How sleep can help build you Muscle

You can spend hours and hours in the gym, lifting hundreds of kilo’s and forcing those last few reps out…but all that can quite easily be going to waste by simply losing out on sleep!

If you are staying up late, getting all worked up over something before bed or sleeping in a noisy environment then this is not going to help your cause, however if you find that you have reached that training plateau then spending a few hours in bed is a better solution to destroying yourself in the gym trying to get over the plateau.

Let’s have a quick look at the basics, if you are not getting enough sleep then your body’s growth hormone which you need to build muscle get disrupted and on the flip side its production of stress hormone cortisol which can cause fat gain will go up!

There are many other negatives that come hand in hand with lack of sleep, it can cause depression, weaken your immune system and make you more vulnerable to bacteria.

To avoid all of the above it is best to try to get eight hours of  quality sleep, lying in bed and updating your profile on facebook on your mobile device does not count, get some real shut eye! 

Consume Slow Release Protein  before Bed

Consuming a slow release protein will also be highly beneficial such as casein or mixing a weigh protein, fish, glutamine and flaxseeds to drip feed the body throughout the night.

I was going to write an article on de-hydration this week but changed my mind after I got involved in a discussion last weekend about the differences between weight loss and fat loss.

Is there a difference I hear you say?

It is extremely important that I clarify the difference between weight loss and fat loss and believe it or not there is a big difference.

I remember reading the article below some time ago and I think it pretty much summarize it all:

“I mean sheesh, anyone can lose weight, all you have to do is eat birdseed and arugula with a side of grapes”…now I know what you are thinking…Arugula what? Yes I wasn’t sure either so … I googled it…it is just a type of salad! It’s green.

Now ….STOP!!! I bet it already crossed your mind to add the following to your shopping list:

-Birdseeds
-Arugula
-Grapes

I am not going to be able to stop you if that is what you decide to do but take some time to read what follows before you make that decision.

My advice to you is that take your time and be patient, far too often I see too many people wanting amazing results with very little effort on their part, so again…be patient!

If you want to be successful in your fat-loss journey don’t be in a rush, allow yourself to relax, allow your body to adapt to the changes and accept your new healthy and balanced regime, it takes time your, body need to trust you and the food you are consuming.

You need to be looking at creating a small negative energy balance (300-500 calories MAX), which is something you’ll be able to stick to long-term, rather than the ever- so popular crash dieting strategies sold to us by so called weight loss experts on TV and in all those magazines.

These magic potions and diets aren’t realistic. A 900Kcal per day diet isn’t realistic; the liquid diets are not realistic either!

Why Crash Dieting Doesn’t Work

Crash dieting is unlikely to work long-term for various reasons:

First of all the motivation for rapid weight loss is short-term because it centres on a quick-fix mentality. This invariably leads to the nightmare roller coaster ride of emotions that the yoyo dieters or “crash dieter” often falls into… determination to diet, rapid weight loss, weight-loss plateau, loss of determination, return to old habits, depression, rapid weight gain, depression, guilt, new determination to diet, rapid weight loss and so it goes on…Its extremely frustrating to go through all this and it creates an ENOURMOUS amount of stress for the body which is completely UNNECESSARY.

After all, do you want to be in shape only temporary? Of course not and to sustain this new you there has to be a lifestyle change. Stop looking for these shortcuts that don’t exist!

A little bit of maths…there are 3,500Kcal in a pound of fat…(yes that’s right! )…which mean to lose ONE POUND of FAT you have to burn 3,500Kcal. This explains why fat loss requires time and patients’.

Now, our body cannot only fuel on fat,..It will always be a ratio of fat and carbohydrate (that’s why carbohydrate are so important to fuel your workouts)…and the ratio depends on the type of workouts activity you do.

Now let’s look at water loss or weight loss:

When losing weight its inevitable that water will make up some of the weight loss. No matter how we lose weight or how long the weight loss takes, everyone will lose water.

This is determined by:

1. Which exercise is selected

2. The diet (Nutrition) – for example, a too low carbohydrate diet may increase water loss

3. Calorie intake – lowering calorie intake too much will cause more water loss

4. Body composition of the person – the amount of protein and carbohydrate stores before new diet

The water weight loss comes from a net loss of protein and carbohydrates especially during the first few weeks of a reduction in calories.

On reducing calories the body needs to rely more on energy within the body and thus breaks down protein and carbohydrate for metabolism.

When these nutrients are metabolised (used for energy) water is released.
Fat stores do supply a little of the energy but, at first a good proportion comes from protein and the limited stores of carbohydrates within the cells.

For fat loss the trick is to reduce losing water weight as much as possible so the body is forced to burn more body fat stores.

Here come the tips:

1. Consume small portions of high quality protein at each meal
2. Reduce food intake gradually and count calories (where are the calories coming from?)
3. Do NOT starve yourself or go on a crash diet!
4. Train for strength so to increase muscle (The amount of lean muss we have will determine how fast our metabolism is)
5. Lose weight slowly no more than 2 pounds per week…PATIENCE IS KEY

And that is all the tips from me today…until next time…

Enjoy your workouts!

Gym Love

Ilaria

The quick and short answer to this question is YES…You are your own worst enemy but on the flip side you are also your very own best kept secret.

I was doing my rounds at my health club a few weeks ago and broke into a conversation with a polite middle aged man who looked a little lost and unsettled.  I introduced myself to him and got chatting away…This gentleman has decided to get back into the gym after having spent 10 years sitting on the sidelines doing NOTHING!

He did not play badminton once a week, he did not go for walks, he didn’t go swimming, he didn’t play 5 a side football….he was very upfront about it and said he has done NOTHING!

Wow…was my reaction…I have never met anyone that has claimed that they have done nothing…I always hear “I play badminton once a week, a play squash, I play 5 a side football once a week, I swim every now and then…..”

I was yet to hear, “I have done nothing in 10 years”…

I drilled a little deeper as to why!…and this is what I was told!  “I got married and then came my little boy and I was taking care of him, then I had a little girl….and they are a right handful and then this happened and then that happened…and I found I never had the time”

My first question was, ”What has changed?”…He is still married, he still has a boy and girl, he is still working!…”So what has changed?”… 

He didn’t have an answer and was struggling to find one…I had to tell him what had changed…It was simple, his mindset had shifted and is what caused this sudden change, I say sudden because he has gone from 10 years of no activity to joining a gym and now trying to lead an active lifestyle.

All the reasons above were just excuses for not exercising; he had convinced himself so well that he was too busy that he did not exercise for 10 YEARS!

Maintaining Your Motivation & Mindset

I knew straight away I had to help this new member become settled into a routine and make sure that no one, especially him, disturbs his new found mindset.

I instantly asked him if he had a training partner and suggested he gets one and fast because he never.  By having a training partner not only does it add instant value to the social aspect of exercising it creates another reason for having to continue exercising…you don’t want let your partner down!

If there is a day he does not feel like training but his training partner decides to go to the gym, it is more likely that he will make the effort of going, guilt is the only reason for going, but the object is met!

Once going to the gym becomes a regular habit and please bear in mind this habit can take only a few weeks to form it can be the difference between sustaining a very healthy lifestyle for you and your family or another 10 years of inactivity and poor health.

A week later I revisited this newly formed health fanatic and was happy to hear that he managed to convince his friend who has also not trained for 10 years to join and start leading a healthier lifestyle!  His gym visits increased from twice a week with no training partner to 4 times per week WITH a training partner!

Now that does not sound like a big jump, but in fitness years that’s brilliant, he is now doubling his activity resulting in twice the amount of calories being burnt in a week, his muscle tone, strength and endurance will increase at a much faster rate and best of all he will start seeing mental and physical results allot sooner!

Did you notice something?

There was something that my new member had said to me about his friend that had just joined.  He also hasn’t exercised for 10 years!  As I met more often with these two I also learned that they work together, that they always had a beer after work together, they both supported the same football team and were season ticket holders TOGETHER!

Whether you want to believe it or not, you will do what those closest to you do!  They were both happy not to exercise for 10 years and were both happy to eat, drink and go to sporting events together but none of them mentioned exercising together!

But somewhere along the lines one friend’s mindset had shifted and changed for whatever reason, it could be health reasons, to prolong life, for family etc…

But that shift in his mindset also infected and positively impacted the mindset of his close friend.  What was his friends motivation?…there wasn’t one there…he has decided to take part in exercise because his friend for his own his personal reasons had decided to. 

Imagine what these two can achieve if they now decided to start looking closely at their eating and drinking patterns, what impact will this have on their families if they also change their mindset and focus on health and fitness?

The possibilities are endless and the point I am trying to make is only YOU can restrict yourself from everything and anything and you also have the power to influence those closest to you to also change their mindset.

So stop pointing the fingers at scenario’s that you have made to be true for not exercising and start pointing those fingers back at Yourself…as for “You are Your Own Worst Enemy”…but as you now know, that doesn’t have to be true…

Recovering from a Heart Attack

If you are recovering from heart attack or know of some that is, then it is important to ensure all professional guidelines are followed and that exercise becomes a regular habit once your GP/Doctor has declared you fit to do so.

Exercise

Exercise is part of the recovery process and should be treated as seriously as the medication and nutritional advice that has been prescribed to you.

When an individual has suffered a heart attack there is unfortunately some permanent damage that the heart muscle sustains as a result, so it is important when exercising that you start of slowly and stay within the guidelines that have been set for you. 

Exercise should be limited and your activities should or will consist of the following:

- Walking
- Stretching
- Very Light Resistance Exercise (Not in all cases)

The above list may seem very little but you have to protect your heart in the early stages and only expose it to as much stimulation as your GP/Doctor will allow you to do. 

Your hospital may also run exercise classes for you to attend, ensure you attend every visit as these classes will help determine the correct level of intensity you need to be working at and your heart can handle.

As you start exercising independantly and on a more frequent basis, you can with the authority of your GP/Doctor start building up the intensity of your workout routines.

Exercise will not only strengthen your heart but will also help you to lose weight thus reducing pressure on your heart, it will assist in lowering your blood pressure and also help reduce cholesterol levels.

(always consult your Dr or GP prior to starting ANY new physical activity)

Nutrition

As part of the recovery process you will have received a list of foods that should be consumed to help you while you are on the road to recovery.  Do not take this list lightly, ensure that you are following any meal plans prescribed to you and are consuming foods from the list only to help promote good eating habits.

There will also be a list of foods and possibly drink that you need to stop consuming as they can hinder the recovery process and get you back to your previous eating patterns which you need to avoid at all costs.

Preventing Another Heart Attack

After suffering a heart attack it is vital to ensure that you are not putting on weight as this can cause more stress and unecessary pressure on the heart.

It is just as important that you do not NOT suffer another attack to prevent further damage to your heart.  The list below shows you what precautions you can take to prevent another attack:

- Becoming Overweight
- Not Exercising
- Smoking
- Reducing and keeping your cholesterol down
- Reducing your blood pressure

The information is purely for guidance and SHOULD NOT be a used as a solution and or a replacement for any program that has been prescribed to you by your GP or Doctor.

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Understanding Protein

The Importance of Protein

Protein is a part of every cell in your body; it is the most important nutrient as no other nutrient plays as many different roles in keeping you alive and healthy.

I cannot stress enough on the Importance of Protein in so many different areas…for the growth and repair of your muscles, bones, skin, tendons, ligaments, hair, eyes and other tissues is proven since a very long time.

Without it, you would not be able to produce the enzymes and hormones and antibodies you need for metabolism, digestion and other important processes such as healing…in fact did you know that when you have an infection, you should eat more protein because it helps create the antibodies your immune system needs to fight disease!

If you are injured, you may need more, as well, to help your blood clot and make repairs.

Protein & Diet

Even from this brief introduction you can see just how important protein is and it should now be obvious that our diets should contain high levels of protein, considering its very important role within the body.

However, this may not reflect what you have been told before.  In fact as you may be aware, government recommendation for protein intake per day is equal to 0.75g per kg of body weight.

For example if you are a female of 60kg in weight then your protein intake would be as followed:

60 x 0.75 = 45g of Protein per day

You should be able to work out yourself by now that this is highly inadequate considering the role that protein plays within the body!

In fact to be more realistic a 60Kg woman would need at least double that figure!

Obviously we are all individuals and there is not a “One rule for all”, but to recommend a minimum level for an average person (not an athlete) wanting to maintain muscle tissue and prevent catabolism (tissue breakdown), a more realistic level would range around 1.5g per kg of body weight per day.

Protein Summary

So as you can see Protein isn’t only for athletes and especially isn’t only for muscle building…Protein is for EVERYTHING! To summarise:

• Anti bodies which consist of protein are essential in helping our bodies fight and resist diseases
• You use up protein in everyday living just to keep your body running smoothly
• Everyday we lose protein in the form of hair, skin and nails
• Protein is supplied to the body to help heal and repair injuries
• For growing children protein is needed for growth of the entire body
• If you have an operation protein is needed to help build your body back to fitness

Gym Love

Ilaria Petrucci

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 5

Day 5 already and only 2 days left of the trial.  I’m going to recap what I have experienced so far just to refresh everyone’s memory so you can decided on day 7  if you will also be taking part in your own herbal tea weight loss trial.

My stomach has felt very good and stable since I started this trial, I feel lighter on my feet, more alert, I feel I have a much improved appetite and I have lost a total of 4lbs….I have gone through all of these motions in just 5 days!

I have to say that is pretty amazing and I can’t get over just how simple it was firstly to get hold of the 2 ingredients that make the tea and the 15 minutes brewing process.

I noticed something that I forgot to mention and that is I have felt very hungry every morning since I started the herbal tea.  When I was researching the 2 ingredients being used they both mention that they also help improve digestive functionality…I have never experienced such a super digestive system…it’s brilliant!  

Only 2 more days left until I reveal what I have been using!…

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 4

Good morning, it is day 4 since I started this herbal tea weight loss diet and I am now starting to feel a big difference in my weight.

I was 13 stones and 6lbs when I started and I am now 13 stones and 2lb! 

Now remember weight loss is NOT a goal of mine, it’s actually weight gain so at the moment I am upset at having lost weight but am suprised at the speed I have lost 4lbs!

What I do have consider is I have also been continuing my training regime as normal, so there is a chance that my training combined with this herbal tea is a good fusion.

So when I do give you the ingredients on day 7 I am hoping you will do EXACTLY as I have been, exercising and taking the herbal weight loss tea every evening before you go to bed!…After all, it seems to be working!

I am still feeling very positive, alert, stomach feels brilliant and I am still feeling nice and light on my feet.

The total amount of money I have spent on this herbal tea is £2.35 and looking at the ingredients from both packages, this will be lasting me at least another month! 

More updates tomorrow…

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 2

Well it is the morning after since I tried this weight loss herbal tea and the first thing I have to say is that my stomach feels very settled and quite empty at the moment!

There was more bowel movement than usual which to me states that this herbal tea is a form of detox.

I managed to find some more information on the 2 ingredients being used in the herbal tea and I was pleasantly surprised at some of its other therapeutic properties:

Ingredient 1:

- When used correctly can relieve chest infections
- When used as an oil can relieve back ache, sprains, swelling
- Can promote sweating 
- Settles the stomach
- Useful for proper digestion
- Can break down and digest certain types of food

Ingredient 2

- Helps the digestion process
- Helps insomnia sufferers
- Can cure those that suffer from chronic hiccups
- Can stop Diarrhea as it contains very good digesting properties
- Helps with Menstrual Disorders
- Helps with Respiratory Disorders

So as you can see there are a number of benefits to this herbal tea and I also noticed that there are ‘digestive aids’ in both ingredients…”so maybe there is some truth on the weight loss side of things!…”

Conclusion

So far, so good…my stomach feels very settled, empty and I’m feeling good…

More updates tomorrow

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 1

Ok, it is day 1 and I have got my 2 bits of ingredients ready that make up this possibly miracle working weight loss herbal tea.

I have a cup full of water in a sauce pan on medium gas and all I need to do is add 2 pieces of ingredient 1 and 2 spoon fulls of ingredient 2 and allow the water to simmer for 15 minutes.

Once 15 minutes is up you pour the hot water using a siv into a cup and drink away.

This herbal tea is not the nicest tasting tea in the world however it is bearable and as you already know, foods and drinks that usually don’t taste too good always seem to be good for you!

The beauty of this herbal tea is that you do not need to change your diet, you can actually continue to eat and drink as normal, the only requirement is that you make and drink this herbal tea at the end of the day.

Tomorrow I will be up nice and early researching the properties of the two ingredients and find out what makes it so potent….so until then…watch this space…

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula?”

I met a very interesting woman on my travels this weekend, we were sharing a monorail together and as an ice breaker we got talking about what we do, our interests, hobbies…as you do when you meet someone for the first time….

After listening to her interests, hobbies, her likes, dislikes and where she is from she mentioned something about a particular family hobby she has which is making herbal teas.

Native Home Made Weight Loss Herbal Teas

The history behind her herbal teas is that they have simply been passed down from generation to generation and they have been drinking these homemade herbal teas from their native country since they can remember.

She has recipes for a variety of herbal teas all with different benefits from healthy hair, healthy skin, energy, cleansing and WEIGHT LOSS!…the last one was the one I wanted to focused on…The Weight Loss Herbal Tea.

Very Powerful Weight Loss Herbal Tea with ONLY 2 Ingredients

I asked more about the weight loss herbal tea, what the ingredients was and she very happily shared this information with me.

The tea is very potent and from what I was being told it works a treat…to make it even better this weight loss herbal tea only requires 2 ingredients of which both are very easily available, inexpensive…AND it takes all of 15 minutes to make.

Let the testing begin…

Knowing the ingredients and how to make it I have decided to try this weight loss herbal tea for a full week and report back every day and update you all on how things are going and if it really works…

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness