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🎬 New YouTube video about the "5 Most Common Protein Myths" is now live! I, this video, I discuss some common misconceptions about protein and also give you practical tips to ensure you get a good amount of protein per day. Visit the link in my bio or go to YouTube.com/iWannaBurnFat for more details.
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In the rest of this post, let's briefly discuss exactly why an elevated protein intake is beneficial when fat loss is the goal. First of all, high-protein diets are more effective than low-protein diets for maintaining muscle [1]. In one 2010 study, maintaining a protein intake of 2.3g/kg BW resulted in more muscle maintenance than a protein intake of 1g/kg BW.
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Protein generally also helps you feel more satisfied while dieting [3]. A classic example of this is a 2005 study [4]. When the participants increased their protein from 15 to 30% of daily calorie intake, hunger decreased and their calorie intake dropped. But not all protein sources are equally filling. Liquid protein sources like shakes may not make you feel very satisfied [5]. Opt for solid protein sources higher in volume.
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Lastly, protein also has a high thermic effect of food. Per 100 kCals of protein that you consume, roughly 20-30 kCals are burned for digestion [1]. This is higher than the thermic effect of carbohydrates or fats. So when you increase your protein intake, you increase your daily calorie-burn
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In the new video, I give practical protein recommendations and also clear up some common protein myths (like being able to only absorb 30g of protein per meal). So check it out by visiting the link in my bio!
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References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566799/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19927027
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23107521
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16002798
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31706311 ...

First of all, squat equipment is not a "must" if you want to perform proper deep squats. In fact, I think most healthy individuals benefit from being able to squat properly without the use of any equipment. With that said, I often get the question what the purpose of different squatting tools are. So I'll discuss that in today's post.
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Let's start with knee sleeves. Using elastic knee sleeves has been shown to provide a temporary reduction in knee pain and stiffness during leg training [1, 2]. Since most knee sleeves are elastic, the elastic energy you build up at the bottom of a squat may also help boost performance a bit. But before using knee sleeves, be sure to address the reason why you're experiencing knee pain in the first place.
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Next, we have lifting belts. Research consistently shows that the use of lifting belts slightly enhances strength performance [3, 4]. This likely is lifting belts increase intra-abdominal pressure, which results in increased spine stability and support. Contrary to commonly voiced concern, lifting belts do not seem to reduce core activation during squats [5].
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Lastly, we have squatting with elevated heels. Poor ankle mobility is a common reason why people can't squat deep. A practical solution for this is simply using weightlifting shoes or elevating your heels with plates (swipe left 3x to see an example). This reduces ankle mobility requirements.
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References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21952996
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15478166
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1533266
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710410
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11932579 ...

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Cardio and lifting weights are key components in most fitness programs. But should you do cardio or lifting weights first if you want to do both in the same session? Swipe left for more.
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The answer is, it depends on your goals. If you want to focus more on muscle development and use cardio as a way to burn extra calories, lift weights first and then do cardio. Because as shown by the research, cardio before lifting fatigues you and reduces muscle performance [3]. The opposite of course holds true. If your main focus is endurance improvement, prioritize cardio first.
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Now, if you want to maximally improve both your cardio and strength development, there is benefit in separating your cardio and lifting sessions.  A 2016 study found that separating your cardio and strength sessions by at least 6 hours results in improved strength gain [2]. A recent experimental study supports this [1]. So if you have the time, separating your cardio and strength sessions could help improve your results.
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But I can imagine that not everyone has the time or energy to visit the gym on 2 separate occasions for your cardio and strength workout. If you perform cardio and strength training in the same session, simply prioritize what is more important to you. Check the last slide for references and a summary!
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Proper deadlift form will look different for everyone due to differences in biomechanics, but there are 2 general tips that provide a good starting point for your deadlift set-up. Swipe left for visual details!
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First, of all, we want to make sure the barbell is over your midfoot. If you keep the barbell in front of your feet, it becomes harder to maintain a neutral spine and the bar is further away from your midline. With the barbell over your midfoot, you'll have a more efficient bar path because the bar can go straight up.
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Next, aim to also have sure your shoulder blades positioned over the barbell. If your shoulder blades are behind the bar, you typically are in a less stable position to pull the weight. With your shoulder blades over the barbell, your arms are perpendicular to the floor and you can pull the bar efficiently.
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So to sum up, place the bar over your midfoot and position your shoulder blades over the barbell. From this point on, pull the weight up. Exactly how your deadlift looks will of course depend on your individual mechanics. So, I would consider these tips useful starting points.
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📚 This post is an iWannaBurnFat Home-Workout Classic.
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Trian at home and only have dumbbells? You still have many options for training a squat pattern. In today's post, I will show you 8 dumbbell squat variations to give you an idea of what your options are.
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First, we have the Dumbbell Front Squats and Suitcase Squats. The DB front squat is (of course) similar to a barbell front squat, it mostly targets your quadriceps. The suitcase squats looks more like a trap-bar squat/deadlift since the weight is at your side. The difference with a deadlift is that with the suitcase squat the dumbbells don't have a "dead-stop" and your hips lower down more than a typical deadlift.
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Next up, we have 2 goblet squat variations. Like the front squat, the goblet squat focuses mostly on your quadriceps. A common limitation with Goblet Squats is that it's hard to hold up weights that are heavy enough without your shoulders fatiguing. A practical solution is doing 1.5-Rep Goblet Squats. Without having to hold up a ton of weight, your quadriceps are challenged greatly.
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The 4 last squat options can be found on the last 2 slides. My personal favorite for home-training is the "Wall Hack Squat". Give that a try if you haven't yet 💪🏼.
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⏰ A common struggle with training consistently is time availability. If you find it hard to finish your workouts on time, then this post is for you. I will discuss 3 time-saving training tools you can use to shorten your workouts without sacrificing results.
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First, we have supersets. This refers to pairing 2 exercises that train opposing muscle groups. From research, we know that with supersets you can get the same volume done in a workout with less time spent and without impairing performance [1]. But a superset only works well when you use it on opposing muscle groups, like chest and back or biceps and triceps training. When you superset something like deadlifts and squats, this produces too much fatigue.
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Next, we have rest-pause sets. With rest-pause training, you take your first set close to failure, rest for 10-15 seconds and then repeat the process 3-5 times without changing the weight. This allows you to accumulate volume in a time-efficient way. Research shows that muscle growth is at least the same if not better when you use rest-pause training on isolation lifts [2]. So if you want to finish your workouts quickly, consider rest-pause training on isolation lifts.
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Lastly, we have drop-sets. A drop-set is a set in which you do as many reps as possible with a certain weight and then immediately lower the weight to "pump out" more reps. Research shows drop-sets are similarly effective as straight-sets [3]. So if you have a few sets to go in your training, doing drop-sets helps you save time. But also with drop-sets, I suggest using it only on simple isolation exercises at the end of a workout to prevent form breakdown.
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References:
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20733520/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28617715
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28130627 ...