Apr 07

Does Cardio Really Kill Your Gains?

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If you take your fitness advice from your local gym bro, you’ve probably heard the notion that even looking at a cardio machine can make your hard-earned muscle gains disappear overnight. While that’s certainly not the case, there is some merit to the myth. Multiple studies exist, both supporting and negating the perceived effects of cardiovascular training on strength progress. All this conflicting information can certainly leave you in a tailspin when it comes to planning out your weekly regimens. Now, this isn’t to say there aren’t benefits to training for cardiovascular improvement. Many athletes can still achieve a proper health and wellness routine through aerobic exercise. The confusion pops up, however, when you start to mix in cardio with more anaerobic modalities. So, does cardio affect muscular development? It’s not as cut and dry as many would like it to be. The best answer, naturally, all lies in how you structure your training, what your intended goals are and how you view each discipline. Below are some answers outlining how this myth came to be, as well as some tips on how to most efficiently add cardio training to your normal strength regimens.   How Cardio Can Influence Your […]
Apr 07

How to Get Muscular Without Protein Powder

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Although adding protein powder to drinks is a helpful way to build muscles, you can get muscular without making protein shakes. Protein comprises every cell and tissue in the human body, including muscles. You can obtain plenty of protein from a healthy and balanced diet. Although most Americans eat more protein than necessary, body builders may require slightly more protein.   Step 1 Lift weights or use machines to strength train most days of the week to build muscles without protein drinks. Focus on a particular muscle group, such as arms, on one day. The next day, focus on the chest and back. On day 3, work on the legs. Allow a day of rest before you begin your strength training again.   Step 2 Use higher sets and higher repetitions to get muscular. Ensure that you are using enough weight to build up muscles. Increase the weight as needed. The last few repetitions in a set should be difficult to complete.   Step 3 Increase the amount of protein you consume in your diet to add muscles. Weightlifters should consume approximately 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Eat lean proteins, such as poultry, fish, legumes […]
Apr 07

5 Workout Tips For Beginners

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With 2022 here, it’s the time of year when millions of people begin exercising to meet their resolution of losing weight or getting healthy. When beginning any exercise program, it’s important to pace yourself and not risk injury by overexerting yourself from the get-go – especially if it’s been a while since you worked out. To prevent that, here are some tips and tricks to get you started on your journey towards a healthier life. Tip 1: Start Slow Don’t just jump right in and start exercising five days a week — that’s a recipe for disaster, says John Higgins, MD, Director of Exercise Physiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. It’s better that you gradually work up to exercising several days per week while you see how your body responds. “Start low and go slow,” Dr. Higgins said. “The current recommendation is 2-3 days per week, for at least 30 minutes per day. But for someone who is just starting out, we recommend that they start at 1-2 days per week and ramp it up from there.” Tip 2: Know When to Stretch Stretching right before a workout may seem like the best thing to do, […]
Apr 07

A Bodybuilding Coach Shared 4 Tips to Boost Your Back Gains

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Eugene Teo breaks down his best training advice for growing a bigger back. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, bodybuilding coach Eugene Teo shares some of the things he wishes he’d known when he first started lifting weights, specifically when it comes to how to train more effectively for bigger back day gains. First, don’t be afraid of letting your upper back and shoulders round forwards. “This is the best way to stretch and train the muscles of the upper back,” says Teo. “One thing you’ll see me emphasizing a lot on the pulldowns and the rows that I do, is I really try to think about opening up and reaching around as much as possible… Depending on the angle you’re pulling from, this will feel a lot better in some positions more than others, and on those exercises you should definitely let your shoulderblades roll forwards more.” His second piece of advice is: don’t underestimate the value of cross-body exercises. Teo calls them a “huge missing piece in most people’s workouts,” as limiting yourself to one plane of motion also limits the amount of stretch you can place on the back muscles. You can adjust this with […]
Apr 07

5 Ways to Revive a Workout Routine

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Whether you are watching the sun go down early every day, unable to hit your regular gym, or busy with work or kids, it’s easy to miss a few workouts and then more than a few. After all, exercise thrives on routine. In a 2019 study, researchers found that people who maintained a weight loss tended to time their workouts similarly each day. During the winter especially, it’s common for exercisers to shirk their typical regimen, says Lee Jay a personal trainer, mat Pilates instructor, and nutrition coach, specializing in clients new to fitness. The days are shorter, meaning if you are working out before or after work, it’s likely to be in the dark, she says. Couple the short days and increased obligations with the need for tons of layers during outdoor workouts, and you have got the perfect recipe for an excuse. When we are committed to a routine, our minds are physiologically prepared to take on this workload, and our bodies are revved up to go, Jay says. Once we break this momentum, it takes immense energy, on the mental and physical front, to get things going again. Once you get over the hurdle, motivation tends to […]
Apr 07

Secret Exercise Tricks for Keeping in Shape After 40, Expert Says

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They’re just what the trainer ordered! When birthdays roll around, there’s one subject that’s not always a happy one to celebrate. It has to do with the changes that happen with your body over time. When you’re younger, staying in shape can be somewhat easier to manage. Once you hit your 40s, though, staying in shape can be a bit challenging. (You start to lose 3 to 5% of your lean muscle mass every year after you hit 30.) No need to stress, because we’re here to deliver secret exercise tricks for keeping in shape after 40, and they’re just what the trainer ordered! So enjoy some sips of wine (if that’s your thing) and even birthday cake—we’re here with the best gift of fitness advice ever. To learn the best tips out there, Eat This, Not That! spoke with Kelly Najjar, a personal trainer on Fyt, the nation’s largest personal training service that makes fitness under the expert guidance of an in-person or virtual, certified fitness professional convenient and accessible for everyone. These secrets can be lifesaving—and the best thing about them? They are all habits you can easily apply to your everyday routine. Read on and learn more […]
Apr 07

8 Best Lower Back Stretches to Relieve Back Pain, According to Orthopedic Experts

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These easy lower back exercises can help relieve tightness, improve flexibility and more. Suffering from lower back pain? You’re not alone — according to the Cleveland Clinic, approximately four out of five people have lower back pain at some point in their lives. “In a young and healthy person, back pain can happen from sitting too long and/or inactivity due to muscle shortening,” says Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, MS, a board-certified orthopedic physical therapy specialist based in New York City. “As one gets older, back pain might stem from joint stiffness and arthritis as well as from stenosis — a narrowing of the spinal cord canal.” Other common causes of lower back pain include myofascial pain (a chronic pain deep within muscle tissue) and disc herniation. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to help relieve or prevent that stiffness in your back: by regularly stretching your lower back. “Stretching can help relieve lower back pain by improving the range of motion of the spine,” explains Christine Villoch, M.D., vice-chair, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Management at Miami Neuroscience Institute’s Spine Center. In fact, a 2017 study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine found that yoga can be […]
Apr 07

When is the best time to exercise?

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Morning, afternoon, or night: When is the best time to exercise? Scientists have extensively studied this question. Here’s what they found. Researchers have extensively explored whether time-of-day affects exercise benefits and performance. Though morning workouts may be optimal for circadian rhythms, afternoon exercise tends to be slightly more efficient. Overall, given the immense benefits of exercise, the best time to work out for most people is whenever they can fit it into their schedules.   A key part of starting to exercise is choosing when to work out. Morning, afternoon, or evening: Which time is best? Scientists have studied this dilemma extensively.   Rise and shine at 5 a.m.? For novice exercisers, morning workouts are often the most dreaded. Trading a cozy, nurturing bed for a sterile, unforgiving fitness center can be a rude awakening to say the least. But morning workouts have their advantages. Challenging the body triggers the release of endorphins, uplifting one’s mood following exertion. These chemicals, along with a few others, boost energy levels, alertness, and focus, which can make you more productive and attentive at work. Moreover, for those who struggle to fall asleep at night, habitual morning exercise may help to reset their circadian […]
Apr 07

Part II: Ten-Minute Workout that Will Blast Away That Belly Fat

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This HIIT workout combines core exercises with cardio using a jump rope. You should complete the first three routines before moving on to the final three found here. Pilates 100s Lie flat on the ground with your body facing upwards towards the ceilings and your hands by your side. Lift both knees into the air and keep them bent at an angle of 90 degrees. Engage your core and raise your shoulders and part of your upper body from the ground. At the same time, start to pulse your arms – raise them from the ground and letting the natural movement take over, and take long deep breathes as you do so. Counts of ten for both exhaling and inhaling are the best breathing pattern for this. You need to make it to 100 arm pulses as you hold this position and continue to breathe deeply, whilst keeping the core fully engaged. Nothing but your arms should be moving in this position. Once you reach 100 pulses, go for another 30 seconds on the jump rope. Slow Bicycle Lie flat on the ground with your body face upwards towards the ceiling. Bend both the knees and hips so the sit […]
Apr 06

9 Stretches to Relieve Lower Back Pain

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Lower back pain can be persistent and difficult to fix. These yoga poses can help. Lower-back pain plagues just about everyone at some point. A widely cited Canadian survey from the late 1990s found that nearly 85 percent of adults will experience some kind of lower-back pain in their life. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or just deskbound and stiff, gentle stretching and strengthening can help alleviate pain. “Even a little yoga can go a long way,” says Alyx Walkinshaw, a yoga instructor behind the book and app Yoga for Seniors and Adults. “I really identify with the beginning yoga practitioner and with making the practice accessible to everyone. No matter how busy you get, yoga can help bring you back into balance,” Walkinshaw says. Here, she walks us through a sequence of nine poses that will help mitigate and prevent persistent lower-back pain.   Roll Down/Roll Up with a Forward Fold What It Does: This movement is a great way to warm up your entire spine, lower back, hamstrings, calves, and ankles. Start your practice here to open the areas of the body you’ll be working in this sequence. How to Do It: Start standing with your feet […]
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