There are a few things that need to happen in order to produce muscle growth. You need to use significant load when lifting weights Enough time under tension to create structural damage to the muscle tissue Enough stimuli to up-regulate anabolic hormones and increase protein synthesis Proper recovery and workout nutrition Many people often think that if they lift as heavy as possible, or use as much volume (sets and reps) as possible they will […]
There are a few things that need to happen in order to produce muscle growth. You need to use significant load when lifting weights Enough time under tension to create structural damage to the muscle tissue Enough stimuli to up-regulate anabolic hormones and increase protein synthesis Proper recovery and workout nutrition Many people often think that if they lift as heavy as possible, or use as much volume (sets and reps) as possible they will […]
There are a few things that need to happen in order to produce muscle growth. You need to use significant load when lifting weights Enough time under tension to create structural damage to the muscle tissue Enough stimuli to up-regulate anabolic hormones and increase protein synthesis Proper recovery and workout nutrition Workout #1 When I think of athletes with huge quads, I think of Olympic lifters. They perform a ton of fronts, heavy. So […]
During the last several years, the loaded carry (most notable the farmers carry) has exploded on the scene. Everyone from bodybuilders to Cross fitters has started to include various loaded carries into their routines and for a good reason. A loaded carry is where an athlete picks up and carries a heavy object and walks with it for an extended period of time or distance. This can be done with various objects, such as dumbbells, […]
The longer that I am in the lifting game, the more I look to be more efficient with my workouts. In a perfect world, I would write programs for my clients and myself that would include the following: Soft tissue works with various foam rollers and massage balls Corrective exercises to improve any dysfunctions Mobility work Stretching Groundwork (rolling, crawling, Get-ups, etc.) Nervous system development/power work (med ball throws and plyos) Strength training Conditioning/cardiovascular work […]
The best way to build muscle is to perform full-body strength training sessions frequently throughout the week. The combo of lower and upper-body movement that involves multiple muscle groups done in a circuit fashion stimulates anabolic hormones and protein synthesis which are two of the major players at stimulating muscle growth. Performing multiple full-body strength routines must be done correctly in order to produce results. Hitting each muscle group 3 to 4 days per week […]
Power training is a vital piece of the functional training puzzle for both competitive athletes & general population clients. Progressive exposure to high-velocity movements trains the nervous system to recruit high-threshold motor units, reflexively stabilize joints and develop the local tissue resiliency necessary to withstand the demands of high-velocity sports, making it a valuable tool for both performance enhancement and injury reduction. Throwing low/moderate weight medicine balls with intent and at high velocity promotes the […]
In 2017, I wrote a Complete Programming Guide For Small Group and Large Group Personal Training Since then, there has been over 100 of our intern at State of Fitness that have read the manual. Each semester, our interns are required to turn in a detailed summary of what they learned from the manual. One of our amazing interns, Maryam Abbasi, has written a fantastic summary I wanted to share. You can click io the […]
Real Workouts. Real Eating. Real life.
Before you decide to change your lifestyle of eating, let me properly define what intermittent fasting (IF) is, and why you should use it.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is one of the most discussed dietary concepts right now. Just like many other diet concepts, intermittent fasting (IF) is growing by leaps and bounds; however, unlike most of the other diets out there, IF is gaining ground despite challenging many assumptions and practices that we have had in regards to nutrition. It has changed my overall concepts on what I think about nutrition.
As I stumbled upon IF when I received an email from the great minds at Precision Nutrition, I realized that IF forces you to eat in the direct opposition of my past assumptions, and that along with the results is why more and more people are experimenting with this new form of eating. I am a firm believer that this is not just some trend. It’s a massive shift that will change the way people eat, maker their lives easier and move convenient, and reshape your body.
IF Definition
The most accurate definition is the simplest one: IF is alternating intervals of not eating (fasting period) with times where you are allowed to eat (feeding period). How long each window lasts depends on the method that you choose to use, and there are several ways you can implement IF into your lifestyle. That is the beauty of it, and why it works so well.
Each option has its benefits, and the choice really depends on your personal preference and lifestyle. In general, each plan is about 16-36 hours with several stops in between, and each strategy offers it’s own unique benefits.
Why Use IF?
Intermittent fasting provides two very important benefits that both relate to long term weight loss:
1. Fasting puts your body into the most efficient fat burning environment possible by stimulating your fat burning hormones and suppressing your fat gaining hormones.
2. Fasting is the ultimate lifestyle that people can attain to stay leaner in a much easier fashion. It also allows you to push a reset button on your eating, and never leave you feeling guilty if you overeat. If you decide to engage in IF, you can eat large calorie meals and not worry as much about the consequences. Since you fasted for a period of time you have limited the times that you can consume food, thus reducing your overall caloric intake.
I am by no means the worlds leading expert on intermittent fasting. I have taken the time to learn from the best. I have included a list of top notch folks in the industry that know much more than I do. If you are still iffy about trying IF, take a look at some of these articles I have included. I could never cover everything there is to know about IF on my blog, so take the time to educate yourself even more.
Mark’s Daily Apple – Is Intermittent Fasting Healthy? One of the best websites out there for nutritional information. Mark also has links to many studies in his articles.
Leangains – Martin Berkhan is one of the “godfathers” of IF. HIs 16/8 method is my “go to” method of IF. here is a link to a great article that he wrote on Fitness Black Book – Scorch Through Your Fat Loss Plateau
JC Deen – Fasting For Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, and Easy Maintenance. JC goes through a lot of questions that people ask about the benefits of IF.
Brad Pilon – Another pioneer of IF, Brad has written a great book on his method, Eat, Stop, Eat. Here is a link where he has several articles that go over everything about IF – Introduction To Intermittent Fasting.
I could go on and on with great sources of people that I have learned intermittent fasting from, but this should be enough to chew on for a while. I will randomly give you some other sources in some of my future blogs.
In my next blog, I will outline the amazing benefits of intermittent fasting. After reading this blog on IF, I am sure you will be ready to make the lifestyle change.
In Fat Loss,
JG
Reblogged this on Coaches Corner.