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ARTICLES
Energy Expenditure Part 2: Your Maintenance Calories
Introduction This is the second and last part of my blog series on energy expenditure. In part 1, we looked into how the human body expends energy. The topics discussed in part 1 are critical for having a proper understanding of human energy balance. So if you haven't...
Energy Expenditure Part 1: How Your Body Burns Calories
Introduction When it comes to nutrition for improving your body composition, energy balance is the most important factor. Energy balance describes the relationship between calories in (a.k.a. energy intake) and calories out (a.k.a. energy expenditure). If you consume...
Can You Build Muscle In A Calorie Deficit?
Most of us want to achieve a lean and muscular physique. To do this, you obviously need to build muscle and lose fat.Ā We've been told that it'sĀ impossible to do both at the same time. ''You need to be in a calorie surplus to build muscle!'' Less is true. Building...
Rest Between Sets For Muscle Growth (Science-Based Approach)
There are conflicting opinions when it comes to how long you should rest between sets for muscle growth. Some believe you should rest very little to stimulate growth hormone, whereas others rest longer to maximize performance. In this article, we'll discuss the...
Repeated Bout Effect: Why You No Longer Get Sore
Imagine not training for 2-3 weeks and then getting back into the gym by performing a heavy leg day. You probably already can feel your sore legs cramping up while walking up the stairs. But now imagine that same leg day after 3 months of consistency in which you were...
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š Consistency > Short-Term Intensity
I'm all for training hard and pushing yourself. But if you really want to win in your fitness long-term, fatigue management is key to consider. Give your body the ability to train even harder on a consistent basis by also prioritizing sleep, eating well, and having planned rest days.
Especially sleep tends to be overlooked. Training hard AND having great sleep will elevate your fitness to great heights. Research indicates that quality sleep directly improves muscle performance, fat loss, and even your mood throughout the day [1-3].
So train hard & recover hard šÆ
š Scientific References (PMID):
1.Ā 20921542
2.Ā 29438540
3.Ā 24791913
š "Lunges" and "Split Squats" are often seen as the same exercise. But there is a small difference between the two.
With a Lunge, you take a step forward or backward, so it is a dynamic movement.Ā While with a Split Squat, your legs are more static because you keep both legs on the floor in the same position, while squatting down with 1 leg.
Both variations train similar muscle groups. A Lunge variation typically trains your stability since it is a dynamic movement, while the Split Squat keeps more constant tension on the leg you are trainingšŖš¼
š¤ Do you feelĀ low-back discomfort while doing deadlifts, then I got a quick tip for you.
ā A common deadlift mistake is placing the barbell too far in front of you during your set-up. This increases the stress on your lower back.
ā
Instead, aim to place the barbell over your mid-foot so that the barĀ is closer to the midline of your body and you can more efficiently pull the weight using your legs and back muscles together.
š¤ Do you struggle with feeling your chest during the bench press? Then I got 2 tips for you!
The first tip is about the Dumbbell Bench Press. A common mistake with the Dumbbell Bench is pressing the dumbbells outward. The main function of your chest is horizontal shoulder adduction, which refers to bringing your upper arm toward your midline. While you are benching,Ā focus onĀ pressingĀ the dumbbells "up and in" to mimic this movement pattern.
Next about the barbell bench. A common mistake is keeping the elbow excessively flared. This places more stress on the shoulder and less on the chest. Instead, keep your elbows slightly tucked to place the resistance more on your chestĀ muscles.
š Let's discuss Reverse-Pyramid Training!
When lifting weights, most people tend to start the session by lifting relatively light weights close to failure and then gradually build up to their heaviest sets. This is often referred to as a traditional "Pyramid Set" in which you ease into lifting heavier weights.
A drawback of this training structure is that performing "light" sets close to failureĀ generates fatigue [1], which then can affect your performance on the heavier/low-rep sets. If you want to express your max strength potential while using heavier weights, it's a good idea to prioritize your heavy sets by performing them first.
This is often referred to as "ReverseĀ PyramidĀ Training" (RPT). The goal here is to spend most of your energy on your heaviest overloading sets and then use the lighter sets later in your workout as "back-off" work.Ā RPT is one of the many training structures that can workĀ well for those focused more on strength development.
It's important to note that when you perform your heaviest sets first, your warm-up starts playing a more important role. In both performance and injury prevention.
š Scientific References:
1.Ā SimĆ£o, Roberto, et al. "Influence of exercise order on repetition performance during low-intensity resistance exercise."Ā Research in sports medicineĀ 20.3-4 (2012): 263-273.
š¤ Does bulking actually work?
Yes! Eating a higher calorie intake gives your body more energy to utilize for muscle growth. However, eating more only works up to a certain point.
We know from the research that beginner to intermediate trainees can realistically expect to gain between 1-1.5% of their total bodyweight in muscle per month [1]. So gaining muscle is a slow process and this is why a slow bulking approach is also preferred.
Eat enough calories to maximize your muscular potential, but not more than that, or you end up being in a ādirty bulkā. As a rule of thumb, most beginner or intermediate trainees can benefit from eating only 10% above their calorie needs.
So if you maintain your weight at 2400 calories, eat roughly at 2640 calories during your bulking process to support lean muscle development.
Trying to bulk quicker may give you the illusion that you are building muscle faster, but typically the extra size just comes from gaining extra fat.
š Scientific Reference:
1.Ā Iraki, J., Fitschen, P., Espinar, S., & Helms, E. (2019). Nutrition recommendations for bodybuilders in the off-season: A narrative review. Sports, 7(7), 154.
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