NEED HELP WITH BURNING FAT?

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Do you find it difficult to develop your triceps? I got you covered! Swipe left for 4 practical tips about triceps training.
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First, we want to make sure you train the triceps with full range of motion. The main function of your triceps is elbow extension. So let's train this movement pattern effectively by properly stretching and contracting your triceps on exercises like pushdowns. This also applies to rope pushdowns. You can also consider using 2 ropes for more range of motion.
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Next, we want to prevent losing tension on the triceps whenever you train your triceps with dumbbells. Let's take triceps kickbacks as another example, if you bring your lower arm all the way up to your chest, there is no resistance on the tricep. Instead, try something like a triceps standing cable kickback in which there is more resistance on your triceps or use Banded kickbacks if you train at home.
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Also, it's beneficial to train the triceps from different angles. Since the long head of your triceps attaches to the shoulder, you are able to train the long head at different muscle lengths based on your arm position. I suggest including a triceps lift in which the arms are at your side, overhead and at a 90-degree angle.
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Lastly, the triceps aren't just trained with isolation movements, but also with compound movements like the bench press and shoulder press. If you want to focus more on your triceps in your training, try progressively overloading exercises like dips or the close-grip bench press.
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🎵 Background music by @iamryanlittle ...

📚 Research Update About Caffeine
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Caffeine is known as one of the few effective performance supplements out there. The anti-fatiguing effects of caffeine result in improved mental alertness, focus, and physical performance. In the context of fitness, we are mostly interested in the effects on physical performance [1, 2]. In a 2015 study, caffeine before training resulted in an 11% increase in reps performed on the bench press in trained individuals over 3 sets [2]. In a set of 10 reps, this is just 1 rep more. So the effects of caffeine on muscle development are not huge [3]. But still, there is a small performance benefit you can get.
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So how much caffeine do you need? Most of the previous research we have on caffeine and performance used mostly high doses of caffeine. Caffeine doses between 3-6mg/kg of your bodyweight were found to be effective for boosting strength. But more recent research indicates that also smaller doses of caffeine can benefit strength. In a 2020 study, a caffeine dose of around 1.5mg/kg of total bodyweight improved strength performance [4].
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The exact caffeine dose that will work for you depends on your caffeine tolerance. I suggest most people start with a relatively low caffeine dose (~90-120mg) and scale caffeine intake up further when you find it necessary. Also, something to consider with caffeine consumption is that it impacts your sleep when taken close to bed. One study found that consuming caffeine even 6 hours before bed interferes with sleep quality [3]. So it's a good idea to limit caffeine intake in the evening
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All in all, caffeine is one of the few supplements out there that actually "works". But as with most things, it also has drawbacks. For those that train in the evening, I'd generally suggest leaving caffeine for what it is so you can get better quality sleep. It's becoming increasingly clear that sleep plays a crucial role in fat loss and muscle growth, so it's not something to overlook [6].
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See the last slide for scientific references! ...

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🦵The term "lunge" and "split squat" are often used interchangeably. But there is a small difference between the two variations. With a lunge, you take a step forward or backward, so it is a dynamic movement. With a split squat, your legs are more static because you keep both legs on the floor in the same position. Swipe left on the post for visuals about both variations!
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As mentioned, with a lunge, you can take a step forward or backward, you can of course also do walking lunges. I would prefer doing a lunge variation if you want to improve lower body balance since this is a more dynamic movement. There are also different ways to do a lunge.  To focus on training your quadriceps, perform a forward lunge in which your knees lean forward more (while your heels stay on the floor). For training the glutes more, perform a reverse lunge in which your shin angle are more upright.
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Now, about the split squat, this movement is more static and allows you to keep more constant tension on the leg you are training. So this movement is preferred if you want to isolate the lower body muscles. As the lunge, you can make split squats more hip-dominant by maintaining a vertical shin angle. To focus more on quadriceps, let your knees travel forward more.
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Lastly, for split squats, I would typically suggest making use of an elevation, either in the front or rear foot. This helps you train the split squat with more range of motion, placing even greater demands on your lower body muscles. ...

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When it comes to leg training, there are 4, main movement patterns: Squat, Hinge, Bridging, and Calf Raises. Swipe left and let's get into example exercises of each!
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First, we of course have the squat movement pattern. This is a knee-dominant exercise that targets mostly the quadriceps, but it also involves a good amount of glutes. As an alternative for home-training, you can perform Bulgarian split squats with a backpack. Research shows that Bulgarian split squats are also effective for targeting the quadriceps and glutes [1].
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Next up, we have the hip hinge pattern that we train with a deadlift variation. As you may know, I personally am a fan of Romanian deadlifts done with a barbell to train the hamstrings. But also traditional Deadlifts are of course a good way to train a hip hinge. As long as you have some form of deadlifting in your routine, you should be good with training a hip hinge.
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Lastly, we have a bridging pattern, like with a hip thrust. A hip thrust is technically also a hip hinge, but I like to discuss it separately since a bridge pattern focuses more on your glutes. If you don't have access to a barbell, you can do 1-legged hip thrusts with a backpack on your hips.
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Lastly, we have calf raises to train the calves. The calves consists of 2 main muscles. The gastrocnemius and soleus. As shown in previous research [2], the gastrocnemius works harder when you do calf raises with the legs extended. While the soleus is activated more when your knees are bent. So incorporating both a standing and seated calf raise variation in your training week is beneficial.
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1. Jones, M. T., Ambegaonkar, J. P., Nindl, B. C., Smith, J. A., & Headley, S. A. (2012). Effects of unilateral and bilateral lower-body heavy resistance exercise on muscle activity and testosterone responses. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 26(4), 1094-1100.
2. Signorile, J. F., Applegate, B., Duque, M., Cole, N., & Zink, A. (2002). Selective recruitment of the triceps surae muscles with changes in knee angle. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 16(3), 433-439. ...

🎬 The new YouTube video about "5 Most Common Fat Loss Myths" is now live! In this video, I discuss common misconceptions about fat loss. With the use of scientific research, you will learn about common pitfalls to avoid and basic fat loss fundamentals to apply. 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, I will discuss one of the myths found in the video, which is related to what causes fat gain?
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Oftentimes vague claims are made about fat gain. Some think carbs make you fat, while others think dietary fat should be avoided. You may even have heard that fruits are bad because they contain sugar! Luckily, no specific food or nutrient is inherently fattening. A 2017 review paper investigated the main drivers of body fat accumulation and found that a long-term calorie surplus is the cause of fat gain [1]. This is in line with decades of research on energy balance [2-4].
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No food in itself will make you directly gain fat, even if it's high in sugar or highly processed [5]. When you consume more calories than your body needs to fuel physical activity and life, it will store the excess energy mostly as fat.
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Now, the reason some people gain more fat once they eat a lot of "junk foods" is that these foods are highly palatable. The majority of people eat based on internal hunger and satiety signals. So once you eat mostly foods that are tasty, high in calories, and not filling, you'll more quickly consume too many calories. So even though fat loss comes down to your calorie intake, your food choices still matter.
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To learn all about common fat loss myths, visit the link in my bio or go to YouTube.com/iWannaBurnFat to check the new video!
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References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5325830/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28765272
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3401553/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5325830/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15998351 ...

🍎 Training plays a central role in building muscle. But how you feed your body outside of training determines how well you are able to develop muscle and strength. In today's post, I will give you 3 muscle growth nutrition tips. Swipe left for more.
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First, we have eating enough calories. While there is research showing that many people can build muscle while in a calorie deficit for fat loss, we can better support muscle growth by eating in a small calorie surplus [1]. As indicated in a 2019 review, eating about 10% above maintenance calories is a good aim [2]. So if you want to build muscle and say you maintain your weight at around 2000 calories per day, experiment with eating at 2200 calories per day. This results in a slow rate of weight gain, helping you develop more muscle.
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Next we have protein intake. Protein is a nutrient directly used for muscle recovery and development. This is why research shows that high-protein diets simply result in more muscle gain than low-protein diets [3]. But this doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself with protein. A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 studies shows that eating at least 1.6g per kilogram of your bodyweight is a good aim [4]. So an 80kg individual would then have a protein goal of at least 128g per day. Overweight individuals can use goal bodyweight to determine protein needs.
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Lastly, we have carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates are often put in a bad light, but for muscle gain, carbs have benefits. We consistently see in the research that ketogenic diets result in less muscle development than moderate or high-carb diets [5]. This might be related to the fact that carbs help fuel performance and also provide a more anabolic environment via insulin stimulation [6]. But the moral of the story here is that incorporating carbs in your diet has benefits.
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Check the last slide for references! Background music by @iamryanlittle ...