Reasons You're Holding onto Body Fat

10 Reasons You're Holding onto Body Fat

 

 With many other factors that could be playing a role in why you aren't losing body-fat, these 10 reasons are usually behind the slow progress. Make sure you are doing your very best at controlling these so you can optimize your results and get the lean body you've been working for, faster than ever

1. You're Eating Too Much

 

 

 

This should be pretty obvious to most people by now. Most people do not know how many macros (protein, carbs, fat) come with the food they are eating and simply measure it out by sight. They believe what you see is what you probably get but don’t take into consideration simple things like sauces which add calories to the food. Sometimes you think you are making a healthy choice by ordering a salad at the airport or your favorite restaurant but you could be getting a 600-calorie meal without even realizing it. At the end of the day you should not be consuming more calories than what you’re using because this will, over time, add unwanted weight and inches to your body.

2. Not Eating Enough Protein

 

 

 

Protein has a lot more functions than repairing and growing muscle tissue. It’s mainly women who don't follow this rule but there are some guys out there as well. Protein increases satiety at meals, which can lead to overall decreased calorie consumption.

3. Drinking Too Many Meals

 

 

 

Convenience is a huge factor, so many decide that shakes are the best route for them. When you want to get ripped it’s always better to chew as many of your calories as possible. The very act of chewing and digesting solid food burns more calories than drinking shakes does. Of course, you should avoid drinking sodas that contain high amounts of sugar as they too will increase your caloric intake for the day. And regular diet soda consumption has been shown to lead to caloric over-indulgences elsewhere.

4. You Think You're Eating Healthy

 

 

 

How many times have you heard that eating fruits or nuts is great for you? Well technically they are fantastic for you as the omegas in nuts and seeds and the micronutrients and phytogens that come with fruit are awesome for your health. But guess what? In excess, they carry sugars and higher calories than you think. Remember, one gram of fat contains 9 calories. Now when you pick up some almonds and start snacking on them most of the time you don't measure them, you simply estimate what an ounce or gram looks like (if you estimate at all). Don't get carried away as these seeds and nuts are high density source of calories and could jack up your total for the day

5. You're Not Training Intense Enough

 

 

As you become better trained, you need to start pushing your body harder to elicit the same results. You need to push yourself hard at the gym every time you go so that you are actually creating a demand for your body to have to use its energy to push beyond it's max. Journaling can help you avoid the certain plateaus that come with normal, repetitive training. Challenge yourself to do more work in less time, more weight for the same amount of reps, etc.

6. Too Much Cardio

 

 

 

So many people spend countless hours doing cardio and yet still achieve no results. Excessive amounts of cardio lead to an overproduction of cortisol, which leads to more abdominal fat and numerous health problems. Start with one or two sessions per week, then add time to each session, throw in an extra interval or add an additional cardio workout if results start to slow.
 

7. Not Managing Your Stress

 

 

When you get stressed out your body produces a hormone known as cortisol. This increases bodyfat storage if it’s not controlled. Most people are stressed out all day long which means their cortisol levels are always high. That leads to an increase in bodyfat even if their diet and training are perfect.

8. Lack of Sleep and Rest

 

 

Going back to the previous post about stress, lack of sleep and rest will raise cortisol levels too and your body will never fully recover. When you’re short on sleep your insulin sensitivity decreases, which means that your body is more likely to store fat, and your cortisol goes up. Both things lead to less than optimal fat loss environment. Make it a priority in your lifestyle to get more sleep! Studies show that getting at least seven straight hours is optimal.

9. Not Drinking Enough Water

 

 

Did you know that drinking water helps boost your metabolism, cleanses your body of waste and acts as an appetite suppressant? Your body requires water for all of its metabolic processes and functions. A well-hydrated body will function towards fat loss faster and more efficiently.

10. No Consistency

 

 

 

You would think this is a clear one but consistency is the glue that holds the previous nine reasons together. If you are not consistent with your lifestyle and your fat loss goals, your body will not change on it’s own. You need to be consistent with all the nine points mentioned previously in order to achieve your dream body.  Source: Google Image, MuscleandFitness.com

Read More

Popular Lifts You Can Live Without

7 Popular Lifts You Can Live Without

We asked certified personal trainer John Rowley, author of The Power of Positive Fitness, his thoughts on a handful of exercises people should consider omitting from their regular routines. And without hesitation, he had answers.

“Just watch what everyone else does in the gym. If you do the opposite, you’ll get in great shape,” he quipped. Some of his thoughts on certain staple lifts will likely surprise you. “There is a time and a place for all of the exercises I mention, but sometimes the risk just isn’t worth the reward, or the movement isn’t necessary." 

Check out the 7 exercises on this list and see if you agree. 

1. Shoulder Press

It’s the pathway to boulder shoulders, right? According to Rowely, you can detour around them en route to a solid set of delts.

“I know plenty of guys who have built incredible shoulders only using laterals,” said Rowley. “With the shoulder press, all of the weight is being put on your vertebrae. Especially for the average person, the risk isn’t worth the reward. You’re better off doing exercises like front laterals, side laterals, and upright rows.”

Rowley continued, “Larry Scott was a close friend of mine and he was a stickler on shoulder exercises. He’d have you do all lateral movements, and if you were going to do shoulder presses they’d be done with a dumbbell in an almost lateral raise-type movement.”

2. Deadlift

Ask someone who’s serious about training what the best exercise is and you’re all but guaranteed an answer of the squat or deadlift. Rowley believes the latter, however, is overrated for most lifters.

“Deadlifts are a great exercise … if you want to be a sumo wrestler, lineman, or powerlifter,” he explained. “Are they the best choices for physique development or superb body composition? Absolutely not. Someone who is only looking to build a pleasing physique can do without them.”

Rowley suggested focusing on bent-over rows, T-bar rows, shrugs, squats, and leg presses as individual movements instead of knocking them out with deads. However, if you’re a deadlifter for life, he recommends doing them inside of a power rack to reduce the chance of injury. “That’ll lessen the risk by about 80 percent.”

3. Barbell Bench Press

Along with the deadlift and shoulder press, Rowley lumped the bench press in with “ego movements” that people rely on to impress others in an attempt to inflate their self-esteems.

“People like to load up the bar with as much weight as they can, and then they don’t concentrate on form or engaging the muscle; it becomes about moving weight,” he noted. “Your pectoral muscles aren’t a pressing muscle; they’re a pulling muscle. The dumbbell bench press is a better alternative because the arms aren’t locked in and the movement allows you to bring your arms across the body.”

4. Behind-the-Neck Lat Pulldown

You’re better off doing standard lat pulldowns or pull-ups, advised Rowley.

“The behind-the-neck lat pulldowns are one of the dumbest exercises around,” he said. “They’re dangerous for your neck and shoulders, and the result you get from doing them is … none.”

He continued, “When you do a lat pulldown, basically, you’re using your body as a lever to pull the weight toward your body and your body toward the bar. You arch your back and push your chest toward the bar to engage your lats. Going behind your neck does the opposite of that.” 

5. Dumbbell Side Bend

The issue isn’t the exercise, Rowley claimed; it’s the usage of heavy weight and a lack of efficiency that make these omittable.  

“Using 60 or 80-lb. dumbbells to work your obliques will give you a thicker waist, not a nice V-taper,” he says. “When performed with lightweight, it’s a decent exercise — but it’s far from efficient. Leg raises and crunches will do the job for 99 percent of the people in the gym. The twists are a finishing movement guys do three or four weeks out from a show.”

6. Rolling Shrug

Shrugs train the trapezius muscle, what you commonly refer to as your traps. As for rolling shrugs, Rowley says pass. “Here is another dumb exercise. I don’t know who made it up, but rolling shrugs are dangerous to your shoulder girdle because they push everything around.” 

7. Leg Extension Machine

The main issue Rowley has with leg extension machines — and leg curl, lower back and abs machines, as well — is that the people using them are uninformed when it comes to proper usage.

“Most people don’t know enough about physiology to understand if their body fits into a machine appropriately, or if the machine is adjusted properly,” he said. “So between the machine not being adjusted correctly and using too much weight, you can end up getting injured.”

Source: Google, MuscleandFitness.com, santabanta.com

Read More

Things Never to Do in a Gym

13 Things Never to Do in a Gym

When it comes to gym etiquette, we already know to avoid cellphone conversations, re-rack our weights, and curl anywhere outside the squat rack. But there are plenty of lesser-known blunders you could be making at the gym that upset and disrupt others. Worse, some of these mistakes could negatively affect your health.

Take extra precaution and learn the 13 things you should never do in a gym—you’ll make a lot less enemies. 

1) Don't use a mat or bench without cleaning it

Dirty stretching mats and exercise benches sometimes contain viruses, bacteria and fungi. If your cut or scrape touches these germ-infested surfaces, you could get a severe infection.

Every commercial gym offers a variety of sprays, wipes and sanitizers you can use to disinfect surfaces quickly. Always clean them before and after using. 

2) Don't shower without flip-flops

I used to work at a fancy gym where, at least once a month, someone would defecate in the shower. (No joke.)

This really does happen—as well as many other disgusting things—and you must protect yourself from the bacteria present in shower stalls, regardless of your gym’s sanitation standards. If you shower at the gym, buy some cheap sandals and keep them in your gym bag. 

3) Don't give someone unsolicited advice

Avoid giving unsolicited advice in the gym for two reasons. Number one, they will tend to act defensive and reject your criticism. Number two, your advice could be wrong.

Unless their technique is threating themselves and others, avoid giving advice. If you really want to help, however, become their friend first.

4) Don't exercise in a heavily trafficked area

Areas like entrances, walkways and aisles should be reserved for foot traffic, not walking lunges, kettlebell swings or jumping rope. You can hurt passersby or hurt yourself.

Always exercise in proper areas, free from people walking by.

5) Don't purposely misuse a machine

Use a shoulder machine as a shoulder machine—not as a complex glute exercise.

First, it takes the equipment away from someone who actually wants to use the machine correctly. Second, you could break it and hurt yourself. (I doubt the manufacturers will be liable.)

6) Don't lift without weight collars

I once saw a gentleman use an incline bench while the plates slid off one end. Before I could reach him, the plates dropped, the bar flew up, and everything crashed on the other side. Fortunately, aside from his bruised ego, he was fine.

“Maybe you should use this,” I said showing him a weight collar.

You must attach weight collars when using barbells. Regardless of the weight, the plates will slide and ruin your balance. 

7) Don't walk close to a person who’s exercising

Give everyone exercising a cushion of a few feet. You never know if they will lose control and dump the weight or if their exercise involves a lot of movement.

For example, I’ve seen people almost lose their faces because they squeezed past a person doing an Olympic lift. Bad idea. Instead, wait a few seconds until they finish. Also, if someone is doing a heavy lift (like a squat, deadlift, overhead press, etc.), never walk right in front of their line of sight. It’s distracting and rude.

And if someone is doing pushups, please avoid walking over him. 

8) Don't hit on girls

Gyms are a great place to meet women who share an interest and are, well, fit. Gyms, however, are a bad place to use cheesy pickup lines, harass and stare at women, or pretend to give her advice.

News travels fast. And depending on the size of the gym, you can easily become the dude that no girl will talk to—or worse, lose your membership. 

9) Don't borrow equipment without asking

Crowded gyms are a free-for-all: all the benches are taken, everyone wants to use the same dumbbells, and everyone asks you, “How many more sets do you have?”

Always maintain etiquette, especially during peak hours. If you see an open bench with someone standing nearby, ask before using it; if it’s occupied, however, they’ll almost certainly let you work in.  

10) Don't spit into a water fountain

No one wants to see a loogie or a piece of gum floating in the drain. Use the trash can. 

11) Don't text while walking

You risk injuring yourself or someone else by walking aimlessly throughout a crowded gym. You could walk into someone doing an exercise, interfere with someone’s lift, or—quite easily—walk into a machine.

This should be obvious, but it still happens. Wait until you stop moving before you text. 

12) Don't steal a trainer’s exercises

Sometimes a trainer will teach their client an awesome exercise that grabs your attention. Never spy on them and try to (poorly) mimic the exercise yourself. It’s far better to ask them what they’re doing—odds are they’ll gladly teach you the movement so you can do it correctly.

Instead, eavesdropping to take a trainer’s exercise—and trust me, we notice—is disrespectful to both the trainer and client, especially because the client paid to learn something that you snatched for free. 

13) Don't take your shirt off in public

This, for some odd reason, happens. Please respect other gym patrons and keep your clothes on for the duration of the workout.

As for guys trying to “show off,” the truth is that taking off your shirt and flexing only reveals approval-seeking insecurities. 

Source: Google, MuscleandFiteness.com

Read More

Snuffing Out Body Weaknesses For Muscle Building

No physique is perfectly balanced. Here’s 

how to identify and correct weaknesses

No matter how well developed you think you are, there are muscles on your body that can use some catching up. For example, those who have spent years trying to build bigger pecs often end up suffering from lagging back development, the result of simply training most what is seen most often. Not only does this lead to visual imbalances but it can create postural or strength disparities that can produce serious injury.

So what is the proper process for this issue? Here are a few ideas and it all starts in the mirror.

1. Be Honest with Yourself

Take a look in the mirror, or have someone take well-lit pics of you. What do you see? Are certain muscle groups out of whack? Do you have big front delts but barely-there rear delts? Hefty lower pecs but no upper chest mass? Meaty triceps but small biceps? You may think that you’re doing everything you can but different muscle groups react differently to training programs so if you’re doing the same amount of volume and intensity for similar muscles, you may still have some imbalances that need to be addressed. What is the mirror telling you?

2. Add New Variations

If you have tried growing biceps by simply doing more barbell curls and it’s not working, try different arm angles.Preacher curls, high-pulley cable curls, hammer curls, incline curls – all of these moves target the biceps slightly differently and one of them may hold the secret to new growth.

3. Train More Frequently

Most lifters subscribe to a “once a week” approach when it comes to individual bodypart training. But if your delts, for example, are lagging then you may need to add extra sessions. Try starting with one extra session, allowing 3-4 days of recovery between workouts. Continuing the delts example, if you train them with back on Tuesday, try a delts-only session on Friday or Saturday to instigate new growth.

4. Crank Up the Volume

As with training frequency, adding more volume to every session may help. The general prescription that many lifters learn and stick to calls for 12-16 sets of work for larger muscle groups like chest and quads and 9-12 sets for smaller ones like biceps and calves. But if you’re not growing, this isn’t working. Try increasing this volume by about 50 percent to see what kind of results you get. That means 18-24 sets for large groups and 12-18 for small ones. Of course, this means more muscle breakdown and thus recovery is more demanding –you have to get adequate rest and nutrition to make this a worthwhile move.

5. Pump the Brakes

Got a killer set of quads? We’re proud of you. You’re a winner. We don’t want you to fully rest on your laurels but maybe it’s time to cut back a bit on your quad training a bit so they don’t overpower your hamstrings as much. An overdeveloped chest will dwarf delts and a barn door back can overshadow undertrained legs. Simply scaling back on training “gifted” muscle groups may help naturally correct huge visual imbalances.

Source: Google, MuscleandFitness.com

Read More

Food You Should Avoid During Fat Loss

FOOD YOU SHOULD AVOID DURING FAT LOSS

Frosting

That store-bought frosting from a tub might taste great on cakes and cookies, but it's packed with problems. "It's one of the only items in the grocery store that still has trans fats, which are terrible for your health and waistline," says Melina Jampolis, MD, physician nutrition expert and coauthor of The Calendar Diet. "Trans fat raises bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol, and causes inflammation, which can lead to belly fat and diseases ranging from heart disease to diabetes." On top of that, tub frosting is loaded with sugar, and high-sugar diets contribute to premature wrinkles. Yikes.

Bagels

If you're prone to skin problems and tempted to grab a bagel before you go in the morning, think twice. "Bagels have a massively high glycemic index, which increases insulin and leads to increased inflammation in the body, which is shown to possibly accelerate aging and worsen acne and rosacea," says dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, codirector of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, DC. Opt for an English muffin with peanut butter instead.

Processed Baked Goods

So convenient, so tasty (if we're being honest here), butso not worth it. Those pre-packaged mini muffins, doughnuts, and dessert cakes will add tons of calories and loads of unwanted sugar to your diet, plus they aren't easy to digest. "These foods are bad on so many levels, because they are filled with high sugar content and preservatives for a longer shelf-life -- they can literally sit there forever," says Dr. Tanzi. "Sugar increases inflammation in the skin, which on top of irritating acne and rosacea, can make you look puffy and bloated. Skip the wrapped stuff and grab fresh fruit for a sweet fix instead.

Soda

Dietitians and doctors all agree: Soda should be nixed from your diet completely. "One can of soda is like a can of water with 10 packets of sugar in it," says nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, and director and owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC. "The recommended amount of daily sugar for a woman is about six teaspoons or 24 grams, and soda has way more than that." Good old fashion H2O is still your best option. If you want to jazz it up, add a slice of fresh fruit for flavor.

Sugary Cereal

A bowl of Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, or Cap'n Crunch might taste like nostalgia, but it'll wreak some havoc with its high amount of inflammation-causing sugar and gluten content. "For some people with sensitive skin, gluten can exacerbate breakouts, leading to increased redness and, yes, more breakouts," says Dr. Tanzi. Opt for low-sugar, gluten-free options like Rice Chex and Corn Flakes.

Stick Margarine

Choose a small amount of regular butter or soft spread over stick-shaped margarine when topping foods or baking, says Taub-Dix. "Margarine is usually loaded with trans fat," she says. Don't forget that stick margarine is found in plenty of pastries, crackers, snack foods, and even microwave popcorn, so limit intake to keep cholesterol levels in check.

Jarred Tomato Sauce

It's easy to forget sources of sugar when you're making recipes that aren't traditionally considered sweet, but they do exist. Tomato sauce is a big culprit, says Dr. Tanzi. "Make your own, because the store stuff has a ton of sugar."

Bacon

Noshing on bacon as a side for breakfast, as a topping for salads, or as an addition to your sandwich? Bad habit. "I know it's only 45 calories a strip, but it is really high in fat, sodium, and the preservative sodium nitrate," says Taub-Dix. Veggies or a few nuts are better options for a crunch, and won't create such problems for your heart and digestive system. You're better off avoiding it, but if you must have a little bacon? "Stick to half a strip to crumble on foods like salads and sandwiches," Taub-Dix says.

Maraschino Cherries

This preserved fruit might turn up in your cocktail or on your sundae. Start choosing the real deal over sugar-packed, processed maraschino cherries. "These have artificial colors, like red-40 and red-3 dyes, that add no nutritional value," says Taub-Dix.

Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is low in calories and has some good vitamins and minerals like riboflavin and vitamin B-6, but the extremely high sodium content will leave you bloated and at risk for conditions like hypertension. "There are so many low-sodium, lighter soy sauce options, there's no reason to buy the regular stuff anymore," says Taub-Dix. Yet she still recommends using the light stuff sparingly. "A tablespoon of the low-sodium soy sauce is about 600 milligrams of sodium instead of 900, so it is less but not none."


Source: Google, Fitnessmagazine.com

Read More