Archives June 2020

Are you stuck in your training?

The years go by and you realize that your muscles are suddenly not growing like they used to. Your muscles stop responding to your heavy training, no matter how hard you’ve been training intensely. From what you tell yourself, now I will train harder. So now you put in a three hour session but you are foolishly not realizing that that will only reduce the size of your muscles.

Ahhhhh, the stagnation ! It affects all of us and very few of us can be saved from it. In fact, most people don’t know that they are stuck and blame genetics for not growing. Don’t worry, if you read the following tips, I can assure you that your muscles will grow again and make them bigger.

Estas estancado

1. Change the repeating ranges.

Surely every day you do 5-9 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions … There is nothing wrong with that range, it is also ideal for hypertrophy or muscle building. But total physical development also requires strength, which occurs in ranges below 1-5 reps and muscular endurance, which is performed with high reps of 20-30.

Give your body a break. Move to a new rep range for a few weeks. If you are stuck, you must change your workouts to keep growing. It will be a new change of pace for your muscles and force them to respond again.

For example : 3 weeks you do strength, then you spend 2 weeks in muscular endurance and you go back to the original rep range and you will observe the change. You will be surprised.

If you are an experienced bodybuilder, you may need more intensity to get your muscles’ attention.

The idea of ​​ drop sets is to do a set of strings on failure or near failure, but the work doesn’t end here. When you hit failure with a high weight, immediately grab a light weight and do as many sets as you can until failure. Drop sets will help you reduce your gym time, a higher percentage of muscle fibers will be stimulated and you will get better results.

3. Take an inventory of your diet.

When was the last time you did a diet check ? If it’s been more than a month, do it right now. Your diet dictates results. If you don’t eat well, it will be difficult to make progress. “ When you climb a mountain, it constantly changes its terrain; change with it or stay where you are ”.

For example , if you’re in bulk, it might be time to give yourself a calorie boost – enough to give a new spark to muscle growth. Perform a reassessment every 6 to 8 weeks to maximize progress and avoid stalling.

Also remember that every kilo you gain you have to modify your diet. You are not going to consume the same when you were at 90 kilos as now that you are at 95, for example.

4. Rest

In some cases, resting for about 2 weeks from your training is the best way to improve results. You may not even know that you are overtrained if you never take time off. After the break, you will be bigger and stronger.

Consistency in training is important, but training too hard every day in the gym can lead to fatigue, even boredom. In the end, the results slow down or stop altogether.

5. Periodization

What does this mean? Professional athletes train for seasons using periodization. The periods are generally built parts or phases of 4-6. Each phase has its own or unique goal or objective. When it comes to bodybuilding this can be an amazing concept when you really plan well.

Basically periodization is doing a different type of training / diet style every 4-5 months, for example:

  • January-March: Strength (The goal is to gain as much strength as possible)
  • April-June: Muscle Volume (The goal is to gain muscle mass without worrying about the fat that can be obtained)
  • July-December: Muscle Definition (The goal is to lose all the fat that you have gained in the Strength / Volume phase but trying not to lose the muscle already gained ) In this phase, the diet has to be perfect and not abuse cardiovascular exercise.

What to eat before bed to build muscle

Eating to build muscle is a fairly common practice. Most likely, you compose your meals with the three main macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. You will surely eat at specific intervals throughout the day and make sure you eat regularly and consistently.

But, What about those late-night cravings where you could easily eat another meal or maybe you just feel like you really should be getting some nutrition? Sure, you can eat at another meal. all the macronutrients mentioned, but What if you are on a lean diet and don’t want to eat a lot of carbs before bed? The best answer is that you need a protein shot with some healthy fats without fear of let carbohydrates cause you harm.

What you eat before bed can have a big impact on gaining muscle mass or losing fat, if you eat something you shouldn’t, you can gain fat while you sleep.

Qué comer antes de acostarse

5 protein foods you can eat before bed

1. Eggs and avocado

Possibly in the world of protein, eggs are a great option for a nighttime meal. As a highly versatile food, eggs can be prepared in many ways to meet your nutritional needs and palate.

Once considered the nightmare of society, egg yolks are truly a welcome addition as they provide essential fatty acids that can help regulate hormone levels and give you a much-needed dose of satiety.

Avocado is another potent food perfect to pair with a selection of solid proteins. Avocado is versatile and can be added to many dishes. Use as a substitute for mayonnaise in stuffed eggs; Season with a pinch of salt and seasoning for a lean protein snack.

2. Casein and linseed oil

Although casein protein powder doesn’t have the superstar status that whey does, it could be considered the unsung hero of protein supplementation. As it digests slowly, it allows for a more gradual release of amino acids to give you protein coverage throughout the night. This will keep you in that anabolic state of recovery and repair longer than serum.

Flaxseed oil is another healthy fat with a host of benefits. Not only will it help slow digestion for dinner, but it will also help fill you up, decrease inflammation, and lower cholesterol.

3. Greek yogurt and chia seeds

If you haven’t heard of the benefits of Greek yogurt yet then you must be a newbie to the physical lifestyle. It’s loaded with active cultures that aid in gut health and it also has more protein on average than regular yogurt. It’s a great addition wherever you put it in your meal plan.

The seeds are rich in fiber, contain antioxidants, contain key omega-3 fatty acids, and are high-quality protein. They are also easy to add to almost any meal. Just sprinkle a little on a variety of your favorite foods or just top off your Greek yogurt with a scoop and you’re done.

4. Cottage cheese and almonds

Greek yogurt shouldn’t take all the credit for dairy protein. Cottage cheese includes sources of whey and casein protein so you get the fast and slow acting benefits of each type. It is one of the most perfect nocturnal sources of amino acids.

Almonds (or any other type of favorite nut) can induce satiety, give you a shot of healthy fats, and help slow down the digestive process to help regulate blood sugar levels. They are also great for micronutrient absorption and can be easily added to many foods. Just include them with your cottage cheese or just have a handful for a healthy snack.

5. Whey protein and peanut butter

Now we finally come to one of the most popular options when it comes to protein intake and muscle building. Many companies sell whey products, so be sure to buy a reputable one.

Whey contains a higher amount of essential amino acids specifically of the branched chain type: leucine, isoleucine and valine. Quickly digested, it’s an ideal supplement for a post-workout recovery shake.

One tablespoon of whey protein powder and two tablespoons of natural peanut butter will give you 290 calories, 28 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrates and 16 grams of fat.

Here are other tips to take into account:

  • Eating a lot of food, especially carbohydrates at bedtime will cause you to gain fat when you sleep.
  • Eating carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (pasta, potatoes, white rice, sugar) right at bedtime will cause insulin levels to skyrocket and decrease growth hormone production, this is bad since 80% of This super hormone that burns fat and builds muscle mass is made when we sleep.
  • Try to always eat 2-3 hours before bed so that you can burn some calories.
  • Your last meal before bed should be animal protein such as chicken, fish, or fibrous carbohydrates (vegetables and fruits).
  • Before bed you could also take 1-2 scoops of casein protein powder.
  • Another good option is to eat a serving of low-fat cottage cheese (packed with casein protein).