In Sickness and In Health: When to Give in to the Sniffles

MAN, AM I STUBBORN

I’m sure you could have guessed this just from reading a few of these blog posts. Indeed, that stubbornness extends farther than just in the gym. It’s hard for me to stay of the gym, whether it be soreness, injury, or even sickness.

Yep, that’s me, stubborn to the bone!

With that being said, I truly push myself to be the best that I can be, in and out of the gym. So when I get sick, I don’t necessarily react the best way possible…

It’s Not That Big of a Deal

What am I, a sissy? It’s just a tickle in my throat. It’s not too bad.

I’m going to make this perfectly clear: I will not let sickness keep me away from my gains! Though I may have the sniffles, I’m still going to lift heavier than I’ve ever lifted before! Grow stronger than ever imaginable! Crush weights that try to stand in my way!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Now It’s a Big Deal

Okay, now I’ve  become a sissy. Call me an ugly-duckling because I feel HORRIBLE.

No lie, I’m a sissy when I’m sick.

I’m not sure how I got to this point, but now I can’t get out of bed. I’m truly amazed at how the sniffles turned into the full on flu. I couldn’t eat, could barely sleep, and was doing a better job at keeping things out more than in (sorry for the TMI).

So where did I go wrong? Why am is my body become a sess-pool of nasty.

 WHEN TO REST AND WHEN TO WORK

The key to knowing when to rest and when to work is leaning and listening to your body. Sure there are some situations when it’s acceptable to work out and exercise. However, there are more frequent situations when dealing with sickness when you cannot engage in exercise at all.

You should note however that in most situations, it is not okay to exercise due to the fact that your body does not concentrate on getting better, instead it focuses on repairing muscle tissue. Although there is no clear scientific explanation sickness and working out, let’s explore some situations when it’s okay to exercise.

*Note: I am not a doctor. I know how my body operates and which situations I can lift and when I cannot. With that being said, the rest of this blog should be considered advice from personal experience(s), and not actual certified/professional recommendations.

Situations When It’s Okay

Thomas Weidner, head of athletic training at Ball State University, believes a great way to know when it’s acceptable to exercise is to perform what’s called a neck check. When conducting a neck check, you to whether to exercise or not if your symptoms are above the neck. Such symptoms include: sneezing, sore throat, and runny nose. This conclusion can be taken from two different controversial studies where subjects were infected with the common cold. The subjects were in a controlled environment, and their symptoms were no worse (or better) for exercising while being sick. In fact, the group that exercised, versus the group that didn’t, reported feeling slightly better after exercising (possibly from endorphins).

So, if you’ve got a simple head cold, it’s generally acceptable to workout, just try not to push yourself past your limits.

Situations When It’s Not

This isn’t going to come as a surprise, but some key moments to realize when you’re way too sick to workout is by listening to your body. Such situations include: when you can’t keep food down, you have a fever, you’re contagious, and those are just to name a few. You’re body is obviously up-in-arms with sickness, and working out is definitely not going to help anything.

In times like these, you need to “lean” into your sickness. Accept that your sick, stay home, and rest up. Your body needs to focus on healing itself from its sickness, not repairing muscle tissue.

Always consult a doctor if you have any questions.

IN CONCLUSION

Should you workout while you’re sick? No. It’s just not smart and can do more harm than good. However, if you have some serious goals that you need to achieve, the sniffles aren’t going to cause you enough issues to worry about. Listen to your body, if lifting is going to cause you significant strain, then rest up. Always consult a doctor if you have any questions.

Always ask a doctor if you’re concerned about your health.

Do your research, get prepared, and get lifting!

How Long Before I Turn to Mush?

TIME TO GET BUFF

It was bulking season, I was working out two times a day, and putting every ounce of effort that I had into getting bigger and stronger.

Look at that transformation!

With my hunger and determination, I couldn’t be stopped. I was constantly researching new ways to build up on my knowledge and strength. Eating wasn’t an issue, soreness wasn’t an issue, and time was on my side.

However, all of this changed after a routine health checkup.

Well That’s Gonna Slow Me Down

Turns out, the Big Man Upstairs had other plans when it came to my weightlifting. During a routine visit with my doctor, I found out that I would be needing surgery on my back. The procedure itself would be simplistic; however the recovery time was going to put me out of commission for a month.

That’s not my back, that’s a knee. Anatomy is great!

My first thought was: “Are you kidding me?!”

My second thought was: “I’m going to be turning to mush!”

How Long Do I Have?

That’s the real question; how long do I have before I lose my muscle mass and lose all of my hard work? It’s a serious issue!

Anger and surprise swelled up within me. It’s not fair! I worked my butt off to gain this muscle, nursed myself through injuries, and constantly try to alter my plan so that I can have the most benefit from a workout. Now, I’m lying in bed in agony trying to figure out a creative way to work out without injuring myself more.

The thing is, there is no way to work out if you’re injured (especially after a surgery). So how long does the human body really have before you start to lose your muscle gains and have to start from square one?

TIME IS A FACTOR, BUT DON’T PANIC!

Although time is definitely a factor, don’t panic! This is one of the most often asked questions when it comes to working out. It’s understandable that you want to ask this question and are wondering about the future, you’ve worked hard!

There are two key reasons why you shouldn’t be too worried when it comes muscle loss. One key topic is muscle memory and atrophy, a huge key to keeping your muscle gains. Another aspect that will keep you solid is cutting back on all the food you’ve been eating.

Let’s dive into these topics more below:

Your Work Will Pay Off

Trust me, your hard work will pay off. Muscles are resilient and it takes time for them to decrease in size. In fact muscles get stronger during times of recovery so a little time off from the gym doesn’t hurt necessarily.

Also, if you’re taking a significant time out of the gym, say 2 or 3 weeks, don’t stress out too much about the timeout. Your muscles may get smaller and decrease in size and you may not be able to lift as much, but muscle memory will ensure once you hit the gym your muscles will adjust quickly.

So say it with me: put in the work now, don’t stress the healing time later.

Cut Back on the Din-Din

It’s sad but true. Though we all love the amount of eating we get to do while training, if you’re injured your body doesn’t require nearly as much fuel as it used to. Don’t get  me wrong, on rest days it’s a common fact that you should keep up your eating, but if you’re injured and going to be out of commission for a significant amount of time you just don’t need to be eating as much.

Cut back on the din-din!

That’s the issue where most weightlifters run into problems, they keep eating extra food and even junk food when they’re taking a break from lifting. Do yourself and your training a favor and cut back on the din-din, you should be golden.

 IN CONCLUSION

So should you be worried about your muscles when taking a substantial break from the gym? Yes, but don’t stress too much. The hard work and dedication that you put in to your training will pay off in your down-time. Work hard before and after your break, cut down on your food intake, and focus on healing.

Do your research, get prepared, and get lifting!

Why Are Their Arms Bigger Than Mine?

YOU CAN’T BAN THESE GUNS!

Check out these bad boys! I’ve been putting some serious work into my arms over the past few months, and it shows!

Look at those guns!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a cocky or arrogant person, you just have to understand what I came from. My arms were absolutely tiny when I first started working out. Finally I had started to put on some serious mass.

So there I am, minding my own business, admiring my handy-work in the free weight section of my gym, when I hear gigantic footsteps creep up behind me…

Those Things Are Monsters

BOOM! What are those!?

Standing next to me in the free weight area of the gym was a 6’ 4” monster with arms bigger than my head. He obviously knows something I don’t, because this is insane! While I’m trying to calmly curl my thirty pound dumb bells, this freak of nature grabs two 50 pounders and heaves them with ease.

Are you kidding me?

After seeing what could only be described as a strong man competition right beside me, I had only one thought on my mind…

Wow, I Really Am Puny

Indeed, my arms did look really puny.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Debbie-Downer, but seeing this guy’s monstrous arms was definitely an eye opener for me. It didn’t just make me question the size of my arms, but my workout, diet, genetics, life, luck, you name it.

I had truly put a lot of work into my arms and really couldn’t understand why they weren’t growing into the muscular-atrocities that I always wanted.

HERE’S THE TRUTH

There are many different variables that go into someone’s arm size. So many in fact, that it becomes very difficult to try and pin point what makes them grow or not grow (per individual).

In this blog post I want to go over two aspects that I believe cause the most success and frustration when growing arms. The first will be over-working of the arms. For some people, it works great, and it seems like the obvious answer to growing arms because it generally has a success rate in other muscle groups.

The other aspect I want to talk about is genetics. That’s right, the cellular map of how an individual is wired together holds another key component to how your arms grow.

Let’s get started.

Over-Working Doesn’t Help

You may be thinking, “Hey! I’ve never worked out before and I’ve worked on my arms five days a week for the past 2 months and they’ve grown like crazy!”

Well, to sum up my response: DUH!

If you’ve never worked out before, especially if you’ve never worked on your arms, of course they’re going to respond to the stress by growing. Your arm muscles aren’t used to being put under that constant pressure and strain so naturally they grow to accommodate.

However, this is just a phase and won’t last long. Your arms are a smaller muscle group that doesn’t require an extreme amount of work to grow. Yes, you should work out your arms on a weekly basis, but working them out several times a week is going to do more harm than good.

Unless you have the genes of a Greek God, your arms aren’t going to respond well to constant-extreme-strain. Check out my previous blog post about growing your arms here.

Speaking of God-Like Genes

I know it doesn’t sound fair, but some people are genetically built to grow muscle better than other people.

Your genes play a HUGE role in how your muscles grow. Some people barely have to try to put on an ounce of muscle, while others can put their whole heart and soul into training and still and won’t gain anything. A big reason why body builders are so big is because genetics in their DNA are specifically coded to build muscle. Like it or not, it’s just genetics.

God-like genes, more like Zeus-like genes.

The best way to overcome this issue is to identify which body type you are and then adjust your training and diet accordingly. If you would like more help, check out my previous blog on body types here.

IN CONCLUSION

SO, why are their arms bigger than mine? As you can see, there are many different reasons (I tried to cover two of the biggest). Another thing to remember is that someone who has bigger arms is most likely at a point in their training when they have worked hard for their arms. The key to growing your arms and getting to your goals is to not get discouraged and to keep training.

What is another way to reach your monstrous-arm goals?

Do your research, get prepared, and get lifting!

Sleeping Through Muscle Gains

THERE AIN’T NO REST FOR THE WICKED

Ain’t no rest for the wicked!

Let me first start out by asking not to sue me for copyright infringement, the lyrics are great but I don’t have money to pay for that lawsuit (indeed).

Secondly, there is indeed no rest for the wicked (not that I’m a wicked person).

Imagine a college-aged me, back in the beginning days of my training. I was going to school, working two jobs, and working out 5 days a week. I was truly pushing myself to my limits, and I felt great in doing so! While I was pushing myself so hard, sacrifices had to be made. Since I was doing dark magic with my math homework, and making money frying fast food chicken, sleep had to be sacrificed.

That’s no biggie to me. I’m a macho man, I can handle it. However, my workout buddy started to notice that I was showing up later and later to our morning workout (which began promptly at 6:30AM). He noticed how slow and bogged down I had become. From there, he gave me some of the most shocking news I had ever heard…

What Do You Mean I Have to Sleep?

Wait, what?! Didn’t you just read the beginning of this post? I’m going to school, working two jobs, and working out five times a week! In between all the homework I was completing and fried chicken I was cooking, I didn’t have time to sleep!

On top of all that, how important is sleep? It’s sleep for goodness sakes! I’m in my early 20’s so sleep should definitely not be a priority. But on top of that, how is dreaming of dandelions and butterflies truly important to my muscle gains*?

*Don’t judge me, sometimes you need a little dandelion and butterfly in your life.

SLEEP IS VITAL

Here’s the deal, Sonny Jim (wouldn’t it be funny if a Jim were actually reading this post right now?) Sleep is vital, I repeat, vital to muscle gains. Not only does sleeping help your body and mind rejuvenate, but it also helps give you a chance to shut down and distress.

Shouldn’t you be sleeping?

During sleep, it has actually been proven that your body repairs and replenishes the cells and muscles that have been breaking down through training. In other terms, during rest and sleep our muscles are growing.

But don’t take my word for it, let’s take a look at the science behind sleep and muscle gains.

The Science Behind Sleep and Muscle Gain

Sleeping is very important for muscle gains for several different reasons. First, sleeping rests the brain, which for bodybuilders means they have vital mental alertness during the day, and training. Studies show that during REM sleep, proper functioning of the brain and alertness is assisted.

Also, human growth hormone is also released under the conditions of sleep, 60%-70% for men during their deepest sleep cycles. These deep sleep cycles are extremely important to gaining muscle and the growth of muscle tissue, poor quality of sleep can prevent the amount of growth hormones released.

Taking a look at the sleep cycle, we can observe that we actually hit several key cycles while we sleep. Most people go through at least 5 cycles per night, each ranging between 90-100 minutes. A lack of these stages could cause: memory loss, lack of rest, and slowed brain activity.

Lastly, research has consistently shown that REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement), actually allows the body to rejuvenate and repair: organs, bones, tissue, immune cells, etc. So to say that sleep isn’t vital to a workout plan is to blatantly disregard a key proponent of any regimen.

 How Much Sleep Do I Need

That’s a tricky question. Everybody is different and everyone goes through different tasks throughout the day. Between 8 hours of work, 8 hours of play, and 8 hours of sleep, the 24 hours of the day are pretty much set in stone. In fact some people work more, or have more tasks than play, and can’t sleep for 8 hours. To keep it simple, research shows that the average person requires between 7-9 hours of sleep daily.

Yep, sleep is important.

How do we ensure this amount of sleep? Here are some helpful tips!

• Do your best not to over sleep, even on the weekends. Sleeping in is good, but sleeping 12 hours isn’t.
• Exercise consistently (which I’m assuming you are if you’re reading this blog). This naturally makes you want to sleep more.
• Try to avoid caffeine, sugary foods, or alcohol (God forbid) at night.
• Avoid pills or medication that help you sleep. It sounds good at first, but it causes issues with your sleep cycle(s) in the long run.
• Relax before going to bed. Keeping the mind at ease before sleep helps your body fall into a place of rest.

IN CONCLUSION

Sleep is vital to any training regimen, and should be considered as such. Trust me, I didn’t necessarily know sleep was truly detrimental until researching for this post, but science doesn’t lie. Sleep helps you body rejuvenate, repair, relax, and get ready for the next day of training you have ahead. Let’s keep it simple, don’t stay out all night, instead stay home every now and then and get some much needed shut eye.

What else can you do to help you training?

Do your research, be prepared, and get lifting!

 

 

Running Away from Gains

JUST CALL ME SPEED!

Not to brag, but I’m pretty fast. Didn’t you see the title?

Just call me speed!

You may have heard me mention several times that in my beginning days I was pretty into my running. Running wasn’t necessarily my goal, but it’s what I had always done when it came to working out. So I directly translated all of my previous experience of gym class and magazine articles into my workout regimen

I was running, sprinting, walking, and anything else I could do to get some extra cardio in. Late one night after a long run, I just happened to stroll upon an article on a weight lifting site. I didn’t see anything besides a clustered group of words, “Running Causes Muscle Loss”.

Running is Bad for Gains?

Now just wait one moment. Ever since gym class back in school we were told that running is a great way to stay in shape. Why else would they make us run just about every day (besides being cruel). And now you want to tell me that running is hindering my gains?

I’m so angry I could scream! Not to mention the fact that I had been running every single day since I started lifting. Back at that time, beginning-lifter-me was completely confused and shocked at this revelation. What now?

Where Do I go from Here?

No seriously, where do I go from here? If what I was doing was causing me issues since day 1, what should I do now?

I stopped running right then and there. I didn’t complete a fast paced walk, I didn’t run, I didn’t even sprint. In my mind, it definitely wasn’t worth losing muscle mass over sprinting. Turns out, that’s a bad idea when it comes to fat loss. They second I took out my cardio was the second I started putting on more fat than usual.

So what should I do?

DON’T PANIC

Read the sign.

The key is to not panic and keep saying everything is going to be okay (because it is). Running isn’t a hindrance on any workout when performed correctly.

Can you put on muscle mass while running? Yes.

Can you lose muscle mass while running? Definitely yes.

First things first, you need to decide what your goal is going to be. Either A) to put on mass, or B) lean out fat (for this sake, we’re going to consider fat-loss and endurance running the same).

In regards to both, there are two key options to consider in regards to fat loss while maintaining muscle mass. Here are some great options:

For Muscle Gains

Take a look at a professional sprinter. These guys and gals are jacked to the core. They have legs of steel and big muscles even though they run as a professional. So how do they do it?

It has been proven that sprinting intensely actually increases muscle mass. The key to running and retaining muscle mass it to keep it at high intensity for a short amount of time. It takes time to be successful, but try spring “all-out” for 4-10 reps. You are going to feel tired at the end of each spring, but you can’t beat fats, all-out short sprints are the best for preserving/building muscle. Just do your best to spread out your cardio between your lifting, and you’re golden.

Sprinters not only maintain, but gain muscle.

For Fat Loss

Looking at the other end of the spectrum, for fat loss you should be running more. However, if you’re looking to lose fat while maintaining muscle mass, you shouldn’t even be on the treadmill. In fact, you should be on the stationary bike.

Why the stationary bike? It’s been scientifically proven that running causes far more muscle loss than cycling. Due to the range of motion when it comes to cycling, a wide range of motion utilizing the knees and hips, strength and gains aren’t as easily impaired. So for fat loss while maintaining muscle, try to ride the cycle bike intensely for 20 minutes. This will help fat loss while maintaining muscle.

IN CONCLUSION

Running can be detrimental for gains. However, running can also be beneficial for muscle gains. The best way to go about running or cardio is to decide upon your goals and adjust your workouts accordingly. Add your cardio into your training regimen; just be sure to give yourself ample time between workouts to maximize benefits. What’s the best way to gain muscle and lose fat?

Do your research, get prepared, and get lifting!

More or Less Protein for Muscle Gain?

CHICKEN, CHICKEN, AND MORE CHICKEN

Look at all that meat!

No literally, it’s a sight to behold. I had heard over and over again how protein was essential for growing muscles. Not only that, but images of body builders and professional athletes chowing down on steaks and chicken right after an intense gym session was the norm.

So what did I do? I bought pounds and pounds of chicken, ground beef, steaks, rice, and went to town!

Look at this little guy!

More Protein Means More Muscle, Right?

I mean, that’s been the consensus since the dawn of weight lifting. The more protein you eat, the more fuel your muscles have to grow. With the amount of protein I was eating, I should have looked like the Hulk’s older brother, Bulk (don’t laugh, I worked hard on that name).

Chickens feared me, beef ran to hide when I walked in the room, and don’t get me started on fish (jokes on you, I’m not a big fish eater).

Then Where are My Gains?

Oh where, oh where, have my massive-gains gone? Oh where, oh where could they be? (See what I did there).

But on a serious note, I was eating tons of protein and not turning into this muscular monster that I thought I would become. I was seriously cleaning out the local supermarket and wrecking shop on calories and my body. Why wasn’t I seeing any increased gains?

Totally not me, but isn’t that sad?

MORE ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER

You read that right. Chow down all you want, but more protein isn’t always better. There are a lot of components that go into muscle and strength gains when it comes to diet and exercise. Macro-nutrients such as fats, carbohydrates and proteins are highly important. Micro-nutrients that come into the picture.

So unfortunately, it isn’t just as simple as eating more protein to get more muscle gains. In fact, someone who is eating way more protein than their body need could actually be doing more harm than good.

Here’s how:

Top 3 Issues of Excess Protein

One problem is weight gain. Your body can only use so much protein, so when you eat it in excess then your body obviously can’t use it all. For example: If a person eats 100 grams of protein, the average human body can only utilize 50 grams out of that 100. That means your body will store around 200 extra calories as fat. Doing this on a daily basis can cause a lot of problems in the future.

Also, eating too much protein can cause reduced function in both the liver and brain. When someone takes in protein, their body produces ammonia. Normally the liver makes ammonia harmless. However, eating too much protein over a period of time can cause the liver to become overworked.

Lastly, many foods containing large amounts of protein, like meat, have lots of cholesterol. This means hardened arteries, which can turn into heart attack and stroke. Don’t get freaked out, this doesn’t mean eating too much protein is going to be serious, however proteins containing large amounts of cholesterol can definitely put you at risk.

So What’s the Proper Amount?

Good question, there are a lot of different opinions when it comes to protein. To grow effectively, the proper amount of protein needs to be in the minimalistic range of 0.5-0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Note, that’s just for the average male or female who is trying to maintain form.

If someone is performing some form of exercises on a regular basis, or is trying to lose fat/build muscle/become a Terminator (that’s me!), then the proper number is more around the 0.8-1 gram per pound of body weight. But again, that’s just a minimum number.

If you’re truly trying to push yourself, to put on significant muscle mass the proper amount is between 1-1.3 grams per pound of body weight. That seems like a lot, and that’s because it is. It’s high, but that’s what the body needs to grow at the rate that you’re forcing it to. Honestly, anything above 1.3 grams per body weight the body can’t truly process.

That’s a lot of protein in one picture.

IN CONCLUSION

Do we need more protein to grow more muscles? Yes.

Is eating an excess amount of protein on a daily basis going to ensure us growth? Not necessarily.

The truth is, this blog is written based on an observation on an average human body and how it should react when pushed to stress and growth. In reality everybody is different and finding the proper number for anyone should be part of their workout process. Find the number that works best for you and go with it, however anything in excess can cause issues, so be careful!

And what do we say will always increase success?

Do your research, get prepared, and get lifting!

Is Time in the Gym Important?

I’VE BEEN HERE FOREVER!

True story, I’m a drama queen.

Okay, I’m a drama queen (self-admitted). I was in the gym for around 40 minutes and had really been feeling the burn (burn baby burn!). After 40 minutes of pushing myself, I really thought I was getting a great workout!

In fact leaving the gym, the soreness alone was killing me. However, I felt accomplished and as if I had really done something great in the gym that day.

Walking into my home, I spoke to my roommate about my workout (yes, back in those days I had roommates). And do you know what he said?

“Dude, there’s no way you had a good workout! You were only there for 40 minutes!”

Hold Up

Wait a minute! 40 minutes may, or may not, seem like a decent amount of time for some people. If you’re in a amusement park and eating loads of candy, 40 minutes isn’t a long amount of time. If you’re crunching numbers for the tax breaks for a business, 40 minutes is an eternity.

To make a small story short, I thought 40 minutes was killer for a workout!

Who was this Heffalump (look up Winnie-the-Pooh) to tell me that 40 minutes wasn’t nearly enough for my workout?

I Really Pushed Myself

No really, I seriously pushed myself. When this story took place, I was still in college and had a two-hour timeframe to get my workout completed at the school gym, complete my homework, and get to class on time. That means, I had just about 45 minutes to an hour to get a great workout in before I had to get to class and cram before the professor walked in.

Totally not me, but I did push myself!

What was so wrong in completing a workout within a short time frame? I had always thought if your muscles were sore afterwards, and if it was hard to write calculus notes during class (I was trying to be an engineer for a while) that your workout was great.

Instead, I’m being told that my workout wasn’t possibly going to work because I wasn’t working out LONG (time frame wise) enough.

Help?

DON’T CONCENTRATE ON TIME

Look here, Biscuit (I’m running out of nicknames, okay?) Time isn’t everything when it comes to a workout and it’s efficiency. Don’t get me wrong, if you walk into a gym and jump on a stair master for 5 minutes then walk out and eat a doughnut, then you may be doing something wrong.

However, walking into a gym and determining your success of failure based upon your time spent there is horrible! Here’s how.

Time Isn’t Everything

Here’s the deal, Buttercup (see how I didn’t call you Biscuit?) Time definitely is not everything when it comes to working out. In fact, plenty of bodybuilder advisors and bodybuilders themselves advise in quality of quantity. This in fact means that you should focus more on getting a beneficial workout over a long workout.

Plenty of people can walk into the gym, spend two hours working out/taking breaks/using the bathing/conversing with friends/blah blah blah, and think that they got a great workout. They’re wrong.

You’re workout success completely depends upon how you push yourself while you’re in the gym.

In All Honesty

The best way to get a great workout in the gym is to truly push yourself while in the gym. In full disclosure, I don’t spend less than 45 minutes in the gym. I have a short time frame to get the best I can out of my workout before I have to head to another engagement. I spend 30 minutes on some serious, concentrated weightlifting, and then 15 minutes on cardio.

That works great for me. I focus while I’m in the gym and get the absolute best amount of training I can within that time frame (depending on if I go back in to the gym later on in the day or not).

If you don’t think I’m telling the truth, I advise you to look at the Kris Gethin workout, DTP. This workout is tough, really tough. It’s so tough that it is my favorite workout to complete when I’m entering lean-out season. The purpose of the workout is to build lean-mean muscle while pushing yourself. The time frame for each workout: 45 minutes.

Time and muscle are important, but don’t get them confused!

Is that a coincidence? I think not.

IN CONCLUSION

I’ve heard of people getting an insane workout within 20 minutes. I’ve also heard of people who say they can’t get a good workout unless they’re in the gym 2 hours. The benefit of your workout is most definitely not dependent upon how long you are in the gym. The benefit of your workout is definitely based upon how well you concentrate and push yourself while in that workout timeframe. The best way to get a great workout is to not spend a ton of time in the gym, but what you do with your time while you’re in the gym.

And how do we make sure we’re spending that time wisely?

Do your research, get prepared, and get lifting!

How am I Not Losing Weight While Working Out?

LET’S GET SHREDDED!

Working out has been great!

The first few weeks that I had been working out have been going almost perfectly. After working through the injuries and setbacks, I was losing weight and getting toned more than I had my whole life. I thought nothing could stand in my way of reaching my goals!

Absolutely Unbelievable

Are you kidding me? I’ve been working out consistently for weeks on end and have completely plateau’d. No more weight is being shed from this body, and the scale is no longer my friend (but honestly, is it anybodies friend?).

What happened to my Terminator mindset? I’ve been pushing myself to my limits and yet it seems like I’ve completely ended my weight loss.

Isn’t it a shame?

But I’m Getting Stronger

So I’m not losing weight, but I’m getting stronger…

What the heck?!

My strength had increased on just about every lift. I was benching more, leg pressing more, and could curl more than my puny arms had ever been able to muster (which is a shocker, I know). In fact, not only was my strength getting better, but my muscle size was increasing. Everything was going at record pace and appeared to not be slowing down.

How does that nonsense work? I can get stronger while not losing weight? None of this makes sense!

HERE’S THE ISSUE

Unbeknownst to me, weight is not necessarily the best unit of measurement when it comes to progress. The measurement you choose to go by is completely dependent upon your goals.

For instance, if you are looking to trim fat and tone up, you would be looking at losing weight. If you are wanting to put on muscle mass, then obviously you would be looking to gain weight. At the same time, if you’re putting on muscle while trying to lose weight, it could make the numbers look quite confusing (isn’t lifting great?).

My issue was that my goal was to tone up and get healthier, but I didn’t equate that to whether or not I was going to lose weight. So how could I work out without losing weight? Truth is, there are several different reasons why losing weight can be an issue, a few of them may not be even on your radar.

Eating Less Can Be Your Downfall

You read that right. Eating less could actually cause you to cease losing weight. Even though everyone wants their body to be a temple, it’s more like a fine-tuned machine. One of the biggest misconceptions is that you need to eat a minuscule amount to lose weight. Even though that’s true to a point, if you eat too little and workout more, your metabolism can slow down or essentially cease to exist. It’s actually smarter to keep up a consistent diet while working out to keep the metabolism running smoothly.

Small portions aren’t necessarily the best options.

Your Cardio Game is Weak

Listen here boy scout, cardio is great but only if you increase your intensity. If you’re still running the same intervals and intensity that you were when you first started your training, you’re body is likely not responding the way you want it to be. The body adapts to your workout just like it adapts to its environment; if you don’t change your routine then you’ll slow down your progress. The best way to keep burning calories with cardio is to increase your intensity, always keep challenging yourself!

Always challenge yourself on the treadmill!

IN CONCLUSION

If you’ve gotten this far in your training program, congratulations! Everyone hits a plateau at some point in their training program, absolutely everyone. The best thing you can do is take a good look at what you’ve been doing to train and how you can adjust your program to reach your goals.

Don’t get discouraged and keep up the good work! Take this as a learning experience and grow from it!

Do your research, get prepared, and get lifting!

Rest is More than Recovery: How You’re Preventing Muscle Growth

I’M SORE, REALLY SORE

My lifting program was going great. I was 4 months into my new life change and everything was going great with both my diet and training. I was working out 7 days a week, constantly running and lifting up a storm. I was a mad-man working on becoming a Terminator! There was just one problem…

…I was sore, incredibly sore and tired. Not only that, but my muscles weren’t growing as quickly as I would have hoped. But did I care? No! I pushed myself harder to fight through the fatigue and soreness. If my muscles weren’t going to grow then I was going to force them to!

So sore, so tired, so smelly!

But my biggest question was:

How Could This Be?

My body is a temple and I’m building it into a fortress! So why am I so sore? I assumed that my body would get used to the amount of strain that I was putting it through. My friends and my family supported me and said that I was looking leaner and were proud of my dedication. Though it was great to hear these words of affirmation, I still wanted to grow my muscle mass.

So with more reps, more weight, and more time in the gym I should grow more muscle right?

My Mistake…Again. I Was Wrong.

I was wrong again (I’m starting to see a pattern here). In my opinion, nothing is better than trying to improve your health and lifestyle with working out. However, constantly beating your body into a pulp 7 days a week is NOT the way to do it.

Here’s the science behind it all:

Training causes the brain to release molecules and other chemical signals to help repair injured muscles after training, that’s where muscle growth comes from. Though these signals are necessary, over training can cause an excess of these signals that can cause issues with training.

Excessive inflammation from over training can result in muscle fatigue, loss in muscle protein, loss of muscle mass, and reduced muscle function. Essentially, I’m getting leaner but preventing my muscles from growing. Really?! What am I supposed to do now?

REST AND RECOVERY INCREASES GROWTH

One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to lifting and muscle growth is that the more you lift the more you grow. Though that is true in some ways, if you’re lifting too often it can actually hinder the growth of your muscles groups. Contrary to popular belief muscles actually go through their growth stage when we’re resting on our recovery days.

Push yourself to rest for muscle growth!

To put it simply: rest and recovery and essential to muscle growth. That’s like putting a light at the end of the tunnel, whipped cream on apple pie, gravy on biscuits (I’m sorry, I’m Southern).

How Often Should I Rest?

The length and frequency of your rest and recovery days is completely dependent upon how intensely you workout during the week. If you’re training with a high intensity program, resting 3 days may be a great idea for you. If you’re working out moderately throughout the week rather than pushing your muscles excessively, then perhaps 1 to 2 days may be the best strategy.

The best way to figure it out is to listen to your body and ask a trainer. When I was training for an obstacle course race I would rest 2 days a week, likewise when I was on a strict bulking and strength training routine I would rest 3 days. Always ask yourself and professionals if you have any questions, no one should get injured while trying to improve themselves.

IN CONCLUSION

Look at the sleeping puppy! Rest like that.

Building your body into the fortress that we want it to be is a daunting task. We may want to push ourselves to the limits over and over again just to reach our goals. However, pushing ourselves too hard can cause problems with our growth. Rest and recovery are just as important as your performance through training. Always set aside a couple days just to relax, regroup, and get in the right mindset for your next training session while allowing your muscles to recuperate and grow.

So, what should you do?

Do your research, get prepared, and get lifting!

Why Isn’t My Running Program Putting on Muscle? Help!

I’VE BEEN WORKING OUT…WHERE’S MY MUSCLES?

If you’ve read any of my Beginner’s Journey blog series (which THANK YOU by the way if you have) you would know that I started my serious training as a New Year’s resolution. No, this isn’t my tragic story of how I really screwed up my puny arms, this is 6 months in the future when I decided to truly work hard on my training.

Problem is, I still had no idea what I was doing (big shocker there).

Sure, I knew how to watch my food intake and what foods I needed to eat over the others. However, I didn’t know the essentials to building muscles. So what did I do?

I Ran…

…I ran a lot.

What can I say? That’s all I knew how to do! You don’t have to look up a “how-to” guide on how to get on a treadmill and not fall.

Totally not me…maybe…

The apartment complex that I was living at during this time had a rinky-dink treadmill that was perfect for a paper weight (You thought I was going to say running, huh? Jokes on you!) Though it was terrifying, it did great for a beginner like me. So in my trusty shorty-shorts (I feel like I’ve mentioned them in every story so far…) and beat up off-brand shoes, I ran to my heart’s content.

It was great, I was running consistently six nights a week really pushing myself to get better times. There was only one problem…

I Wasn’t Putting on Muscle

Don’t get me wrong, I was losing fat and my legs were getting toned. However, my goal wasn’t to be a marathon runner, it was to be the next Terminator (please don’t come after me for copyright infringement!). So why wasn’t my running routine putting on muscle for me? I mean, technically it should be putting on huge amounts of muscle since it’s working out…right?

Well, yes and no.

Yes, running is working out. In fact, running is perfect for your heart, legs, and lungs. At the same time, it’s not too good if you’re looking to put on pounds of lean mass and muscle. You see, when you’re running your body is utilizing its glycogen storage to help fuel your body. Too much running and you run through your storage. Sadly that means not as much muscle mass.

HOW DO I TURN THIS AROUND!

I wasn’t putting on muscle like I wanted to but I was getting leaner. All in all there were really no negative aspects of what was happening. But I wanted to get bigger by putting on muscle!

So I turned it around by hitting the weights (not with my fists, that would hurt and is counterproductive).

I started with simple circuit workouts, I was a beginner so I really just wanted to get my body used to the work rather than push it to the limits. I was doing everything from dumb bell chest workouts, to lat pulls for my back, to leg extensions for my quads.

Definitely me this time.

And How Did That Work Out For You?

It worked out great! Eventually I switched over to a better regulated workout plan instead of the circuit plan, but it was a great start to my muscle building!

I was shocked at the small amount of weight that I could lift in the beginning. For real, it was sad. At the same time, I was shocked at how quickly I was able to build upon my practices and habits to where I was lifting more weight and more reps during my workouts.

Not only that, but I was gaining muscle at a better pace than when I was running. Again it was a win-win situation, but changing my routine was definitely the right way to go.

IN CONCLUSION

Running is not meant to build muscle the way that I wanted to. Running is great for toning your legs, building on your cardiovascular health, and training your lung endurance. However, I wouldn’t trade running for a consistent amount of time before I actually switched over to a weight lifting program. From running I was able to shed a few pounds and see which parts of my muscles groups that I needed to work on the most. Who knows what would have happened if I didn’t work on a running program before a lifting program.

In hindsight, it was great that I started running before lifting; it just wasn’t a part of the goals that I was looking for at the time. If you’re running into the same issues with your workout plan (no pun intended) try taking the heavy cardio out of your training, I assure you that you will see the difference.

You know what would have saved me lots of time and headache? This:

Do your research, get prepared, and get lifting!

Next step, this barbell!