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.
Fasted cardio methods have been in the bodybuilding and physique competitors circles for years. The theory is: if your body is low on glycogen, you will be more apt to burn fat as fuel. The theory seems logical. If the goal is to burn body fat you don’t want to have a lot of glycogen to burn, especially useful when dieting. There is also a psychological benefit to this as well. If you feel less “full” from having an empty stomach, hunger becomes high. This can be associated with a more lean or skinny stomach type of feel, but there is not the science behind this, just anecdotal evidence.
It is popular and believed to be true. This is because if you add dieting, hard training, and couple that with fasted cardio, you will lose body fat. The thing is, the fat loss may not be from the fasted cardio. Fat loss is typically happening from intense dieting and dialing in the training regimen.
Most science will show that there is not a much significant difference in fasted and non fasted cardio groups when diets and training protocols are similar to this study HERE.
This study also concludes that when performing moderate intensity endurance when fasted does not increase lipid utilization.
It’s debatable. Most “evidence” comes from bro science and anecdotal evidence says it is possible.
I personally feel that fasted cardio will not make or break your fat loss efforts. It can help in a way, however. If you simply don’t consume food during set periods of the day, you have a smaller window to consume calories. So by cutting calories around your workout, you are simply cutting calories, which can work for fat loss.
If you cut too many calories and amino acids during dieting phase you do run the risk of possibly losing muscle mass. Losing muscle mass can hinder fat loss in the long run.
So, I feel that taking in 5-10 grams of BCAA or EAA with 3-5 grams of creatine or maybe just a scoop or two of quality whey is the best option. It limits calories but provides a buffer between meals to make sure muscle mass is not lost and blood sugar levels are sustained for optimal energy and performance.
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