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Weighted Ab Exercises: 3 Simple Movements
When people start their fitness journey, getting well-developed abs is usually one of the main goals. I was no different. Looking back, I used to do a ton of crunches in the hopes of getting ripped abs. But I did all of this without putting enough thought into my...
Training Frequency: What is the best workout split?
In the past two articles, we have looked into training volume and intensity. Based on these articles, we now know that most people should train every muscle group with about 10-20 sets per week in a 5-15 rep range. If you get this right, you will experience...
Training Intensity: Best Rep Range For Muscle Growth
Introduction In the previous blog post, we've looked into training volume and muscle growth. The main takeaway was that training every muscle group with about 10-20 sets per week is a good starting point for muscle growth. But as you can imagine, just how many plain...
Weighted Ab Exercises: 3 Simple Movements
When people start their fitness journey, getting well-developed abs is usually one of the main goals. I was no different. Looking back, I used to do a ton of crunches in the hopes of getting ripped abs. But I did all of this without putting enough thought into my...
Training Frequency: What is the best workout split?
In the past two articles, we have looked into training volume and intensity. Based on these articles, we now know that most people should train every muscle group with about 10-20 sets per week in a 5-15 rep range. If you get this right, you will experience...
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![🎯 Cardio and lifting weights are key components in any fitness program. But should you do cardio or lift weights first in a training session?
The simple answer is that 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.
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]. So if you have the time, separating your cardio and strength sessions can help. A practical way to accomplish this is by doing cardio and lifting weights on separate days. Or perhaps even doing your weights in the morning and cardio in the evening, if you have experience with training 2 times a day.
📚 Scientific References:
1. LEVERITT, MICHAEL, and PETER J. ABERNETHY. "Acute effects of high-intensity endurance exercise on subsequent resistance activity." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 13.1 (1999): 47-51.
2. Tomiya, Shigeto, Naoki Kikuchi, and Koichi Nakazato. "Moderate intensity cycling exercise after upper extremity resistance training interferes response to muscle hypertrophy but not strength gains." Journal of sports science & medicine 16.3 (2017): 391.
🎵 Background music by @iamryanlittle](https://www.iwannaburnfat.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
🎯 Cardio and lifting weights are key components in any fitness program. But should you do cardio or lift weights first in a training session?
The simple answer is that 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.
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]. So if you have the time, separating your cardio and strength sessions can help. A practical way to accomplish this is by doing cardio and lifting weights on separate days. Or perhaps even doing your weights in the morning and cardio in the evening, if you have experience with training 2 times a day.
📚 Scientific References:
1. LEVERITT, MICHAEL, and PETER J. ABERNETHY. "Acute effects of high-intensity endurance exercise on subsequent resistance activity." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 13.1 (1999): 47-51.
2. Tomiya, Shigeto, Naoki Kikuchi, and Koichi Nakazato. "Moderate intensity cycling exercise after upper extremity resistance training interferes response to muscle hypertrophy but not strength gains." Journal of sports science & medicine 16.3 (2017): 391.
🎵 Background music by @iamryanlittle
🎯 5 Muscle Growth Laws
Building muscle can be confusing. You will find much contradicting information online on how to train and eat for muscle growth. To simplify the process, in this video, I will share 5 fundamental muscle growth laws. Swipe left for more!
First, commit to 1 training program. A common mistake people make is that they constantly switch their training programs based on what they see online. But this prevents you from becoming a master in your lifts. Focus on having a program with mostly the basic big compound movements and aim to get stronger on these exercises while deploying patience.
Secondly, when you train, prioritize performance over fatigue. A common training trap we want to avoid is that you start training just for a muscle pump by having short rest intervals in between sets. Instead of chasing muscle fatigue, chase performance improvements in your workouts by giving yourself enough rest between sets [1].
Thirdly, don't be afraid to eat more. Muscle growth is an energy-intensive process. So if you are constantly in a calorie deficit for more fat loss, the amount of muscle you can gain will be limited. Also, go on Lean Bulk phases throughout the year to better support muscle growth progress [2].
The next law is to make high-protein eating a habit. Protein provides the building blocks your muscles use to recover and grow. As shown by research, not eating enough protein will simply result in lower muscle growth [3]. Aim to eat at least 1.6g/kg of your bodyweight in protein [4].
Lastly, maintain proper sleep and recovery. Muscle growth requires hard training. The only way you can perform well to stimulate muscle growth is if you are in a well-rested state [5]. So don't underestimate the importance of proper 7-8 hours of daily sleep.
📚 Scientific References (PMID):
1. 26605807
2. 31247944
3. 16948480
4. 28698222
5. 29438540
🌯 About Meal Frequency
When you consume food, your body expends energy to digest and process the nutrients in your diet. This is known as the "thermic effect of food" (TEF) [1, 2]. A common misconception is that you need to consume several smaller meals per day to maximize the thermic effect of food for a "faster metabolism". But in actuality, we can be more flexible with meal frequency for fat loss. Swipe left for more details.
In one research review, it was found that the thermic effect of food is not influenced by meal frequency when you equate for total daily calorie intake [3]. This helps explain why there's research showing that a low meal frequency does not slow down your metabolism or decrease fat loss if calories are controlled [4].
More recent research on intermittent fasting supports that we can be flexible with meal frequency for fat loss. Whether you eat all your calories in a narrow eating window or consume frequent meals, fat loss is similar [5].
All in all, maintain a meal frequency that works for you. For some people, having small meals throughout the day helps with hunger control. Others prefer to eat less frequently and have larger meals. Both approaches work, as long as you stay in that calorie deficit.
📚 See the last slide for scientific references!
🎬 New YouTube video just went live! I discuss 3 science-based tips to help you build muscle faster Visit the link in my bio or go to YouTube.com/iWannaBurnFat to check the new video.
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In the rest of this post, I will discuss a common muscle growth mistake, which is chasing training fatigue instead of progressive overload.
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First things first, your training sessions should be challenging if you want to develop muscle. If you do not challenge yourself in training, your muscles won't have a reason to adapt and grow. And it is normal if in your training journey you experience some soreness and sometimes feel more fatigued. But this doesn't mean that we should actively pursue "exhaustion" in every workout. Feeling sore by itself doesn't produce progress [1]. Progressive overload produces progress. Challenging your muscles beyond their present capacity by consistently improving your workout performance results in muscle development.
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If you swipe left and check the 2nd slide, you can find 2 common mistakes people often make in training. The first one is doing cardio in between your sets of lifting weights. Now, if your goal is improving muscular endurance, this is fine. But if developing/maintaining muscle while losing fat is the goal, this is counterproductive. The additional cardio will fatigue you for your working sets, resulting in less effective strength training. If you want to do cardio for more calorie burn, do it after or outside of your training [2].
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Also, having very short rest periods to feel your muscles "burn" more typically does more harm than good. Research consistently shows that shorter rest periods compromise your performance and training volume, resulting in less muscle and strength gain [3, 4].
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Moral of the story: If your goal is developing muscle and strength, don't focus on "fatiguing" yourself in training. But focus on progressively overloading your lifts. Visit the link in my bio to learn more about effective muscle growth training!
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📚 References (PMID):
1. 21270317
2. 27863207
3. 26605807
4. 19077743
🍳How Much Protein Can You Absorb?
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A common statement in sports nutrition is that your body can only absorb 30g of protein per meal. Is this actually true and is there a protein absorption limit? Swipe left for a science-based answer.
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First of all, the 30g protein absorption limit does not make much sense since the small intestines, which is the place where most protein is absorbed, can absorb large amounts of nutrients. So if we talk about absorption, your body can absorb much more than 30g of protein per meal.
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But there is a difference between protein absorption and protein utilization. The right question to ask in this case is, how much protein can your body utilize towards building muscle per meal? And this depends on the situation. For instance, one study found that eating 20g of protein was enough to maximize muscle protein synthesis after a leg training session [1]. While when doing a full-body day, other research shows that eating up to 40g of protein in a meal helps with maximizing muscle growth [2]. Also, a 100-kilogram advanced bodybuilder will need a different amount of protein than a 70-kilogram beginner trainee.
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To help determine your protein needs, a 2018 review paper investigated how much protein you should eat per meal to maximize muscle development [3]. The researchers suggest that having a per-meal protein intake of 0.4-0.55g/kg of your body weight is a good aim. So if we have an 80-kilogram individual, that is consuming between 32-44g of protein per meal for max muscle growth.
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📚 See the last slide for scientific references! Background music by the amazing @iamryanlittle
🔑 How Many Exercises Per Session When Lifting Weights?
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Exactly how many exercises you should be doing in a training session will of course depend on your goals and how you set up your weekly training routine. But for most people looking to develop muscle or gain strength, you don't need many exercises to have a good workout.
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A common training mistake I see in my practice as a personal trainer is people trying to squeeze too many exercises into 1 session. I understand that the workout may feel like a greater challenge if you do many more exercises. But if you try to do 10 or more exercises in a single session, the second half of your workout will typically be of lower quality and you won't be able to properly apply progressive overload.
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It makes sense to focus on doing fewer exercises in your training session, but then having a high level of performance on each of those lifts. As a general guideline, I have found that doing between 4-7 strength-focused exercises in a workout is a good aim for most people. If you incorporate several compound exercises in this workout, you will still have a challenging training session on your hands.
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Just imagine doing the Bench Press, followed by Squats, followed by Pull-Ups, and then a Shoulder Press before moving into 1-2 isolation exercises. These 5-6 exercises will ask a lot from your body and they will provide a bigger bang for your buck than rushing through 10 isolation exercises.