Apr 16, 2014

Muscle vs Protein supplements

protein supplements resizemeat resize

I had a friend ask me about protein today. She wanted to know about protein shakes. So for Promise and the rest of you, here’s the facts…….

The only stimulus to make muscles larger and stronger is to stretch them while they contract against resistance. When you lift a heavy weight, your muscles start to stretch before they start to contract. This tears the muscle and causes soreness on the next day. If you rest and let the muscle heal, it will be stronger than before you stretched it. You improve by performing hard workouts so your muscles can grow and heal while you recover on your easy days.

Anything that helps you recover faster from a hard workout will allow you to do more work to make you stronger. Scientists have known for years that you recover faster by eating immediately after you finish your hard workout. Now we know that eating extra protein helps you recover even faster. Muscles are made primarily from protein building blocks called amino acids. Muscles heal from a hard workout when amino acids and other nutrients travel from your bloodstream into the muscles. Eating any food, particularly foods with plenty of protein, immediately after you finish your workout helps your muscles heal faster so you can do more work. The sooner you eat protein after you finish your hard workout, the quicker you will recover.

However, you don’t need to take expensive supplements; ordinary foods provide high-quality protein and taste better. I am against putting unnecessary chemicals and processed foods in your body. Also once you get done with the supplements, you still have to eat. Learn to use your food. Remember, your body cannot store extra protein. If you don’t need all of the protein you have eaten, it is broken down into ammonia and organic acids, which are used for energy. Any excess is stored as fat.

How much protein do we need?

Our protein needs depend on our age, size, and activity level. The standard method used by nutritionists to estimate our minimum daily protein requirement is to multiply the body weight in pounds by .37. This is the number of grams of protein that should be the daily minimum. According to this method, a person weighing 150 lbs. should eat 55 grams of protein per day, a 200-pound person should get 74 grams, and a 250-pound person should eat 92 grams.

What have we learned?

1. Extra protein is only needed to recover from resistance training

2. Protein is not stored. If you don’t use it or need it, it will be broken down and converted to energy or fat.

3. The way to not add calories to your diet is to use your food to your benefit. Otherwise you run the risk of gaining weight from what you perceive to be healthy food.

Therefore, there is no benefit to ingesting large amounts of protein in shakes, supplements, fortified foods. Considering the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet), we consume meat with evey meal so its not like the average person will be deficient. Now, let’s stop listening supplement companies trying to sell us dreams of lean sculpted bodies in a can, powder or pill.

 ~its about what YOU see in the mirror~

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http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/protein_and_muscles.html

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/protein.htm

Apr 14, 2014

Muscle vs. Fat-part 2

fat-vs-muscle body 1 resizefat-vs-weight-body 3 resize

 

We talked about how muscle weighs more than fat but it takes up less space. As you can see here, the woman on the on left (the top on mobile screens) actually added  almost 10lbs of muscle but she’s smaller. Her thighs are smaller, her waist has slimmed, her butt is lifted. As a whole her weight is carried differently. The woman in the right pic (bottom on mobile screens), is 5 lbs heavier but she looks smaller also. What I’m trying to show you is they didn’t get big like a bodybuilder by doing resistance training. They added enough muscle to get their bodies the way they wanted them. Another benefit to building more muscle is, you will automatically burn more calories in your everyday life. There’s many ways to achieve more muscle. Body weight exercises, free weights, machines, resistance bands and tubes, etc. I myself, alternate between free weights, body weight, and cardio in one continuos circuit before I take a break. This gives me a total body workout, burning the most calories in the least amount of time. I’m usually done within an hour. The problem with all cardio is it doesn’t build or preserve muscle. Therefore it takes more time to burn the same amount of calories. Also it takes for people to step outside their comfort zone and to deviate from their regular routine of treadmill, elliptical, rowing machine, and exercise bike.

No.1  Don’t focus on how much you weigh.

No.2  Don’t put your resistance training on the back burner and only emphasize cardio. Do them together.

No.3  Let consistency be your goal. Keep your schedule , at least 3 times a week, every week.

No.4  Use tape measure or your clothes as a indication of your progress.

Do this and one day sooner than you think, you’ll come to find you need to buy new clothes.

~its about what YOU see in the mirror~

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Apr 10, 2014

Muscle vs. Fat-part 1

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5lbs of fat & 5lbs of muscle

We talked about focusing on your overall size and not the number on the scale, this is why. Muscle weighs more than fat but it takes up less space. When you start your workout plan, and you start building muscle you may not see the number on the scale change as much as you think it should. You may become frustrated, but you body may still be changing. Also you need to understand that moving your muscles is the only thing that burns fat/stored calories. So it would stand to reason that the fastest way to lose fat is to build bigger muscles (resistance training). You won’t get big like a bodybuilder unless you lift heavy weights to get big like a bodybuilder. Quiz question 1: if Person A (more muscle) and Person B (less muscle) both walk one block at the same speed, who would burn more calories? Quiz question 2: If your workout consisted of all cardio and no resistance training (muscle building) would it take you longer or less time to reach your size goal? I’m trying to appeal to you sense of logic. If you approach your goal practically, you stand the chance of having a more positive outcome. The worst thing you can do when getting healthy is to just make up a exercises regimen, make up a diet and expect your body to respond the way you think it should. It doesn’t work like that. For instance, I see soooooo many people on cardio equipment at the gym whose bodies don’t seem to be changing much at all.  Some of them push themselves the whole time, others don’t even put forth enough effort to brreathe hard. What’s missing?  They’re contracting their muscles….. Why aren’t their bodies changing? It could be a host of reasons but from a training stand point, their exercise regimen is flawed. Smaller muscle equals fewer calories burned. So do  resistance training to build muscle, cardio to burns calories, and do them together for a greater benefit in less time. Stay off the scale and use a measuring tape to  track you body’s changes.

~its about what YOU see in the mirror~

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Mar 17, 2014

15 Benefits of WATER

Water pic

There are many calls for you to drink a lot of water in a single day. While you may not understand the reason why, it is first important to note that the liquid constitutes a significant part of your body. The following are the benefits of drinking water.

Water is necessary to keep young
It is effective in helping you lose weight
It is helpful in eliminating skin disorders
Water is helpful in muscle building and toning
Reduced chances of heart diseases
Increases your brain activity
It rejuvenates your body eliminating stress and fatigue
Water intake is critical for digestion
Regulation of body temperature
Reduced chances of cancer
Maintains the required PH in your body
Reduced incidents of migraines and headaches
Eliminates bad breath
Water is an immune booster
It is very affordable

1. Drinking plenty of water hydrates your skin, keeps it supple and eliminates wrinkles. What you may not know is that skin lotions and creams cannot effectively hydrate your skin when compared to water.

2. It has been found that drinking water is the safest way to reduce weight. It is effective in eliminating any by-products that are produced after the metabolism of fat and increases satiety thereby reducing appetite and your calorie intake. Water is free from calories which makes it an ideal substance in weight reduction.

3. Water intake in sufficient amounts is helpful in fighting skin diseases like eczema, spots and psoriasis.

4. If you take sufficient amounts of water, the cells in your body benefit by having enough oxygen. This is helpful because they are able to work for long and harder before they get tired. Over time, you are able to build your muscles and tone them.

5. There is conclusive clinical research that has found that drinking plenty of water reduces your chances of suffering a heart attack significantly.

6. The cells in your brain are made of a significant amount of water. Drinking plenty of the liquid ensures that it gets the amount of oxygen it needs to function properly. This results to heightening of your cognitive function, concentration and alertness.

7. Drinking 8 or more glasses of water in a day ensures that waste products from your body’ metabolism and toxins are effectively eliminated from your body. It is interesting to note that if you are in the habit of feeling tired often, it could be as a result of dehydration which places unnecessary strain on your heart to pump blood to all your body cells. This results to fatigue and feelings of stress which limit your physical performance. Water also lubricates your muscles and joints reducing or eliminating chances of suffering from sprains and cramps.

8. Water intake is essential for you’re the proper functioning of your gastrointestinal tract because it aids in digestion and helps eliminate constipation. The major role played by water in digestion is during chemical digestion.

9. The right body temperature in your body is necessary for you to remain comfortable and makes you energetic. Water is essential in body temperature regulation because its thermal properties effectively ensure that excessive heat is eliminated from your body through your skin pores.

10. It has been found that sufficient water intake reduces your risks of getting cancer of the colon and bladder by destroying agents that cause the condition and in reducing their levels of concentration before they get a chance to make contact with the lining of the respective organs.

11. One of the benefits of drinking water is maintaining the required PH levels in your body. This is necessary because your body needs a specific level of PH in order for its functions to be carried out properly.
12. Incidents of migraines and headaches are significantly reduced in people who take sufficient amounts of water because their bodies are adequately hydrated. It has also been identified that the intensity of headaches and migraines is considerably reduced by water intake.

13. Bad breath is sometimes caused by insufficient water intake. Water is helpful in removing bacteria and food particles that are stuck between your teeth and gums before they cause bad breath.

14. There are numerous ailments that you can avoid by drinking the recommended amount of water. These include rheumatism, respiratory disorders, kidney stones and flu.

15. When you consider the above benefits in relation to the cost of water, you will find that it is the cheapest natural substance that can offer the highest number of benefits.

 

~ its about what YOU see in the mirror~

PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE DIET CHANGE OR PHYSICAL TRAINING.

source:http://www.benefitsofdrinkingwater.org/

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