by admin | Jun 10, 2022 | Fitness
The Two Types Of Muscle Growth
Becoming bigger, stronger and better-looking is one of the primary goals of many individuals that decide to take on weight training. And while training may seem pretty straightforward, there are actually many different types of adaptations that can occur. All the functional ones however, are dependent on the adaptations that happen in the muscles! So let’s have a look at the two types of muscle growth and help you find out which style of training would therefore be suitable for your goals.
But First…
Muscle Fiber Types
Depending on the activity that you are doing throughout your training sessions, you can activate different types of muscle fibers.
Generally speaking, there are two of them:
- Fast-twitch muscle fibers
- Slow-twitch muscle fibers
At low levels of intensity (i.e jogging or using a light dumbbell) you only activate the slow-twitch muscle fibers. Those fibers are fit for low-intensity work that is long in duration and are not really great at producing force and power, so think of these as your ‘endurance muscle fibers’.
The more your training intensity grows however, the more fast-twitch muscle fibers you recruit, in order to endure the load. These fast-twitch muscle fibers were designed for high-intensity performance – Short, explosive bursts of power. Think of the fast-twitch muscle fibers as the fibers you want to engage when building muscle, because these fibers have the greatest potential for growth as well as power output.
But Is It Just The Fibers That Grow?
As we mentioned, training may seem pretty simple at first – You lift heavy weights consistently and, well… You grow bigger and stronger. However, you can get big in different ways, because different styles of training lead to a different type of muscle growth. It is considered that there are two main types of muscle hypertrophy:
- Myofibrillar hypertrophy
- Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy
Let’s have a look at each one, individually.
Myofibrillar hypertrophy is the increase in size of the muscle contractile units, called ‘myofibrils’ and commonly known as “muscle fibers”. These muscle fibers are the contractile elements of the trained muscle groups, which allow contraction and relaxation.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, on the other hand, is the growth of the ‘sarcoplasm’, which is basically a jelly-like fluid that surrounds the muscle fibers.
The sarcoplasm contains different non-contractile elements, which can grow in volume, depending on the type of training.
So What Training Triggers Either?
It appears that the myofibrils are more closely related to maximum output of strength and explosiveness, while their sarcoplasm is engaged during intense, yet longer loads. In other words, myofibrillar hypertrophy is a result of a powerlifting approach to weight training, where you do 1-5 repetitions.
Oppositely, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is a result of a bodybuilding approach to training, where you do 6-15+ repetitions with heavy weights. Now of course, these are not mutually exclusive! Though myofibrillar hypertrophy primarily results in increased maximum and relative strength, you have those adaptations with the other type of hypertrophy too, BUT… They are not as prominent.
Take-Home Message
Our musculature appears to be flexible, having the chance to adapt for both short, very intense training bouts, or, medium intensity, prolonged bouts. This is possible because of the nervous system, our wonderful muscle fibers and their energy reserves! Whatever your goal may be, try to stimulate both types of muscle growth, as well as other functions like balance, agility, coordination, etcetera.
Become a functional human being!
by admin | Jun 10, 2022 | Fitness
How To Lose Weight & Keep It Off | Part 1 – Nutrition
If the question at hand is losing fat and keeping it off, most people would search for an easy solution, such as a weight loss pill or a promising program a famous coach made for everyone.
The truth however is that an approach like this more often leads to eating disorders and loss of motivation, rather than sustainable results. Think of it this way – Your body is a machine and its YOUR responsibility to understand how that machine functions and what you can do to maintain it.
In this article, we’ll give you the best tips you can use in your daily life to start cutting weight (and keeping it off).
The Modern-Day Problem
Humans have existed for hundreds and thousands of years and for most of that time, we as a species have gone through starvation. Starvation is something the body knows very well and that is the reason why it can go through metabolic adaptations, which allow it to survive on little to no resource.
And here comes the big but…
It’s only been the past 30 years of human existence (out of 200,000+), that we’ve had such easy access to a multitude of foods. Furthermore, those foods, many of which are bad, can be delivered right to your door, without having you do anything else besides standing up to pick up your delivery. If we follow that train of thought, we can conclude that the modern-day lifestyle is quite literally, fattening!
At its very core, it robs you of movement and gives you a ton of junk food to choose from. What we’re trying to tell you here is that the very first steps you should take towards your weight loss journey, is to take care of your physical activity levels, as well as your nutrition
Fat Loss 101
The fundamental principle of weight loss is referred to as “eating in a caloric deficit”. This essentially means giving the body a lesser amount of energy (food) than it needs to sustain its body weight. What this means for you is that the primary factor for weight loss is the AMOUNT OF FOOD and not so much the type of food. (Yes, you can lose weight with burgers.)
Now, the amount of energy you need daily to maintain your body weight and bodily functions, is referred to as “Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)”. Your TDEE is individual and it depends on the following factors:
- Gender
- Age
- Height
- Weight
- Non-exercise activity
- Exercise activity
- Food consumption (digestion uses energy)
Quite simply, if you consume more than your TDEE, you will gain weight.
If you consume less than your TDEE you will lose weight and if you’re around your TDEE, no massive changes in weight will be observed.
You can calculate your own TDEE using this weight loss calculator – https://www.traininginthebay.com/macro-calculator/
NOTE: No TDEE calculator is 100% accurate so don’t take these results for granted – Monitor your progress and adjust along the way.
Macronutrients
Now, though you can eat any food on a diet and still lose weight, the choice of food sources is important. During a period of weight loss, you lose not only fat but also lean body mass (LBM). In order to avoid a biological disaster, you MUST do everything possible to retain that lean body mass.
The first thing is to secure a moderate caloric deficit, made up of complete, nutritious food sources with sufficient amounts of protein and fats. The second thing is to secure enough energy (carbohydrates) for good training sessions. Finally, you have to make sure that your rate of weight loss is adequate, at around 1-2 lbs per week – This will ensure that most of the weight you lost is fat.
Not only that but with a moderate deficit, you will still be able to sustain the healthy functioning of your body and you will also have enough energy for any daily activities. So to put it simply – If you are in a moderate deficit and primarily eat nutritious foods and train well, you will be able to retain most of your lean body mass and your energy levels will be high.
In terms of quantities, this is how you can spread your macros across the nutrition plan: Protein (4 calories per gram) – 0.8-1g per lb of body weight. Fat (9 calories per gram) – 0.35-0.45g per lb of body weight. Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram) should make up the remaining caloric intake.
Example:
- If your TDEE is 2200 calories, you’d need to consume 1700 calories to burn fat.
- If you’re 180 lbs, that would mean you’d need about 180 grams of protein and 60 grams of fat
- 180 grams of protein are 720 calories and 60 grams of fat are 540 calories, making a total of 1260 calories
- 1700 calories – 1260 calories = 440 calories remaining
- These 440 calories go for carbs and to calculate the exact amount, you simply divide by 4 because carbs have 4 calories per gram (110g of carbs are 480 calories)
Keeping the weight off
Alright, so we now know that a moderate deficit that favors nutrient dense-foods is the best way to sustainable fat loss. But how do you actually keep the weight off? The majority of people who go on a diet, re-gain 100% or more of their weight back in twice as less time as it took them to actually lose it…
And this is the EXACT reason why you shouldn’t think of your diet as something that has a start and end date. It is a healthy habit that you should create and keep with you for the rest of your life, in order to meet the needs of your organism. If you want to keep the weight off, after you’ve hit your goals, do the following:
- Reverse dieting – Gradually increase caloric intake by 50-80 calories per week
- Keep monitoring weight – You shouldn’t gain weight drastically.
- Continue training – Increase your working weights, sets and repetitions
Additionally, throughout the period of eating at a caloric deficit, you should resort to diet breaks every 2-3 weeks. This essentially means going back to maintenance calories and what this will do is it will help you keep your metabolism up, making the whole process more bearable.
Conclusion
Losing your fluff and keeping it off starts at the very fundamentals of what you put in your body. To achieve sustainable weight loss, you must resort to a moderate caloric deficit and nutrient-dense foods. Remember this should not be a drastic, quick process but rather a gradual change in time. In the second part of this article series, we’ll tell you more about training and how you can use it to speed up your fat loss and keep the body healthy.
by admin | Jun 10, 2022 | Fitness, Diet
Veggies = Weight Loss?
There’s a commonly known idea that during a period of weight loss, you should eat more veggies and fruits, as that somehow, can supposedly help weight loss. But is there anything more specific to fruits in the context of making fat loss sustainable?
In this article, we’re going to give you some clues on the do’s and don’ts of weight loss nutrition, to help you create a more clear plan of action.
What Actually Causes Weight Loss?
It is a fact that the total amount of food, relative to your levels of activity (calories in vs calories out) is the most important principle of weight loss. In order to shed off those excess couple of pounds, you MUST consume less calories than you burn throughout the day. That is also referred to as “eating in a caloric deficit” and is, again, the fundamental principle of weight loss.
What About Caloric Content?
Being in a caloric deficit is something you simply cannot skip, but that does not really exclude the choice of food in your diet. No food can cause weight loss/weight gain in and of itself, but we can choose foods that can:
- Increase satiety
- Improve recovery
- Fill up energy stores
- Replenish micronutrients
HINT: Veggies are just a part of your diet
The goal of fat loss is to not just decrease the number on the scale, but to also be able to adhere to the nutrition plan and to be in peak physical shape. Therefore, it is essential to provide the body with the highest possible quality of foods.
Choose These
In general, you should focus on whole foods that were grown in a good environment and if that’s animal foods, you should make sure that they were fed well. As a matter of fact, most animals grown for their meat do not get sunlight, live in tight spaces with many other animals and are fed with processed fodders.
All of these factors affect the meat quality and thus, it is optimal to look into alternatives.
Here are the best foods you can add to your nutrition plan:
- Grass-fed beef
- Free range chicken
- Pork
- Free range chicken eggs
- Broccoli
- Avocado
- Carrots
- Beetroot
- Sweet potatoes
- Normal potatoes
- Brown rice
- White rice
- Dairy products
All 13 of these foods are likely to help keep you full and satiated, thus making it highly unlikely for you to overeat and exceed your caloric needs.
This technically patches the problem of cravings and furthermore, if you combine whole foods with resistance training, you are setting yourself on a path to aesthetics.
So Veggies Don’t Really Mean Much? 🙁
As we mentioned, no food, even veggies, can cause weight loss just by being in the diet.
The perks of veggies however are the following:
- Plenty of micronutrients (vitamins/minerals)
- Plenty of fiber (Keeps you full)
- Big volume of food for little calories
- They feel fresh!
Do include veggies in your weight loss plan, as they will help keep you fuller for longer, on top of the other nutrients you get from whole foods, that regulate satiety. The same thing goes for fruits and even more so, one of their main perks is that they are sweet and can replace processed desserts.
Take This Home
If you are trying to lose weight, focus on eating whole foods with plenty of quality protein and fats, as those are the nutrients that will keep you full and satiated.
Once you have secured your macronutrients, you can add a couple of high volume, low-calorie salads here and there to totally kill the feeling of hunger!
This is where veggies truly shine.
by admin | Jun 10, 2022 | Fitness
What Actually Works For Fat Loss
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably tried a bunch of different diets and exercise programs in your quest to lose weight. But have any of them actually worked? Well, in many cases the answer is “no” and even more so, if a diet is successful and leads to weight loss, it often leads to the so-called “yo-yo effect”.
This implies that the individuals who lose weight, often gain it all back, and then some more. The low rate of success among dieters is perhaps a product of the mass misinformation we get exposed to, daily. Supplement companies marketing fat-loss products, coaches marketing one-size-fits-all weight loss programs – We all know the drill.
But what if you had to lose weight on your own, without any external help? What would you ACTUALLY need to do, in order to lose weight and keep it off? Keep reading to find out!
The Fundamental Principle
Now, the first thing to remember is that fitness isn’t about following trends, but rather, understanding the underlying principles, and applying them. In the context of weight loss, the fundamental principle you can’t get around, is the principle of calories in vs calories out. To put it simply – Your body needs a certain amount of energy (calories), every day, to maintain its weight and sustain healthy functioning.
If you consume more energy than the body needs, you will gain weight. And vice versa – If you consume less than the body needs, you will lose weight. If you really want to lose weight, doing the latter is MANDATORY because, again, there is NO way around it. You lost weight following the keto diet? Cool, that means you were in a deficit.
You lost weight with intermittent fasting? … You were in a deficit. You get the point – Creating a caloric deficit is essential in a diet, because this is how you let the body burn more fat than it stores and thus, reduce the total amount of fat mass.
What Else Matters, Really?
To many people, the term “deficit” may sound borderline scary, and while it is the primary and most essential principle for weight loss, there are other important considerations. Because frankly, there are many ways you can go wrong with a diet and feel flat-out burnt-out So let’s have a look at the 3 most important factors when following a diet.
#1 Sustainability
The only good diet, is the one you can stick to in the long term, meaning that your diet must NOT feel tortuous. Sustainability & adherence to a diet is two of the primary components that make up for a successful weight loss journey. To do this, you have to create a moderate caloric deficit of about 400-500 calories per day. But you don’t have to weigh every single bite that goes into your mouth. Simply, aim for a weight loss rate of about 1-2 lbs per week.
#2 Satiation
Number two and three on this list are tightly connected to the first point we just mentioned above, which is sustainability. One of the things that lead people to ditch their diets quickly, is that they are simply NOT satiated. It’s that constant feeling of being able to eat the world. But frankly, that’s because most people think that a diet is about eating fruits, salads, drinking coffee, and water.
And to be very honest with you, these are all foods that are not satiating at all. Even more so, they can make you hungry! The foods that are highly satiating are usually the foods that would make your diet sustainable and very bearable. Think of it this way – Any food that is abundant in protein, fats or both, will be satiating. Think meat, eggs, organs, nuts, and avocados. Put these foods at the core of your diet plan!
#3 Crave Management
More often than not, seemingly ‘small’ snacks and cravings can ruin your diet completely. It is normal, though – Being in a caloric deficit will inevitably make you crave certain foods. To battle this, there are a couple of things you can do:
- Establish a moderate deficit (#1 of this list)
- Eat satiating foods (#2 of this list)
- Eat your favorite ‘dirty’ foods more frequently
“Wait, what? Eat my favorite dirty foods MORE frequently?” Well, yeah, that’s right! As we mentioned, a caloric deficit is the only mandatory thing about weight loss. You can eat ice cream, be in a caloric deficit and still lose weight, because it is not about the TYPE of food you eat, but the AMOUNT.
And so, if you eat your favorite dirty foods more frequently, they become less special, and thus, cravings subside! If that’s not the case though, you have to practice conscious constraint, where you take conscious decisions NOT to follow a craving.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, the low down on what works when it comes to shedding fat. Of course, everyone is different and some things may work better for you than they do for someone else, but if you want to see results then these are the principles you need to follow. And remember, always consult with a doctor before starting any weight loss program. Now go forth and crush your routine!
by admin | Jun 9, 2022 | Fitness, General
Where Does Lost Fat Go?
If you’ve been working on improving your activity and nutrition with the goal of losing weight, you’ve probably asked yourself this question at least once. As you probably know, energy (in this case, fat) cannot be created, nor destroyed.
So the question here is – How do your fat deposits transform when you are on a weight-loss diet? In this article, you’re going to learn more about fat loss and what happens to the weight that disappears from the scale during a successful diet.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
How Do You Lose Weight, Even?
Though many fad diets have taken priority spots in people’s lives, fat loss is mainly about one specific principle, called “Eating in a caloric deficit”. Your body requires a certain amount of energy to maintain its physiological processes and mass in space.
That amount of energy depends on the following factors:
- Gender
- Age
- Height
- Weight
- Non-training activity
- Training activity
- Food intake
If you consume more energy from food than your body needs to maintain its weight, you will progressively gain weight. On the other hand, if you consume LESS energy from food than your body needs to maintain its weight, you will LOSE fat.
It’s quite simple and there is no way around it! Every fad diet that makes you lose weight, does so not because of the diet itself, but because of the caloric deficit that it helps you establish.
But Where Does Lost Fat Go?
When you’re in a deficit of energy, your body uses its energy deposits (fat) to compensate for that deficit.
That is to say that during fat loss, your body actually burns off the fat in order to use it for a variety of functions.
When oxidized (burned with the help of oxygen), fat leaves the body in the form of carbon dioxide and water!
That is to say that the two main “exhausts” for lost fat, are:
- The lungs
- The urinary system
In other words, when you lose fat, you exhale the carbon dioxide and then the water gets into your circulation, until it leaves the body as sweat and urine.
How Much Of The Fat Is Water?
Interestingly enough, when you lose fat, most of it comes out as carbon dioxide, through your lungs. To be precise, about 80-85% of lost fat turns into carbon dioxide, while the other 15-20% turn to water. For instance, if you lose 10 kg of fat, roughly 8 kg of it comes out through your lungs and the remaining weight is excreted in the form of urine/sweat.
Fun Fact
As a matter of fact, basically everything you consume comes out as carbon dioxide! Nearly every gram of carbohydrate, protein, fat, and even alcohol, get converted to carbon dioxide and water, while the byproducts of the food leave the body as excrements.
The only exception for a nutrient that reaches your colon intact, is dietary fiber, which cannot be absorbed or digested but may help the digestive processes.
Everything else besides fiber is absorbed and then takes exit via the lungs!
Conclusion
Fat loss is simple, yet interesting – It only requires a caloric deficit, but can make your body undergo drastic visual changes over a short period of time.
The process becomes even more interesting when you think about the fact that 85% of the weight that disappears from the scale, takes its exit through your lungs! If you have any other interesting questions, let us know in the comments below!
by admin | Jun 8, 2022 | Health, Fitness
Why Gut Health Is Important
“Gut health” relates to the function and balance of bacterias in some parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Optimally, organs like the esophagus, stomach, and intestines all work side by side to allow us to eat and digest food without feeling any discomfort.
However, there are more than 70 million people in the U.S. struggling with digestive diseases. The food we consume is broken down in our guts, where it is turned into nutrients, ready to enter our bloodstream.
Yet, this won’t be possible if we have an unhealthy digestive system. A healthy gut contains immune cells and healthy bacteria that fight infectious “pests”, such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria.
Having a healthy gut is extremely important for our general health and well-being because it communicates with the brain with the help of nerves and hormones.
But how do you know if you have an unhealthy gut?
Signs Of An Unhealthy Gut
- Sleep Deprivation and Persistent Fatigue
An unhealthy gut is a guarantee for sleep disturbances.
Poor sleep and insomnia potentially lead to chronic fatigue and a decrease in our productivity.
Serotonin, one of the hormones of happiness, is actually produced in the gut.
For this reason, having an unhealthy digestive system leads to producing less serotonin, which makes our life miserable.
When we have difficulty digesting certain types of food, we experience food intolerance, which is completely different than food allergy. (It is caused by a reaction of the immune system)
Caloric consumption is the primary reason why people lose or gain weight, however, unintentional weight change could occur for another reason. When we have an unhealthy gut, it harms our body in a way that it has a problem absorbing nutrients.
Furthermore, our body’s ability to store fat or regulate blood sugar is also damaged. Having decreased nutrient absorption increases our appetite and urges us to overeat.
An unhealthy gut does not only harm us from the inside but externally as well.
Inflamed gut leads to “leaked” proteins from the gut to the skin, which causes irritation and itching.
Moreover, a bad digestive system could potentially lead to skin disorders such as eczema.
The impact of the gut on the immune system has been tested many times in the past.
Researchers have found that an irritated gut is related to systematic inflammation, which changes the proper function of our immune system. This leads to autoimmune diseases where the body doesn’t protect itself versus harmful “enemies”, but it rather attacks itself.
Some autoimmune conditions are:
- Celiac Disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Type 1 diabetes
- Crohn’s disease
Other signs of an unhealthy gut are:
- Abdominal Pain
- Bloating
- Loose stools
- Constipation
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Influence Of Gut Health On Our Bodies
The microbiome within the gut is created from trillions of bacteria, other microbes, and fungi. It plays a major role in our general welfare because it helps controlling digestion and benefits our immune system A disproportion of healthy and unhealthy microbes within the intestines might lead to obesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and other disorders.
We suggest eating a wide assortment of fruits and veggies to help support the growth of healthy microbes in your gut.
Takeaway Message
A healthy gut is important for maintaining a balance in our body and its proper functions. Immune cells and healthy bacteria have a vital role in our body because they are connected to the brain. We hope you understand how important it is to keep your microbes and healthy bacteria’s under control, for your overall wellbeing.
In part 2 of this article series, we’ll tell you the fundamental, actionable tips to instantly implement in your daily life and make your gut happy!
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