06 Jan
Blog

Roborock Dyad Review: Powerful Wet-Dry Vac at a Budget Price

Roborock dyad

Roborock Dyad in the test: An inexpensive wet-dry vacuum cleaner for everyone who hates dirt

RRP $ 449.00

"The Roborock Dyad has tackled the big task of tidying up after two dogs, two cats, and a handful of kids."

benefits

  • Edge-to-edge cleaning

  • 180 degree swivel head

  • Sufficient battery to clean the whole house

  • Space-saving all-in-one design

  • Payable

disadvantage

  • Charging time of four hours

  • On the heavy side

  • Limited self-cleaning

  • May not fit under counters

With two dogs, two cats and a handful of children, I have the ideal environment to try out a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. Every day brings a seemingly endless stream of dirt, dust and hair into my kitchen and living room. When Roborock introduced the new Dyad wet and dry vacuum cleaner, I couldn't wait to see how this cordless stick mop handles everyday dirt and more.

Space-saving all-in-one design

Roborock Dyad wet and dry vacuum cleaner

My typical arsenal of cleaning tools includes a dustpan, broom, small stick vacuum, Swiffer mop for easy cleaning, and steam mop for heavy cleaning. All of these items take up a lot of space in my closet and leave little room for anything else. It was with great pleasure that I cleared the closet and replaced all my brooms and mops with the only Roborock Dyad. It is an all-in-one in function and weight. At 11 pounds, the Roborock Dyad is heavy to carry. Fortunately, the rollers help move the device around when you are actively vacuuming.

The Roborock Dyad replaced a handful of cleaning tools, which saved me space, time and money.

The dyad saved space in my closet, saving me time and money. Instead of using multiple tools and tons of cleaning supplies, I was able to sweep and mop with one device. I didn't have to worry about finding the dustpan. I didn't have to buy expensive refills for the Swiffer or pads for my steam cleaner. All I needed was some water and I was ready to go. The Dyad is equipped with an LCD that monitors battery life as well as clean and dirty water levels.

Excellent for daily cleaning

Roborock Dyad LCD

The dyad did a reasonable job cleaning my dirty kitchen floors. It picked up all of the pet hair and dirt on my floor as long as I was vacuuming every day. The front and rear rollers can rotate in opposite directions and help pick up even the toughest of dust and dirt. If I waited a few days, the animal hair would build up and I had to lightly sweep before continuing with the dyad. Likewise, it did a good job on everyday stains but struggled with deep stains like those found under and around the refrigerator or stove. The rollers provide some scrubbing to help with light stains, but those stubborn, ground-in stains require a lot of elbow grease that the dyad just can't apply. Battery life was as expected. It routinely took up to 25 minutes so I could vacuum multiple rooms.

Reaches almost all corners and edges

The Roborock Dyad is definitely not a standard vacuum cleaner with the head square and securely aligned with the body of the vacuum cleaner. Instead, the Dyad has a head that can be swiveled 180 degrees, which gives the device an initially unsettling, easy-going feeling. With the dyad, the head can articulate itself freely in a semicircle. You press the vacuum cleaner and the head moves according to the contour of the room.

Roborock dyad height

It also has an edge-to-edge roller that allows the vacuum cleaner to get deep into the nooks and crannies of your room. The dyad is tapered to fit under counters, but only on one side. One side is low enough to fit under the counter, but the other side is too bulky. I could easily clean edge to edge between counters, but I had to be extra vacuum cleaning if I wanted to reach all the way under.

The rollers were great at picking up dirt, but the rimless design meant I couldn't vacuum under all of my counters.

Practical, but not self-cleaning

I love how the Roborock Dyad handles dirt. The dyad sucks all the dirt and water off the floor and directs it into a dirty canister. No need to wash a cloth or buy a Swiffer refill. When you're done wet and dry vacuuming, simply empty that single container and you're ready for the next round of cleaning.

The self-cleaning function cleans the rollers so that you can wipe immediately.

After docking, the Dyad has a self-cleaning function that automatically rinses the rollers over the fresh water tank. It only takes a few minutes to wash the rollers and collect the dirty water in the dirt bin. In contrast to the LG CordZero, which empties the dirty water into the base, the Dyad does not empty itself. You have to drain the dirty water before you can start cleaning again.

Our opinion

The Roborock Dyad is an affordable wet and dry vacuum cleaner for anyone looking for a two-in-one floor cleaner without spending a fortune. It thoroughly cleans your floors and stores all debris in a single, easy-to-empty tank.

Is there a better alternative?

The Roborock Dyad is great value for money. It cleans your floor and doesn't cost an arm or a leg. It's not cheap, but at under $ 500, it is achievable for most people. However, not everyone will like the feature set and stick form factor. If you don't mind spending a little more, you can upgrade to the LG CordZero which does a great job at cleaning your floors and has a full self-cleaning mode that even drains the dirty water for you. Those who prefer the autonomy of a floor-based robotic vacuum cleaner should consider the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Pro +, which itself vacuums and mops quietly.

How long it will take?

The Roborock Dyad has a solid construction that can withstand everyday household use. Roborock's limited warranty covers all problems caused by defects in material and workmanship when used under normal conditions for one year from the date of purchase. Just make sure you use the wet and dry vacuum a lot for the first year to try it out.

Should you buy it?

Absolutely. For $ 449, the Roborock Dyad is a powerful, affordable wet and dry vacuum that picks up dirt, dust, and grime. Just measure out your kitchen cabinets to make sure the Dyad will fit underneath.

Editor's recommendations



17 Dec
Blog

HP ZBook Studio G8 Review: Powerful, Portable, and Pricey

An HP ZBook Studio G8 is on a table.

HP ZBook Studio G8

RRP $ 6,863.00

"The HP ZBook Studio G8 is fast and well built, but the price is far too high."

benefits

  • Stable built

  • Spectacular display

  • Thin and light for a workplace

  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad

  • Good productivity and creative performance

disadvantage

  • Too expensive

  • Performance does not correspond to the price

  • Terrible battery life

HP offers a full line of portable workstations for developers and technical users, from the ultra-portable ZBook Firefly G8 to the ultra-powerful ZBook Fury G8. In the middle of the product range is the ZBook Studio G8, a workstation that is aimed at both gamers and creative professionals. Simply put, it's not your typical portable workstation that is large, heavy, and highly upgradeable. It is aimed at the same people who might buy a Dell XPS 15, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme, or MacBook Pro.

It's not a cheap laptop either. I tested a configuration with the Intel Core i9-11950H vPro CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU that says the retail price is a whopping 6,863 US dollars. As of this writing, the price is still $ 4,392, although prices will fluctuate.

Either way, you are spending a huge surcharge to get a laptop with high-end components and a handful of professional features. For most people, this won't be a winning combination compared to today's extremely powerful thin and light consumer laptops.

draft

An HP ZBook Studio G8 sits on a table showing the back and lid.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ZBook Studio G8 is more like traditional thin and light laptops than a workstation. This is intentional, because the laptop should appeal to both consumer-oriented power users and professionals who are looking for a highly mobile solution. Take a look at the ZBook Studio G8 and you'll see a striking resemblance to an HP Specter from a few years ago. There's an aggressive angle along each side, sharp chamfers on different edges, and the back edge is a sharp wedge that adds some flair to the design.

The color is called "Turbo Silver" and the overall aesthetic is sophisticated but eye-catching. It's a lot more attractive than the Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2, which shares similar components but is a lot more boxy and old-fashioned. The ZBook Studio G8 challenges the Dell XPS 15 more directly in its look and feel, but the Dell is slimmer and just as attractive.

Thanks to the very thin display bezels on the sides and relatively narrow bezels at the top and bottom, the ZBook Studio G8 with its 15.6-inch display in 16: 9 format is quite a large notebook. It's only slightly larger in width and depth than the XPS 15, with its 15.6-inch 16:10 display that has tiny bezels all around, and it's considerably smaller than the ThinkPad P15. It's also thin at 0.69 inches compared to the 0.71 inch on the XPS 15 and 1.24 inches on the ThinkPad P15 at its thickest point, and at 3.96 pounds lighter compared to 4.42 pounds, respectively. 6.32 pounds for the XPS or P15. The ZBook Studio G8 manages to fall into the thin and light category while housing some serious components.

The ZBook Studio G8 is as good as the best in terms of build quality. There's no bending, bending, or twisting in the lid, keyboard deck, or bottom case, and HP puts the laptop through a brutal series of 21 military certification tests. The ZBook Studio G8 is easily on par with the Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4, which makes it a fairly robust device.

The ZBook Studio G8 does not offer the same expandability as many workstations. It has 32GB of RAM, much less than others that can be upgraded to 128GB, and the maximum storage is 2TB. There's only one slot for a solid-state drive (SSD), while many workstations have two – the ThinkPad P15, for example, has two slots and can be upgraded to a whopping 16 TB of storage. That's the price you pay for being so thin and light.

On the left side of the HP ZBook Studio G8 there is a single USB-A port and a 3.5mm audio jack.

On the right side of the HP ZBook Studio G8 there are two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports, a mini display port connector and a full-size SD card reader.

Connectivity is good for a thin and light laptop, although thicker workstations tend to have more ports. On the left you will find a single USB-A port and a 3.5mm audio jack and on the right you will find two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports, a mini DisplayPort connector and an SD card reader in full size hand side. Power is supplied via a proprietary connection that is fed by a sizable 200 watt power supply. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 provide wireless tasks.

There are a few "professional" features that you won't find on a typical consumer laptop. For example, there is built-in tile support that will help you track down your laptop if it has been stolen. HP's Wolf Security Suite provides hardware-based protection against BIOS corruption and attacks, and there are several other security features only available on HP's business-class laptops. The chassis can also be disinfected and has been tested for 1,000 cleaning cycles with selected household towels. Whether these features offer enough added value to justify the price of the ZBook Studio G8 is an open question.

power

An HP ZBook Studio G8 sits forward on a table.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

My test device was equipped with the 8-core / 16-thread Core i9-11950H vPro CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, 32 GB RAM and a 2 TB PCIe SSD. You can also choose up to an Nvidia Quadro A5000 GPU if you want really professional graphics, but otherwise my review unit was maxed out. I ran it through our suite of benchmarks and found that while it's a fast laptop, it doesn't outperform some consumer-grade laptops that cost less than half the price.

The ZBook Studio G8 performed well in Geekbench 5 and took third place in our comparison group behind the Apple MacBook Pro 16 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P15. In our Handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video as H.265, the Lenovo took first place and in the Cinebench R23 came third, again behind the MacBook Pro 16 and the ThinkPad P15. In the PCMark 10 Complete Benchmark, which is a great test of productivity performance, the ZBook Studio G8 finally took third place behind the ThinkPad P15 and the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X with a Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU.

The extremely high price of the ZBook Studio G8 can hardly be justified due to the performance alone.

Most tellingly, however, was the workstation's performance in the real-world Pugetbench benchmark running in Adobe Premiere – a demanding application for which the machine was specifically designed. The ZBook Studio G8 scored 612 in the benchmark, a solid score that fell short of the ThinkPad P15, Dell XPS 17, and the insanely fast MacBook Pro 16, which beat the rest of the field. The ZBook Studio G8 wasn't even much faster than the Dell XPS 15 with a slower CPU and GPU. In short, HP's workstation was disappointing in what is perhaps the most important benchmark.

The only way to characterize its performance is that it is certainly a fast laptop that will serve its professional market well while satisfying productive users at the same time. At the same time, however, it's not necessarily faster than the thin and light mass of high-end consumers. The extremely high price of the ZBook Studio G8 can hardly be justified due to the performance alone.

Underdog bench 5
(Single / multiple)		 Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) Handbrake (seconds) PCMark 10 Pugetbench Premiere Pro
HP ZBook Studio G8 (Core i9-11950H) 1637/9139 1594/11788 84 6432 612
Lenovo ThinkPad P15 (Core i9-11950H) 1691/9250 1596/12207 84 6866 724
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro) 1773/12605 1531/12343 95 N / A 956
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 (Core i7-11800H) 1520/7353 1519/10497 106 6251 432
Dell XPS 15 (Core i7-11800H) 1556/7692 1513/9979 103 6024 509
Dell XPS 17 (Core i7-11800H) 1568/8801 1525/10145 109 6209 692
Asus Vivobook Pro 16X (Ryzen 9 5900HX) 1544/8299 1486/11478 90 6486 571

Gaming performance

Given that HP specifically mentions Gaming as one of the ZBook Studio G8's strengths, and it features an RGB backlit keyboard per key and the OMEN Gaming Hub utility, it's fair to rate its gaming performance. The RTX 3070 was supposed to make it a competitive gaming device, but it turned out that its performance was downright mixed.

The ZBook Studio G8's 3DMark Time Spy Score was low compared to the peer group, especially the Razer Blade 14 and Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, which both came with RTX-3070 GPUs. The HP caught up with Assassin's Creed Valhalla, where they tied for first place, and it ended up between the Razer Blade 14 and Legion 5 Pro in Battlefield V. However, his Fortnite score was the second lowest and he wasn't especially fast on Civilization VI, where its CPU should have paid some dividends. Overall, the ZBook Studio G8 is undoubtedly capable of playing competently at 1080p and even 1440p, but it won't beat many dedicated gaming laptops.

Laptop 3DMark time spy Assassin & # 39; s Creed Valhalla
(1080p ultra high)		 Battlefield V
(1080p Ultra)		 Fourteen days
(1080p epic)		 Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
HP ZBook Studio G8 (RTX 3070) 7391 77 fps 83 fps 89 fps 112 fps
HP Victus 16 (RTX 3060) 7341 59 fps 72 fps 99 fps 118 fps
Razer blade 14 (RTX 3070) 8605 60 fps 96 fps 96 fps 111 fps
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (RTX 3070) 9175 61 fps 73 fps 101 fps 114 fps
Asus ROG Strix G15 (RX6800M) 10504 77 fps 109 fps 108 fps 150 fps
MSI GS66 Stealth (RTX 3080) 9097 70 fps 117 fps 140 fps 149 fps
Razer blade 15 (RTX 2080 Super) 7637 58 fps 98 fps 110 fps 134 fps
MSI Creator Z16 (RTX 3060) 6322 50 fps 57 fps 56 fps (1600p) 92 fps

At this point it should be noted that the ZBook Studio G8 gets very loud under full load and produces so much noise in our gaming benchmarks that I wanted to put on headphones. The case also got quite warm, with parts of the palm rest exceeding 126 degrees Fahrenheit and the bottom of the case reaching over 140 degrees F. The CPU temperatures stayed below 90 degrees F during the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark, so HP did an excellent job of keeping the component temperatures within a reasonable range.

display

Close-up on the display of the HP ZBook Studio G8.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

My test device came with the 4K OLED display (3840 x 2160), one of four options, along with two Full HD options (1920 x 1080) and HP's DreamColor 4K display running at 120 Hz. With OLED displays you can't usually go wrong, and mine definitely looked great. The colors were dynamic without being oversaturated, the display was bright enough in all my work environments (including outside in southern California sunlight), and I enjoyed deep black colors.

My colorimeter was mostly happy with the display, but it wasn't quite as spectacular as some of the OLED panels I tested. It was bright at 413 nits, well above our 300 nit threshold, and the contrast was excellent at 28,880: 1 (note this is a lower score than some of my previous OLED tests, but I switched colorimeters and it apparently tests OLED displays differently). The colors were wide at 94% of AdobeRGB and 100% of sRGB. The color accuracy was just OK with a DeltaE of 2.16 (1.0 or less is considered excellent). Compared to the Dell XPS 15 OLED display with 397 nits, 27,770: 1 contrast, 97% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB and a color accuracy of 0.41. The ThinkPad 15 had a more average IPS display that was very bright at 542 cd / m² and had a contrast ratio of 1,040: 1, 76% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB and a color accuracy of 1.49.

Creative types will love this display, although they would like the colors to be a little more accurate. Everyone else will enjoy the colors, brightness and contrasts that make the ZBook Studio G8 an excellent laptop for creative and productive work.

The speakers of the HP ZBook Studio G8 rest next to the keyboard.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Four speakers, two tweeters and two woofers provide the sound, and when they are all the way up, they emit ample volume. There was no distortion either, with clear mids and highs and a hint of bass. These are some of the best speakers you'll find on a Windows laptop that rival the Dell XPS 15, which is the Windows benchmark but doesn't quite get on par with the excellent MacBook Pro audio.

You can use these speakers for all of your listening needs from gaming to Netflix bingeing to music. No headphones or external speakers are required.

Keyboard and touchpad

Keyboard and touchpad of the HP ZBook Studio G8.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ZBook Studio G8's keyboard is very similar to that of HP's Specter range, with plenty of key spacing, large keycaps, and a row of cursor movement keys along the right side. However, its switching mechanism is completely different, it is the same depth, but with more click than push button. It's a comfortable and quiet keyboard on par with the excellent version of the Specter, even if it feels different. My test unit came with the optional per-key RGB lighting that can cycle 16.8 million colors, and it's as good as a gaming laptop like the Razer Blade 14. It's strange to have such lighting on a portable workstation but that too shows how HP sees its customers using the laptop.

The touchpad was large and comfortable, with a glass surface that made swiping precise. As a Microsoft Precision touchpad, it supported the multi-touch gestures of Windows 10 and was pleasant to use. The display was also touch-enabled and precise as usual.

Windows 10 Hello support is provided by both an infrared camera for facial recognition and a fingerprint reader in the upper right corner of the palm rest. Both worked quickly and reliably.

There's no privacy switch or slider for the webcam, which was disappointing. And the webcam itself gets stuck at 720p.

Battery life

An HP ZBook Studio G8 is on a table.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Inside the ZBook Studio G8 there is an 83 watt hour battery installed, which is not exactly huge for this device class. The Lenovo ThinkPad P15, for example, has a capacity of 94 watt hours and the Dell XPS 15 is almost on par with HP with 86 watt hours. Throw in some high-end components and a power hungry 4K OLED display and my predictions for battery life have been bleak.

Things were just as bad as I expected. Starting with our web browsing test, which ran through a number of popular and complex websites, the ZBook Studio G8 only lasted five hours, about half of what we'd like to see in this test. The XPS 15 OLED lasted nine hours and the ThinkPad P15 reached 9.5 hours. In our video test, which repeats a local 1080p movie trailer, the ZBook Studio G8 only lasted 6.25 hours, compared to the XPS 15 OLED for 11 hours and the ThinkPad P15 for 11.15 hours.

I also ran the PCMark Applications battery test, the best indicator of productivity performance, and the ZBook Studio G8 got 5.5 hours, while the XPS 15 got eight hours and the ThinkPad P15 6.35 hours. Finally, in the PCMark Gaming Battery Test, which shows how hard a laptop works on battery power, the ZBook Studio G8 lasted 91 minutes, roughly the same as the XPS 15 OLED and about 40 minutes longer than the ThinkPad P15.

Overall, the battery life of the ZBook Studio G8 was poor. You have to lug around and plug in the large power pack before a work day is over. If your workload is demanding at all, you'll pocket it even before noon.

Our opinion

The ZBook Studio G8 manages to pack components at the workstation level into a thin and light housing. However, this happens at the expense of pure performance and expandability. Aside from some professional features that may or may not be useful to the typical developer or even engineer, the ZBook Studio G8 outperforms some 15-inch laptops like the Dell XPS 15 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen. not 4 (which is actually more expandable than the HP).

That makes the ZBook Studio G8 an odd laptop. It's a great machine, no doubt about it. But it's also horribly expensive without much to add to justify the investment.

Are there alternatives?

The ThinkPad P15 offers similar performance to the ZBook Studio G8, but is much more expandable at the expense of the added thickness and weight. It's just as expensive, but you'll be happy to find that you can upgrade the memory and storage if needed.

You can also consider MSI's WS65 Mobile Workstation. It supports the same basic components and can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM, but it is also thinner and lighter and does not offer the same expandability as some workstations.

Finally, the Dell XPS 15 is an excellent choice when you don't need these professional features. It's just as well built and handsome, and it's almost as fast in our test configuration that it wasn't maxed out. Buy an XPS 15 and its high-end components and you'll likely get similar performance for thousands less.

How long it will take?

The ZBook Studio G8 is solidly built and will withstand many years of productive service. However, it is not as expandable as many workstations. So you buy what you get. However, the three-year guarantee is welcome.

Should you buy it?

No. The ZBook Studio G8 is also a great device. It's just too expensive compared to the competition.

Editor's recommendations



07 Aug
Blog

Sleep is the Body’s Most Powerful Recovery Tool

Almost half of the population walk around like caffeine-addicted zombies with brain fog from poor sleep.

Sleep is fascinating. We all know it's good for us and most of us would like to get more, but research shows that 43.2% of adults are sleep deprived.

That's nearly half of the population walking around like caffeine-addicted zombies with brain fog from poor sleep.

Continue reading

04 Aug
Blog

Sleep is the Body’s Most Powerful Recovery Tool

Almost half of the population walk around like caffeine-addicted zombies with brain fog from poor sleep.

Sleep is fascinating. We all know it's good for us and most of us would like to get more, but research shows that 43.2% of adults are sleep deprived.

That's nearly half of the population who walk around brain fog like caffeine-addicted zombies due to poor sleep.

Continue reading

17 May
Blog

5 Essential Exercises for the Powerful Runner

Strength training is an important component for any high-performing and successful runner as it helps prevent injuries and build muscle strength.

When it comes to improving mileage, runners usually fall into one of two camps:

  1. The ones who just walk more
  2. Those who prioritize weight training

I know because I spent years in the first category.

Continue reading

25 Feb
Blog

Nature’s Two Most Powerful Exercise Recovery Tools

In the first part this series, Train hard, recover harder, I explained that stress is a double-edged sword. In order to make adjustments, you have to impose stress, but too much stress affects your recovery.

Stress can be both good and bad, but your body doesn't distinguish between types of stress, and your body can only handle that much stress. Stress is good during exercise; Your ability to benefit from it depends somewhat on your overall stress level.

So you have to manage all of your life stress in order to free up as much capacity as possible for dealing with training stress. Stress management strategies can create a larger window of time for exercise stress to apply and recover.

In part two, The Importance of Structured Exercise Programs in Recovery, I discussed optimizing your exercise program as another powerful tool in maximizing recovery. By focusing on delivering efficient exercise stress, you make your recovery easier.

Intelligent program design = fatigue management

The four key factors to consider are:

  1. Volume landmarks

  2. SRA curves

  3. Stimulus: fatigue ratio

  4. Relative intensity

At this point, I am assuming that your workout is optimized and provides a reasonable incentive.

From this point on, the remaining adjustments, such as B. Increases in size and strength, from recovery, result in this simplified muscle building equation:

Stimulus + recovery = adjustment

In this third part of the series, I'm going to cover your two most powerful recovery tools and how to maximize them.

The two most powerful recovery tools available to you are:::

  1. sleep

  2. nutrition

If you focus on these consistently, you will be rewarded. With your choice of sleep, diet, and stress management, you are ready to make great strides in the gym.

The positive influence of sleep on performance

Sleep is your most important recovery tool. I have spoken repeatedly about the positive effects of sleep on athletic performance and your ability to recover from hard exercise. The harder you can train without exceeding your recovery capacity, the faster you can progress.

Sleep is the most anabolic state for your body. Lack of sleep limits your strength and muscle mass gains. It also increases your chances of losing muscle mass if you cut and absorb fat as you accumulate.

To maximize recovery and build more muscle, you need to prioritize sleep.

Better sleep will help you with this too::

In short, it makes you a fitter, happier, and more productive person.

Let's be honest; you probably already know that. Bet you don't give sleep the credit it deserves when it comes to your lifestyle choices. Most of us realize that we should sleep more. We know sleep is important. However, we do not prioritize it.

I'm pretty sure you are making this mistake because I do too. I've been guilty many times in the past. It's all too easy to stay up late to catch the next episode of a TV show or to scroll aimlessly through Instagram. Whenever I do that, I always regret it the next day.

Lack of sleep can creep up on you. You may not realize that you have been deprived of sleep. The occasional late night has little effect. The problem is when those late nights get normal.

Stay on the laptop for a long time to meet work schedules or relax before a good show. Both eat into your sleep and have a huge impact on the quality of your recovery. Over time, you will likely feel like a zombie with no caffeine in the morning, your fitness performance will begin to increase, and you will make poorer dietary choices. It all happens little by little.

They sneak up on you. I've seen this over and over with customers trying to burn the candle on both ends. They pretend they can get away with it because the drop in performance is gradual. Be warned, lack of sleep adds up and if not resolved, it can slow your progress.

My sleep deprivation experience was less gradual and more like a blunt force trauma. I had always slept well and made it a priority. Then I had children. After our son was born, it took me 18 months to feel normal again in the gym. I vividly remember the session after my first full eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. I felt like superman.

The sad thing is, I wasn't a Superman.

I wasn't even around. After a good night's sleep, I was just a normal Tom. My perception of what was normal had been so distorted by 18 months of sleep deprivation that I now felt amazing. You could have slept in the same situation without realizing it. Make sleep a priority for a month and I'm confident you will look better, feel better, and perform better.

The research on sleep deprivation is alarming. Studies show that for 11 days in a row with less than six hours of sleep, your cognitive abilities are roughly as high as if you had stayed awake for 24 hours.

After 22 days of sleeping less than six hours a night, your brain is functioning at the same level as someone who has stayed awake for 48 hours straight. To put things in perspective, it means your reactions are likely to be worse than someone who is over the legal limit for alcohol.

Are you more zombie than human?

Take a sleep survey on yourself and assess if you are more of a zombie than a human.

As a guide, this is what you should aim for when it comes to sleeping::

  • Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

  • Go to bed at the same time every night.

  • Wake up at the same time each morning.

  • Wake up without an alarm clock.

  • Sleep all night long – multiple bathroom trips are a sure sign of poor quality sleep (or way too much drinking just before bed).

  • Waking up in much the same position that you fell asleep (not throwing and spinning all night) is a good sign.

  • You should wake up refreshed.

How can your sleep hold up against this list? I suspect you are not ticking all of these points. In my experience, most people can't even check off a few of them. Your goal is to work towards ensuring that you can check off each of these bullet points.

Here are some practical tips to help you sleep better and longer.

  • Prepare for success: Get a comfortable bed, mattress and pillow. Bed quality can affect sleep. It can also reduce back and shoulder pain. Given that you spend almost a third of your life in bed, it makes sense to invest in a good one.
  • Establish a routine: Go to bed at about the same time and get up at the same time each day. Weekends count too. It was found that matching sleep and wake times improves long-term sleep quality.
  • Include relaxation: It has been found that relaxation techniques before bed improve the quality of sleep. Read a book, listen to a chill out playlist, take a hot bath or take a deep breath and meditate. Do whatever you can to relax and unwind.
  • Cut the coffee at 4pm: Drinking coffee is cool. I love this stuff, but having it later in the day can disrupt or even prevent your sleep. On average, the half-life of caffeine is around five hours. However, this half-life can vary massively between individuals. If you are a slow metabolizer of caffeine, you may have levels in your system that will keep you awake and will keep you awake until the wee hours if you drink it after 4pm. In extreme cases, having it within 10 hours of going to bed can be disturbing for some people. So cut yourself off at 4pm and see if it's easier for you to fall asleep. If you're still having issues, push things forward to 3pm and reevaluate.
  • Disconnect the matrix: The blue light emitted by the screens of your devices can disturb your sleep. The body's internal clock or daily rhythm is mainly influenced by the hours of daylight. Artificial lights like street lights and lightbulbs are already bothering it, but looking at screens magnifies the problem. Your internal body clock is supplied by the eye nerve, which is directly influenced by blue light. Your phone, TV, laptop, and tablet emit the same light. To improve sleep, I suggest that you disconnect from such screens for at least 60 minutes before going to bed.
  • Receive natural sunlight during the day: In these times the body needs light. Studies have found that two hours of bright light during the day increases the amount of sleep by two hours and improves the quality of sleep by 80%.
  • Sleep in the batcave: Make your bedroom pitch black, calm and cool to maximize the quality of your sleep. Remove all electrical devices.
  • Room temperature: Set the thermostats to around 20 ° C. It was found that room temperature affects the quality of sleep more than external noise.
  • Stay away from alcohol: Just a few drinks have been shown to reduce your sleep hormones. Alcohol alters melatonin production and lowers HGH (Human Growth Hormone) levels. Melatonin is an important sleep hormone that tells your brain when it's time to relax and fall asleep. HGH helps regulate your body clock, counteracts aging, and is vital to recovery.

There you have it, your comprehensive guide to better sleep. You have no excuse now. You know sleep is crucial. You can also rate your sleep based on the standards listed above. If you come up short, you have nine tips to improve your sleep.

As you improve your sleep, everything else improves too. Try to improve your sleep before you worry about investing in other recovery modalities.

Neither of them can hold a candle to sleep, and sleep is free.

Your caloric intake and energy balance

Your second most powerful recovery tool is your diet.

By properly fueling your body, you can take advantage of the stimulus generated by your exercise. Training creates the incentive to build muscle, lose fat and increase strength. Your recovery will determine whether or not you will achieve that potential.

When it comes to nutrition, there are several variables that you can manipulate. The most important variable when it comes to nutrition for recovery is your caloric intake and energy balance.

What is a calorie and what is energy balance??

A calorie (Kcal) is a unit of energy. Our food contains calories and fuels us with energy to lead our daily lives. Everyone needs different amounts of energy per day depending on their age, size and level of activity.

Calorie budget refers to the number of calories you consume compared to the number of calories you burn.

If you eat excess calories, you will gain weight. If you eat a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. While eating high calorie food in the process of maintenance, it means that you are maintaining the weight. When it comes to physical change, calories are king.

When consuming a calorie surplus, maximizing regeneration is easier to manage than when consuming a deficit. You have an abundance of calories available to meet your macro and micronutrient needs. When it comes to diet and you have an excess, keep things simple. Hit your macros, distribute your protein intake fairly evenly between 3-6 meals a day, and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.

When you are calorie deficit, the details of your diet are more important in maximizing recovery as less energy is coming in. The basic principles still apply, but you need to take better account of your low calorie eating habits to ensure that you meet both your macro and micronutrient needs.

Meal timing, food quality, and micronutrition are more important when you are in a deficit, but none of them outperform achieving a reasonable calorie deficit.

Energy balance and macronutrients are the two most important factors in your diet in terms of body development and strength gains.

How to set calories for individual results

If you have an excess, I suggest that you eat enough to gain between 0.25 and 0.5% of your body weight per week.

A quick strategy to estimate your daily needs is to multiply your weight in pounds by 15.

This formula generally gives a good approximation of the calories needed to maintain your weight. An excess of 500 calories per day equates to roughly a pound of weight gain per week. If you weigh 200 pounds, this is right at the upper end of your weight gain target. An excess of 250 calories a day will result in you gaining roughly half a pound a week. An excess of between 250 and 500 calories would be adequate for a 200 pound lifter.

If you are in deficit, I recommend losing between 0.5 and 1% of your body weight per week.

If you maintain a faster rate than this for an extended period (say, more than four weeks), you run the risk of adversely affecting your fitness performance and muscle loss.

Similar to the excess example, you can estimate maintenance calories by multiplying your weight in pounds by 15 calories.

From this point on, you need to subtract calories in order to achieve a deficit. A 500 calorie deficit will give you one pound loss per week. For our 200 pound example, an ideal rate of fat loss is between 1 and 2 pounds per week. Consequently, a deficit of 500-1,000 kcal per day is the area to look out for in order to achieve this.

Macronutrients

There are three types of macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. All of these provide energy and therefore contain calories. Here's how to establish and establish your macronutrient needs and goals.

The calorie content per gram of each macronutrient is listed below::

  • Protein: Four calories per gram

  • Fat: Nine calories per gram

  • carbohydrate: Four calories per gram

This information is useful in the practical step of creating your diet with the appropriate proportions for each macronutrient.

Protein is essential for survival

Protein comes from the Greek word proteios, which means "of primary importance".

  • Protein is involved in almost every process in your body.
  • Proteins are vital and healthy.
  • They play an important role in athletic performance and body composition.
  • Muscle mass consists mostly of protein.
  • Protein helps you recover from your workouts.
  • It preserves lean tissue on diets.
  • It will help you build more muscle as you build.
  • It has the greatest effect on satiety, or feeling comfortable, of any macronutrient.

To build muscle, consume protein in the range of 1.6 to 2.2 g / kg lean body mass to stimulate the MPS for the day.

Recent research supports the high end of this range.

I generally recommend eating 2 g of protein per kg of body weight. This formula is easy to remember, easy to calculate, and conveniently covers your needs. From a practical point of view, I've also found that it is a crowd that satisfies most people's appetites and eating habits.

Take away key– Eat 2 g of protein per kg (0.9 g per lbs) of body weight per day.

Never eliminate fat from your diet

The consumption of dietary fat is important for regular hormonal function, especially testosterone production.

You should never remove fat from a diet.

There is not so much an optimal amount of fat to consume, but a minimum

0.2-0.5 g / kg / day for normal hormonal function. There have been compelling arguments in favor of consuming between 20 and 30% of calories in fat to optimize testosterone levels.

However, when 0.6 g / kg / bw is reached, no significant benefit for the hormones can be seen.

How Much Fat Should I Consume?

I prefer a minimum of 0.6 g / kg / kg per day.

  • If there is an excess, this is enough to optimize hormonal function and generally equates to around 20% of the calories.
  • Since hormone function has little benefit after a calorie surplus after 0.6 g / kg / bw, there is no physiological need to increase this number as you go through your mass phase.
  • Even if the total calories are adjusted upwards to keep gaining weight, there is no physiological need to exceed the fat content of 0.6 g / kg / bw. In my experience, however, many people find it easier to stick to their eating plan when the fat is slightly higher as the total calories increase.
  • I generally find anything up to 1g / kg / bw is effective.
  • If there is a deficit, I suggest a range of 0.6-1 g / kg / body weight.
  • The risk of hormonal disorders is higher with a chronic calorie deficit.
  • While many clients have performed well and had exceptional results at the low end of this range, I tend to be conservative and start at the high end when a phase of fat loss begins.

From this point on, I take a results-based approach based on loss rate, customer feedback, and gym performance.

Take away key– Consume at least 0.6 g of fat per kg (0.3 g per pound) of body weight.

Carbohydrates affect hormones

Carbohydrates, like fats, have a positive effect on hormones. The carbohydrates you eat are converted to glucose and stored in the liver or released into the bloodstream. However, most of this glucose is actually taken up and stored by the muscles as glycogen. Despite this storage, glycogen is at the bottom of the body's list of priorities.

Glucose is used in a hierarchical order.

Cells in need of energy are the priority for the incoming glucose. Only when the majority of the cells' energy requirements have been met does the carbohydrate consumption increase blood sugar. When blood sugar levels reach a reasonable level, glycogen synthesis in the liver is the next priority.

Only then does the synthesis of muscle glycogen begin to a significant amount. When muscles absorb blood sugar, they can use it for activity or repair. This is important for muscle repair, recovery, and growth.

Carbohydrates are the dominant source of energy for the central nervous system (CNS) and physical activity.

They promote strenuous training and regeneration by replenishing muscle glycogen. Stored muscle glycogen is the primary and preferred source of fuel for high-intensity exercise. Carbohydrates are a great benefit for people who train hard.

During the diet phases, keeping carbohydrate levels very low has become very popular. This is not entirely unfounded, as cutting down on carbohydrates can help create a calorie deficit. I suggest you resist the temptation not to consume carbohydrates.

To get the most out of your workout, you need to do overloaded workouts. Eat enough carbohydrates to do this. They also help you retain muscle mass even as you lose body weight.

When you're low on glycogen, you risk suppressing the anabolic response to weight training. Eating enough carbohydrates allows for higher exercise intensity, higher exercise volume, faster recovery between sets and between sessions, and anti-catabolic and anabolic effects.

"How Much Carbohydrates Should You Consume?" Short answer:

"The rest of your available calories"

More protein preserves muscle mass and saturation

While you're in excess of calories, hitting your macros is likely to get 80% of the benefits of your diet from a recreational standpoint.

Factors such as nutrient timing, micronutrition, food variety, and quality all contribute to optimal results, but they make little difference.

When you're in a deficit, those tiny gains are yours to deal with as you don't have the safety net of an abundance of calories to do the heavy lifting for you.

Here are some tips on how to squeeze the most out of your diet for maximum recovery while cutting:

  • If you are in a calorie deficit, consuming the high end of the protein guidelines given earlier (2.2 g / kg / bw) is a great idea.
  • High protein intake has been shown to preserve muscle mass.
  • Anecdotally, high protein intake also appears to regulate appetite. This scheme is useful when cutting calories.

Protein timing

Several studies have shown that a 25-40g serving of protein is enough to maximize muscle protein synthesis (MPS). To give you a more specific recommendation, I suggest that you aim for 0.4 g / kg body weight per meal. If you weigh 65 kg, that would be 26 g, while a 80 kg man would have 32 g of protein per meal.

The current literature shows that eating a mixed whole meal results in MPS lasting approximately three hours and peaking for 45-90 minutes. While protein shakes / amino acid supplements typically only last two hours and peak earlier. Then MPS begins to subside.

Research shows that these peaks and valleys are beneficial in MPS for maximum muscle growth.

Based on the scientific evidence available, 4-6 servings of protein per day, 3-4 hours each, is the best choice to maximize MPS.

If you are calorie deficient, fine-tuning your eating plan to maximize MPS is the best option to avoid muscle wasting.

The holy grail of nutrient timing?

We've all heard of the post-workout anabolic window. Post-exercise diet has long been considered the holy grail of nutrient timing. I think this is a mistake. Pre-workout nutrition is just as important, if not more important, than post-workout nutrition, in my opinion.

As mentioned earlier, it takes the body several hours to digest a meal. For example, suppose you have a balanced meal before you exercise. In this case, your body will continue to receive a constant supply of nutrients throughout the session and even in the post-workout window.

Many people overlook the critical consideration that the important nutrient timing factor is that the nutrients are in your bloodstream, not when you eat them.

The nutrients from your pre-workout meal are in your bloodstream during and possibly after your workout. This means that you can immediately supply nutrients to the working muscles. If you only focus on the post-workout meal, there is a significant delay in the amount of nutrients getting to the muscles where you need them.

With this in mind, a few points should be noted here::

  • Insufficient carbohydrates can interfere with strength training.

  • Consuming carbohydrates in the pre-workout meal can improve performance in the workout session.

  • Consuming carbohydrates while exercising in sessions longer than an hour can improve performance at the end of the session and prevent muscle wasting (especially when combined with a quickly digestible source of protein).

  • By consuming carbohydrates after exercise, muscle glycogen is replenished more effectively than at other times. This post-workout window is much longer than the much touted anabolic window of 20 to 30 minutes. The 4-6 hours after the workout when consuming carbohydrates replenishes the optimal muscle glycogen.

As you build up, your carbohydrate intake is likely high enough that you don't have to worry too much about postponing your eating for one time or another.

If you distribute the carbohydrates evenly throughout the day, you are in good hands.

Calories and carbohydrates can be very low during a diet. IIn this situation, it is more important to consider your specific carbohydrate intake timing to aid in quality exercise and recovery.

It is wise to make sure that you consume carbohydrates at least during meals before and after your workout.

After that, you can just spread it fairly evenly over the other meals you eat during the day.

Eat the rainbow

Choosing nutrient-rich, low-calorie foods is a wise decision. This choice will help you stay full, which means you will be more likely to stick to your diet.

It also means you are getting all of the micro-nutrition you need to support a good recovery from exercise. A wide variety of vegetables is a smart decision when cutting calories.

An easy way to get a wide range of micronutrients is to eat fruits and vegetables in as many different colors as possible.

Avoid pseudosciences

While it is tempting to reach for the expensive recovery tool backed by pseudoscience, it is better to pluck the low hanging fruits of improving your sleep and diet to aid your recovery.

These two factors will have a far greater impact on your recovery and results than any other failed recovery method.

Use the guidelines I have provided to get a massive recovery benefit and keep those silly recovery fashions for less informed lifters.

25 Feb
Blog

Nature’s Two Most Powerful Exercise Recovery Tools

In the first part this series, Train hard, recover harder, I explained that stress is a double-edged sword. In order to make adjustments, you have to impose stress, but too much stress affects your recovery.

Stress can be both good and bad, but your body doesn't distinguish between types of stress, and your body can only handle that much stress. Stress is good during exercise; Your ability to benefit from it depends somewhat on your overall stress level.

So you have to manage all of your life stress in order to free up as much capacity as possible for dealing with training stress. Stress management strategies can create a larger window of time for exercise stress to apply and recover.

In Part Two, Good Recovery Starts With Good Programming, I discussed optimizing your exercise program as another effective tool for maximizing recovery. By focusing on delivering efficient exercise stress, you make your recovery easier.

Intelligent program design = fatigue management

The four key factors to consider are:

  1. Volume landmarks

  2. SRA curves

  3. Stimulus: fatigue ratio

  4. Relative intensity

At this point, I am assuming that your workout is optimized and provides a reasonable incentive.

From this point on, the remaining adjustments, such as B. Increases in size and strength, from recovery, result in this simplified muscle building equation:

Stimulus + recovery = adjustment

In this third part of the series, I'm going to cover your two most powerful recovery tools and how to maximize them.

The two most powerful recovery tools available to you are:::

  1. sleep

  2. nutrition

If you focus on these consistently, you will be rewarded. With your choice of sleep, diet, and stress management, you are ready to make great strides in the gym.

The positive influence of sleep on performance

Sleep is your most important recovery tool. I have spoken repeatedly about the positive effects of sleep on athletic performance and your ability to recover from hard exercise. The harder you can train without exceeding your recovery capacity, the faster you can progress.

Sleep is the most anabolic state for your body. Lack of sleep limits your strength and muscle mass gains. It also increases your chances of losing muscle mass if you cut and absorb fat as you accumulate.

To maximize recovery and build more muscle, you need to prioritize sleep.

Better sleep will help you with this too::

In short, it makes you a fitter, happier, and more productive person.

Let's be honest; you probably already know that. Bet you don't give sleep the credit it deserves when it comes to your lifestyle choices. Most of us realize that we should sleep more. We know sleep is important. However, we do not prioritize it.

I'm pretty sure you are making this mistake because I do too. I've been guilty many times in the past. It's all too easy to stay up late to catch the next episode of a TV show or to scroll aimlessly through Instagram. Whenever I do that, I always regret it the next day.

Lack of sleep can creep up on you. You may not realize that you have been deprived of sleep. The occasional late night has little effect. The problem is when those late nights get normal.

Stay on the laptop for a long time to meet work schedules or relax before a good show. Both eat into your sleep and have a huge impact on the quality of your recovery. Over time, you will likely feel like a zombie with no caffeine in the morning, your fitness performance will begin to increase, and you will make poorer dietary choices. It all happens little by little.

They sneak up on you. I've seen this over and over with customers trying to burn the candle on both ends. They pretend they can get away with it because the drop in performance is gradual. Be warned, lack of sleep adds up and if not resolved, it can slow your progress.

My sleep deprivation experience was less gradual and more like a blunt force trauma. I had always slept well and made it a priority. Then I had children. After our son was born, it took me 18 months to feel normal again in the gym. I vividly remember the session after my first full eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. I felt like superman.

The sad thing is, I wasn't a Superman.

I wasn't even around. After a good night's sleep, I was just a normal Tom. My perception of what was normal had been so distorted by 18 months of sleep deprivation that I now felt amazing. You could have slept in the same situation without realizing it. Make sleep a priority for a month and I'm confident you will look better, feel better, and perform better.

The research on sleep deprivation is alarming. Studies show that for 11 days in a row with less than six hours of sleep, your cognitive abilities are roughly as high as if you had stayed awake for 24 hours.

After 22 days of sleeping less than six hours a night, your brain is functioning at the same level as someone who has stayed awake for 48 hours straight. To put things in perspective, it means your reactions are likely to be worse than someone who is over the legal limit for alcohol.

Are you more zombie than human?

Take a sleep survey on yourself and assess if you are more of a zombie than a human.

As a guide, this is what you should aim for when it comes to sleeping::

  • Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

  • Go to bed at the same time every night.

  • Wake up at the same time each morning.

  • Wake up without an alarm clock.

  • Sleep all night long – multiple bathroom trips are a sure sign of poor quality sleep (or way too much drinking just before bed).

  • Waking up in much the same position that you fell asleep (not throwing and spinning all night) is a good sign.

  • You should wake up refreshed.

How can your sleep hold up against this list? I suspect you are not ticking all of these points. In my experience, most people can't even check off a few of them. Your goal is to work towards ensuring that you can check off each of these bullet points.

Here are some practical tips to help you sleep better and longer.

  • Prepare for success: Get a comfortable bed, mattress and pillow. Bed quality can affect sleep. It can also reduce back and shoulder pain. Given that you spend almost a third of your life in bed, it makes sense to invest in a good one.
  • Establish a routine: Go to bed at about the same time and get up at the same time each day. Weekends count too. It was found that matching sleep and wake times improves long-term sleep quality.
  • Include relaxation: It has been found that relaxation techniques before bed improve the quality of sleep. Read a book, listen to a chill out playlist, take a hot bath or take a deep breath and meditate. Do whatever you can to relax and unwind.
  • Cut the coffee at 4pm: Drinking coffee is cool. I love this stuff, but having it later in the day can disrupt or even prevent your sleep. On average, the half-life of caffeine is around five hours. However, this half-life can vary massively between individuals. If you are a slow metabolizer of caffeine, you may have levels in your system that will keep you awake and will keep you awake until the wee hours if you drink it after 4pm. In extreme cases, having it within 10 hours of going to bed can be disturbing for some people. So cut yourself off at 4pm and see if it's easier for you to fall asleep. If you're still having issues, push things forward to 3pm and reevaluate.
  • Disconnect the matrix: The blue light emitted by the screens of your devices can disturb your sleep. The body's internal clock or daily rhythm is mainly influenced by the hours of daylight. Artificial lights like street lights and lightbulbs are already bothering it, but looking at screens magnifies the problem. Your internal body clock is supplied by the eye nerve, which is directly influenced by blue light. Your phone, TV, laptop, and tablet emit the same light. To improve sleep, I suggest that you disconnect from such screens for at least 60 minutes before going to bed.
  • Receive natural sunlight during the day: In these times the body needs light. Studies have found that two hours of bright light during the day increases the amount of sleep by two hours and improves the quality of sleep by 80%.
  • Sleep in the batcave: Make your bedroom pitch black, calm and cool to maximize the quality of your sleep. Remove all electrical devices.
  • Room temperature: Set the thermostats to around 20 ° C. It was found that room temperature affects the quality of sleep more than external noise.
  • Stay away from alcohol: Just a few drinks have been shown to reduce your sleep hormones. Alcohol alters melatonin production and lowers HGH (Human Growth Hormone) levels. Melatonin is an important sleep hormone that tells your brain when it's time to relax and fall asleep. HGH helps regulate your body clock, counteracts aging, and is vital to recovery.

There you have it, your comprehensive guide to better sleep. You have no excuse now. You know sleep is crucial. You can also rate your sleep based on the standards listed above. If you come up short, you have nine tips to improve your sleep.

As you improve your sleep, everything else improves too. Try to improve your sleep before you worry about investing in other recovery modalities.

Neither of them can hold a candle to sleep, and sleep is free.

Your caloric intake and energy balance

Your second most powerful recovery tool is your diet.

By properly fueling your body, you can take advantage of the stimulus generated by your exercise. Training creates the incentive to build muscle, lose fat and increase strength. Your recovery will determine whether or not you will achieve that potential.

When it comes to nutrition, there are several variables that you can manipulate. The most important variable when it comes to nutrition for recovery is your caloric intake and energy balance.

What is a calorie and what is energy balance??

A calorie (Kcal) is a unit of energy. Our food contains calories and fuels us with energy to lead our daily lives. Everyone needs different amounts of energy per day depending on their age, size and level of activity.

Calorie budget refers to the number of calories you consume compared to the number of calories you burn.

If you eat excess calories, you will gain weight. If you eat a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. While eating high calorie food in the process of maintenance, it means that you are maintaining the weight. When it comes to physical change, calories are king.

When consuming a calorie surplus, maximizing regeneration is easier to manage than when consuming a deficit. You have an abundance of calories available to meet your macro and micronutrient needs. When it comes to diet and you have an excess, keep things simple. Hit your macros, distribute your protein intake fairly evenly between 3-6 meals a day, and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.

When you are calorie deficit, the details of your diet are more important in maximizing recovery as less energy is coming in. The basic principles still apply, but you need to take better account of your low calorie eating habits to ensure that you meet both your macro and micronutrient needs.

Meal timing, food quality, and micronutrition are more important when you are in a deficit, but none of them outperform achieving a reasonable calorie deficit.

Energy balance and macronutrients are the two most important factors in your diet in terms of body development and strength gains.

How to set calories for individual results

If you have an excess, I suggest that you eat enough to gain between 0.25 and 0.5% of your body weight per week.

A quick strategy to estimate your daily needs is to multiply your weight in pounds by 15.

This formula generally gives a good approximation of the calories needed to maintain your weight. An excess of 500 calories per day equates to roughly a pound of weight gain per week. If you weigh 200 pounds, this is right at the upper end of your weight gain target. An excess of 250 calories a day will result in you gaining roughly half a pound a week. An excess of between 250 and 500 calories would be adequate for a 200 pound lifter.

If you are in deficit, I recommend losing between 0.5 and 1% of your body weight per week.

If you maintain a faster rate than this for an extended period (say, more than four weeks), you run the risk of adversely affecting your fitness performance and muscle loss.

Similar to the excess example, you can estimate maintenance calories by multiplying your weight in pounds by 15 calories.

From this point on, you need to subtract calories in order to achieve a deficit. A 500 calorie deficit will give you one pound loss per week. For our 200 pound example, an ideal rate of fat loss is between 1 and 2 pounds per week. Consequently, a deficit of 500-1,000 kcal per day is the area to look out for in order to achieve this.

Macronutrients

There are three types of macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. All of these provide energy and therefore contain calories. Here's how to establish and establish your macronutrient needs and goals.

The calorie content per gram of each macronutrient is listed below::

  • Protein: Four calories per gram

  • Fat: Nine calories per gram

  • carbohydrate: Four calories per gram

This information is useful in the practical step of creating your diet with the appropriate proportions for each macronutrient.

Protein is essential for survival

Protein comes from the Greek word proteios, which means "of primary importance".

  • Protein is involved in almost every process in your body.
  • Proteins are vital and healthy.
  • They play an important role in athletic performance and body composition.
  • Muscle mass consists mostly of protein.
  • Protein helps you recover from your workouts.
  • It preserves lean tissue on diets.
  • It will help you build more muscle as you build.
  • It has the greatest effect on satiety, or feeling comfortable, of any macronutrient.

To build muscle, consume protein in the range of 1.6 to 2.2 g / kg lean body mass to stimulate the MPS for the day.

Recent research supports the high end of this range.

I generally recommend eating 2 g of protein per kg of body weight. This formula is easy to remember, easy to calculate, and conveniently covers your needs. From a practical point of view, I've also found that it is a crowd that satisfies most people's appetites and eating habits.

Take away key– Eat 2 g of protein per kg (0.9 g per lbs) of body weight per day.

Never eliminate fat from your diet

The consumption of dietary fat is important for regular hormonal function, especially testosterone production.

You should never remove fat from a diet.

There is not so much an optimal amount of fat to consume, but a minimum

0.2-0.5 g / kg / day for normal hormonal function. There have been compelling arguments in favor of consuming between 20 and 30% of calories in fat to optimize testosterone levels.

However, when 0.6 g / kg / bw is reached, no significant benefit for the hormones can be seen.

How Much Fat Should I Consume?

I prefer a minimum of 0.6 g / kg / kg per day.

  • If there is an excess, this is enough to optimize hormonal function and generally equates to around 20% of the calories.
  • Since hormone function has little benefit after a calorie surplus after 0.6 g / kg / bw, there is no physiological need to increase this number as you go through your mass phase.
  • Even if the total calories are adjusted upwards to keep gaining weight, there is no physiological need to exceed the fat content of 0.6 g / kg / bw. In my experience, however, many people find it easier to stick to their eating plan when the fat is slightly higher as the total calories increase.
  • I generally find anything up to 1g / kg / bw is effective.
  • If there is a deficit, I suggest a range of 0.6-1 g / kg / body weight.
  • The risk of hormonal disorders is higher with a chronic calorie deficit.
  • While many clients have performed well and had exceptional results at the low end of this range, I tend to be conservative and start at the high end when a phase of fat loss begins.

From this point on, I take a results-based approach based on loss rate, customer feedback, and gym performance.

Take away key– Consume at least 0.6 g of fat per kg (0.3 g per pound) of body weight.

Carbohydrates affect hormones

Carbohydrates, like fats, have a positive effect on hormones. The carbohydrates you eat are converted to glucose and stored in the liver or released into the bloodstream. However, most of this glucose is actually taken up and stored by the muscles as glycogen. Despite this storage, glycogen is at the bottom of the body's list of priorities.

Glucose is used in a hierarchical order.

Cells in need of energy are the priority for the incoming glucose. Only when the majority of the cells' energy requirements have been met does the carbohydrate consumption increase blood sugar. When blood sugar levels reach a reasonable level, glycogen synthesis in the liver is the next priority.

Only then does the synthesis of muscle glycogen begin to a significant amount. When muscles absorb blood sugar, they can use it for activity or repair. This is important for muscle repair, recovery, and growth.

Carbohydrates are the dominant source of energy for the central nervous system (CNS) and physical activity.

They promote strenuous training and regeneration by replenishing muscle glycogen. Stored muscle glycogen is the primary and preferred source of fuel for high-intensity exercise. Carbohydrates are a great benefit for people who train hard.

During the diet phases, keeping carbohydrate levels very low has become very popular. This is not entirely unfounded, as cutting down on carbohydrates can help create a calorie deficit. I suggest you resist the temptation not to consume carbohydrates.

To get the most out of your workout, you need to do overloaded workouts. Eat enough carbohydrates to do this. They also help you retain muscle mass even as you lose body weight.

When you're low on glycogen, you risk suppressing the anabolic response to weight training. Eating enough carbohydrates allows for higher exercise intensity, higher exercise volume, faster recovery between sets and between sessions, and anti-catabolic and anabolic effects.

"How Much Carbohydrates Should You Consume?" Short answer:

"The rest of your available calories"

More protein preserves muscle mass and saturation

While you're in excess of calories, hitting your macros is likely to get 80% of the benefits of your diet from a recreational standpoint.

Factors such as nutrient timing, micronutrition, food variety, and quality all contribute to optimal results, but they make little difference.

When you're in a deficit, those tiny gains are yours to deal with as you don't have the safety net of an abundance of calories to do the heavy lifting for you.

Here are some tips on how to squeeze the most out of your diet for maximum recovery while cutting:

  • If you are in a calorie deficit, consuming the high end of the protein guidelines given earlier (2.2 g / kg / bw) is a great idea.
  • High protein intake has been shown to preserve muscle mass.
  • Anecdotally, high protein intake also appears to regulate appetite. This scheme is useful when cutting calories.

Protein timing

Several studies have shown that a 25-40g serving of protein is enough to maximize muscle protein synthesis (MPS). To give you a more specific recommendation, I suggest that you aim for 0.4 g / kg body weight per meal. If you weigh 65 kg, that would be 26 g, while a 80 kg man would have 32 g of protein per meal.

The current literature shows that eating a mixed whole meal results in MPS lasting approximately three hours and peaking for 45-90 minutes. While protein shakes / amino acid supplements typically only last two hours and peak earlier. Then MPS begins to subside.

Research shows that these peaks and valleys are beneficial in MPS for maximum muscle growth.

Based on the scientific evidence available, 4-6 servings of protein per day, 3-4 hours each, is the best choice to maximize MPS.

If you are calorie deficient, fine-tuning your eating plan to maximize MPS is the best option to avoid muscle wasting.

The holy grail of nutrient timing?

We've all heard of the post-workout anabolic window. Post-exercise diet has long been considered the holy grail of nutrient timing. I think this is a mistake. Pre-workout nutrition is just as important, if not more important, than post-workout nutrition, in my opinion.

As mentioned earlier, it takes the body several hours to digest a meal. For example, suppose you have a balanced meal before you exercise. In this case, your body will continue to receive a constant supply of nutrients throughout the session and even in the post-workout window.

Many people overlook the critical consideration that the important nutrient timing factor is that the nutrients are in your bloodstream, not when you eat them.

The nutrients from your pre-workout meal are in your bloodstream during and possibly after your workout. This means that you can immediately supply nutrients to the working muscles. If you only focus on the post-workout meal, there is a significant delay in the amount of nutrients getting to the muscles where you need them.

With this in mind, a few points should be noted here::

  • Insufficient carbohydrates can interfere with strength training.

  • Consuming carbohydrates in the pre-workout meal can improve performance in the workout session.

  • Consuming carbohydrates while exercising in sessions longer than an hour can improve performance at the end of the session and prevent muscle wasting (especially when combined with a quickly digestible source of protein).

  • By consuming carbohydrates after exercise, muscle glycogen is replenished more effectively than at other times. This post-workout window is much longer than the much touted anabolic window of 20 to 30 minutes. The 4-6 hours after the workout when consuming carbohydrates replenishes the optimal muscle glycogen.

As you build up, your carbohydrate intake is likely high enough that you don't have to worry too much about postponing your eating for one time or another.

If you distribute the carbohydrates evenly throughout the day, you are in good hands.

Calories and carbohydrates can be very low during a diet. IIn this situation, it is more important to consider your specific carbohydrate intake timing to aid in quality exercise and recovery.

It is wise to make sure that you consume carbohydrates at least during meals before and after your workout.

After that, you can just spread it fairly evenly over the other meals you eat during the day.

Eat the rainbow

Choosing nutrient-rich, low-calorie foods is a wise decision. This choice will help you stay full, which means you will be more likely to stick to your diet.

It also means you are getting all of the micro-nutrition you need to support a good recovery from exercise. A wide variety of vegetables is a smart decision when cutting calories.

An easy way to get a wide range of micronutrients is to eat fruits and vegetables in as many different colors as possible.

Avoid pseudosciences

While it is tempting to reach for the expensive recovery tool backed by pseudoscience, it is better to pluck the low hanging fruits of improving your sleep and diet to aid your recovery.

These two factors will have a far greater impact on your recovery and results than any other failed recovery method.

Use the guidelines I have provided to get a massive recovery benefit and keep those silly recovery fashions for less informed lifters.

02 Jan
Blog

Kangaroo Home Security Review: Affordable and Powerful

Kangaroo security sensor alarm cameras ces 2019 motion door

"The Kangaroo Home Security System is easy to install, but its photo doorbell camera leaves a lot to be desired."

  • Affordable prices

  • easy installation

  • Telephone notifications from Kangaroo

  • Doesn't compete well with competing products

Home security is more important than ever now, especially with people spending so much time in their homes. A home security system should provide adequate coverage, be easy to install, and be affordable. The budget-friendly system from Kangaroo meets all of these requirements and offers professional surveillance around the clock. It is also one of the easiest to install systems on the market thanks to its peel-and-stick mounting system.

Friendly prices and plans

Kangaroo's five-piece starter kit is $ 80 and includes two motion / entry sensors, a keyboard, two Roo tags (keychain accessory that can be used to disable the system), a promotional sign, and five window stickers.

It's not bad value and individual components can be purchased at no great additional cost. For example, the doorbell camera with chimes costs only $ 20, while additional motion sensors are only $ 15 each. The water and climate sensor costs $ 30. The most expensive single component is the Siren + Keypad, which alone costs $ 70.

These prices are competitive and often cheaper than other security systems on the market. Kangaroo also offers three plan options.

Kangaroo completed

The first is Kangaroo Complete, which is $ 8.25 per month or $ 99 per year. This is the most comprehensive option and the best choice for someone who wants a serious security system. Many of the best Kangaroo features are behind the overall plan, including smart assistant integration, the ability to qualify for homeowner insurance discounts, and more.

Kangaroo Complete includes professional monitoring, notifications and 30 days of cloud storage. If you are looking for a real security system that has it all, Kangaroo Complete is the only real option.

Kangaroo Porch Protection Plan

Another option is the porch protection plan. At $ 23.88 per year, the name is self-explanatory: it focuses on protecting against package theft. It offers 365-day cloud storage for doorbell cameras, as well as package theft coverage of $ 300.

Kangaroo Basic

The Kangaroo Basic plan is the free option for Kangaroo users. It provides notifications within the app when activity is detected, enables the system to be activated and deactivated with just one tap, and offers up to 24 hours of cloud storage for all cameras. It lacks the more powerful features of Kangaroo Complete, but it would work for the security of an off-site storage shed or property that you don't need full coverage for.

Kangaroo's peel-and-stick system makes it easy to install on almost any surface.

Functionality through accessories

Kangaroo impresses not only with its affordability, but also with the level of customization it offers. Each sensor can be customized to suit your needs. You can notify individual sensors in a certain way. For example, if you only want a call when your bedroom sensor is off, you can turn off the voice notification setting. Below is an overview of Kangaroo's offers:

Kangaroo motion sensor

The motion sensors are incredibly sensitive. You record activity from a distance of 15 feet with a field of view of 120 degrees. The good news is that built-in pet rejection will automatically ignore anything up to 2 feet, 4 inches tall – though doing so carries the risk of break-in by precocious toddlers.

Kangaroo water + climate sensor

The water + climate sensor is a particularly useful addition. It monitors temperature and humidity and can detect leaks with just 1mm of water. It doesn't need to be mounted to anything either – just stand it up and lay it on the floor. I use it to monitor for leaks under the sink and around the washing machine. I didn't have any water leaks (and couldn't trigger the system by dripping water on it), but it warned me when the air conditioning failed and the temperatures started to rise.

Like the motion sensor, the water and climate sensor will warn you when a threat is detected or when the temperature is outside of user-defined limits.

Kangaroo doorbell camera

The doorbell camera + chimes is a good compromise for a smart doorbell, but not the best device I've ever used. It is not a video doorbell, but photos of activity outside your door. It doesn't pick up movement well – if someone walks across their field of vision, you'll be lucky enough to get a shot from the back of their foot.

The built-in button is directly connected to the carillon and rings when someone rings the doorbell. There are also several modes to better improve the picture quality, including sunlight mode when the camera is exposed to direct sunlight or night vision when there is no light on the porch.

The battery is designed to last a year of normal use and AA batteries are included. This is especially useful for apartment residents as the doorbell camera does not need to be hard-wired. If you live in a crowded area or an apartment complex, the batteries will drain much faster. Expect three to six months if the camera is triggered frequently.

Though better than nothing, the photos taken by the doorbell cannot be compared to real videos.

The data protection camera is a surveillance camera for indoor use that can be wall-mounted or placed on a shelf. It has digital zoom functions and two-way audio. You can also customize the privacy modes and there is no doubt when the camera is in private mode. An opaque field is displayed above the lens itself. A green LED lights up during recording.

Kangaroo siren + keyboard

After all, the siren + keypad is the heart of the system. While no hub is needed for most of the system, the siren + keypad is connected to other sensors and triggers an acoustic signal when the doorbell is pressed. If a motion sensor detects movement while the system is armed, the Siren + Keypad will give off a rather intimidating alarm before triggering the 85 decibel siren – definitely loud enough for neighbors to hear if they live nearby. The siren penetrates walls quite well.

The built-in microphone is even more impressive. The Siren + Keypad waits for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and notifies you when a hazard is detected. The microphone can only pick up sounds in the range of 3,000 to 4,000 Hz, which means that human speech is not recognized.

installation

The most surprising part of the whole setup was the installation. All sensors, from the motion / entrance sensors to the doorbell camera, use a peel-and-stick system that makes installation and assembly a breeze.

The setup is done via the Kangaroo app. Just tap the Settings icon, then tap Add New Device. The on-screen instructions are easy to follow (and include pictures from each device). Once the accessory has been added to the system, simply clip it to the wall or door and press for 30 seconds.

The setup process is just as easy for the privacy camera or siren + keyboard. However, these are not peel-and-stick accessories. The camera must be mounted with screws, while the siren + keypad has no mounting system.

The glue used is strong. Even after months, the doorbell camera kept a good connection when removed (and actually peeled some paint off the door).

Our opinion

The Kangaroo Home Security System is one of the easiest models to set up that I have ever used. Installation is simple and it is a breeze to explain how to activate and deactivate the system to people unfamiliar with the system (e.g. apartment maintenance teams).

Most of its powerful features are behind the $ 100 per year subscription. Even the integration of Smart Assistant in Amazon Alexa and Google Home is limited. If you invest in the premium subscription, Kangaroo is definitely worth it.

After all, most other security systems often cost more than $ 8.25 per month for all of the features Kangaroo offers. The system as a whole is tremendously useful, and the only real weakness is in the doorbell camera. While photos are good, the actual video would be significantly better.

How long it will take?

Kangaroo offers a one-year guarantee against defects in the system under normal use. The components are well built and should last for several years, although the doorbell camera can fail faster if exposed directly to the elements, simply due to increased wear and tear.

Is there a better alternative?

Kangaroo is a good choice, but it might not be the best. Both Ring and Simplisafe are alternatives with similar prices, but potentially more features. Ring's surveillance plan is also $ 100 a year, though the accessories are more expensive than Kangaroo's.

Simplisafe offers far more accessories to choose from, including glass break sensors, a panic button, smoke alarms and much more. The downside is that it is far more expensive than kangaroo.

While Kangaroo is a budget-friendly option, it lacks the features that more expensive brands offer.

At just $ 8.25 per month, Kangaroo's professional monitoring is a bargain.

Should you buy it?

For the price, Kangaroo Home Security is definitely a worthwhile investment. It's affordable in ways other security systems don't, but it lacks easy integration with a larger smart home system.

Editor's recommendations




07 Sep
Blog

Bodybuilding 101: Sculpting a Powerful Physique

Bodybuilding 101: Shaping a powerful body - fitness, bodybuilding, strength and conditioning, strength training, hypertrophy, daily exercise, nutrition plan

The desire to build an impressive physique still holds true for many in the fitness world. Yes, being functional and practical has its place, but we all want the by-product to be a handsome, muscular, strong body that flaunts all of our hard work.

There's no better way to highlight these goals than to say goodbye to hypertrophy-based resistance training. This type of exercise, also known as bodybuilding (based on actually building body muscles, not exercising) has subsided and flowed over the years.

Functional cross-training, weight lifting, and even powerlifting have stolen the limelight recently. But bodybuilding is making a comeback for good reason.

With the goal of building muscle, increasing strength and reducing body fat, there is no better training method than bodybuilding to restructure your body.

This guide provides the basics and building blocks for these goals. Whether you're a newbie or just want to clean the proverbial blackboard and start over, this is for you.

What is bodybuilding?

The term bodybuilding has many meanings. One that immediately comes to mind is sport. Large, improved mass monsters that shake the ground they walk on, lift tons (literally) and wind themselves up a flight of stairs.

Of course there are other areas of sport such as natural bodybuilders, competitors, and competitions at professional and amateur level.

The other side are the uncompetitive leisure enthusiasts. Even in this niche, there are those who just love the workout and challenge, and those who use it as a workable tool to reshape and reshape their bodies.

This guide is for those who want to naturally reshape their bodies by building solid, high quality muscle while either maintaining or losing body fat.

Hypertrophy style strength training is the most efficient and optimal way to rebuild your body and change your shape.

Part 1: Workouts to Build Muscle Mass

The first item on your to-do list is to jump right into a kick-off training plan to get you used to this type of workout. No, this shouldn't be just for those who live in the gym. Think of it as your break-in schedule for your first four weeks of training in this style.

Some things to consider before you start::

  • This program mainly focuses on hypertrophy (muscle building). This will be a different practice than building sheer strength or power.
  • You need to keep a close eye on the clock for rest periods between sets. They are shorter than you are used to.
  • Proper form is a must for the program to be successful. No jerking, hopping, or lifting the weight just to finish a lift.
  • Don't think of this as a weightlifting program. Think of it as muscle training. Focus on working your muscles instead of lifting from point A to point B.
  • Don't put a lift in the program because someone said you should if it causes pain or injury. Not everyone is built the same, so you can replace them if necessary.
  • Run the following plan for four weeks on non-consecutive days; B. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Take a rest day between each workout day to give your body time to rest, recover, and build muscle.

The 4-week kick-off training plan

Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Flat bench barbell press 2 x 12 3 x 10-12 60
Chin up 2 x 12 when pulling down 3 x 10-12 60
Barbell back into a crouch 2 x 12 3 x 10-12 60
Standing dumbbell shoulder press – – 3 x 10-12 60
Barbell curl – – 3 x 10-12 60
Parallel bar dip – – 3 x 10-12 60
Standing calf elevation 1 x 12 3 x 10-12 60
Floor crunches – – 3 x 20 30th

After you've completed the kick-off plan, you may want to continue with this plan for another four weeks or have a desire to move on to something more advanced and adopt another program.

The key, however, is getting your body to adapt to a new program without pushing your limits, over-exercising, and burning out. In addition, there are a few important things to keep in mind when building your program.

How to create your mass training program

Let's go step by step. I'll also provide an example below to illustrate an effective training program that you can use right away.

  1. Choose how many days a week you want to exercise. One of the best schedules is to exercise four times a week. With this in mind, you should take photos for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with Wednesday and the weekend off.
  2. Use a simple split routine. Work out your entire body twice a week with a simple split routine. This means, for example, the chest, back and shoulders on Mondays and Thursdays, arms and legs on Tuesdays and Fridays.
  3. Next is the exercise selection. You shouldn't choose more than two exercises for larger body parts like your chest, back, and legs, and no more than one for smaller areas like your arms, shoulders, and calves. Just make sure you use exercises from the list of mass builders instead of smaller isolation moves.
  4. Determine the volume (sentences). Your overall volume doesn't have to be too high. We tend to do a little more where we excel and reduce what is difficult. Perform an even field of play and shoot four to five sets per exercise. This should get you in and out when the gym is in about an hour.
  5. Choose a repetition range. Traditionally, pure strength training results in a lower rep range of two to four or six reps, while hypertrophy (muscle mass) tends to be in the six to 12 rep range. Depending on your goal, between four and 12 reps is ideal for each goal.
  6. Don't forget to rest. A long, forgotten practice that has been lost in this world of the distraction of mobile technology, this factor is one of the most influential in your training. For example, if hypertrophy is the goal, rest periods of 45 to 90 seconds are best. Resting too long will result in less fatigue and more wasted time in the gym.
  7. Commit to it. Lastly, you need to commit to your plan. With no commitment, all of the planning that you carefully went through is in vain. Make yourself a six month promise that you will get through this.

When you have developed some semblance of strength and coordination, you can proceed to the following program for 12 weeks. You will find that this plan is divided into two main days.

One that trains your chest, back, and shoulders in one day and legs and arms the next. Here you don't train more than two days in a row before taking a day off for repair and growth.

The 12 week plan

Day 1 (Monday) Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Press the incline barbell 2 x 12 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Flat bench dumbbell press – – 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Pull-up with medium or wide grip (add weight if necessary) 2 x 12
(Pulldowns)		 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Barbell or two-armed row of dumbbells – – 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Standing barbell military press 1 x 12 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Dumbbell upright row – – 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Lift hanging leg – – 3 x 10-15 30 seconds
Ground crunch – – 3 x 10-15 30 seconds

(Optional) interval training –

Choose any form of cardio for a total of 14 minutes

 2 minutes

1 minute high intensity and 2 minutes low intensity (4 rounds)
Day 2 (Tuesday) Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Barbell curl 1 x 12 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Close-grip bench press 1 x 12 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Leg press 2 x 12 4 x 8-10 90 sec
Squat barbell – – 4 x 8-10 90 sec
Romanian deadlift dumbbell 1 x 12 4 x 8-10 90 sec
Sitting calf rearing 1 x 12 4 x 8-10 90 sec
Tend sit-up – – 3 x 10-15 30 seconds
(Optional) Interval Training – Choose any form of cardio for a total of 14 minutes 2 minutes 1 minute of high intensity and 2 minutes of low intensity (4 rounds)
Day 3 (Thursday) Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Press the incline dumbbell 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Flat barbell or machine press – – 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Reverse line 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Machine row or pulldown with close grip – – 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Sitting dumbbell side on the side 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Seated dumbbell shoulder press – – 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Prone to crunch – – 3 x 15-20 30 seconds
Hanging knee-ups – – 3 x 15-20 30 seconds
(Optional) Interval Training – Choose any form of cardio for a total of 14 minutes 2 minutes 1 minute high intensity and 1 minute low intensity (6 laps)
Day 4 (Friday) Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Incline bench dumbbell curl 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Lying two-armed dumbbell nose breaker 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Bulgarian split squat 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Barbell squats or leg presses – – 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Curl lying or sitting leg 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Standing calf elevation 1 x 12 3 x 8-12 60 sec
Lift hanging leg – – 3 x 15-20 30 seconds
(Optional) Interval Training – Choose any form of cardio for a total of 14 minutes 2 minutes 1 minute high intensity and 1 minute low intensity (6 laps)

* Note: The HIIT cardio can either be done on a free day (Wednesdays and weekends) after training.

Youngsters against those over 40

If you're reading this and happen to have a 1 as the first number your age, start here.

As a teenager, you are new to training. Instead of going directly head first, you need a training period. Your nervous system isn't ready to do anything to work out in the gym.

Instead, you need to get the job done, create paths, and fix your form and function for the basic lifts before you can move on to anything more advanced. Here are some timeless principles that you should stick to from now on:

  1. More connection, less isolation. Yes, that sounds like a broken record and comes straight from the “no duh” manual, but it has to be emphasized over and over again. With so many lifters migrating to focus tricks and machines that meticulously isolate every muscle fiber, I feel like the message of compound multiple joint exercises has been lost.
  2. Progress is king. This principle is key when making changes. Use progressive overload with moderate weights and repetitions. Getting heavier or lighter some days is okay as long as you keep moving the needle forward.
  3. Practice form and function. As another simple but seldom followed rule, practicing correct form is one thing, but performing the correct function is new to many. This is the ability to brace, contract, and move certain areas of the body in relation to movement. For example, the deadlift has many things that need to take place other than just lifting the bar off the floor. The hips, core, shoulder girdle and other key components need to take place.

Rules for the Teen Training Program

Perform the following program on three non-consecutive days per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). Feel free to do cardio or other recreational activities on non-training days.

  • Look for warm-up periods, including general warm-up periods (walking, jogging, skipping rope) and specific warm-up sets for each area being trained.
  • Pay close attention to the rest periods. This is one of the most abused aspects of training, but it has a huge impact on progress.
  • Remember to practice both correct form and function. Take the time to get it right.
  • Feel free to switch exercises if you have to. The principle of simplicity still applies to avoiding over-thinking.
  • Stay on the program for at least four weeks, preferably six. This allows your body to adjust and see results. After four to six weeks, take a few days off from weight training and then do the program again if you prefer.
day 1 Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Flat bench barbell press 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Medium or wide pull-up 2 x 5 4 x max repetitions 60
Barbell back into a crouch 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Barbell Romanian Deadlift 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Ground crunch – – 3 x 15 30th
Lift leg raises – – 3 x 15 30th
day 2 Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Barbell deadlift 2 x 12 4 x 6-8 120
Standing barbell shoulder press 2 x 12 4 x 6-8 60
Parallel bar triceps dip 1 x 8 4 x max repetitions 60
Barbell curl 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Standing one-legged calf raise 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 30th
Day 3 Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Press the incline barbell 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Barbell bent row 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Barbell crouched forward 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Kettlebell reverse lunge – – 4 x 8-12 60
Lift hanging leg – – 3 x 15 30th
3-way sit-up – – 3 x 15 30th

The over 40 crowd

If you're the typical 40-year-old, you have a full-time job, family, and other social responsibilities that keep you from getting an education like you did when you were young.

You now have a busier lifestyle and unpredictable deadline complications. There's a good chance that what you're trying to achieve with your workout has changed too. You no longer want to be the biggest, "baddest" guy in the gym. You just want to build muscle, lose fat and make everything painless.

Comparing it to (possibly much younger) colleagues at the gym is a potential hazard. The onslaught of fitness brothers on social media can play with your head.

You were young once too and managed to do sketchy things in the gym. Allow the wisdom of your age to overwhelm your ego and nostalgia. Don't go down the black hole to follow others as they will exercise caution – especially in the 20+ years you are younger.

We all know (and complain) that our metabolism slows down as we age. Aside from gaining a few pounds, it directly affects your ability to recover. But that's not a death sentence.

You can keep practicing habits for best results and to improve metabolism, recovery, and progress. The benefit of being the seasoned lifter is that you only need to tweak a few things because you have a solid foundation in place.

However, if you are a newbie, you need to develop healthy and effective habits from the start so that you can reap some great rewards and stay injury free.

The 40 Plus training plan

This program can easily fit into four days a week– Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. You can either treat Wednesdays and weekends as rest days or take part in leisure activities or active recreational activities such as walking, jogging, swimming or cycling.

You can choose any schedule. However, make sure you don't exercise for more than two days in a row.

Finish each day with a thorough stretching session and do the program for four to six weeks. After that, either take a week off from training but stay active, or turn down the volume and intensity for a week before restarting the program.

Warm up

  • Do two rounds of 10 repetitions each of the following warm-up round:
  • Crouch jump
  • Push up
  • Alternating lunge
  • Reverse line
  • Bike crunch
Monday – Thursday Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Press the incline dumbbell 2 x 12-20 3-4 x 10-12 60
Flat bench dumbbell press or machine press – – 3-4 x 10-12 60
Chest supported row of dumbbells 2 x 12-20 3-4 x 10-12 60
Reverse line – – 3-4 x max repetitions 60
One-armed lateral elevation of the dumbbell side or lateral elevation of the cable side – – 3 x 10-15 60
Arnold press – – 3 x 10-15 60
Superset: Hanging leg raises and ground crunch – – 3 x 20 each 30 after each superset
Tuesdays and Fridays Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Sitting dumbbell curls 1 x 12-20 3 x 8-12 60
Reject the tight grip bench press 1 x 12-20 3 x 8-12 60
One-legged dumbbell calf raise 1 x 12-20 3 x 10-15 Switch each leg without a break
Back foot raised dumbbell Bulgarian split squat 2 x 12-20 3 x 10-15 per leg 30 after each leg
Exercise ball curl lying leg – – 3 x 10-15 60
Reverse dumbbell lunge – – 3 x 10-15 per leg 60
Bike crunch – – 3 x 20 30th

Do women have to train differently?

In a word, no. Muscle is muscle. The main difference between men and women is hormones – men obviously have more testosterone than women.

With testosterone as the driving force that allows one to build muscle and increase strength, Women are slightly disadvantaged in terms of developmental limits.

However, in terms of exercise selection, programming, and set and rep programs, there is no reason to distinguish programs for men from women.

Basic strength training should target everyone and drawing a line between the sexes is just not necessary given the bigger picture.

Part 2: Diet to Build Muscle Mass

Nothing is as complicated as the diet marketing landscape that seems to be raising its ugly head on every corner.

Every few months there seems to be a latest and greatest diet plan out there that is guaranteed to give you the results you want. These plans always seem to be rather narrow-minded, as they eliminate certain foods entirely or only let you eat at certain times of the day. Some even go so far that after a certain amount of time you eat what you want.

At the end of the day, a balanced diet that includes nutrient-rich proteins, plenty of vegetables and fruits, and some healthy sources of fat is always the answer to long-term health benefits and muscle building purposes. If the latest craze seems too good to be true, it probably is.

How to create your mass meal plan

Let's also go through your nutrition plan step by step. As with the exercise plan, I'll also provide an example nutrition plan so you have a real snack to put into action.

  1. Determine how often to eat. Gone are the days of eating punctually every two hours. That just creates too much stress and not to mention becoming a slave to your schedule. At the very least, make sure you have three solid meals with a snack before and after your workout.
  2. Start with protein. No, you don't have to eat a whole chicken or 12 ounces of beef with every meal. Also, don't rely too much on protein powder. About one gram per pound of body weight is enough. If you go a little deeper, you won't sweat. Get protein from chicken, lean beef, ground beef, fish, cheese, eggs, protein powder (for post-workout exercise), and Greek yogurt.
  3. Don't be afraid of carbohydrates. The bottom line is that if you want to build muscle, you need carbohydrates. Make sure they are complex and avoid added sugars. In addition, rice (white and brown), potatoes (sweet and white), oats, green vegetables, fruits such as apples, bananas and berries, as well as whole grain bread and pasta. Start with two grams per pound of body weight and then adjust as needed.
  4. Add the right type of fat. It is a breeze that you need healthy fats to balance your weight gain diet. Oils found naturally in fish, fish oil supplements, avocados, nuts, and nut butters are good choices. Shoot about 0.5 grams per pound to start with.
  5. Diet before and after exercise. It is important to learn something before exercising, especially if you are between nine and five years old. This should have a lean protein and complex carbohydrate to get you through your workout. Additionally, it is a good idea to have a post-workout diet on hand immediately after your workout that should contain a fast-acting source of protein and some quick-digesting carbohydrates to aid the recovery process.
  6. Schedule cheat days. What's a nutrition plan without a cheat tag? When your diet is relatively clean and full of good things, have a couple of meals over a weekend and have everything you want. Not all day, just for a meal or two. It will give you something to look forward to by the end of the week and give you a much-needed mental break.
  7. Be consistent. As with exercising, you need to stay consistent with your eating plan. A good day or two a week is not enough. If you want to build serious muscle, every day counts.

Example of a basic muscle mass nutrition plan

The following nutrition plan is sufficient for the average 180 pound lifter looking to gain lean amounts of muscle. This is just an example and can be customized to meet your specific needs.

Training days

Meal 1 (breakfast):

  • 3 whole eggs scrambled eggs or omelette
  • 2 slices of wheat bread (toasted) with low-sugar jam or jelly or ½ cup (dry) oatmeal mixed with skimmed milk

Meal 2 (lunch):

  • Chicken breast salad with ½ avocado, vegetables and an oil-based dressing
  • 1 small baked potato, sweet potato or 1 cup of rice, cooked

Or

  • 2 slices of wheat bread, 4 ounces of deli meat, deli slices, low-fat mayonnaise or mustard, and 1 piece of fruit

Pre-workout:

  • 1 apple or other fruit such as blueberries or bananas
  • 1 cup of Greek yogurt or 1 scoop of whey protein powder
  • Handful of mixed nuts

After training:

  • 1 cup of blueberries, medium-sized bananas, or other fruit
  • 1 scoop of whey protein powder

Meal 4 (dinner):

  • 4 to 6 ounces of fish, chicken, ground beef or turkey, as many green vegetables as you like, lettuce, 1 small potato or 1 cup of rice, cooked

Non-training days

Meal 1 (breakfast):

  • 3 whole eggs scrambled eggs or omelette
  • 2 slices of wheat bread (toasted) with low-sugar jam or jelly or ½ cup (dry) oatmeal mixed with skimmed milk

Meal 2 (lunch):

  • Chicken breast salad with ½ avocado, vegetables and an oil-based dressing
  • 1 small baked potato, sweet potato or 1 cup of rice, cooked

Or

  • 2 slices or wheat bread, 4 ounces deli meat, deli slices, low-fat mayonnaise or mustard
  • 1 piece of fruit

Meal 3 (snack):

  • 1 apple or other fruit such as blueberries or bananas
  • 1 cup of Greek yogurt or 1 scoop of whey protein powder
  • Handful of mixed nuts

Meal 4 (dinner):

  • 4 to 6 ounces of fish, chicken, ground beef or turkey, as many green vegetables as you like, lettuce, 1 small potato or 1 cup of rice, cooked

Part 3: Exercises and Variations

Now that you have a solid exercise and diet foundation, it's time to quickly familiarize yourself with the exercises included and their variations. Of course, you can replace certain exercises with exercises that you find more effective and that pose a lower risk of injury.

As mentioned earlier, some exercises are more comfortable than others in terms of your specific body structure, limb length, strengths and weaknesses.

Now let's split each body part into groups and mention some tips and techniques to look out for.

chest

  • Flat and inclined barbell presses: Grasp the bar a few centimeters beyond the shoulder width with a closed overhand grip (thumb around the bar). Slowly lower the bar to about chest level and stop at the bottom without hopping. Push the bar back up until your elbows just lock into place. Keep your elbows slightly bent at the top, then return in full control.
  • Variations of the dumbbell press: You can also perform chest presses with dumbbells on the flat or inclined bench. The same rules apply here, except that you now have the added challenge of controlling two independent dumbbells. Lower them down the sides of your chest, then push them back up without clinking the dumbbells together.

Back

  • Pull-ups and pull-ups: There are many variations on each of these back exercises. For a simple pull-up, however, you take an underhand grip and pull your chin up and over the bar. For pull-up variations (wide, medium, and tight grip), take an overhand grip and pull your chest toward the bar, pulling with your elbows.
  • Inverted lines: For those who have problems with traditional pull-ups and pull-ups, this row variant is a good replacement. Set a parallel bar around waist height and lie down under it. Grasp the bar just above shoulder width with an overhand grip and keep your entire body stiff from head to toe. Pull up until your chest touches the bar, maintaining that rigid body line, then slowly lower yourself back down.
  • Barbell and dumbbell rows: For barbell rows, position your upper body at a 90-degree angle to your legs until it is parallel to the floor. Pull the barbell toward the center while maintaining the bent position. For the dumbbell version, either grab two dumbbells and do the same thing as the dumbbell version by pulling the dumbbells to your side, or try the one arm version. Bend over and grab a dumbbell with one hand and hold onto a sturdy structure with the other. Proceed as with the double arm version and switch back and forth between the sides.

Shoulders

  • Barbell and dumbbell presses: In an upright sitting or standing position, grasp a barbell with an overhand grip slightly above shoulder width. Start with the barbell just below your chin and push it straight up. Once you clear your head, slide your head through so the barbell lands over you. For the dumbbell version, position the dumbbells on either side of your head to start just above your shoulders. Press up and down without clinking the dumbbells together. Return slowly.
  • Upright rows: Grasp a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing back. Use your elbows to pull the weight up along your body until your elbows are above your hands and the weight is now below your chin on either side of your face. Come back slowly and repeat.
  • Lateral and bent side elevations: Grab a pair of dumbbells by your sides for side elevations. Lift each dumbbell by your side until it protrudes straight on each side at shoulder level. Come back slowly and repeat.
  • The Arnold press: This unique exercise begins with a pair of dumbbells in the top position of a dumbbell lock – the weight curls up close to your shoulders. Push up and at the same time rotate the dumbbells from your ankles forward to the palm forward position as you push over your head. On the way down, reverse the movement and repeat the process.

legs

  • Back squats: With a loaded barbell on your back, descend with the weight as if you were sitting in a low chair under your hips. Keeping your back straight and core tight, stop at the bottom, then use your hip and thigh strength to push back up without blocking your knees.
  • Leg presses: Attach the leg press seat so that the torso and legs form a 90-degree angle. Just before your hips release from the seat, lower the sled and pull your lower back tight. Push up in a controlled manner without blocking your knees.
  • Bulgarian squats: This unique exercise relieves those who find squats problematic for their backs.
  • Lunges: With a loaded barbell or dumbbells in each hand, step forward with your knees at a 90-degree angle, and then return your body to an upright position. Perform repetitions for either alternating legs or one leg at a time.
  • Romanian deadlift: With a loaded barbell or dumbbell and with your knees unlocked but stiff, hang on your hips and keep your back as straight as possible. Feel a deep stretch in your glutes and hamstrings. Reverse direction and keep rigid knees in the starting position.
  • Lying leg curls: Lie on the reclining machine with your knees in line with the cam of the rotating arm. Roll the weight together slowly and under control while resisting the urge to swing it up. Lower your back slowly and in a controlled manner.
  • Standing calf lifts: Keep your knees slightly bent but stiff under the shoulder pads. Lower your heels for a deep stretch. Take a short break before lifting yourself up again for an intense contraction. Resist the ricochet.
  • Seated calf raises: As with the standing version, you will do this in a similar manner, but with your knees in a fixed bent position. Resist the hop again.

weapons

  • Barbell and barbell curls: Hold a barbell with an underhand grip shoulder width apart with the bar in front of your thighs. With elbows attached to your sides, roll the weight up until you reach full contraction before slowly lowering the weight back down. For the dumbbell version, hold each dumbbell with your palms facing inward against your sides. Curl the weight together while twisting (supinating) your wrists forward. Come to your shoulders for a contraction before reversing the movement back down.
  • Tend to dumbbell curls: Do this as detailed above, except that you are reclining on an incline bench with your arms hanging down on each side for a bicep stretch.
  • Parallel bar tricep dips: Use a parallel bar and keep each bar neutral with your hand. Start in an upright position with your elbows locked and your torso straight. While maintaining the upright position, lower your body until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Reverse direction and repeat for repetitions.
  • Close-grip bench press: Lie on a bench and hold a loaded barbell shoulder width apart. Keeping your elbows down by your sides, the entire time. Touch your chest (don't bounce) and reverse the movement.
  • Lying triceps extensions: Lie on a flat bench with a loaded barbell or two directly above you. Just bend at your elbow and lower the weight towards your forehead. Stop just before touching the bar and reverse the motion to the starting position.

Put it into practice

Replenishing muscle mass is not a rocket operation. It's pretty simple really. All it takes is a commitment from you, some discipline, and the practice of daily consistency.

Over time, you have built an impressive foundation and, most importantly, a feel for how your own body works and what you need to build a better physique on your personal journey. Pick a plan, stick with it, and reap great rewards.

04 Sep
Blog

Bodybuilding 101: Sculpting a Powerful Physique

Bodybuilding 101: Shaping a powerful body - fitness, bodybuilding, strength and conditioning, strength training, hypertrophy, daily exercise, nutrition plan

The desire to build an impressive physique still holds true for many in the fitness world. Yes, being functional and practical has its place, but we all want the by-product to be a handsome, muscular, strong body that flaunts all of our hard work.

There's no better way to highlight these goals than to say goodbye to hypertrophy-based resistance training. This type of exercise, also known as bodybuilding (based on actually building body muscles, not exercising) has subsided and flowed over the years.

Functional cross-training, weight lifting, and even powerlifting have stolen the limelight recently. But bodybuilding is making a comeback for good reason.

With the goal of building muscle, increasing strength and reducing body fat, there is no better training method than bodybuilding to restructure your body.

This guide provides the basics and building blocks for these goals. Whether you're a newbie or just want to clean the proverbial blackboard and start over, this is for you.

What is bodybuilding?

The term bodybuilding has many meanings. One that immediately comes to mind is sport. Large, improved mass monsters that shake the ground they walk on, lift tons (literally) and wind themselves up a flight of stairs.

Of course there are other areas of sport such as natural bodybuilders, competitors, and competitions at professional and amateur level.

The other side are the uncompetitive leisure enthusiasts. Even in this niche, there are those who just love the workout and challenge, and those who use it as a workable tool to reshape and reshape their bodies.

This guide is for those who want to naturally reshape their bodies by building solid, high quality muscle while either maintaining or losing body fat.

Hypertrophy style strength training is the most efficient and optimal way to rebuild your body and change your shape.

Part 1: Workouts to Build Muscle Mass

The first item on your to-do list is to jump right into a kick-off training plan to get you used to this type of workout. No, this shouldn't be just for those who live in the gym. Think of it as your break-in schedule for your first four weeks of training in this style.

Some things to consider before you start::

  • This program mainly focuses on hypertrophy (muscle building). This will be a different practice than building sheer strength or power.
  • You need to keep a close eye on the clock for rest periods between sets. They are shorter than you are used to.
  • Proper form is a must for the program to be successful. No jerking, hopping, or lifting the weight just to finish a lift.
  • Don't think of this as a weightlifting program. Think of it as muscle training. Focus on working your muscles instead of lifting from point A to point B.
  • Don't put a lift in the program because someone said you should if it causes pain or injury. Not everyone is built the same, so you can replace them if necessary.
  • Run the following plan for four weeks on non-consecutive days; B. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Take a rest day between each workout day to give your body time to rest, recover, and build muscle.

The 4-week kick-off training plan

Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Flat bench barbell press 2 x 12 3 x 10-12 60
Chin up 2 x 12 when pulling down 3 x 10-12 60
Barbell back into a crouch 2 x 12 3 x 10-12 60
Standing dumbbell shoulder press – – 3 x 10-12 60
Barbell curl – – 3 x 10-12 60
Parallel bar dip – – 3 x 10-12 60
Standing calf elevation 1 x 12 3 x 10-12 60
Floor crunches – – 3 x 20 30th

After you've completed the kick-off plan, you may want to continue with this plan for an additional four weeks, or you may want to move on to something more advanced and adopt another program.

The key, however, is getting your body to adapt to a new program without pushing your limits, over-exercising, and burning out. In addition, there are a few important things to keep in mind when building your program.

How to create your mass training program

Let's go step by step. I'll also provide an example below to illustrate an effective training program that you can use right away.

  1. Choose how many days a week you want to exercise. One of the best schedules is to exercise four times a week. With this in mind, you should take photos for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with Wednesday and the weekend off.
  2. Use a simple split routine. Work out your entire body twice a week with a simple split routine. This means, for example, the chest, back and shoulders on Mondays and Thursdays, arms and legs on Tuesdays and Fridays.
  3. Next is the exercise selection. You shouldn't choose more than two exercises for larger body parts like your chest, back, and legs, and no more than one for smaller areas like your arms, shoulders, and calves. Just make sure you use exercises from the list of mass builders instead of smaller isolation moves.
  4. Determine the volume (sentences). Your overall volume doesn't have to be too high. We tend to do a little more where we excel and reduce what is difficult. Perform an even field of play and shoot four to five sets per exercise. This should get you in and out when the gym is in about an hour.
  5. Choose a repetition range. Traditionally, pure strength training results in a lower rep range of two to four or six reps, while hypertrophy (muscle mass) tends to be in the six to 12 rep range. Depending on your goal, between four and 12 reps is ideal for each goal.
  6. Don't forget to rest. A long, forgotten practice that has been lost in this world of the distraction of mobile technology, this factor is one of the most influential in your training. For example, if hypertrophy is the goal, rest periods of 45 to 90 seconds are best. Resting too long will result in less fatigue and more wasted time in the gym.
  7. Commit to it. Lastly, you need to commit to your plan. With no commitment, all of the planning that you carefully went through is in vain. Make yourself a six month promise that you will get through this.

When you have developed some semblance of strength and coordination, you can proceed to the following program for 12 weeks. You will find that this plan is divided into two main days.

One that trains your chest, back, and shoulders in one day and legs and arms the next. Here you don't train more than two days in a row before taking a day off for repair and growth.

The 12 week plan

Day 1 (Monday) Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Press the incline barbell 2 x 12 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Flat bench dumbbell press – – 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Pull-up with medium or wide grip (add weight if necessary) 2 x 12
(Pulldowns)		 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Barbell or two-armed row of dumbbells – – 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Standing barbell military press 1 x 12 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Dumbbell upright row – – 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Lift hanging leg – – 3 x 10-15 30 seconds
Ground crunch – – 3 x 10-15 30 seconds

(Optional) interval training –

Choose any form of cardio for a total of 14 minutes

 2 minutes

1 minute high intensity and 2 minutes low intensity (4 rounds)
Day 2 (Tuesday) Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Barbell curl 1 x 12 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Close-grip bench press 1 x 12 4 x 6-8 90 sec
Leg press 2 x 12 4 x 8-10 90 sec
Squat barbell – – 4 x 8-10 90 sec
Romanian deadlift dumbbell 1 x 12 4 x 8-10 90 sec
Sitting calf rearing 1 x 12 4 x 8-10 90 sec
Tend sit-up – – 3 x 10-15 30 seconds
(Optional) Interval Training – Choose any form of cardio for a total of 14 minutes 2 minutes 1 minute of high intensity and 2 minutes of low intensity (4 rounds)
Day 3 (Thursday) Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Press the incline dumbbell 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Flat barbell or machine press – – 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Reverse line 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Machine row or pulldown with close grip – – 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Sitting dumbbell side on the side 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Seated dumbbell shoulder press – – 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Prone to crunch – – 3 x 15-20 30 seconds
Hanging knee-ups – – 3 x 15-20 30 seconds
(Optional) Interval Training – Choose any form of cardio for a total of 14 minutes 2 minutes 1 minute high intensity and 1 minute low intensity (6 laps)
Day 4 (Friday) Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Incline bench dumbbell curl 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Lying two-armed dumbbell nose breaker 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Bulgarian split squat 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Barbell squats or leg presses – – 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Curl lying or sitting leg 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60 sec
Standing calf elevation 1 x 12 3 x 8-12 60 sec
Lift hanging leg – – 3 x 15-20 30 seconds
(Optional) Interval Training – Choose any form of cardio for a total of 14 minutes 2 minutes 1 minute high intensity and 1 minute low intensity (6 laps)

* Note: The HIIT cardio can either be done on a free day (Wednesdays and weekends) after training.

Youngsters against those over 40

If you're reading this and happen to have a 1 as the first number your age, start here.

As a teenager, you are new to training. Instead of going directly head first, you need a training period. Your nervous system isn't ready to do anything to work out in the gym.

Instead, you need to get the job done, create paths, and fix your form and function for the basic lifts before you can move on to anything more advanced. Here are some timeless principles that you should stick to from now on:

  1. More connection, less isolation. Yes, that sounds like a broken record and comes straight from the “no duh” manual, but it has to be emphasized over and over again. With so many lifters migrating to focus tricks and machines that meticulously isolate every muscle fiber, I feel like the message of compound multiple joint exercises has been lost.
  2. Progress is king. This principle is key when making changes. Use progressive overload with moderate weights and repetitions. Getting heavier or lighter some days is okay as long as you keep moving the needle forward.
  3. Practice form and function. As another simple but seldom followed rule, practicing correct form is one thing, but performing the correct function is new to many. This is the ability to brace, contract, and move certain areas of the body in relation to movement. For example, the deadlift has many things that need to take place other than just lifting the bar off the floor. The hips, core, shoulder girdle and other key components need to take place.

Rules for the Teen Training Program

Perform the following program on three non-consecutive days per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). Feel free to do cardio or other recreational activities on non-training days.

  • Look for warm-up periods, including general warm-up periods (walking, jogging, skipping rope) and specific warm-up sets for each area being trained.
  • Pay close attention to the rest periods. This is one of the most abused aspects of training, but it has a huge impact on progress.
  • Remember to practice both correct form and function. Take the time to get it right.
  • Feel free to switch exercises if you have to. The principle of simplicity still applies to avoiding over-thinking.
  • Stay on the program for at least four weeks, preferably six. This allows your body to adjust and see results. After four to six weeks, take a few days off from weight training and then do the program again if you prefer.
day 1 Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Flat bench barbell press 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Medium or wide pull-up 2 x 5 4 x max repetitions 60
Barbell back into a crouch 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Barbell Romanian Deadlift 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Ground crunch – – 3 x 15 30th
Lift leg raises – – 3 x 15 30th
day 2 Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Barbell deadlift 2 x 12 4 x 6-8 120
Standing barbell shoulder press 2 x 12 4 x 6-8 60
Parallel bar triceps dip 1 x 8 4 x max repetitions 60
Barbell curl 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Standing one-legged calf raise 1 x 12 4 x 8-12 30th
Day 3 Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Press the incline barbell 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Barbell bent row 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Barbell crouched forward 2 x 12 4 x 8-12 60
Kettlebell reverse lunge – – 4 x 8-12 60
Lift hanging leg – – 3 x 15 30th
3-way sit-up – – 3 x 15 30th

The over 40 crowd

If you're the typical 40-year-old, you have a full-time job, family, and other social responsibilities that keep you from getting an education like you did when you were young.

You now have a busier lifestyle and unpredictable deadline complications. There's a good chance that what you're trying to achieve with your workout has changed too. You no longer want to be the biggest, "baddest" guy in the gym. You just want to build muscle, lose fat and make everything painless.

Comparing it to (possibly much younger) colleagues at the gym is a potential hazard. The onslaught of fitness brothers on social media can play with your head.

You were young once too and managed to do sketchy things in the gym. Allow the wisdom of your age to overwhelm your ego and nostalgia. Don't go down the black hole to follow others as they will exercise caution – especially in the 20+ years you are younger.

We all know (and complain) that our metabolism slows down as we age. Aside from gaining a few pounds, it directly affects your ability to recover. But that's not a death sentence.

You can keep practicing habits for best results and to improve metabolism, recovery, and progress. The benefit of being the seasoned lifter is that you only need to tweak a few things because you have a solid foundation in place.

However, if you are a newbie, you need to develop healthy and effective habits from the start so that you can reap some great rewards and stay injury free.

The 40 Plus training plan

This program can easily fit into four days a week– Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. You can either treat Wednesdays and weekends as rest days or take part in leisure activities or active recreational activities such as walking, jogging, swimming or cycling.

You can choose any schedule. However, make sure you don't exercise for more than two days in a row.

Finish each day with a thorough stretching session and do the program for four to six weeks. After that, either take a week off from training but stay active, or turn down the volume and intensity for a week before restarting the program.

Warm up

  • Do two rounds of 10 repetitions each of the following warm-up round:
  • Crouch jump
  • Push up
  • Alternating lunge
  • Reverse line
  • Bike crunch
Monday – Thursday Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Press the incline dumbbell 2 x 12-20 3-4 x 10-12 60
Flat bench dumbbell press or machine press – – 3-4 x 10-12 60
Chest supported row of dumbbells 2 x 12-20 3-4 x 10-12 60
Reverse line – – 3-4 x max repetitions 60
One-armed lateral elevation of the dumbbell side or lateral elevation of the cable side – – 3 x 10-15 60
Arnold press – – 3 x 10-15 60
Superset: Hanging leg raises and ground crunch – – 3 x 20 each 30 after each superset
Tuesdays and Fridays Warm-up sets Working sets Rest in seconds
Sitting dumbbell curls 1 x 12-20 3 x 8-12 60
Reject the tight grip bench press 1 x 12-20 3 x 8-12 60
One-legged dumbbell calf raise 1 x 12-20 3 x 10-15 Switch each leg without a break
Back foot raised dumbbell Bulgarian split squat 2 x 12-20 3 x 10-15 per leg 30 after each leg
Exercise ball curl lying leg – – 3 x 10-15 60
Reverse dumbbell lunge – – 3 x 10-15 per leg 60
Bike crunch – – 3 x 20 30th

Do women have to train differently?

In a word, no. Muscle is muscle. The main difference between men and women is hormones – men obviously have more testosterone than women.

With testosterone as the driving force that allows one to build muscle and increase strength, Women are slightly disadvantaged in terms of developmental limits.

However, in terms of exercise selection, programming, and set and rep programs, there is no reason to distinguish programs for men from women.

Basic strength training should target everyone and drawing a line between the sexes is just not necessary given the bigger picture.

Part 2: Diet to Build Muscle Mass

Nothing is as complicated as the diet marketing landscape that seems to be raising its ugly head on every corner.

Every few months there seems to be a latest and greatest diet plan out there that is guaranteed to give you the results you want. These plans always seem to be rather narrow-minded, as they eliminate certain foods entirely or only let you eat at certain times of the day. Some even go so far that after a certain amount of time you eat what you want.

At the end of the day, a balanced diet that includes nutrient-rich proteins, plenty of vegetables and fruits, and some healthy sources of fat is always the answer to long-term health benefits and muscle building purposes. If the latest craze seems too good to be true, it probably is.

How to create your mass meal plan

Let's also go through your nutrition plan step by step. As with the exercise plan, I'll also provide an example nutrition plan so you have a real snack to put into action.

  1. Determine how often to eat. Gone are the days of eating punctually every two hours. That just creates too much stress and not to mention becoming a slave to your schedule. At the very least, make sure you have three solid meals with a snack before and after your workout.
  2. Start with protein. No, you don't have to eat a whole chicken or 12 ounces of beef with every meal. Also, don't rely too much on protein powder. About one gram per pound of body weight is enough. If you go a little deeper, you won't sweat. Get protein from chicken, lean beef, ground beef, fish, cheese, eggs, protein powder (after a workout), and Greek yogurt.
  3. Don't be afraid of carbohydrates. The bottom line is that if you want to build muscle, you need carbohydrates. Make sure they are complex and avoid added sugars. In addition, rice (white and brown), potatoes (sweet and white), oats, green vegetables, fruits such as apples, bananas and berries, as well as whole grain bread and pasta. Start with two grams per pound of body weight and then adjust as needed.
  4. Add the right type of fat. It is a breeze that you need healthy fats to balance your weight gain diet. Oils found naturally in fish, fish oil supplements, avocados, nuts, and nut butters are good choices. Shoot about 0.5 grams per pound to start with.
  5. Diet before and after exercise. It is important to learn something before exercising, especially if you are between nine and five years old. This should have a lean protein and complex carbohydrate to get you through your workout. Additionally, it is a good idea to have a post-workout diet on hand immediately after your workout that should contain a fast-acting source of protein and some quick-digesting carbohydrates to aid the recovery process.
  6. Schedule cheat days. What's a nutrition plan without a cheat tag? When your diet is relatively clean and full of good things, have a couple of meals over a weekend and have everything you want. Not all day, just for a meal or two. It will give you something to look forward to by the end of the week and give you a much-needed mental break.
  7. Be consistent. As with exercising, you need to stay consistent with your eating plan. A good day or two a week is not enough. If you want to build serious muscle, every day counts.

Example of a basic muscle mass nutrition plan

The following nutrition plan is sufficient for the average 180 pound lifter looking to gain lean amounts of muscle. This is just an example and can be customized to meet your specific needs.

Training days

Meal 1 (breakfast):

  • 3 whole eggs scrambled eggs or omelette
  • 2 slices of wheat bread (toasted) with low-sugar jam or jelly or ½ cup (dry) oatmeal mixed with skimmed milk

Meal 2 (lunch):

  • Chicken breast salad with ½ avocado, vegetables and an oil-based dressing
  • 1 small baked potato, sweet potato or 1 cup of rice, cooked

Or

  • 2 slices of wheat bread, 4 ounces of deli meat, deli slices, low-fat mayonnaise or mustard, and 1 piece of fruit

Pre-workout:

  • 1 apple or other fruit such as blueberries or bananas
  • 1 cup of Greek yogurt or 1 scoop of whey protein powder
  • Handful of mixed nuts

After training:

  • 1 cup of blueberries, medium-sized bananas, or other fruit
  • 1 scoop of whey protein powder

Meal 4 (dinner):

  • 4 to 6 ounces of fish, chicken, ground beef or turkey, as many green vegetables as you like, lettuce, 1 small potato or 1 cup of rice, cooked

Non-training days

Meal 1 (breakfast):

  • 3 whole eggs scrambled eggs or omelette
  • 2 slices of wheat bread (toasted) with low-sugar jam or jelly or ½ cup (dry) oatmeal mixed with skimmed milk

Meal 2 (lunch):

  • Chicken breast salad with ½ avocado, vegetables and an oil-based dressing
  • 1 small baked potato, sweet potato or 1 cup of rice, cooked

Or

  • 2 slices or wheat bread, 4 ounces deli meat, deli slices, low-fat mayonnaise or mustard
  • 1 piece of fruit

Meal 3 (snack):

  • 1 apple or other fruit such as blueberries or bananas
  • 1 cup of Greek yogurt or 1 scoop of whey protein powder
  • Handful of mixed nuts

Meal 4 (dinner):

  • 4 to 6 ounces of fish, chicken, ground beef or turkey, as many green vegetables as you like, lettuce, 1 small potato or 1 cup of rice, cooked

Part 3: Exercises and Variations

Now that you have a solid exercise and diet foundation, it's time to quickly familiarize yourself with the exercises included and their variations. Of course, you can replace certain exercises with exercises that you find more effective and that pose a lower risk of injury.

As mentioned earlier, some exercises are more comfortable than others in terms of your specific body structure, limb length, strengths and weaknesses.

Now let's split each body part into groups and mention some tips and techniques to look out for.

chest

  • Flat and inclined barbell presses: Grasp the bar a few centimeters beyond the shoulder width with a closed overhand grip (thumb around the bar). Slowly lower the bar to about chest level and stop at the bottom without hopping. Push the bar back up until your elbows just lock into place. Keep your elbows slightly bent at the top, then return in full control.
  • Variations of the dumbbell press: You can also perform chest presses with dumbbells on the flat or inclined bench. The same rules apply here, except that you now have the added challenge of controlling two independent dumbbells. Lower them down the sides of your chest, then push them back up without clinking the dumbbells together.

Back

  • Pull-ups and pull-ups: There are many variations on each of these back exercises. For a simple pull-up, however, you take an underhand grip and pull your chin up and over the bar. For pull-up variations (wide, medium, and tight grip), take an overhand grip and pull your chest toward the bar, pulling with your elbows.
  • Inverted lines: For those who have problems with traditional pull-ups and pull-ups, this row variant is a good replacement. Set a parallel bar around waist height and lie down under it. Grasp the bar just above shoulder width with an overhand grip and keep your entire body stiff from head to toe. Pull up until your chest touches the bar, maintaining that rigid body line, then slowly lower yourself back down.
  • Barbell and dumbbell rows: For barbell rows, position your upper body at a 90-degree angle to your legs until it is parallel to the floor. Pull the barbell toward the center while maintaining the bent position. For the dumbbell version, either grab two dumbbells and do the same thing as the dumbbell version by pulling the dumbbells to your side, or try the one arm version. Bend over and grab a dumbbell with one hand and hold onto a sturdy structure with the other. Proceed as with the double arm version and switch back and forth between the sides.

Shoulders

  • Barbell and dumbbell presses: In an upright sitting or standing position, grasp a barbell with an overhand grip slightly above shoulder width. Start with the barbell just below your chin and push it straight up. Once you clear your head, slide your head through so the barbell lands over you. For the dumbbell version, position the dumbbells on either side of your head to start just above your shoulders. Press up and down without clinking the dumbbells together. Return slowly.
  • Upright rows: Grasp a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing back. Use your elbows to pull the weight up along your body until your elbows are above your hands and the weight is now below your chin on either side of your face. Come back slowly and repeat.
  • Lateral and bent side elevations: Grab a pair of dumbbells by your sides for side elevations. Lift each dumbbell by your side until it protrudes straight on each side at shoulder level. Come back slowly and repeat.
  • The Arnold press: This unique exercise begins with a pair of dumbbells in the top position of a dumbbell lock – the weight curls up close to your shoulders. Push up and at the same time rotate the dumbbells from your ankles forward to the palm forward position as you push over your head. On the way down, reverse the movement and repeat the process.

legs

  • Back squats: With a loaded barbell on your back, descend with the weight as if you were sitting in a low chair under your hips. Keeping your back straight and core tight, stop at the bottom, then use your hip and thigh strength to push back up without blocking your knees.
  • Leg presses: Attach the leg press seat so that the torso and legs form a 90-degree angle. Just before your hips release from the seat, lower the sled and pull your lower back tight. Push up in a controlled manner without blocking your knees.
  • Bulgarian squats: This unique exercise relieves those who find squats problematic for their backs.
  • Lunges: With a loaded barbell or dumbbells in each hand, step forward with your knees at a 90-degree angle, and then return your body to an upright position. Perform repetitions for either alternating legs or one leg at a time.
  • Romanian deadlift: With a loaded barbell or dumbbell and with your knees unlocked but stiff, hang on your hips and keep your back as straight as possible. Feel a deep stretch in your glutes and hamstrings. Reverse direction and keep rigid knees in the starting position.
  • Lying leg curls: Lie on the reclining machine with your knees in line with the cam of the rotating arm. Roll the weight together slowly and under control while resisting the urge to swing it up. Lower your back slowly and in a controlled manner.
  • Standing calf lifts: Keep your knees slightly bent but stiff under the shoulder pads. Lower your heels for a deep stretch. Take a short break before lifting yourself up again for an intense contraction. Resist the ricochet.
  • Seated calf raises: As with the standing version, you will do this in a similar manner, but with your knees in a fixed bent position. Resist the hop again.

weapons

  • Barbell and barbell curls: Hold a barbell with an underhand grip shoulder width apart with the bar in front of your thighs. With elbows attached to your sides, roll the weight up until you reach full contraction before slowly lowering the weight back down. For the dumbbell version, hold each dumbbell with your palms facing inward against your sides. Curl the weight together while twisting (supinating) your wrists forward. Come to your shoulders for a contraction before reversing the movement back down.
  • Tend to dumbbell curls: Do this as detailed above, except that you are reclining on an incline bench with your arms hanging down on each side for a bicep stretch.
  • Parallel bar tricep dips: Use a parallel bar and keep each bar neutral with your hand. Start in an upright position with your elbows locked and your torso straight. While maintaining the upright position, lower your body until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Reverse direction and repeat for repetitions.
  • Close-grip bench press: Lie on a bench and hold a loaded barbell shoulder width apart. Keeping your elbows down by your sides, the entire time. Touch your chest (don't bounce) and reverse the movement.
  • Lying triceps extensions: Lie on a flat bench with a loaded barbell or two directly above you. Just bend at your elbow and lower the weight towards your forehead. Stop just before touching the bar and reverse the motion to the starting position.

Put it into practice

Replenishing muscle mass is not a rocket operation. It's pretty simple really. All it takes is a commitment from you, some discipline, and the practice of daily consistency.

Over time, you have built an impressive foundation and, most importantly, a feel for how your own body works and what you need to build a better physique on your personal journey. Pick a plan, stick with it, and reap great rewards.

12