muscle growth
When and how much to work out?
When is the best time for weight training and how much should you train? It's a question that probably has been asked millions of times. It is a great question though. After all, if you put the time and effort in, you want to make sure that you reap the maximum benefits of it.
The answer is very difficult though. It depends on your physiological state, how much you have been working out, what your goals are etc. it is more important to understand the basics so you are more aware of what you're doing yourself.
I know there are many articles out there about the best time of the day to work out and when you burn the most, have the most energy etc. Fact is, for most people, the best time to work out is when it fits in your schedule! Better to have a great training when you have the time than rushing through a workout when you only have 20 minutes...
As to how often you workout. If you look at professional martial artists and other athletes, they put a lot of hours in the gym but they do split workouts for their strength, then they add cardio and at another time of the day, they will work on techniques. This is not realistic for most people either so a good guideline for someone that wants to add strength and size is to train 3 times/week full body. Work mostly on the large muscle groups and spend less time on the small ones (arms, shoulders). This way, you challenge all muscle groups multiple times a week. Downside is however, you can't spend as much time on each individual muscle group.
Another option is to do split workouts. For example you can do chest and triceps on Monday; legs, shoulders and abs on Wednesday; back and biceps on Friday.
There are many variations and it is up to your trainer to figure out what will work best for you, depending on your goals, level, limitations etc. The thing you want to accomplish is working your muscles hard and frequent enough to stimulate an increase in size and strength without overtraining and making sure it fits in the time you have available.
A few other training splits:
- Four days a week: you will work out half your body one day, the other half the other. After these 2 training days, you will take 2 days off. This way, you get 4 training days per week in and you can spend more time (sets) on the different muscle groups.
- Six day split routine: you will divide your training into 3 different workouts. You train for 3 consecutive days and then take a day off. Then repeat.
- One muscle per day: exactly what is sounds like. Disadvantage is that you can't work out the same muscle more than once a week.
The last question to answer is how long to work out. If your goal is to gain size and lift heavy weights, 30 to 45 minutes is ideal (depending if you work out one or two muscle groups - or more). If you go for high volume training, more sets and more reps for muscle endurance, then a typical workout will be 60 to 90 minutes. If you add cardio for weight loss or to lean out, it can go up to 120 minutes.
Please note that these are only some examples and there are many different options in training. Training planning depends on many different factors and needs to be put together per individual. After all, no two people are the same so the same workout routine will not have the same effects.
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
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Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS is the muscle soreness most people start feeling 12-24 hours after a workout. During your workout, the burn you feel is caused by buildup of lactate, generated by anaerobic energy systems in your body which supply your muscles with energy (ATP).
DOMS however, is not caused by lactate. Instead, it is caused by micro damage in your muscles, especially after weight training, sprints, plyometrics etc. Physiologists used to believe the remaining lactate created the soreness but now we know better.
Even though the muscle soreness is welcomed by many people (it reassures them they had a good workout), it is not an indicator for a good workout. Athletes at higher levels don't get very sore after workouts, even though they trained very hard. It depends on the workout, your physical condition etc. Beginners will experience DOMS frequently until they reach a higher treshold.
If you know your body or your work out frequently, you will know the difference between soreness and an injury. If you feel an injury, immediately have it checked out and act accordingly. If it is soreness, it may last up to 3 days after your workout. If it lasts longer than 3 days or it limits you in normal day to day activities, you probably pushed yourself too hard in that workout.
A frequent question I get is whether you should work out the same muscles when you experience soreness. If the soreness is mild, go ahead and work out but know your limits. You do not have to train until exhaustion or failure every session! You need to shock your body and challenge it so you improve but that does not mean you should push your body to the limit every time.
When the soreness is significant, do not work out those muscle groups. If you do, you may risk overtraining and landing in a catabolic state. At that point, there is no progress to be made, the only thing that can be done is resting so try not to get to that point.
There are a few things you can do to reduce the soreness:
- Stretching when you are warmed up, preferably after your workout. Stretching will improve blood flow and you should stretch anyway to retain your range of movement.
- Cardio will also increase blood flow so there is better transport of nutrients, oxygen, waste etc. A short cardio session with low to medium intensity after your workout is ideal.
- Massages are great for reducing and preventing muscle soreness. It removes waste products from your muscles and increases delivery of nutrients and oxygen.
Even though muscle soreness satisfies us and shows us we trained hard, it is not necessary. You have to train hard but don't worry if you don't have sore muscles after a workout. It just shows your body has gotten stronger. Alternating your workout, using different techniques and switching it up will challenge your body again. Don't do the same workout for 6 months, you will hit a plateau. Make sure you have a lot of variety in your training.
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Cross Training: Our New Strength & Conditioning Program
30/11/11 15:33 Filed in: Other | Fitness | My experiences | Strength & Conditioning | Personal Training
Cross training is one of the best ways to get in shape while working pretty much all of your muscle groups. If done right, you can accomplish different goals by training in different ways. You will get stronger, faster and your cardio will improve. By fine tuning your cross training workout, you can also lose weight or gain muscle (or both).
The way we do cross training at Define Defense in our strength and conditioning classes is by working all muscle groups with short rests between different stations. By working all muscle groups, we end up burning many calories and we challenge all muscles, which makes them adapt and improve. We have different formulas we use in different classes but we always make sure our training methods have clear reasoning behind them and these are backed by our knowledge in physiology, anatomy etc. In our strength and conditioning classes, we also make sure everyone is working at their own level and they are training to reach the goal they want. That is why we like to call it personal training in a small group. After all, the same exercises and training will NEVER work the same for different people.
Our classes are a full hour training session, 6 times/week starting in January 2012 (depending on a membership or punch card, you choose whenever and how many times you want to attend!) As for now, we have 3 classes/week.
Cross training can be done in several ways as mentioned, however there are many brands that do it in a very irresponsible and dangerous manner. Safety always comes first but unfortunately some brands do not make this a priority.
A few experiences I have had (outside of Define Defense):
- 15 minute workouts that make you breathe hard, sweat and make you feel like passing out. These workouts may feel hard (and they are), but they will NOT do anything for you, except to deteriorate your body. You do not get any rest, you do too many exercises in a small time frame, something that occasionally can be beneficial for a trained athlete but not for the average person wanting to improve or live healthier. Since there is no rest, your muscles will not grow, ever... For cardio purposes it is not long enough either and pushing yourself that hard every workout is unhealthy, period. If a 15 minute workout would do what they claim it does, everybody would be a professional athlete. But it doesn't! Any trainer can push you that hard for 15 minutes but it's not a good thing.
- Making the clients do compound exercises without warmup and for too many reps. Compound exercises are fantastic for anabolic growth, burning calories and general strength and health. However, if you become fatigued, your form and technique will deteriorate, especially with technically challenging exercises. These need perfect form as they can be hazardous for your body. I have seen studios that made their clients do tens of these compound exercises at a time (with horrible form).
- Dirty, dirty and dirty to a point my lungs burned and my hands were black. OK this one is place determined but it's a big no-no!
- Having to sign a waiver that states they are not liable if you get hospitalized with Rhabdo. Really??? Sounds shady to me and with responsible training (even pushing limits), you should never experience this!
- Unqualified trainers: some brands are franchised which means that if you do a one day workshop, you are allowed to open a branch. Great isn't it? Not really... It takes years to master training others and being certified after one day is simply dangerous.
You would be surprised how much these kinds of situations happen or how many cross training studios build their businesses on these irresponsible strategies.
At Define Defense, we strive towards quality and responsible training for optimal results and the safety of our clients. That is why we are expanding our strength & conditioning program to 6 classes/week starting January, 2012!
All our martial arts clients have free access. Non members can also enjoy these great cross training classes by purchasing a punch card or getting a strength & conditioning membership. Our classes are 60 minute workouts with a lot of personal attention and cutting edge gym equipment (see our facility). We utilize back to basic exercises as well as the latest proven methods in the fitness world. We will push you and make you better, that's a promise. Besides your training, we also educate you about the reasons behind the training.
Our pricing structure:
- A 10 class punch card for $200
- A 12 month membership for $85/month (unlimited classes)
- A 6 month membership for $95/month (unlimited classes)
- A 3 month membership for $110/month (unlimited classes)
Stay tuned for our new schedule (starting January 2nd, 2012) and take advantage of the strength & conditioning classes!
By Sander Vanacker, owner of Define Defense Martial Arts & Training in Boulder, Colorado
Milk For Muscle Growth
Milk has been promoted for ages to be a great supplier of calcium, necessary for bone growth and strength. The truth is, there are better food sources than milk but it is readily available, inexpensive and still a good product.
What you rarely hear people talking about is drinking milk for muscle growth and recovery after a workout. There is a movement out there that promotes low fat chocolate milk for a post workout drink and it's great for certain sports and athletes! It has the correct carb-protein ratio, tastes good and has many vital substances to aid recovery. For serious gains however, you will need more than chocolate milk. You would need high quantities in order to fulfill your body's need for growth (we are talking about weight lifting, high resistance training etc.).
Milk has its supporters and opponents, often both radical in their ideas. If you have seen 'Pumping Iron', the documentary about Arnold Schwarzenegger, then you probably noticed his reply to the question whether he drinks milk. If you didn't, this is what he said: 'Milk is for cows.'
And indeed it is. It is unnatural for an adult being to drink the milk of another species. However, that does not mean it is bad for you and no matter what, it is still a natural product and much better for you than any chemically produced supplements. If you have an intolerance or an allergy, you obviously do not want to start drinking high quantities of any milk whatsoever. It is also shown that different ethnic groups have a different tolerance towards milk.
Personally, I have always loved milk. I grew up with it and drank tons of milk growing up and I have never experienced any intolerance, which makes it easy for me.
Throughout the last few years, as I started doing more resistance training, I have realized the advantages of drinking milk for my recovery and progress. A few advantages:
- it is cheap, much cheaper than most other sources of protein
- it is readily available everywhere
- it provides high quality protein, both whey and casein so your body gets protein instantly with fast acting whey and progressively with the longer release time of casein
- the calcium in milk does not only give you strong bones but also helps relaxing your muscles. Too little calcium combined with intense activities may give your cramped muscles
- drinking a lot of milk has proven to cut fat (calcium also plays a role in fat mobilization, as well in reducing stress, lowering blood pressure etc.)
Arguments against milk:
- it has growth hormones, cancer causing steroids etc. in it because the farmers want their cows bigger and more productive
Yes, the growth hormone rBGH is used for higher milk production. This hormone however only works when injected. If ingested, our digestion tracts destroys these hormones. This does not justify the fact that the cows are being injected with it but it does not affect you when drinking milk. You can also buy milk from sources that guarantee not to use any hormones in their live stock (Whole Foods for example who sells antibiotic and hormone free milk).
- it makes me gain weight
Milk has been proven to lower cholesterol levels. Actually whole milk lowers levels more than skim milk! Milk also lowers the chances of getting a heart attack or stroke.
I mostly drink non fat milk since my calorie intake is pretty high and I gain easily. For a better ratio though, try 2% milk or even whole milk if you have a hard time gaining.
The quantity of milk you should drink varies. I go through about 2 gallons/week and have great gains with my training and diet combination. Other supporters of milk go through 1 or 2 gallons per day! It will completely depend on your diet, calorie intake, amount of protein, body type etc. But at least give milk a chance!
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
What you rarely hear people talking about is drinking milk for muscle growth and recovery after a workout. There is a movement out there that promotes low fat chocolate milk for a post workout drink and it's great for certain sports and athletes! It has the correct carb-protein ratio, tastes good and has many vital substances to aid recovery. For serious gains however, you will need more than chocolate milk. You would need high quantities in order to fulfill your body's need for growth (we are talking about weight lifting, high resistance training etc.).
Milk has its supporters and opponents, often both radical in their ideas. If you have seen 'Pumping Iron', the documentary about Arnold Schwarzenegger, then you probably noticed his reply to the question whether he drinks milk. If you didn't, this is what he said: 'Milk is for cows.'
And indeed it is. It is unnatural for an adult being to drink the milk of another species. However, that does not mean it is bad for you and no matter what, it is still a natural product and much better for you than any chemically produced supplements. If you have an intolerance or an allergy, you obviously do not want to start drinking high quantities of any milk whatsoever. It is also shown that different ethnic groups have a different tolerance towards milk.
Personally, I have always loved milk. I grew up with it and drank tons of milk growing up and I have never experienced any intolerance, which makes it easy for me.
Throughout the last few years, as I started doing more resistance training, I have realized the advantages of drinking milk for my recovery and progress. A few advantages:
- it is cheap, much cheaper than most other sources of protein
- it is readily available everywhere
- it provides high quality protein, both whey and casein so your body gets protein instantly with fast acting whey and progressively with the longer release time of casein
- the calcium in milk does not only give you strong bones but also helps relaxing your muscles. Too little calcium combined with intense activities may give your cramped muscles
- drinking a lot of milk has proven to cut fat (calcium also plays a role in fat mobilization, as well in reducing stress, lowering blood pressure etc.)
Arguments against milk:
- it has growth hormones, cancer causing steroids etc. in it because the farmers want their cows bigger and more productive
Yes, the growth hormone rBGH is used for higher milk production. This hormone however only works when injected. If ingested, our digestion tracts destroys these hormones. This does not justify the fact that the cows are being injected with it but it does not affect you when drinking milk. You can also buy milk from sources that guarantee not to use any hormones in their live stock (Whole Foods for example who sells antibiotic and hormone free milk).
- it makes me gain weight
Milk has been proven to lower cholesterol levels. Actually whole milk lowers levels more than skim milk! Milk also lowers the chances of getting a heart attack or stroke.
I mostly drink non fat milk since my calorie intake is pretty high and I gain easily. For a better ratio though, try 2% milk or even whole milk if you have a hard time gaining.
The quantity of milk you should drink varies. I go through about 2 gallons/week and have great gains with my training and diet combination. Other supporters of milk go through 1 or 2 gallons per day! It will completely depend on your diet, calorie intake, amount of protein, body type etc. But at least give milk a chance!
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Milk For Muscle Growth
Milk has been promoted for ages to be a great supplier of calcium, necessary for bone growth and strength. The truth is, there are better food sources than milk but it is readily available, inexpensive and still a good product.
What you rarely hear people talking about is drinking milk for muscle growth and recovery after a workout. There is a movement out there that promotes low fat chocolate milk for a post workout drink and it's great for certain sports and athletes! It has the correct carb-protein ratio, tastes good and has many vital substances to aid recovery. For serious gains however, you will need more than chocolate milk. You would need high quantities in order to fulfill your body's need for growth (we are talking about weight lifting, high resistance training etc.).
Milk has its supporters and opponents, often both radical in their ideas. If you have seen 'Pumping Iron', the documentary about Arnold Schwarzenegger, then you probably noticed his reply to the question whether he drinks milk. If you didn't, this is what he said: 'Milk is for cows.'
And indeed it is. It is unnatural for an adult being to drink the milk of another species. However, that does not mean it is bad for you and no matter what, it is still a natural product and much better for you than any chemically produced supplements. If you have an intolerance or an allergy, you obviously do not want to start drinking high quantities of any milk whatsoever. It is also shown that different ethnic groups have a different tolerance towards milk.
Personally, I have always loved milk. I grew up with it and drank tons of milk growing up and I have never experienced any intolerance, which makes it easy for me.
Throughout the last few years, as I started doing more resistance training, I have realized the advantages of drinking milk for my recovery and progress. A few advantages:
- it is cheap, much cheaper than most other sources of protein
- it is readily available everywhere
- it provides high quality protein, both whey and casein so your body gets protein instantly with fast acting whey and progressively with the longer release time of casein
- the calcium in milk does not only give you strong bones but also helps relaxing your muscles. Too little calcium combined with intense activities may give your cramped muscles
- drinking a lot of milk has proven to cut fat (calcium also plays a role in fat mobilization, as well in reducing stress, lowering blood pressure etc.)
Arguments against milk:
- it has growth hormones, cancer causing steroids etc. in it because the farmers want their cows bigger and more productive
Yes, the growth hormone rBGH is used for higher milk production. This hormone however only works when injected. If ingested, our digestion tracts destroys these hormones. This does not justify the fact that the cows are being injected with it but it does not affect you when drinking milk. You can also buy milk from sources that guarantee not to use any hormones in their live stock (Whole Foods for example who sells antibiotic and hormone free milk).
- it makes me gain weight
Milk has been proven to lower cholesterol levels. Actually whole milk lowers levels more than skim milk! Milk also lowers the chances of getting a heart attack or stroke.
I mostly drink non fat milk since my calorie intake is pretty high and I gain easily. For a better ratio though, try 2% milk or even whole milk if you have a hard time gaining.
The quantity of milk you should drink varies. I go through about 2 gallons/week and have great gains with my training and diet combination. Other supporters of milk go through 1 or 2 gallons per day! It will completely depend on your diet, calorie intake, amount of protein, body type etc. But at least give milk a chance!
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
What you rarely hear people talking about is drinking milk for muscle growth and recovery after a workout. There is a movement out there that promotes low fat chocolate milk for a post workout drink and it's great for certain sports and athletes! It has the correct carb-protein ratio, tastes good and has many vital substances to aid recovery. For serious gains however, you will need more than chocolate milk. You would need high quantities in order to fulfill your body's need for growth (we are talking about weight lifting, high resistance training etc.).
Milk has its supporters and opponents, often both radical in their ideas. If you have seen 'Pumping Iron', the documentary about Arnold Schwarzenegger, then you probably noticed his reply to the question whether he drinks milk. If you didn't, this is what he said: 'Milk is for cows.'
And indeed it is. It is unnatural for an adult being to drink the milk of another species. However, that does not mean it is bad for you and no matter what, it is still a natural product and much better for you than any chemically produced supplements. If you have an intolerance or an allergy, you obviously do not want to start drinking high quantities of any milk whatsoever. It is also shown that different ethnic groups have a different tolerance towards milk.
Personally, I have always loved milk. I grew up with it and drank tons of milk growing up and I have never experienced any intolerance, which makes it easy for me.
Throughout the last few years, as I started doing more resistance training, I have realized the advantages of drinking milk for my recovery and progress. A few advantages:
- it is cheap, much cheaper than most other sources of protein
- it is readily available everywhere
- it provides high quality protein, both whey and casein so your body gets protein instantly with fast acting whey and progressively with the longer release time of casein
- the calcium in milk does not only give you strong bones but also helps relaxing your muscles. Too little calcium combined with intense activities may give your cramped muscles
- drinking a lot of milk has proven to cut fat (calcium also plays a role in fat mobilization, as well in reducing stress, lowering blood pressure etc.)
Arguments against milk:
- it has growth hormones, cancer causing steroids etc. in it because the farmers want their cows bigger and more productive
Yes, the growth hormone rBGH is used for higher milk production. This hormone however only works when injected. If ingested, our digestion tracts destroys these hormones. This does not justify the fact that the cows are being injected with it but it does not affect you when drinking milk. You can also buy milk from sources that guarantee not to use any hormones in their live stock (Whole Foods for example who sells antibiotic and hormone free milk).
- it makes me gain weight
Milk has been proven to lower cholesterol levels. Actually whole milk lowers levels more than skim milk! Milk also lowers the chances of getting a heart attack or stroke.
I mostly drink non fat milk since my calorie intake is pretty high and I gain easily. For a better ratio though, try 2% milk or even whole milk if you have a hard time gaining.
The quantity of milk you should drink varies. I go through about 2 gallons/week and have great gains with my training and diet combination. Other supporters of milk go through 1 or 2 gallons per day! It will completely depend on your diet, calorie intake, amount of protein, body type etc. But at least give milk a chance!
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Getting your body into an anabolic state
29/06/11 17:22 Filed in: Other | Fitness | My experiences | Nutrition | Strength & Conditioning | Personal Training
As discussed in a previous post, with health and fitness comes recovery. If you don’t pay attention to recovering and giving your body the time to heal, you will not just feel tired and unmotivated but the training you have put in will not pay off.
The trick is to find a healthy balance in training, proper nutrition and recovery. A big part of the latter will be sleep, which we have addressed in another article. Nutrition plays a big role as consuming (for example) 3,000 calories in junk food will be very different than spreading it over 6 meals a day with unsaturated fats, protein and complex carbs.
Training by itself will never give you the results you want, whether is is increasing endurance, losing weight, gain muscle etc. In my experience, I feel like nutrition plays a 60-80% role in achieving your goal, depending on what that is.
When you want to achieve a larger amount of muscle mass, you will need to get your body into an anabolic state. This means that your body will combine amino acids to construct polypeptide chains, which will build protein strands and finally muscle tissue.
Even if your goal is not to build muscle mass and are for example a cyclist, you will still want to keep that anabolic state when you want to improve your performance. If you train hard on the bike and do not achieve this anabolic state, your muscles will start breaking down which ultimately ends in performance loss and perhaps overtraining.
Please note: an anabolic state of mind does not automatically mean you will be gaining weight, it means that your body is in a position to build mass instead of breaking itself down (or staying neutral).
Now how do we reach this opportunistic situation? The first and main way is to prevent any catabolic processes to occur in your body. As you may know, catabolic is the opposite of anabolic and will break down larger molecules into smaller molecules. This may be breaking down muscle tissue, cells, membranes etc.
The big enemy of athletes is the cortisol hormone. As we have addressed this in a previous post, I will not be getting into its ‘evils’.
The second way is to train. When you train, especially short and intense resistance training, your body will release more growth hormone and testosterone. These are the prime anabolic hormones and they naturally occur in the body. When you overtrain, these hormone levels go down while cortisol goes up and you end up in a negative spiral unfortunately.
The third method is sleep. Sleep is so important for your mental and physical health and recovery so make sure to sleep enough. Rest is the prime anabolic time for your body to heal.
As mentioned, nutrition plays a vital role as well. As an athlete, no matter what level you are at, you need good quality food. Make sure you get enough protein as training damages the muscle tissue and this needs to heal. This muscle damage is not a bad thing, it actually makes your body make the muscle stronger than before. However, there needs to be a balance between training and recovery as it needs time to heal.
Carbohydrates are of extreme importance as well as they ‘fuel’ your body. When you have the option, choose complex carbs (whole wheat rice, pasta, bread etc.). Try to avoid simple carbs such as sugars, white bread etc. These will make your blood glycogen levels spike, which is unhealthy and should be prevented. There are times you do need simple carbs but more on that in another article.
Water water water! Drink tons of water. When training, you lose so much water that you need to substitute. Water has a direct effect on your health and performance so is is very important.
Finally, if your goal is to build muscle or improve the quality of your muscle, you need to have a positive calorie diet. This means your intake will exceed your needs. However, if your nutrition is right you will not be gaining fat.
The trick is to find a healthy balance in training, proper nutrition and recovery. A big part of the latter will be sleep, which we have addressed in another article. Nutrition plays a big role as consuming (for example) 3,000 calories in junk food will be very different than spreading it over 6 meals a day with unsaturated fats, protein and complex carbs.
Training by itself will never give you the results you want, whether is is increasing endurance, losing weight, gain muscle etc. In my experience, I feel like nutrition plays a 60-80% role in achieving your goal, depending on what that is.
Even if your goal is not to build muscle mass and are for example a cyclist, you will still want to keep that anabolic state when you want to improve your performance. If you train hard on the bike and do not achieve this anabolic state, your muscles will start breaking down which ultimately ends in performance loss and perhaps overtraining.
Please note: an anabolic state of mind does not automatically mean you will be gaining weight, it means that your body is in a position to build mass instead of breaking itself down (or staying neutral).
Now how do we reach this opportunistic situation? The first and main way is to prevent any catabolic processes to occur in your body. As you may know, catabolic is the opposite of anabolic and will break down larger molecules into smaller molecules. This may be breaking down muscle tissue, cells, membranes etc.
The big enemy of athletes is the cortisol hormone. As we have addressed this in a previous post, I will not be getting into its ‘evils’.
The second way is to train. When you train, especially short and intense resistance training, your body will release more growth hormone and testosterone. These are the prime anabolic hormones and they naturally occur in the body. When you overtrain, these hormone levels go down while cortisol goes up and you end up in a negative spiral unfortunately.
The third method is sleep. Sleep is so important for your mental and physical health and recovery so make sure to sleep enough. Rest is the prime anabolic time for your body to heal.
As mentioned, nutrition plays a vital role as well. As an athlete, no matter what level you are at, you need good quality food. Make sure you get enough protein as training damages the muscle tissue and this needs to heal. This muscle damage is not a bad thing, it actually makes your body make the muscle stronger than before. However, there needs to be a balance between training and recovery as it needs time to heal.
Carbohydrates are of extreme importance as well as they ‘fuel’ your body. When you have the option, choose complex carbs (whole wheat rice, pasta, bread etc.). Try to avoid simple carbs such as sugars, white bread etc. These will make your blood glycogen levels spike, which is unhealthy and should be prevented. There are times you do need simple carbs but more on that in another article.
Water water water! Drink tons of water. When training, you lose so much water that you need to substitute. Water has a direct effect on your health and performance so is is very important.
Finally, if your goal is to build muscle or improve the quality of your muscle, you need to have a positive calorie diet. This means your intake will exceed your needs. However, if your nutrition is right you will not be gaining fat.
Weight Training for Women
08/06/11 18:53 Filed in: Other | My experiences | Fitness | Strength & Conditioning | Nutrition | Personal Training
When you enter a gym and walk over to the free weights section, you will mostly see more men than women. In my personal opinion, I feel this is unfortunate because women can benefit as much from weight and resistance training as men.
The reasons behind why women often stay away from resistance training can be very diverse. A few could be:
In this article, I would like to specifically dig deeper into the last reason. Many women mistakenly think they will become bulky and overly muscular because of weight training. These images of female professional bodybuilders linger through our heads and have caused a dramatic fear of resistance training for women.
The fact is, the female body will not allow you to become that muscular and the only difference in weight training between men and women will be the weights used. Men naturally produce more testosterone and build more muscles than women. This will cause more natural strength. However, even with this in mind, studies have shown that, during the first 16 weeks, the short term gains in power are very similar between men and women (although much of this is caused by an improved neuromuscular function). After, the long term gains in strength are higher for men. This is not an issue since most women do not wish to become powerlifters or bulky anyway. Most women’s goals are to tone up and gain more definition, which is exactly what weight training will do for you.
As a woman, you will use the same methods, rests, techniques etc. You will simply use less weight and you will see different results. Will you gain muscle? Yes you will, that is what weight training does but that does not mean you will become bulky. The female body will not build anywhere as much muscle as a man’s body does but the quality of muscle will be the same for both sexes. It has been shown that women have 10 to 30 times less the amount of anabolic hormones as men do. You will gain definition and tone up if you combine weight training with cardio.
Other advantages of resistance training for women:
The reasons behind why women often stay away from resistance training can be very diverse. A few could be:
- intimidation by men working out with weights
- don’t know how to train with weights correctly
- afraid of hurting themselves
- think they will become bulky and masculine
In this article, I would like to specifically dig deeper into the last reason. Many women mistakenly think they will become bulky and overly muscular because of weight training. These images of female professional bodybuilders linger through our heads and have caused a dramatic fear of resistance training for women.
The fact is, the female body will not allow you to become that muscular and the only difference in weight training between men and women will be the weights used. Men naturally produce more testosterone and build more muscles than women. This will cause more natural strength. However, even with this in mind, studies have shown that, during the first 16 weeks, the short term gains in power are very similar between men and women (although much of this is caused by an improved neuromuscular function). After, the long term gains in strength are higher for men. This is not an issue since most women do not wish to become powerlifters or bulky anyway. Most women’s goals are to tone up and gain more definition, which is exactly what weight training will do for you.
As a woman, you will use the same methods, rests, techniques etc. You will simply use less weight and you will see different results. Will you gain muscle? Yes you will, that is what weight training does but that does not mean you will become bulky. The female body will not build anywhere as much muscle as a man’s body does but the quality of muscle will be the same for both sexes. It has been shown that women have 10 to 30 times less the amount of anabolic hormones as men do. You will gain definition and tone up if you combine weight training with cardio.
Other advantages of resistance training for women:
- Increased bone density (important to prevent osteoporosis)
- You will burn a good amount of calories and benefit from the afterburn once the workout is over
- It will make you stronger so every day activities will not be as intense as they used to be
- Decrease your risk of diabetes
- Strengthen your core muscles, which will prevent back pains and injuries
- Improve your mental health
- Become a more diverse athlete
Sleep & Recovery
When training or working out, we focus on form, intensity, cardio levels, heart rate, reps and sets etc. One thing most don’t pay enough attention to is sleep - even though it is one of the most important factors in your recovery and progress.
During our workouts, we put our body to the test by decreasing or depleting our energy supplies and putting a strain on our muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs etc. For example, after doing an intense workout, your muscle fibers suffer from micro damage. This is what causes you to be sore 1-3 days after a workout. However, since these muscle fibers got damaged, your body reacts by making them better. This means they can get larger (hypertrophy) after weight lifting or become more efficient (better blood flow, more mitochondria in the cells etc.) after an endurance workout. These are only a few examples of how the body improves the function of the muscle that was trained and micro damage is not the only aspect that needs recovery. Think about restoring the glycogen levels, processing the excess lactate* in the muscles, re-instituting body fluids and much more.
All of these processes take time and can be sped up if you do certain things after training. One of the most important is sleeping enough.
Everyone knows that rest between workouts will help you recover but there is still a difference between rest and sleep. A few processes that occur while you sleep:
So instead of getting paranoid over your supplements or whether you did or did not train hard enough today... get some sleep first. It will benefit you both mentally and physically and the next day you will be ready to work out again.
During our workouts, we put our body to the test by decreasing or depleting our energy supplies and putting a strain on our muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs etc. For example, after doing an intense workout, your muscle fibers suffer from micro damage. This is what causes you to be sore 1-3 days after a workout. However, since these muscle fibers got damaged, your body reacts by making them better. This means they can get larger (hypertrophy) after weight lifting or become more efficient (better blood flow, more mitochondria in the cells etc.) after an endurance workout. These are only a few examples of how the body improves the function of the muscle that was trained and micro damage is not the only aspect that needs recovery. Think about restoring the glycogen levels, processing the excess lactate* in the muscles, re-instituting body fluids and much more.
- Contrary to popular belief, lactic acid is not what builds up in skeletal muscles - lactate is. Biochemist used to believe that the body produces lactic acid which immediately turns into lactate after losing a proton. Now it has been proven that this was incorrect.
All of these processes take time and can be sped up if you do certain things after training. One of the most important is sleeping enough.
Everyone knows that rest between workouts will help you recover but there is still a difference between rest and sleep. A few processes that occur while you sleep:
- Cortisol levels go down. Cortisol levels elevate in periods of stress. Since training is a form of stress on the body, cortisol gets released. This unfortunately can be catabolic in long term. When you do not rest enough in between training sessions, your body will go into a state of overtraining and cortisol levels will remain high while insulin levels will remain low. Since insulin is a great hormone to build tissues, this may lead to performance and/or muscle loss. Sleeping is a great way to lower the cortisol levels.
- Increased levels of Human Growth Hormone. When sleeping, your natural levels of HGH get elevated. This mainly occurs in the later and deeper phases of sleep so when you cut your sleep short, you are missing out on a significant opportunity to recover. HGH supports muscle recovery, promotes lipolysis (decomposing fat), stimulates the immune system etc. No doubt this will aid your recovery and performance.
- Higher testosterone levels. The more and better you sleep, the higher your testosterone levels will be when waking up. This gives you mental and physical energy and promotes bone and muscle mass since it is an anabolic steroid. The body produces testosterone itself in men and women. The levels differ but women have testosterone in their system and men have estrogen in their body.
So instead of getting paranoid over your supplements or whether you did or did not train hard enough today... get some sleep first. It will benefit you both mentally and physically and the next day you will be ready to work out again.