about the best apps to find used home gym equipment will help.
Just make sure the items are delivered to your home and wear protective gear when you receive them.
Get a Squat Rack
A squat rack is a good starting point. There are two types of squat racks; the full rack and the half rack. If you have a small space, get the best half racks. If you have ample area, get one of the best full squat racks.
Get a Bar
No, not the one that serves drinks. Get an Olympic barbell. Most are made out of incredibly strong materials and a used one won’t have any problems.
Get Weights
If you are new to lifting get bumper plates. If you already have a padded floor, you can get the best Olympic weights.
Get Adjustable Dumbbells
Some good quality adjustable dumbbells would complement the rest of the equipment nicely.
Get A Program
Check out our best Workout Programs >>
Here’s Some Rough Math
$150 Squat Rack Buy Now >>
$220 Barbell Buy Now >>
$330 in Olympic weights Shop Now >>
$300 in Adjustable Dumbbells Shop Now >>
For a total of $1000! And this is how you can build a home gym for less than the price of a gym membership!
And don’t forget to get a quality Workout Program >>
Now go forth and build some Quarantine Gains!
April 7, 2020
How To Use A Foam Roller
It takes only a few minutes to learn the proper foam rolling technique to relax your tight tendons and soft-tissues. So, let’s get started now on how to use a foam roller properly to increase joint mobility and decrease muscle pain and stress!
Page Contents:
How Foam Rolling Works
Proper Foam Rolling Technique
Choosing a Foam Roller
Frequency
Duration
Get our complete How To Warm-Up Properly Guide >>
How Foam Rolling Works
Foam rolling works by:
Breaking apart adhesions in the tissue layers (known as self-myofascial release),
Moving fluids through soft tissues,
and overall assisting with Muscle Recovery.
So, you can use it to aid in the mobility of tight tissues or just as a recovery technique.
Foam rolling has become very popular in recent years, but it has been around for decades. As it is an effective tool that helps to mobilize your joints by relaxing the soft tissues and muscles around them if done properly. But, the most important thing you need to know about foam rolling is that it is NOT a fix-all solution.
Foam rolling simply prepares your body to improve joint and muscle flexibility by relaxing any chronically tight tissues around them.
If a muscle is tight, or overactive, it will fight against any stretching you do for it. So, the foam roller can be used to help relax your muscle tissues in order to prepare them for other stretches.
It is what you do after foam rolling that counts!
Proper Foam Rolling Technique
Here’s how to use a foam roller properly:
Beginner Technique
Simply roll the foam roller up and down your muscles in a controlled manner to massage the muscle. This is a great way for beginners to start, as it is the least intense.
Advanced Technique
For a more effective self-myofascial release technique, attempt to crush your tissues lightly by rotating on them horizontally using controlled pressure. So, instead of rolling the roller up and down your muscles, keep the roller in place and roll your body side-to-side (perpendicular) along the same area. This will reach down deeper into the tissues.
Then move slightly up the muscle and do the same thing.
To properly break apart adhesions in your soft tissues, stop at points where you feel the most pain and relax the muscle into the roller.
Stay on that spot for at least 30 seconds at a time and breathe deep to let your muscles relax. Then slowly continue rolling over the entire muscle.
If no tightness or pain is felt in a certain area, then either use a firmer tool or move on. You will only feel pain where there is tightness. The same as a massage.
Get our complete How To Warm-Up Properly Guide >>
Choosing a Foam Roller
Foam rolling is most effective with a smooth round object that can roll over your soft tissues; such as a stiff ball or cylinder.
Soft Choices for a Light Massage
Basic Foam Roller
High-Density Foam Roller
Tennis Ball
Firm Choices for a Deep Massage
4-6″ PVC Pipe
Lacrosse Ball
It is best for beginners to start with a soft roller, then upgrade to a firm roller. Preferably a solid PVC pipe or something similar.
I know that sounds like it hurts, and it does…at first. But it is the only thing that is truly going to work.
This is because, if the roller is less dense than your tissues, then it will break down and limit the amount of tissue release you can obtain.
Your tight tissues can only be fully released with dense objects that can break apart the adhesions. And anything made of foam just isn’t enough.
However, this also will increase the intensity of the message so you won’t need to use it as frequently. It’s the same as when you do high-intensity workouts, you need more time to recover.
What NOT To Get
When choosing your foam roller, make sure that you get one that does NOT have a bunch of spikes on it or “pressure points”. Though it may feel good, it is not nearly as useful as just getting a firmer object, like a PVC Pipe or Lacross Ball.
Remember, we want to smash over the muscle massaging everything, not just pinpoint it. That is what hand massages are for. And the fancy-looking rollers just don’t do as well.
Get our complete How To Warm-Up Properly Guide >>
How often can I use a Foam Roller?
You can roll out your tissues anytime, from before, during, or after your workouts.
Before, or during, your workouts if you have a tight muscle that is causing pain, or preventing proper technique.
Post-workout or on non-workout days to help with recovery.
However, the same muscles should not be rolled out more than four times per week. And often not multiple days in a row, to allow for proper recovery.
This is because, when you use a foam roller, you are breaking apart your soft tissues, similar to when you workout. So you need time to recover before doing it again.
Get our complete How To Warm-Up Properly Guide >>
How long should Foam Rolling take?
How long foam rolling takes, depends on how tight your muscles are. At first, your self-myofascial release massage may take an hour if you have a lot of tight tissues. If it does, then let it.
Do not rush through this process!
Over time, as your tissues are released and become more relaxed it will take less and less time.
If you have limited time, it is best to focus on the most important areas during the time you have. Set a timer if needed, and go for 10-20 minutes.
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March 19, 2020
RECOVERY: The Most Important Part Of Every Workout
The Most Important Part Of Every Workout
Are you always tired, sore and lacking progress in the gym? If so, t hen you are likely not overtraining, but rather under-recovering! Because the biggest difference between overtraining and progress is how well you recover from your workouts. So here are the best post-workout muscle recovery tips for athletes and lifters that love to push it to the limit!
Check out our awesome Workout Programs >>
“It doesn’t matter what you can do in the gym, if you can’t recover from it.”
First, if you fail to recover properly after your workouts, then over time this can lead to overuse injuries, like tendonitis. These types of injuries can hold you back from progress in the gym and on the field. So, if you have an overuse injury, make sure you know how to recover from injuries properly.
In This Article:
How To Recover Properly
Post-Workout Muscle Recovery Tips
Stretch
Sleep
Eat
Supplements
Protein
Carbs and Fats
Vitamins and Minerals
Electrolytes
Hydrate
How To Recover Properly From A Workout
Recovery is the most important part of every workout plan. Without proper recovery, all you are doing is breaking your body down. Recovery is where you build it back up.
So, to continuously get stronger and make progress, you need to not only work hard but recover hard too. And that all begins with knowing how to recover properly from your workouts.
Even with the best workout program, you will make little to no progress if you don’t recover properly. So, no workout is complete until you have recovered from it.
“No workout is complete until you have recovered from it.”
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Post-Workout Stretch
First, proper workout recovery starts as soon as the workout is complete. And the first step is finishing your workout with some mobility work. As in stretching and/or foam rolling for at least 10 minutes to help keep your muscle and joints healthy, while preventing injury. Remember, a healthy muscle is both strong and flexible, so don’t skip out on this part.
Check out our Stretching Exercises >>
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Get Enough Sleep
Next, and most important, is sleep. Without proper sleep, your body cannot function properly. Let alone rebuild and grow after a hard workout.
Your body grows, and recovers, when you’re asleep, not when you are awake. You can refill your depleted fat and glycogen stores (muscle fuel) while you’re awake, but you can only grow and repair your muscles while you are asleep.
And how much sleep you need depends on many factors. Everyone is different and requires a different amount of sleep to recover from everyday life or the additional stress of exercise. However, we can set some general standards that fit most individuals in given categories and you can adjust from there.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Kids and Teens: Most kids and teens require between 8-10 hours of sleep while growing. They have the largest range of sleep time because everyone grows at a different rate. You can assume those that grow faster or do the most activity need more sleep than those that are less active and slow to grow.
Adults: The average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep just to perform normally without additional activity or exercise. Women require a little less sleep than men, which may be due to men generally being larger in size.
If you workout: Those that workout regularly will need an additional 30-60 minutes of sleep after every training day, depending upon the overall intensity or work volume.
Athletes: Athletes require 9-10 hours of sleep for full recovery due to their large workloads and intense training which places a lot of stress on their bodies.
These are general guidelines for sleep which can be adjusted depending upon how you feel. If you are still tired you (may need to go to sleep earlier, to get more quality sleep, or you) may need to increase your sleep time by 30 minutes.
Overall, sleep is the most important aspect of recovery as that is when your body rebuilds itself.
Learn more about proper sleep >>
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Eat Enough Food For Recovery
Next, nutrition is also a vital part of proper workout recovery. You need to eat enough food and get enough calories for your body to rebuild what it has lost during your workout. If you don’t, then you cannot recover fully, even with proper sleep.
For most people, eating a normal and balanced diet is enough to recover from a few weekly workouts. However, if you are an athlete or do any form of intense training, then you may need more nutrients for proper recovery. This may be as simple as an additional meal on workout days or larger meal portions throughout the day.
It all depends on if you want to build muscle or lose weight.
Eat to get BIGGER >>
Eat to get LEANER >>
Supplements For Recovery
Now, many people believe that they need to take supplements in order to recover from any light to intense workout. This is not the case. Supplements can be helpful, but it is best to get your nutrients from food, rather than taking a bunch of supplements. Learn more >>
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The Protein Myth
Myth: You need to get in at least 20-30g of protein within 30 minutes post-workout for proper recovery.
This is absolutely NOT TRUE and doesn’t even make sense. Remember, your body can only grow while you are asleep. And if you are taking protein immediately post-workout, it is going to be used as energy by the time you get to sleep. So, as long as you get enough protein, and other nutrients, throughout the day, you are set. Timing doesn’t matter that much. Also, it is always best to eat real food instead of taking supplements.
Learn the best time to take a protein supplement! >>
Protein
It is not only important that you get enough calories, but also the proper nutrients for your body to have the supplies needed for recovery. The main piece of this is protein. Though we do not need as much as many people believe.
Protein is the main building block for rebuilding and growing broken down tissue. Knowing this, those that break down tissue often, through exercise and other various activities, should consume slightly more protein than those that do not exercise regularly.
The average person needs 0.4-0.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight daily just to replace tissues lost during normal daily activity.
Those that exercise need more to replace and rebuild their tissues. Usually, that is 0.5-0.7g per pound of bodyweight daily. This may seem too low to what many people believe, but remember that this is just the bare minimum that you need for tissue replacement and recovery.
It is recommended that athletes and those that do strength training regularly, consume about 1g per pound of bodyweight daily. However, it is recommended that you do not exceed 1.5g per pound of bodyweight daily as this can place a lot of unnecessary stress on your body’s digestive system to metabolize it. Plus, protein makes for a bad energy source.
Realize, that your body can only build so much muscle mass per day. So, consuming excess protein will just add to your total calories for the day. Then it will either be used as a low energy source or stored as fat.
So, it is best to use carbohydrates (fast energy) and fats (slow long-lasting energy) as your fuel sources while using protein for its purpose of building.
Carbs and Fats
Carbs and fats are your body’s energy sources. However, they are both important for proper recovery.
Carbs help with hydration and give your body the energy it needs to both recover and perform. Fats help transport and store vital vitamins and minerals. Plus, they are a long-lasting energy source for endurance. So, you need a reasonable amount of each for the best results.
Active individuals should have 2-4g of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight daily. And at least 0.25-0.5g per pound of bodyweight of fats to fill out your total caloric intake needs.
Most of your carbohydrate intake should be 1-2 hours before, during and after your workout for the day.
Vitamins and Minerals
Though your macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) are important for recovery, it is also vital that you get enough vitamins and minerals. These can be obtained through a healthy diet consisting of many fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products. If you are lacking one of these categories of food, you need to find a way to include them more or replace the nutrients you are lacking through supplementation.
To help, you can take a daily multivitamin as a base amount of nutrients to give your body daily, but you should also be conscious of what you are eating and what nutrients you need more of.
Electrolytes
Calcium + Magnesium
Sodium + Potassium
Calcium is important because you use it in every muscle contraction. Without calcium, your muscles, including your heart, would not be able to contract. Of course, it also helps increase bone density along with the added stresses of strength training.
Magnesium works with calcium, as a vital building block for our tissues and helps with muscular function.
Sodium and Potassium are two other vital electrolytes for workout recovery and performance. These electrolytes work together to regulate water in and out of cells and perform many other important functions within the body.
Learn more about Electrolytes >>
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Hydrate
Part of getting enough nutrients for full recovery is hydrating. Without proper hydration, you are slowing down your recovery process and making it hard to absorb and transport the nutrients you need.
Also, you need to drink enough fluids to not only replace what you’ve lost but also excrete the waste. This is because every time you workout, you are breaking down tissue. And that tissue needs to be disposed of in some way. Most of it is excreted in your urine. Which is why it is so yellow post-workout.
If you only drink minimal amounts of fluid, then your body will use most of it to excrete the waste instead of rehydrating you.
To counter this, drink at least 0.7 times your bodyweight in ounces of water daily. And an additional 16 ounces for every 30 minutes you workout.
Learn more about proper Hydration >>
The Importance Of Workout Recovery
With proper sleep and nutrition, you can recover from all the stresses you place on your body and continue to progress in your training. Just make sure to get at least 8-9 hours of sleep every day, stay hydrated, eat enough calories, consume 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, and get in all of your vitamins and minerals so that you can be recovered as much as possible before your next workout. This will ensure the best conditions for you to progress in your training.
You can also use some active recovery techniques such as walking throughout the day or doing light activities that stimulate blood flow but do not tax your body with too much stress.
Now that you know how to recover properly from your workouts, I wish you a full recovery! Keep getting stronger my friends!
December 31, 2019
How To Commit to Your New Year’s Resolution Fitness Goals
New Year = New Goals
Do you, or someone you know, need to find a way to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions and Fitness Goals? Well, I have your solution! And it all starts with committing to yourself and your goals!
Take the 30 Day Fitness Challenge >>
First, let me tell you how I did it…
On Christmas Day 2015 I made the biggest decision of my life. It was the decision to invest in myself and pursue my dreams of creating my own success, my way.
It all started with a commitment to myself, and over 4 years later that commitment has never faltered. Not even for one single day!
That’s over 4 years of Commitment to my own strength, health, and fitness every…single…day.
And that commitment all began with The Daily 30! A simple fitness routine that has helped me in more ways than I can list! And I know it will help you too!
Take the 30 Day Fitness Challenge >>
Commit To Yourself and Your Goals
The main purpose of the Daily 30 Bodyweight Exercise Routine is to teach you to stay committed to your strength, health, and fitness goals by helping you to develop the self-discipline you need to succeed in training and in life.
Just ask yourself…when is the last time you did something every single day for over a year to work towards your goals? Most people will say never and that is why most people never succeed.
So, be different! Be the one that does succeed! Then tell others how easy it is just by developing a little self-discipline.
I have done the Daily 30 for 1,468+ days in a row now (at the time of this post) and I plan to do it every day for the rest of my life.
Whether I was healthy, sore, sick, tired, injured, or just didn’t feel like it, I stuck to my commitment and that is the base of all my success in training and in life.
Just by making that simple commitment to myself I remember to always keep my goals on track, no matter how hard things get.
That is why I made The Daily 30! To help people stay committed to their goals every day.
Plus, the exercises are so simple anyone can do them! And it takes less than 3 minutes to do, allowing no room for excuses.
So, whether it be you or if you know someone that needs something to stick to this coming year, The Daily 30 is exactly what they need!
Think of it as the first step in making a commitment to yourself for a better, stronger and healthier future.
Get started today by clicking the link below!
Start The Daily 30 Challenge Today!
Make sure to share this with your friends!
More Fitness Goals:
Get Stronger
Build Muscle
Get Leaner
Lose Weight
6-Pack Abs
Eat Better
