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

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How to Train Hard in a Commercial Gym

You’ve put in a few solid years of training and you’re ready to take your workouts to the next level. Problem is there’s no sports performance facility or powerlifting gym within a 50-mile radius of where you live. So how do you get in hardcore workouts while being surrounded by cardio bunnies and dudes flexing in the mirror? Follow these 5 tips and you can turn any average, commercial gym environment into your version of muscle beach.

1: Forget the Supersets

Everyone knows that one of the biggest problems in commercial gyms is overcrowding - particularly during prime time hours. Walk away from the squat rack to hit a set of pull-ups and you are likely to find your barbell stripped and some guy setting up for a killer set of curls by the time you get back. Rather than going with supersets (which, of course are efficient) stick in one spot and perform all the sets of your main strength exercise as straight sets. Face it, the gym is a pretty territorial place. And while someone may ask to work in with you, the chances of someone trying to completely reset the rack is unlikely. And while it may take some more time, straight sets do allow you to place more focus and energy on one big lift.

2: The Barbell is Your Best Friend

Machines, dumbbells, kettlebells and even treadmills can all have their place in well designed training program. But if we’re talking hardcore movements, most of those start and end with the barbell. You can squat, military press, bench, clean, snatch and deadlift all with the same piece of equipment. And most commercial gyms have no shortage of barbells. So grab one, make your way into an empty corner of the gym, gather some plates and get to work.

3: Find a Great Training Partner

Even the typical Globo-Gym has a few guys who are very knowledgeable and take their training seriously. Seek these people out and train with them or, at the very least, try to train at the same time they are there. Surrounding yourself with guys who want to get stronger and bigger will instantly improve your training environment. Plus you’ll automatically be surrounded by guys who will spot you, give you good advice and cheer you on as you go for personal best lifts.

4: Add Resistance to Your Conditioning

Nothing will lull you to sleep in a typical gym like the cardio area. The wait for machines and endless banks of TVs are less about dedication and more about distraction. If your program calls for conditioning, stay in the free weight area and hit some timed circuits or kettlebell complexes. Going about your energy system work this way will keep you in the right frame of mind and around other people who are pushing their limits, not pushing buttons on a remote.

5: It’s All About Attitude

It may be tough to get psyched up for a big set when no one else in the gym seems to care. But bringing the right attitude into each training sessions is just as important as bringing your gym bag. If you can’t find like-minded people to train around, make yourself a playlist of music that gets you psyched to lift and engage in some positive, motivating self-talk before each set. Visualize an entire, successful training session before you even head to the gym. Doing these things will allow you to rise above a not-so-inspiring training environment and be able to achieve your best every time you step up to the bar.

Source:Google,  MuscleandFitness.com

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HOW MANY SET IS ENOUGH

HOW MANY SET IS ENOUGH

How many sets do you do per exercise? One? Ten? Somewhere in between? Most fall somewhere in the middle but there are the outliers at either end that are loyal to that choice, almost to a fault. Research and anecdotal evidence have shown that ultra high-volume training can only be done for short periods before over training (or injury) occurs. But what about one-set training?

Six-time Olympia champ Dorian Yates was a fan of this kind of training – warming up then taking one disturbing set to failure – but suggesting one set works best for everyone is a violation of the Principle of Individual Differences.  

Those who favor this type of training, known as high-intensity training (HIT), seem to have an issue with rest of the scientific world on the Principle of Individual Differences. Furthermore, when training with a high level of intensity all of the time, both the GAS (general adaptation syndrome) and SAID (specific adaptations to imposed demands) principles are violated.

High Volume Findings

The American College of Sports Medicine Journal in 2002 published “A Meta-analysis to Determine the Dose Response for Strength Development.” Looking at the results, in a number of different studies, scientists determined advanced trainees need to perform an average of four sets to make the same gains that a beginner could make with one set. A number of studies show that high-volume, multiple set protocols cause a much more favorable hormonal response contrasted to single set protocols. Recently, science has questioned the role of the acute hormonal response and its role in hypertrophy, but a 2010 meta-analysis entitled “Single vs. multiple set of resistance exercise for muscle hypertrophy” shows the superiority of multiple sets for hypertrophy, echoing the findings of “Quantitative analysis of single vs. multiple-set programs in resistance training.”

Bottom line is HIT done all the time can be tough on the central nervous system and does not provide adequate work to maximize hypertrophy. Champions do more work and science agrees.

Source: Google, MuscleandFiteness.com

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Unconventional Moves For Huge Gains

4 Unconventional Moves For Huge Gains

One of the most dangerous things any iron aficionado can do is to get comfortable. Comfort is the death knell for muscle growth and strength gains. Every once in a while you have to abandon the familiar to really generate the uptick in mass that keeps your boat floated. Stepping away from the bench and trying some unconventional moves might be the best thing you ever did.

Overhead/Suitcase Carry Combo

Loaded carries have now become a common practice in the strength and performance field. But physique athletes need to take a harder look at the loaded carries for muscle growth. Loaded carries in general put the entire body under a great deal of time under tension. Keep in mind that building muscle is all about time under tension. Loaded carries improve overall work capacity and seem to thicken the whole body and add mass to just about every muscle, from the traps to the calves.

Farmer’s carries can get a little mundane, so it’s important to mix it up a bit. The overhead/suitcase (waiter) carry – one up and one down, basically – provides a great mix of muscle building capabilities. The overhead carry helps improve shoulder health and stability, while building the shoulders, traps, and upper back. The suitcase carry hits the core, obliques, abs, glutes and forearms. And we haven’t even gotten to the awkward soreness your body will experience from the uneven load that the body will have to accommodate.

Mixed-Grip Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up

The standard pull-up is an amazing muscle builder on it's own but it does have some limitations. Those with shoulder issues tend to reduce their range of motion, load, and volume. Your grip can also fail before your back and lats do due to grip fatigue. Chin-ups are also a classic muscle builder, but don't hit the lats as much as the pull-up and can bang up the elbows near the biceps with a lot of reps. The perfect solution is to use a mixed-grip (one hand under, one hand over).

Studies show that using a mixed grip on the deadlift allows athletes to get 1-2 more reps on average. The same logic applies here. The mixed-grip allows you to hang onto the bar longer, thus increasing the amount of reps and weight that you can handle. More time under tension plus heavier loads equals more muscle.

You can also increase your range of motion because shoulder mobility is less of an issue with a mixed grip, which allows you to get your chest up to the bar to hit more of your back and shoulder muscles, such as the teres minor and rhomboids.

Duck-Stance Deadlift

This version of the deadlift has been a staple for some the strongest Chinese Olympic lifters in the smaller weight classes. It’s mostly because that's the way they do their cleans and snatches – feet close together with with their toes pointed out 45 degrees in the starting position.

This variation of the deadlift is much better at building the quadriceps but less on the glutes because it requires greater flexion at the knee. The lower-leg angle allows you to keep the bar closer to the body because the knees are not in the way, which decreases the involvment of the lower back.

These are very useful for people who are just learning the deadlift or have a troubled lower back but still want to build their quads and pulling strength.

Dumbbell Clean and Press

The traditional Olympic lifts are incredibly beneficial for any athlete regardless of the goal (power, strength, muscle growth). The one problem that they have is the learning curve for many to do them correctly and the low amount of time under tension. So for those who are looking for an explosive movement using heavy weight and a lot of reps, the dumbbell clean and press is a winner.

The learning curve is extremely low. You simply hinge forward at the hip with a dumbbell in each hand. Thrust the hips and bring the dumbbells to the rack position, then strict press them above your head. I still would stay around 8-10 reps with this exercise, but trust me that will be plenty. Your forearms, biceps, and shoulders will be screaming by five reps if you are using a substantial amount of weight. This also paves the way for you to graduate to other more dynamic variations such as the jerk.

Source: Google, MuscleandFitness.com

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Mindset Mantras for More Muscle

9 Mindset Mantras for More Muscle

Most of us tend to look for external solutions to our bodybuilding problems. But did you ever stop and think that the true key to progress might lie somewhere within yourself ? Do you realize that the most powerful computer known to man is not sitting on your desk, but is stuck right between your ears, and smack inside your skull. I am talking about your brain, but more specifically, your MIND. The extraordinary power of one’s thoughts cannot be denied. “Mind over matter,” is real.
Turning the impossible into the possible begins in your head. Learn to “use your mind in lifting,” and your body will follow! Here are my top 9 mindset “mantras” for continuous progress in the gym.

1. Visualize

Every night before you go to sleep think deeply about exactly what you would like to look like. Form a strong visual in your “mind’s eye” of every muscle…every vein…every cut…and every striation that you want to see on your body. See the beast! Then, visualize your workout for the next day from start to finish in your head. See the gym, the people, and the equipment. Hear the music. Smell the atmosphere.

Feel the sweat dripping from your forehead as you perform every rep with masterful precision, causing the most intense pump you have ever experienced in your life. Imbed into your subconscious exactly what you want to accomplish during your workout, and your body will be pre-programmed to follow.

2. Be Positive

Learn to approach each and every workout with an enthusiastic and positive attitude. Expect that you will have a more productive workout today than you did yesterday. Know that the weights are going to feel lighter, and each exercise, easier.

Enjoy the pain. Embrace the pump. Be fully aware that this workout will bring you one step closer to your goals, and that every rep of every set is going to force your muscles to grow bigger, harder,  and stronger. Leave doubt at the door. You WILL have the best workout of your life today…and NOTHING can stop you

3. Be Aggressive

Don’t just lift the weights…ATTACK THEM! Tear them apart! Treat every rep as if it were your last. Lift like your life is on the line. Look at the weights and then listen as they mock you. Then, go ahead and retaliate with ferocity that you are saving for your worst enemy.  Do whatever it takes to psyche yourself up. Yell, growl, slap yourself, think of people you can’t stand. Then, channel all of that intense anger and emotion into every rep of every set. 

4. Focus

During a set, concentrate deeply on what you are doing. While resting, concentrate on what you’re about to do. Put away the cell phone, drop the newspaper, quit the chatter, and stop staring at the hot babes (ok, stare a little, just for a testosterone boost). Think about the body part you are working with laser-like focus. Forge the “mind/muscle” connection. And if you want to workout with a partner, make sure he or she is just as passionate about training as you. If you can’t find someone like this, than go it alone! Always remember one thing: Your time in the gym is a gift. Don’t waste a single moment.

5. No Sulking

If the first few sets of your workout don’t go as well as planned, Do NOT let that get to you and don't let that set the tone for the remainder of your workout. If you attempt to set a personal lifting record and miss, Don't get depressed. Regroup! Leave negativity behind, and look ahead. You KNOW your next set will be better.

The gym is no place to hang your head low or feel sorry for yourself. The gym is your sanctuary, your domain,your temple. It is where you go to leave life’s problems behind. While at the gym YOU are the boss. You make the rules, set the pace, and make the decisions. Remember, the gym is the one place where reaching “failure” is a good thing.  

6. Don't Get Complacent

It’s perfectly OK to pat yourself on the back after a solid set or productive workout, but don’t let that smile get stuck on your face. Set your sights on the next set or next workout and think about how you will crush your previous accomplishments. Complacency is the enemy of a bodybuilder.

Remember, your body is an adaptive machine! You must push further to progress to the next level. You just benched 315 for the first time…awesome! Now its time to figure out what it will take to do 320. To truly succeed you cannot merely be hungry…you must be starving.

7. Toughen Up

Do not avoid pain, embrace it! “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” This applies to the art of bodybuilding perfectly. There is simply no way around it.  You must learn to deal with, even enjoy, pain. When pain occurs (unless it is “injury” pain…learn the difference) while lifting, do not think this is the end of your set, but just the beginning. 

Think of pain as a signal. It is telling you that you have entered the growth zone. The juncture of the set that will trigger the physiological reactions that will lead to growth. When your muscles are burning, your heart is racing, and nausea is looming, simply smile - you are now one step closer to your goal.

8. Have Faith and Get A Grip

You must have faith in yourself and faith in what you are doing. If you have faith in your workout program, your dietary regimen, and your supplementation strategy, you will greatly increase your chances of being successful. 

9. Dream

Don't set limits! Don't let anyone tell you what you can and cannot accomplish. Your body is only limited by where your mind is willing to take you. A 800 lb bench press was once thought insurmountable…now there are men that rep with it. Conceive, believe, then achieve.

Those that are afraid to dream are bound by the limits that their mind sets for them. Dreamers see beyond what is and look to find what can be. So dream BIG! Always seek to raise the bar, then go after it with every ounce of your being.

Source: Google,  muscleandfitness.com

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4 Most Common Mistakes of New Lifters

4 Most Common Mistakes of New Lifters

Fix these lifting missteps and watch your muscle gains skyrocket.

Understanding and preventing these 4 common mistakes most lifters make when they begin to regularly lift weights can help you reach your goals faster and make the gym a regular part of your every day life. Sticking to the basics and training consistently are the keys to achieving long-term results and will help you avoid the pitfalls of doing too much, too soon.

1. Early Specialization

 When you first start at the gym, your goal should be to get better at using your body the way it was mean to be used. Your body acts as a single integrated unit and your training should reflect this. The simple way to do this is to focus on full body workouts utilizing a variety of upper and lower body basic compound exercises – such as squats, deadlifts, military press, bench press, chin-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, and goblet squats.

This will teach you how to move under control with external load through a fixed movement pattern, develop full body strength, increase your overall muscle mass, and develop a good foundation for more advanced training in the future. Save the upper body-only workouts, the lower body-only workouts, and isolation exercises for down the road after you develop a good base level of strength.

2. Going Too Heavy, Too Soon

Stop worrying about what others will think of you if you don’t have a ton of weight on the bar when you lift. Focus on your goals and using good form with everything you do. If you load up too much weight for an exercise that you can’t handle, your form will go out the window and you’ll be more susceptible to an injury. Start light and master the technique for each lift - and the weight will come.

3. Starting with Barbell Lifts

Too many lifters are in a rush to grab and barbell and start training. Unfortunately, barbell exercises require a base level of strength, precise form and technique, and good mobility and stability specific to the lift.  Before you ever touch a barbell, you should master the basics first. To develop the primary muscle groups and drill the movement patterns specific to the bench press, squat, and deadlift – the fundamental exercises - push-ups, goblet squats, and hip hinge drills - must be initially practiced and perfected. (Reference: Strength system:www.strengthdvd.com)

Once you learn the proper techniques for these basic exercises, they can be progressed further by overloading them with extra weight. This will provide you with a simple and easy transition to the barbell lifts.

4. Too Much Volume

Most every lifter goes from zero to 100 mph when they first start training. While this is admirable, it can delay your overall gains.  Doing too much volume too soon will create extreme soreness and microtrauma in your muscles – which can affect your ability to train optimally for each successive training session and leave you not wanted to even go back to the gym.  A way to ensure success and excitement for each training session is to start slow and make consistent progress by following a structured workout plan that is programmed into 3-4 week blocks - instead of the ‘going all out’ approach. Instead of hitting every exercise you’ve ever seen for every workout, stick to 2-4 basic compound exercises and 2-4 accessory or supplemental for each training session.

Thank You.

Source: Google, MuscleandFitness.com.

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