Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Best Muscle Meals Before Bed You May Have Missed Out

Best Muscle Meals Before Bed You May Have Missed Out

There’s no question about effectively planning your diet before bedtime that would match your workout needs in the especially if you want to do it long term, but sometimes it may cause you to lose sight and off-track.

But the nutrients being broken down and absorbed by your body while at rest is essential. Let strength and conditioning specialist Brad Borland share some fascinating insights on food that should be found in the body before going to bed to optimize its health benefits.

5 Muscle Building Meals To Eat Before You Go To Sleep

“Your muscle building efforts shouldn’t end with dinner.

If more mass is your goal and you find it harder and harder to pack it on, you may need to extend your healthy eating habits closer to bedtime.

Afraid of gaining fat? Well, if you’re stalling and plateauing with getting bigger and stronger, you shouldn’t shun nighttime feeding. As long as you keep things clean by ingesting mainly protein and healthy fat, you will give your body something to use to build muscle while you sleep.

These aren’t calorically-dense meals, mind you. They are small protein-rich snacks that are just enough to satisfy your needs and ward off catabolism (muscle breakdown). Best of all, they are simple, quick and easy!

1. COTTAGE CHEESE AND ALMONDS

Cottage cheese has been relegated down the protein list lately, largely due to the popularity of Greek yogurt, but it’s still one of the most effective and convenient sources of protein around.

Packed with both whey and casein forms of the muscle-building macronutrient, cottage cheese should be on the grocery list of anyone who craves variety in protein.” Read full article

So, what do you need to eat before going to bed? A steak or a leg of chicken maybe? Should I choose between carbs or proteins?

You may have a difficult time figuring it out, especially if you have not been well-introduced to the proper diet and nutritional requirements to stay healthy. For one, protein is essential, but why? Let fitness expert and author Michael Matthews fill you in on why you need protein and what other things to look out for in your diet.

The Real Reason You Should Eat Protein Before Bed

If you want to build muscle and strength as quickly as possible, you should eat protein before bed…but probably not for the reasons you think.

When it comes to getting fit, or getting good at anything, really, there are two distinct phases:

Learning and applying the fundamentals.

Learning and applying ways to optimize your results.

And if you want to build muscle and strength faster, eating protein before bed can help…

…but it’s not nearly as important as some people would have you believe.

You see, eating protein before bed falls squarely in bucket #2 above. If you don’t have the fundamentals in place, such as…

properly calculating and counting your calories and macros…

emphasizing heavy, compound weightlifting in your training…

following a sensibly designed workout program…

…when you eat protein simply won’t matter.

And nor will many other things, like what types of supplements you take, how many carbs you eat, how “clean” your diet is, how often you change up your workouts, and much more.

Once you have #1 squarely in place (fundamentals), though, and you’re looking for ways to get more out of your training, then it makes sense to start dipping into #2 (optimization).

And this article will help. Read full article

You may be wondering how you should be eating before going to bed. It would be good to know what‘s safe or risky. Or even about what food choices you need to have to help you stay nourished with your fitness goals.

Sometines, you need to know what you should be having before retiring for the day and let Health writer Amanda Gardner

Best and Worst Foods for Sleep

What to eat before bed

From early birds to night owls, we all can agree that when we finally lay our heads on the pillow we’d like to actually go to sleep, thank you.

Nothing is more annoying than insomnia, and the evidence is piling up that sleep is essential for good health. Although the research is a bit spotty when it comes to which foods help or harm sleep, anecdotal evidence does suggest that certain items consumed right before bedtime are more likely to be “sleep promoters” while others may be “sleep stealers,” says Russell Rosenberg, Ph.D., CEO of the National Sleep Foundation.

Here’s a list of potential good guys and bad guys when it comes to getting some shut-eye.

Cherries

Cherries are one of the few natural foods to contain melatonin, the chemical that helps control our body’s internal clock, says Keri Gans, a registered dietician in New York City and author of The Small Change Diet.

One study—albeit a small one—found that drinking tart cherry juice resulted in small improvements in sleep duration and quality in adults who suffered from chronic insomnia. (And travelers often take melatonin capsules to combat jet lag).

Why not a few cherries, tart or otherwise, to promote sleep?” Read full article

You may want to get an additional boost for your gains and Musclepharm BCAA is your ultimate solution to provide your body with three essential amino acids leucine, valine and isoleucine that make up the proteins in the body.

As you work out, your muscle breaks down as it develops micro tears that need to heal and needs protein to synthesize in order to help the muscle fibers recover and grow after a rigorous physical activity.

BCAA supplements this need with amino acids that are the basic building blocks of proteins made up of organic acids that contain an amine group to enhance protein synthesis especially during post workouts.

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Monday, August 22, 2016

Get Bikini Ready Abs In No Time With MusclePharm

Bikini Ready Abs In No Time With MusclePharm

Bikini ready abs are not impossible, nor is it something that is very difficult, in fact, getting at it the easy way is by following a good workout program coupled with the right diet and rest.

Getting those bikini ready abs can be a reality and all you need is a few minutes a day to do the workouts.

Let 10-minute Solution Workout creator Jessica Smith help you get those super flat abs in no time.

Get Flat Abs Fast (at Any Fitness Level)

Want to rid yourself of belly flab and get bikini-ready abs once and for all? Try these abs exercises and get the sexy stomach you’ve been dreaming about, no matter what your fitness level.

Beginner: V-Sit Pull-Back

What you’ll need: A mat

Tip: Keep your neck relaxed while you crunch. Need help? Simply place your tongue on the roof of your mouth!

Targets: Abs and obliques

Sit with knees bent, legs together, arms at shoulder level in front of you.

Engage abs and lean back slightly.

Rotate torso to right and pull elbow back to tap mat.

Return to start. Switch sides; repeat.

Do 20 reps total, alternating sides.

Beginner: Plank-Up

Targets: Abs, back, hips, and glutes

Get into plank position (abs engaged, back straight, forearms on floor, legs extended).

Lift hips toward ceiling, keeping back and legs straight, abs engaged; hold for 2 counts.

Lower to plank.

Do 10 reps. Read full article

If you want to up your ante, you might need to develop or follow a training program that could get you going day in and day out.

Fitness expert and writer Kirsten Ballard shows you how spend 20 minutes of your time to do some of the most effective workout exercises to get you bikini ready anytime.

11 Ab Exercises to Get You Bikini-Ready

Summer means bikinis, beaches and bronze skin. It also means giving up unlimited access to your free campus gym (that hopefully you used), which is sort of a catch-22. Luckily, you can get beach-ready at home; just grab your iPod, a good workout outfit and a yoga mat and donate 20 minutes three times a week to a great core with the following moves! Complete the circuit once through. The sets are done in repetitions of 32, which calculates roughly into 64 pulses of music.

Traditional Crunch

Begin the workout with 32 traditional crunches. Proper form is achieved by having your legs in a 90-degree right angle, your arms behind your head and your fingers placed lightly on your head. When crunching up, imagine lifting your face toward the ceiling instead of trying to pull yourself to a seated position; this will help target your abdominals and lessen the strain on your neck. If you continue to strain your neck, press your tongue to the roof of your mouth as you crunch, which makes it more difficult to lift with your neck instead of your abs. Crunches should be done by lifting your upper body instead of just your neck.

Oblique Blaster

Next, target your obliques, the muscles that run along your side and are often blamed for the “muffin top.” Eliminate your love handles by first crossing your right leg over your left leg with your right ankle over your left knee. Twisting your core toward your right leg, lift up for 32 reps, trying to touch your left elbow to your right knee. To avoid neck strain, imagine a tennis ball is under your chin and keep that distance throughout the entire crunch. If you can’t feel the burn along your side, place your right arm out in a T shape to further isolate your side muscles. Repeat on the other side.

Table Top

Remaining on your back, raise your legs to a 90-degree angle and crunch up for 32 reps, remembering to fully lower to the mat between each rep. Again, focus on raising your face to the ceiling instead of up and out. This move will target your upper abdominals. Read full article

If you want to get serious about getting those flat abs, it would be good to know that you need to complement your workouts with the right food.

Let fitness expert and author Olivia Tarantino enumerate some of the oft-ignored fruits and vegetables that are packed with a lot of nutrients to help you on your quest for flat abs fight.

35 Foods To Get You Bikini Ready

Your favorite sunny season is right around the corner—woohoo! But between a busy job and managing a hectic household, it can feel like you’re years away from being beach-body ready.

Nothing jolts you to your senses like that first day of warm weather. The sun is shining bright enough for you to grab your sunglasses, and the temperature is so comfortably welcoming that you can finally shed your winter cable knit sweaters. And then it dawns on you. Bikini season will be here soon and you’re still in fat-mounting hibernation mode. Don’t panic. Not only is there is still plenty of time to prepare yourself, but getting yourself beach-body ready only requires a bit of sweat and the proper nutrition.

Along with working in a regular sweat—and yes, it can even just be on the weekends—introducing the following nutrient-dense foods into your diet will help tone and shape your body while assisting in rapid weight loss efforts. Some foods dial up your metabolism so you can burn even more calories and torch belly fat, some heal your gut by offering up healthy probiotic bacteria, some decrease the stress and inflammation that’s causing weight gain and bloating, some turn off your fat-storage genes, and others vanquish hunger and build muscle by filling you up with healthy fats, lean proteins, and fiber. So, get a pen in one hand and a shopping list in your other—and get to it! (Psst! Don’t stress over when you’ll get to the gym. “Abs are made in the kitchen!” Plus, this is The Only Ab Exercise You’ll Ever Need anyway!)”  Read on and watch the videos.

So whether you are on the go or simply lounging, you just might get interested in joining the call for these simple steps to build mass.  Another player in the picture is MusclePharm Creatine, that helps promote muscle health, as well as provide for growth, recovery and healing of the muscles. Formulated with essential amino acids and other mineral ingredients, it can enhance the impacts of the simple workout and generate results.

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Monday, August 15, 2016

Break Free: Fitness Outside The Box

Fitness Outside The Box

It gives you more freedom and the ability to custom-tailor your fitness training whenever you get to be out of the gym travelling or because of other circumstances beyond your control. Thinking about fitness outside the box can just about sum up what you need and keep you motivated to pursue your fitness goals.

Of course travelling with a group of friends or out on vacation often leaves you with very few options to avoid mingling with the group. You feel you need to stay away from temptations to food or spend the whole day drinking your guts out, so better hold true to what you do that won’t leave you regretting it in the end.

CrossFit coach and author Danielle Coderre show you good travel options to explore with international CrossFit venues , boot camps and programs, just to let you experience a new chapter in your fitness life.

5 Reasons to WOD Abroad: Don’t get too comfortable in your box.

I hear “guided tour” and picture myself sitting on a coach bus with pale-legged travelers, all of them in sun hats and tube socks, giddily anticipating the famous monuments, free pamphlets, and headsets spouting little-known facts about side streets and architecture. The opposite end of the spectrum isn’t my cup of tea, either — those backpacking, hostel-loving, canvas-shirt types who plan nothing and live for the thrill of tagging along with whatever local they happen to sit next to at the bar. Based on TV shows and travel books, you’d think these are the only types who travel. Well let me share some fabulous news: CrossFitters can travel, too!

Fitness retreats like WODventures and WODcation are becoming a whole new way for people to explore the world. If you love to get your WOD on and want to experience your sport in an amazing new part of the world, here are five reasons to WOD abroad!

1. Bucket-List Moments

Europe, Cabo, New Zealand, Korea — the list of destinations is seemingly endless. Not only will you get in on some killer WODs, but a lot of the gyms also take advantage of their unique surroundings and incorporate specialty activities like surfing, trail runs, arctic fjords and snorkelling. Not to mention, these retreat destinations are often located near gyms where Games athletes live and train. How cool to get your swole on in the middle of some superstar athletes. Between the amazing locations and variety of activities, you’re guaranteed to check some major items off your dream list. Read full article

Functional training is what makesCrossFit popular nowadays, because aside from making use of bodyweight exercises and routines, it does pack a lot of punch when it comes to strength, endurance and mass-building capabilities.

But of course, you need to have consistency whether in or out of the gym, at home or out on a business trip or vacation, let fitness author Chris Logan give you some practical and helpful routines that you can bring along on your trips.

WODs to Go

Leaving home and the friendly confines of your local affiliate? Keep your training on track with these bodyweight-only programs.

Few things set back a training program like leaving home for a vacation or business trip. When travel is on the horizon, many people justify the workouts missed as a “much-needed break from the gym to help me recover.” Maybe that’s true. If you’ve been training hard at your local box five to six days a week, a long weekend off could be good for you. But when that “few days off” ends up being a week hiatus or occurs on a monthly basis, the result isn’t feeling rejuvenated or recharging your batteries but rather getting out of shape and deconditioned.

So when your next trip is approaching, don’t view it as a welcome rest period that you probably don’t need. Use it as a time to, at the very least, maintain your current fitness level until you return to your local box. In most cities and towns, you can find a CrossFit affiliate within driving distance, but if you’re without transportation or would rather not pay the box’s drop-in fee, you’re on your own with minimal (if any) equipment. If you’re motivated and resourceful, this shouldn’t be a problem.

“When it comes to traveling, CrossFit is probably the most friendly fitness system around,” says Josh Elmore, owner and director of Training at CrossFit Eternal in Charlotte, N.C. “Because the collection of go-to movements CrossFit draws from is so extensive, you can pretty much expect to never get bored training on the road, even with no equipment.”

Countless websites list WODs that are travel-friendly and require zero equipment. But here, we’ve taken such workouts and programmed them specifically to accommodate the two most typical travel scenarios — the partial-week trip and the full-week vacation — to ensure you’re not just doing a few random WODs with no consideration as to how they complement one another. All the workouts can be done in any bedroom-size space using bodyweight only. No need for a barbell, plyo box, kettlebells … or excuses as to why you can’t train on the road. Read full article

New to CrossFit? Don’t worry. Getting a good introduction to CrossFit is as good as getting the right details on what it is all about.

Of course, you can’t be switching to CrossFit without knowing the facts and details. Let fitness author Kara Mayer Robinson walk you through what CrossFit is all about and what you should be expecting.

CrossFit: What You Do, Workouts of the Day, and More

If you’re looking for a challenging workout to take your fitness and body to the next level, CrossFit will do just that. It’s a very well-rounded program, providing vigorous aerobic exercise along with muscle strengthening and even flexibility. But it’s also very intense, so it’s not for everyone.

If you’re a beginner, you’ll want to start with something else to get your body used to exercise before taking on CrossFit. The intensity makes it better suited to people who are used to regular activity. Even then, take it slow and pace yourself. This workout will kick your butt even if you’re in great shape.

Given the intensity, one of the main disadvantages to CrossFit is the risk of injury. It’s easy to push yourself beyond your body’s abilities, so be extra careful.

Because it’s so intense, CrossFit isn’t something you want to do every day. But it’s an excellent way to mix up your workouts to help prevent exercise boredom. Read full article

Whether you are defying the conventional or thinking outside of the box, it would be worth knowing that your body still needs the right nutrition to function properly and efficiently.

Of course, staying fit and healthy on the go could also be optimized with a little help on the side by supplementing on a muscle-building and endurance-enhancing nutritional formula like MusclePharm Creatine which is helpful for high intensity workouts by providing added strength, stamina and lean muscle growth.

It also increases explosive energy and overall power to help you stay fit and firm.

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Friday, August 5, 2016

MusclePharm Creatine When To Take For Optimum Results

MusclePharm Creatine When To Take For Optimum Results

MusclePharm Creatine when to take would be best asked once you get to know what creatine is all about, because it is important to always know what you consume for your body. Is it dangerous when ingested in large amounts? Is it generally safe?

Creatine is a nitrogenous acid found in the liver that supplies energy to the cells, especially to the muscles. It is formed by three amino acids L-arginine, L-methionine and glycine.

Men’s Health writer Brittany Risher delves into the story of creatine and how it can affect your lifestyle.

Creatine: What It Is, What It Does and Its Side Effects

Creatine works. Lifters know this, professors know this, the marketers who sell the stuff know this.

But nobody should put anything in their body without weighing the benefits and risks first. That goes for everything from beer to marshmallows to the amazing amino acid called creatine.

It’s not anything scary. It’s not a Barry Bonds starter kit. 

Creatine—typically bought in flavored powders and mixed with liquid—increases the body’s ability to produce energy rapidly. With more energy, you can train harder and more often, producing faster results.

It’s as simple as this: “If you can lift one or two more reps or 5 more pounds, your muscles will get bigger and stronger,” says Chad Kerksick, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma.

Research shows that creatine is most effective in high-intensity training and explosive activities. This includes weight training and sports that require short bursts of effort, such as sprinting, football, and baseball.

There is less support to indicate that creatine improves endurance performance and aerobic-type exercise.

One thing is almost certain: If you take creatine, you’ll gain weight.

It’ll happen quickly, says Paul Greenhaff, Ph.D., professor of muscle metabolism at the University of Nottingham in England. While the initial gain is water (about 2 to 4 pounds in the first week of supplementation), subsequent gains are muscle due to the increase in the workload you can handle.

Because creatine is an “osmotically active substance,” it pulls water into your muscle cells, which increases protein synthesis, Kerksick says.

Studies in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that muscle fibers grow when a person takes creatine.

The catch: This only happens if you take advantage of the boost in energy and hit the gym. Otherwise, it is just water weight. (Will it make you a faster runner? We answer these and more questions in this Creatine Q&A.)

Nobody argues with any of this. But there are some questions about creatine that lots of guys have.” Read full article and watch the video

Now that you know what creatine is all about, try to see it in a manner how you can use it to supplement your training workouts. Let fitness writer and strength coach James Demedeiros share with you the best reasons why you need to take creatine.

6 Reasons You Should Be Taking Creatine

Over the last couple of decades, creatine has become a supplement staple for guys looking to build strength and lean muscle mass. At the very least, you’ve probably seen guys around the gym taking creatine in the form of powder, capsules, or as part of a pre-made shake.

But while creatine’s popularity endures, lots of guys are still skeptical of its benefits, or at least unfamiliar with what creatine has to offer. The short answer: Plenty. Here are six reasons should consider adding creatine to your daily supplement regime

Unfortunately, once you reach your thirties, it’s common for your testosterone levels to decline. You may experience a decrease in energy, endurance, strength, mental sharpness, and sex drive. One solution is testosterone replacement therapy, such as injections or a daily patch. Something else you could try is creatine.

New Jersey study found that following a 10-week resistance training program, participants who took a daily creatine supplement significantly increased their resting testosterone levels. If you’re concerned about your testosterone levels, ask your doctor to set up a blood test. Read full article

Here’s a final note on creatine supplementation from a scientific standpoint. The writers from popular medicine website WebMD goes deep into the science behind the popularity and practical uses of creatine.

An Overview of Creatine Supplements

In their quest to run farther, jump higher, and outlast the competition, many athletes have turned to a variety of performance-enhancing drugs and supplementsCreatine is the most popular of these substances, believed to enhance muscle mass and help athletes achieve bursts of strength.

Part of the reason for creatine’s popularity might be its accessibility. Creatine powder, tablets, energy bars, and drink mixes are available without a doctor’s prescription at drug stores, supermarkets, nutrition stores, and over the Internet.

Although creatine is a natural substance, it hasn’t been well-studied over the long-term. Researchers still aren’t sure what effects it might have on the body, particularly in young people, or how effective it might be.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a natural substance that turns into creatine phosphate in the body. Creatine phosphate helps make a substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP provides the energy for muscle contractions.

The body produces some of the creatine it uses. It also comes from protein-rich foods such as meat or fish.

How Is Creatine Used?

Back in the 1970s, scientists discovered that taking creatine in supplement form might enhance physical performance. In the 1990s, athletes started to catch on, and creatine became a popular sports supplement. According to studies, 8% of adolescents take creatine. The supplement is particularly popular among high school, college, and professional athletes, especially football and hockey players, wrestlers, and gymnasts. An estimated 40% of college athletes and up to half of professional athletes say they use creatine supplements.

Creatine is thought to improve strength, increase lean muscle mass, and help the muscles recover more quickly during exercise. This muscular boost may help athletes achieve bursts of speed and energy, especially during short bouts of high-intensity activities such as weight lifting or sprinting. However, scientific research on creatine has been mixed. Although some studies have found that it does help improve performance during short periods of athletic activity, there is no evidence that creatine helps with endurance sports. Research also shows that not everyone’s muscles respond to creatine; some people who use it see no benefit. Read full article

So, by now you are fully aware about the story behind creatine so that you can be sure you know what’s in store.

Enhance the effects of workout and rest to your muscles when you take MusclePharm Creatine. MusclePharm Creatine is formulated with the right amounts of essential amino acids and fortified with other nutrients and minerals to keep you going.

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