Diet structure is so important for muscle gain and weight loss

Whether you are trying to lose weight or pack on the muscle the way you structure your diet is of utmost impotance. The funny thing is, the structure for weight loss diets and mass gain diets isn’t all that different. Check it out.

Six small meals a day for weight loss and muscle gain

The classic forumla of six small meals a day is so important for almost anyone who works out and wants to see results. It really is the best way to structure your diet.

The diet is simple, you determine what type of foods you will be eating and then you eat six times a day. This replaces the traditional and very out-dated forumla of three square meals a day.

The meals should be smaller in size that what you normally eat so that you aren’t necessarily eating more, just more often.

They should be spaced out so that you eat a meal every 2.5 to 3 hours.

Why does this work for weight loss?
The reason six small meals a day is excellent for weight loss has to do with your digestion and how your metabolism works. Digestion takes up a lot of energy and thus can burn calories. If you eat six small meals a day your metabolism is in a constant process of burning the food and doesn’t have a chance to slow down.

It also works by reducing the amount you convert to fat. If you have three square meals a day chances are between meals your body will slow down and store some of the huge meal as fat as you have no immediate use for the energy. Continue Reading

Important over training signs every athlete should watch out for

Do you go to the gym everyday or play a sport at a near serious level? If you are working out everyday and something isn’t feeling quite right then there is a good chance you have been over training. Here are some of the main signs you’re working out too much.

1. Slow recovery rate
One of the biggest signs that you are over training is when your body takes considerably longer to recover after a hard gym session. This recovery can be in terms of muscle soreness, joint stiffness or just being fatigued for much longer.

When I was playing serious soccer I was training kung fu at the same time and often doing 6-8 hours of training a day. After a few months I noticed that after soccer game day I had to take a day off to recover. My body just wasn’t keeping up.

2. Overly sore muscles and joints
This is one for the gym junkies. We all know the feeling you get the day after a workout at the gym. And, for the most part, this muscle soreness a good thing - we all love it because it hints that we had a good session. However, ask yourself how long you usually stay sore for? Is it one day? Two days? A week?

If you have a good session with heavy weights at the gym it is natural to be sore a day after the workout. However, if you are staying sore for longer than two or three days then you might want to consider easing up on the training. Remember, muscles grow when you are resting. You need to give them adequate time to recover.

3. Irritable
If you find yourself snapping and growling at family and friends over small issues then it is possible you are training too much. The fatigued state that over training leaves your body in can have an effect on your mood in significant ways. On the lighter side, now we know why all the fitness instructors at the gym are ass holes!

4. Mental fogginess
If you are finding it difficult to concentrate in class or at work and you can’t find another possible cause then perhaps look to your workouts. Lack of concentration typically affects people who do a lot of running or long distance cardio. Like me, if you are doing kung fu and then soccer and then maybe some weights there is a high chance your academic performance will be affected. Continue Reading

Should you add fitness ball exercises to your workout for better abs?

The fitness ball (or swiss ball) has taken to our gyms like a duck to water. They seem to be popular with young and old people alike and many people are reporting excellent results. This post will look at the fitness ball and evaluate whether you should start using one for better abs.

How does the fitness ball benefit the abs?

One of the main benefits of the fitness ball is the stretch it gives your abs. The range of motion for the exercise you are doing is drastically increased and this means your abs are forced to do more work.

Take the fitness ball crunch for example. When you lean back on the fitness ball you can arch your back comfortably before proceeding with the crunch and thus stretch your abs and midsection really well. This stretch is almost impossible to get when you do the crunch on the floor. Continue Reading