Muscle recovery

When exercising a muscle you must know how to gain the best out of it with the optimal recovery time it needs. Every time you do a workout you are actually causing small micro-tears in the muscle(s) and later these tears repair the muscle tissue which means growth. Resistance training (weight training) is basically just the body's adaptation to stress which allows it to repair itself bigger and better than it was before. The muscle only grows when it is not being worked, so it makes sense to have the right workout plan that makes sure enough rest is given to the body. 

Unilateral training (one sided training)

Have you ever had an injury on one side of your body and you didn't exercise for weeks or months because you thought it would be best to allow that side/part of your body to heal. The University of Copenhagen did a study which proved that inactivity in a limb resulted to a strength decrease of 33% in that untrained limb. Furthermore, the study found that the fitter the person the quicker they lost muscle mass and it takes 3 times as long to recover the lost strength. But now you are wondering what can I do ?.. I cant exercise because I'm injured. Wrong... 

Does cardio prevent muscle gains ?

You've probably heard the phrase "cardio kills muscle gains" and you should avoid doing any form of it at all costs. This is not true and it is not as simple as that. Cardio is an essential form of exercise to increase stamina and burn fat as well as strengthening type 1 muscle fibres which are fundamental for endurance. To be able to gain muscle you must eat at a slight caloric surplus which means being in a state where you intake more calories than you burn. If you want to lose fat, the opposite applies which means being in a caloric deficit; eating less calories than your body is burning. 

Gain muscle without weights

If you work a muscle by contracting/extending it and follow the right food plan and recovery then it will grow. The muscle does not care how it is exercised only that it needs a stimulus in the form of movement or from a stress/weight for it to experience growth. Progressive overload is the gradual increase of stress placed on the body and it is essential for muscle growth. Although weights trigger the stimulus of stress for the body to continually adapt by increasing the weight this is not the only way to keep gaining muscle. 

Muscle fibres

Muscle fibres can be classed into two types: Slow twitch muscle fibres (type 1) and fast twitch muscle fibres (type 2). Each muscle type has its own individual ability in response to exercise and the way it reacts to training. Usually, the average person contains roughly 50% slow twitch and 50% fast twitch muscle fibres for everyday movement. Slow twitch muscle fibres (type 1) : These are the most efficient as they use fuel to support periods of extended muscle contractions over a long time. They are not as dynamic and explosive as fast twitch fibres but they can run for a long time before they burn out.

Losing weight. Don't believe the scale.

When aiming to lose weight or build muscle or doing both at the same time, keeping track of your weight using the scale can be insignificant. Most people rely and look up to the scale too much giving it power over them when in fact it is just a very simple tool that does not take everything into account. We have to look at progress from a different overall perspective. Sure the scale shows us our weight at any given moment but is this our actual weight ? Also does this represent progress by taking the correct factors into account. 

Whey to supplement your failure

Soy lecithin is one of the most used additives in our food supply, it is used as an emulsifier, found in nearly everything including protein powders such as whey protein. The way soy lecithin is extracted from soybeans involves hexane, which is a solvent used for varnishes and glue.

Bang for your banana

Have you ever been about to do a workout but you didn't get to eat beforehand. We've all been there. You feel raring to go but your body just doesn't. Before any exercise you need to eat the right type of food, especially from the food group carbohydrates which provide fuel to allow you to complete your workouts. A quick solution are bananas. Yes, bananas are a fast digesting carb source with the average one providing you with a useful 25 grams worth of carbs and a very quick 100 calories. Bananas are a good source of vitamin B6 , manganese, fibre, vitamin c and potassium. Costing only 22p per banana you can grab one virtually anywhere. 

How to see muscle definition

I don't think anyone can disagree that the guy with a chiselled, defined and vascular arm looks better than someone who has an arm full of fat and looks plump. But how do you get that definition ? It's simple... 1. Get Lean : If you want your muscles to look tight and strong then you have to get lean. This means losing excess body fat. For males visible muscle definition should start to show at around 10% body fat and for women around 20%. 2. Gain Muscle: The more muscle you have the more blood flow is needed. Blood vessels will expand to meet these needs of your body when training to build muscle.

Do you drink water during exercise

The average body temperature of a normal person is believed to be 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). This is the normal and optimal temperature for the body to function at. A temperature over 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) most likely means you have a fever brought about from an infection or illness. However, interestingly the body temperature of a person during exercise can reach temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius ! (104 degrees Fahrenheit). 

Do you warm up and cool down

Many people skip warming up before an intense weight lifting session or cooling down after a lengthy run. Neglecting these 2 simple yet fundamental concepts will be very bad for you.  Heart Rate : At rest, the normal beats per minute range of the heart is between 60 to 100 bpm (beats per minute). During Exercise the bpm of the heart range between 120 to 160 bpm.