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.
There are certain foods that I feel you should always have on your grocery list. These are foods that you can pair with many other foods, make certain foods taste better, and provide an 
array of nutrient value.
Olive Oil
Nuts & Seeds
Dark Chocolate
Grass-fed Whey Protein
Coconut oil
You can keep these in your kitchen and you can use them when you need them. These are things that make very quick cooking possible with not a lot of fuss with delicious flavors. Important nutrients in your salads such as vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning our bodies can’t absorb and use them unless fat is present. That’s because fat stimulates the production of bile which you need in order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Without it, the fat-soluble vitamins in vegetables, like vitamin A, won’t be well absorbed.
A salad full of healthy raw vegetables with olive oil will do you much more good than you imagined.
I like to drizzle some olive oil, with salt and pepper on all my roasted veggies. I also cook my meat in olive oil as well as potatoes of flavor.I’ll always keep some dark chocolate as a small treat. I recommend anything above 70%. Adding some cacao/dark chocolate to nuts and dried fruit provide a better option than store-bought trail mix that typically has sugar and oils added.
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various nuts and seeds are the best snacks in my opinion. They provide key minerals, monounsaturated and saturated fats, fiber, and a bit of protein, making them the perfectly balanced snack.
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Coconut oil can be used a lot like olive oil when cooking. Coconut oil can also be used a lot like butter, such as on sweet potatoes and a piece of sported grain bread. It is also a great way to boost your smoothie with the additional MCT’s and saturated fat (remember, not all sat fat is bad and is very beneficial).
Grass-fed whey protein is my favorite protein powder. There are some great plant protein powders however; I still like the benefits from grass-fed whey. It has tons of essential amino acids, easy to digest and good ones don’t have lactose, making it better for those who can not digest it. Grass-fed whey also tastes much better when adding it to smoothies, oatmeal, ancient grain cereal, pancakes, and even baked goods.
If you have foods on hand at all time it makes it much easier to stay on track. These are my five favorites and they don’t have to be yours. Just try and find 5 foods that you like that pack a nutrient punch and always have them readily available to make eating healthy easier.
Great article, it’s good to know that fact about needing a little fat to absorb vitamins from salads, didn’t realize this. Appreciate your research.
My pleasure!