Quick Warm-Up Routines That Will Change How You Exercise

Here’s something you won’t hear many trainers admit: A long workout warm-up — you know, the type that asks you to foam roll, stretch, or otherwise activate every muscle imaginable — can backfire.

Before you think we’re railing against common advice for the sake of being counterintuitive, we’re not saying warmup exercises are bad. We’re just saying the way they are implemented is flawed and, in many cases, not supported by research.

In fact, all the way back in 2012 in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, more than 100 studies were reviewed and the takeaway was:

Stretching has not been shown to be effective at reducing the incidence of overall injuries.⁸⁸ While there is some evidence of stretching reducing musculotendinous injuries,⁸⁸ more evidence is needed to determine if stretching programs alone can reduce muscular injuries.³

If you want the benefits of warming up without dreading the typical process, we’ve tested dozens of different protocols on thousands of online fitness coaching clients and have found that there is a better way. 

The Benefits of a Warmup

The value of preparing your muscles to move can’t be understated. Your body needs to be ready for the stress of lifting weights, running, or performing a sport. If your muscles are warm and prepared, then they can generate more force and move more weight.

More importantly, preparing a muscle to move, produce force, change direction, or push the limits just doesn’t happen on its own. When you try to force it. That’s when injuries happen. 

A cold muscle is like a cold rubber band. To understand, think about the elasticity of a rubber band. You can stretch it, and the more you pull back, the more energy you can generate.

Now, imagine freezing the rubber band overnight. It changes everything. What was once easy-to-move is now stiff; what once took an incredible amount of force to break can now easily snap.

So, warming up your muscles is a good idea. But, how you do it doesn’t need to follow the usual routine.

How To Design A Better Workout Warmup

Most warmup routines are long and onerous (not to mention uncomfortable), which makes it something you dread. And because it’s right there at the beginning of your workout, it can feel like a reason to not show up at all, or you skip the warmup…and find yourself injured. We’ve all been there.

So, what if you changed everything about your warmup routine.

Yeah, you heard us right. We’re not saying you have to stop warming up. As we’ve pointed out, warm-ups are great. But, they aren’t so helpful if they sabotage your workout motivation.

So, we recommend a different option. Instead of a long warmup, we focus on just 1-2 exercises to get started. Here is our favorite 1-exercise warm-up.

And then, thanks to the advice of our longtime friend and contributing fitness expert Tony Gentilcore, we add workout fillers.

Fillers are a way to address trouble spots and tight areas during your workout, simply by doing them between sets. So, instead of worrying about all of the exercises you need to do before starting your workout, you implement strategic exercises into your workout to help you move better, prevent injury, and train harder.

Basically, you make use of your one- to three-minute-long rest periods by doing some easy muscle activation drills or mobility work. (Note the word “easy.” These are not meant to be supersets.)

“We always provide warm-ups for clients, but we also know not everybody does them,” says Born Fitness Head Coach B.J. Ward.

“That’s where fillers come in. We can plug in some movements that are going to help them move better and get stronger pain-free while they rest between sets. It doesn’t “feel” like you’re doing much but we end up sneaking in a lot of extra work in.”

If you’re new to workout fillers, Gentilcore goes a little deeper into the basics in this post, which also covers fillers for deadlifting. In a second post, he explains other techniques to help you squat better.

If you’re already familiar with fillers, then you’ll still want to tune in. Why? Because his deadlift tips are on-point. If you’ve struggled with squats or deadlifts, or just felt “off” whenever you’ve tried them, the mobility drills he shows could help you get moving and grooving better. (And if there’s one thing to know about our man Tony, it’s that the dude can deadlift like a boss.)

The Best Warmup Exercises

If you’re already sold on fillers or just want a great movement to prepare you for your favorite (or hardest) exercises, Coach Ward has your back. Here are some additional moves he recommends as fillers within workouts, or as a primary warmup movement before your workout. (Click a move to see a video demonstration.)

Warmup Exercises For Squats 

1. 90/90 Hip Switch
2. Combat Stretch Ankle Mobility

Warmup Exerciser for Deadlifts:

1. Dead Bug Breathing

Warmup Exercise for Bench Press:

1. Adductor Quadruped Rockback

Surprised? Here’s Ward on why a lower body mobility move can help you when you bench: “Most of us sit all day. The more mobility work we can throw in to unglue our hips, the better. And secondly, opening up the front of your hips can help you get into a better position on the bench press. We ask lifters to get their feet under their knees and squeeze the glutes during the bench press setup. If you’ve opened up the front of your hips it’s easier to lock into this position.

How to Perform Warmup Movements

For each warmup movement, perform 3-5 reps per side. Do only as many sets as necessary so that you feel a little more fluid, your muscles feel warm, and your range of motion has improved. In many cases, just 1-2 sets will suffice.

While we have these fillers paired with the “big 3 lifts,” you don’t have to bench, squat, or deadlift in order to use them. Try them between sets of any similar upper or lower body exercise.

And remember, for a super-efficient warm-up, here’s our favorite movement that will get your body prepared in less than 5 minutes.

Interested In A Custom Coaching Plan?

At Born Fitness, we know every individual is unique. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan. Our team can develop a plan around your lifestyle to help you reach your goals.

If you like the idea of fillers that we talked about above but aren’t sure where to start, more personalization and hands-on support though our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here. 

READ MORE: 

The Surprising Science Benefits of The 5-Minute Walk

The Art Of The Deload

The Best Stretch For Your Body (In Less Than 5 Minutes)

The post Quick Warm-Up Routines That Will Change How You Exercise appeared first on Born Fitness.

from Born Fitness https://ift.tt/36m4sDc
via babu31

Go For a Walk. Your Body Needs It

The idea of keeping it simple is something that is embraced in almost every area of life — except exercise. Unless a behavior is extreme or challenging, it’s assumed that it won’t work. 

Believing this reality is not only likely to lead to injury and burnout, but it’s also a big reason why so many people struggle to see results, end up frustrated, and in general, miss out on all the ways that it’s easy to stay healthy.

Now, that’s not to say you don’t need to put in a little time and effort, but the time and effort needed to make a difference in your health and how you feel is probably much less than you imagine. 

Whether you’re looking for a place to start your routine, or you’re trying to dial-it-in and make the small changes that will result in a big impact, it’s time for you to walk. Literally. Here’s why and how to start implementing walking for fat loss.

Is Walking Better Than Running?

The difference between “healthy habits” and “fat loss habits” is one of the hardest health concepts to grasp.

Just because something is healthy does not mean it leads to fat loss. The easiest example is a common diet mistake. You can eat a lot of “healthy” food, but if you eat too much of it, you’ll gain weight.

Conversely, just because something helps with fat loss does necessarily mean it’s healthy. Dr. Mark Haub, a professor at Kansas State University, proved this when he lost 27 pounds following a Twinkie diet. 

The phenomenon is also true in exercise. All-too-often, people will argue about the “best” type of exercise.

Certain types of exercise, such as weight lifting, are more efficient for weight loss. And people will argue that weight lifting is more effective for fat loss than running. 

It’s really a matter of time, goals, and capabilities. Yes, if you go for a run and push the intensity, then you will burn more calories. But, how often are you going for a run? And, is your goal to be a better runner?

Let’s say you only ran 2 days per week for 45 minutes. But, let’s also say you hated it, it led to some aches and pains, and those feels (emotionally and physically) made you a very inconsistent runner. 

Now, compare that to going on a 30-minute walk 5 days per week, at a brisk pace while listening to your favorite podcast.

Your total amount of exercise (150 minutes vs. 90 minutes) would increase, the frequency of your movement would be more (5 days per week vs. 2 days), the stress on your joints would be reduced, your stress levels would go down, and your motivation up. 

Not to mention, if you did other forms of exercise — such as weight training or playing a sport — the walking would function as a form of active recovery, which would help your muscles recover quicker and reduce soreness.

So, is walking “better” than running? Maybe not on a minute-by-minute comparison, but it could be a healthier and more consistent option.

And, in general, there are many benefits for lower-intensity exercise, and this type of training can also fill weaknesses that you didn’t even know existed.  

Can Walking Help With Fat Loss?

While it doesn’t make headlines because it’s not sexy, walking gets the job done much better than people think, as long as you put in the consistent effort.

Think of every step you take as a small win. In a 2011 study published in the journal International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, researchers found that taking a 5-minute walking break every hour could burn an extra 660 calories per week.

Extrapolate that over one year and you could lose about 9 to 10 pounds just by adding up the 5-minute walks.

Of course, over an 8-hour day, that amounts to 40 minutes of walking per for at least 5 days per week. And not everyone can get up every hour to go for a walk. It’s a commitment, but even if you did half of that amount, you can still see a difference. 

In fact, some of the biggest celeb trainers, people such as Harley Pasternak, are best known for their focus on daily steps as a foundation for health and fat loss. Pasternak sets a goal of 12,000 steps per day for his A-list clientele, which is a whos-who ranging from Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga to LL Cool J and Adam Levine. 

In general, you don’t need to model what celebs do (especially when it requires spending lots of money on approaches not backed by science. Cough, cough, celery juice!). But, if walking can work for them, you better believe that you should, at the very least, give it a try yourself. After all, it’s free. 

Proven Health Benefits Of Walking

The health benefits of walking should not be understated, and research shows that it is undeniably good for you.

New research from the Netherlands compared different types of exercise and movement (and lack thereof) on health markers. You’ll know “health markers” as the “under-the-hood” breakdown of how your body is really feeling and whether or not you’re healthy.

The study looked into the specific effects of:

1. sitting
2. standing
3. exercise (occasionally)

Turns out, each has a distinct impact on your body that is measurable in as little as four days.

In this study, researchers recruited 61 adults — some who were healthy, some overweight, and some overweight and diabetic. None were exercisers prior to the study. The scientists then had the group follow three different living patterns, each for four straight days at a time. The patterns were:

• 14 hours a day of sitting, getting up only to use the bathroom (sounds like my life after an early morning workout)
• 13 hours of sitting + 1 hour of moderate exercise
• 8 hours of sitting + 6 hours of standing or strolling around

Participants underwent a series of health tests before and after each block. The results:

• The sitting period led to a worsening in cholesterol and increases in insulin sensitivity, even in those who’d been metabolically healthy (no diabetes) at the outset.
• The exercise period led to an improvement in endothelial cell health (which keeps your blood vessels flexible, supple, and strong), but no effects on insulin sensitivity or cholesterol.
• The standing/strolling period led to improvements in insulin sensitivity and cholesterol levels

The lesson is that movement has benefits, and you shouldn’t think of exercise as “checking off” all the boxes of health.

Just because you lift weights or have gym time doesn’t mean that you should think you can sit all day.

Also, walking has a surprising amount of health benefits (and yes, it will burn some calories too).

In fact, this is very much in line with what we’ve been saying for a long time: the movement you do outside of the gym has a surprising impact on your health and on weight loss.

It’s a win for all. If you need more details on the changes walking can make to your life, this article will help.

Have questions? Share them in the comments below or follow us on Instagram for our Sunday Q&A.

Or if you’re looking for more personalization and hands-on support, our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here. 

The post Go For a Walk. Your Body Needs It appeared first on Born Fitness.

from Born Fitness https://ift.tt/3iR5v1j
via babu31

Can You Gain Weight From Eating Too Little?

There’s a risk you might read only one sentence and then leave this page, but it’s worth the risk to make sure this point is clear: you will not gain weight from eating too few calories.

If there’s nothing else you learn from this post, let it be that. But, there’s so much more that explains why (and how) under-eating can seemingly lead to weight gain. 

One of the hardest parts of dieting — which happens to almost everyone — is that moment where you get frustrated with weight loss and you try to reduce calories, even more, to make the scale drop lower again.

And what happens? You appear to be gaining weight.

It’s incredibly frustrating and you insist your body must be broken, or maybe it’s the gluten…or dairy…or artificial sweeteners that are making you fat. But, artificial sweeteners are not to blame, and your body isn’t broken.

3 Reasons You Gain Weight (When You Least Expect It)

So what’s going on? Precision Nutrition outlined many reasons why it seems like under-eating can lead to weight gain, even though it’s not the case.

In our experience with online coaching clients, we’ve seen everything. But, when it comes to weight loss, there are three common reasons you might continue to struggle with weight loss, even if it seems like you’re doing everything right. 

All of them, ultimately, deal with the ways that it’s easy to misunderstand calories. As we already mentioned, you can’t under-eat your way to weight gain. But, you can appear to be under-eating and still gaining weight.

We want to make sure you can easily identify all of the sneaky ways you can be tricked into following a diet that only leads to added frustration (and a scale that won’t move).

Foods With Hidden Calories

Whether you’re a dieting pro or don’t know the difference between a carbohydrate and protein, hidden calories suck and they are everywhere. The Precision Nutrition article shared the following example, which we’ve witnessed hundreds of times:

I once had a client discover he was using ten tablespoons of olive oil — 1200 calories — rather than the two tablespoons — 240 calories — he thought he was using in his stir-fry. Oops.

It’s frustratingly simple for hidden calories to pile up quickly day-over-day, and week-over-week, and that’s all it takes to keep you in a plateau or even gain weight, despite your best efforts. 

Rather than worrying about counting calories, it’s important to easily recognize where most hidden calories are typically found. 

See the graphic below, so you can think twice when you eat. What makes all of these hidden-calorie foods so difficult is that they are calorically dense. That means, even if they are healthy for you (which several of them are), just a small serving packs a big punch of calories, which is why it’s so simple to eat much more than you thought. 

How Much Is A 2,000-Calorie Diet

Because very few of us spend our time measuring and weighing food (and rightfully so), it can be shocking to learn just how much we underestimate the number of calories we consume a day.

And the research backs it up. On average, people will underestimate their caloric intake by 30 percent, and sometimes they can estimate by as much as 45 percent. That makes a big difference.

And, to be fair, a lot of people will make it seem like this is an education issue, but even pros can’t tell how much food is in a meal. Case-in-point:

A few years ago Dr. Berardi (JB, as he’s known around here) went out to eat with some friends at a well-known restaurant chain. He ordered one of their “healthier” meals that emphasized protein, veggies, and “clean” carbs. Then he finished off dinner with cheesecake. Curious about how much energy he’d consumed, he looked it up.

Five. Thousand. Calories.

I’ve had the same issue. And it can be minor things. Like how my “1 spoonful” of Justin’s Maple Almond Nut Butter is closer to eating half a jar, but I could count 1 spoonful. You might not keep track, but your body does.

Calories-In, Calories-Out Is Confusing 

Yes, this law of thermodynamics is still the #1 determinant of weight loss or gain. But what counts as “calories in” or “calories out” is not that simple.

For instance, all of the following factors can influence your “calories in” equation: the composition of your meals (protein, carbs, fats), your body type, the amount of muscle/amount of body fat, hormones, genetics, your environment, how you slept last night, levels of stress, and much more.

Let’s just take one small example. When you eat a meal, each type of food has a different “thermic effect of food” or TEF. This is the rate at which your body metabolizes a meal. Or, in other words, it’s how many additional calories you’ll burn when you eat a specific food.

Protein has the highest TEF, which ranges from 25 to 35 percent.

Comparatively, carbs are only 6 to 8 percent, and fats are the least metabolically active with a TEF of about 3-5 percent.  

That means if two people each eat a 500-calorie meal, but one person has more protein and the other person has more fat, the “calories-in” model will look different for each individual, even if they are having the exact same number of calories.

All of which is to say, many factors matter in determining how your body stores (and burns) calories. So, when frustration kicks in, don’t give up on yourself, don’t try to be perfect, and remember that there’s no use in trying to outsmart the system. 

It’s not that we’re lying (though we can sometimes deceive ourselves, and others, about our intake). More than anything, it’s that we struggle to estimate portion sizes and calorie counts. This is especially difficult today when plates and portions are bigger than ever. And energy-dense, incredible tasting, and highly brain-rewarding “foods” are ubiquitous, cheap, and socially encouraged.

Instead, search for a diet you think you can follow. And when you start following it, add checks and balances to keep you accountable, and support to remove the need for “perfection.” And then other systems that ensure you won’t be overeating without your own knowledge.

If you need help with finding the right diet, or someone to help you with those checks and balances, our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here. 

Have questions? Share them in the comments below.

READ MORE: 

Should I Cut Out Alcohol To Get Rid Of Fat?

Why Am I Hungry All The Time?

The Beginner’s Guide To Fat Loss

The post Can You Gain Weight From Eating Too Little? appeared first on Born Fitness.

from Born Fitness https://ift.tt/3gDndna
via babu31

The Art and Science of Foods That Fill You Up

How much are you eating? Do you know? Counting calories can suck, and be a lot of work, but it’s worth doing for at least 2-3 days to get a sense of whether or not your eating is on target.

But let’s say your daily calorie intake is about where it should be. In that case, we’d look to incorporate more foods that enhance your feeling of fullness. Research to date has found that there are three keys to achieving it.

(Sadly, none of them are bacon.)

They are protein, fiber, and water.

So how do you get more of them into your life? Here’s a simple way to make it happen and feel more in control of your diet (and hunger) than ever. 

Prioritize protein at every meal.

Research consistently shows protein is the most filling macronutrient, so it’s great to have a serving of it at each meal. If you want to take it a step further, you could set a goal.

“We recommend approximately 0.8-1g of protein per pound of target bodyweight if you are active,” says Born Fitness nutrition coach Natalie Sabin. (Note: Target body weight is what you want to weigh, not necessarily what you weigh currently.) “Not only is protein satiating, but it’s also muscle-sparing — meaning you’re more likely to hold on to your lean mass when you are in a calorie deficit.”

Meat, eggs, and dairy are all good sources of protein. If you are a strict vegetarian or vegan, then rice and beans, quinoa or tofu are all go-to options.

Choose carbs that fill you up (the right way).

According to the satiety index, fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal additions. Potatoes, beans, and oatmeal are all proven to quell hunger longer — which makes sense since all are rich sources of dietary fiber. So are fruits.

Researchers at Penn State University found that when subjects consumed a 125-calorie apple before lunch, they ate 200 fewer calories in the meal that followed. They also reported a greater feeling of fullness.

Let’s get nuts.

You might think that, with high concentrations of calories and fat, nuts wouldn’t be a great idea for dieters. But nuts are a surprising success story when it comes to weight control.

According to obesity researcher and writer Stephan Guyenet, Ph.D., nuts “are less calorie-dense than they might seem because some of their calories pass through the digestive system unabsorbed.”

Basically, he means: When you eat a serving of almonds, which is about 162 calories, your body won’t necessarily take in all of those calories. Some will just pass right through you, a phenomenon that researchers attribute to the nut’s hardness and high fiber content.

This doesn’t mean you should go crazy and gob down handful after handful. There’s a big difference between “not all of the calories get absorbed” and “calorie-free.” (And let’s be clear: nuts are definitely not calorie-free.) Enjoy, but watch your serving sizes here.

Just add water.

Numerous studies show that consuming water before a meal reduces calorie consumption and increases the feeling of fullness. Many people have heard the “8 glasses a day” rule, but few actually do it.

From wherever you’re starting, see if you can add three glasses to your daily regimen: one before (or during) breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you opt to drink during the meal rather than before, try taking a sip between bites.

If you’re doing all of these things, but still feel like you barely make it to lunch without gnawing your arm off, switch up one more thing: How often you eat.

Some people prefer to eat several smaller meals and snacks per day, while others find they do better by eating just 2 or 3 bigger meals. As we’ve explained before, so long as your calorie total is the same, neither option is better or worse. It’s simply a matter of preference.

If you’re looking for more personalization and hands-on support, our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here. 

READ MORE: 

What To Eat For Breakfast To Fill You Up

Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Parfait With Protein Granola

The Beginner’s Guide To Fat Loss

The post The Art and Science of Foods That Fill You Up appeared first on Born Fitness.

from Born Fitness https://ift.tt/3avtkbr
via babu31

What No One Tells You To Look For In A Healthy Diet

Each week, we review feedback from coaching clients and readers of the site and our emails. One of the most common frustrations is figuring out what to eat, specifically knowing what to look for in a healthy diet.

The reason for the struggle is that it’s not clear where to begin to fix the problem. It’s not like eating one food suddenly improves your diet.

In fact, you’re likely already aware of what stands in your way. We hear three common barriers: 

1. Time (or lack thereof)
2. Confusion (not being sure of what to do or believe)
3. Motivation

A lack of time is a struggle for everyone. But, trying to make time becomes easier if you can eliminate confusion and increases motivation. 

And, despite being different issues, they are both deeply connected.

What Prevents Good Diets From Working

In the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, authors Chip and Dan Heath explain that your lack of clarity undercuts both.

In their book, the Heath Brothers were speaking about business and answering the question, “Why won’t your employees do what you want?”

The answer is “Because they don’t know exactly what that is, or how to do it.”

That’s true for your health, too.

Let’s say you set out to make a big change in your life, such as losing 10, 20, or even 100 pounds. It feels exciting but also overwhelming. After all, you think to yourself, “I need to adjust my diet, exercise, and even my sleep. Where do I start?”

Maybe you decide to start by eating better, but what exactly does that mean?

Or, you say: “I’m going to work out more.” But, in the back of your mind, you wonder, “How much is ‘more’? Will it be enough to make a difference? And do I really have the time for that?”

These are the sorts of questions that can kill your motivation before you even begin. You aren’t sure what to do next, so you do nothing. Or, maybe you take a step or two, but then feel you aren’t getting results. Soon, the entire plan starts falling apart.

When you aren’t confident that a change is going to make a difference, it’s hard to truly commit to that change.

4 Habits That Make Any Diet More Effective

Before you can gain confidence in your plan, it helps to have more clarity in your plan.

The Heath Brothers explain that when you know exactly what changes to make — and you see them make a difference — you want to keep doing them.

That’s essentially the same idea behind habit-based coaching. You take one step, then another, and another.

The changes needed for weight loss start with something that seems simple. Painfully simple. Perhaps, even boring.

If you’re looking to build a healthy diet, it doesn’t start with extreme restrictions, blood tests, or need to measure every ounce of food. It begins with habits that help put you in control of your diet, no matter your food preferences or lifestyle.

This includes time-tested techniques such as:

• Eating slowly
• Chewing more
• Getting enough vegetables and fruit (yes, fruit. Fruits are not evil. Neither are carbs.)
• Sleeping 7-8 hours a night

All those habits are a big part of an effective diet plan, but you rarely hear them discussed.

Eating slowly and chewing more helps ensure that the right signals are sent to your brain to indicate when you’re full. 

Fruits and vegetables keep you fuller for longer, are loaded with valuable nutrients, and have been proven to help you eat less of the things you love but know you need to limit (hello brownie sundae).

And, sleep is likely the most-underrated diet secret because lack of sleep does everything from make you hungry to increase your cravings for salty and sweet foods.

All of that knowledge is great, but following those simple habits can feel like a chore. So, how can you “make yourself” do it?

How to Stay Motivated (Even When The Scale Goes Up)

Motivation is tricky because it feels as if it’s just a decision, but it’s actually far more complex. Motivation is actually part-psychology and part-biology, according to Eleanor Simpson, associate professor of clinical neurobiology at Columbia University.

Beneath every choice you make, your brain does a complex cost-benefit analysis. The calculation takes into account your surroundings, your history, and how you are feeling at that very moment.

That math is more likely to come out in your favor if you’re already seeing results. Think about it: when you’re down a pound or two from last week, or you feel a little stronger in your next workout, it’s easier to keep pushing and believe you’re on the right track.

But, what if you’re just getting started, feeling stuck, or you’re not seeing any changes? This is when you lose faith and motivation, and even the best plan falls apart.

That’s when you need to realize two things:

1. Remember that weight fluctuation (spikes, dips, and plateaus) are part of the process. Within any given week, if you weigh yourself daily, you’ll see days where your weight goes up. This is normal. It could be a result of how you slept, whether you had more salt or carbs than usual, stress levels, and several other reasons. But, assuming you’re staying on track with your plan, the weekly and monthly trend should be headed down, which is exactly what matters.
2. To help you get through those days when you see a spike or you “don’t feel like it,” make sure you’ve connected your goals to a larger mission. Or, you need to remind yourself what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and that it’s time to get things done and make your goals a reality, even if it feels like it’s not going to happen. 

How to Stick To Your Diet 

If you’re looking for a simple technique to help keep yourself accountable, you might want to borrow a tactic that comes from General Stanley McChrystal, a retired four-star general who once led the U.S.’s Joint Special Operations Command, which oversees units like the Navy SEALs and Army Rangers. 

According to motivation writer Eric Barker, McChrystal always tells his soldiers:

1. Here’s what I’m asking you to do.
2. Here’s why it’s important.
3. Here’s why I know you can do it.
4. Think about what you’ve done together before.
5. Now let’s go and do it.

Now imagine this as a conversation between you and your body. You say:

1. I’m asking you to go for a walk three times per week.
2. It’s important because we’re trying to shed 20 pounds and walking burns calories.
3. I know you can do it because you walk from your parking spot to the office every morning.
4. You’ve dedicated hours at a time to those TPS reports at work, so you have the attention span to do this.
5. Let’s go and get moving. 

Try that for any change you make this year. And if it doesn’t work, try listening to the Rocky theme before you do it.

That may sound ridiculous, but it’s effective. Barker explains that, when all else fails, energetic music can improve your performance. (And it doesn’t have to be Rocky. If you prefer hip hop, R&B or even metal, do your thing.) That’s not his opinion, it’s science.

Interested In A Custom Nutrition Plan?

At Born Fitness, we know every individual is unique. There’s no one-size-fits-all nutrition plan. Our team can develop a plan around your lifestyle to help you reach your goals.

If you’re looking for more personalization and hands-on support, our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here. 

READ MORE: 

The Beginner’s Guide To Fat Loss

A New Approach To Fat Loss Nutrition

Eating At Night Does Not Make You Fat

The post What No One Tells You To Look For In A Healthy Diet appeared first on Born Fitness.

from Born Fitness https://ift.tt/30ZYZxy
via babu31

What to Eat Before and After a Workout

You might want to think twice before you rush to slug down another post-workout smoothie. Your pre-workout routine of oatmeal and fruit? It might not be helping in the way you think. And the extra BCAAs you’re drinking during your workout? The real impact is likely only on how much money you have in your wallet.

From building muscle to surviving your endurance runs, the rules of workout nutrition have completely changed. But, there’s one big problem: few people are aware of what really helps you fuel before a workout and recover afterward.

Which is why this is both your warning and a sigh of relief. The latest breakthroughs have rewritten the script, and that’s good news for anyone who likes to exercise. Gone are the days of carb-loading or rushing to have protein within 30 minutes of finishing your workout.

In fact, both nutrient timing and workout nutrition needs have liberating truth: Neither matters as much as we once believed.

So, while you might look at the past as wasted, it’s best to view these new rules for what they are: a serious fitness upgrade that makes it easier than ever to eat the right way to fuel performance, strip away fat, or even build extra muscle without all the extra, unnecessary eating.

Confusion 101: Are Sports Drinks Better Than Water?

If you really want to know why the advice has been so misguided, you don’t have to look any farther than the sports drink aisle at your grocery store.

For most weekend warriors, the need for a sports drink (think Gatorade, Powerade, or any other energetic adjective + “ade”) isn’t as real as the ads make it seem.

Yes, there can be benefits to sports drinks. But, the liquid rejuvenation is limited to a very select group of exercises that deplete their bodies of certain nutrients.

And, for most gym-goers, runners, and weekend warriors, it’s rare that you ever push your body to the point of needing the type of energy locked inside the bottle.

You see, most people’s workouts fall into one of 2 categories:

1. High intensity but shorter duration (think less than 1 hour of gym activity)
2. Lower or moderate intensity for a longer duration (think 1-2 hour runs)

In both of these cases, the only necessary hydration is water. If you want a little boost, then you might want to sip on some electrolytes (think more sodium and potassium than you’ll find in sports drinks, as well as calcium and magnesium), and a few carbs to help with hydration — but not the 30 grams of sugar packed into your favorite sports drink.

When you’re working out at a high intensity and for longer periods of time (think more than 2 to 3 hours), that’s when sports drinks offer the most benefits because they refill what is lost during that type of extreme condition.

If you regularly sweat out 2 to 3 percent of your body’s weight during long duration, intense exercise—3 to 6 pounds, for most of us—you probably need more sodium. That’s what a sports drink provides.

The same goes for the minerals you lose through heavy sweating. For example, most athletes know about electrolytes. In particular—potassium, magnesium, and sodium—are essential (and have the name “electrolyte) because your body needs them to transmit electrical signals from your brain to your muscles. This is what allows your body to function.

But, the same type of research that was used to formulate products like Gatorade was also the basis of your workout strategy. In other words, Gatorade was designed more for high-level athletes than high-level executives, mothers, fathers, and typical gym-goers.

This was the basis of nutrient timing theory: The high carb amounts. The immediate need for protein. The fear of fats slowing down recovery.

The reality? None of it was really designed for your body.

Do You Have To Eat Directly After Your Workout?

Let’s set one thing clear: What food you put into your body is still very important and determines how hard you can exercise and how well you recover.

The bigger issue is exactly what you should be eating, or maybe, more importantly, when you should be eating it.

The idea of the “anabolic window” or that you need to eat as soon as possible after finishing your workouts is one of the most misleading pieces of fitness advice that has persevered for decades.

It’s based on a fear-driven, scientifically-debunked mentality that your muscles live in an hourglass, and with each passing second of eating before or after a workout you were losing out on improvement.

For the past 20 years, the prevailing idea was that you had about 30 to 60 minutes to eat something after your workout. If not, your body would become catabolic (a state of stress) and you would lose muscle, not recover fast enough, and fail to see the benefits from all your hard work and time invested.

When you think about it, the theory seems crazy. How could the human body have such a small window for recovery?

That was the question exercise physiologist Dr. Brad Schoenfeld aimed to solve.

He reviewed a large number of studies that examined nutrient timing and set out to answer a simple question: Is there such thing as the “anabolic window?”

Turns out there is—but it’s much bigger than anyone ever suggested. And the timing of your meals after a workout isn’t even the biggest indicator of your success. (More on that in a moment.)

When Should You Eat After Your Workout?

After you exercise you burn up your main energy store of carbohydrates, also known as glycogen. So, it only makes sense that you need to refuel glycogen by eating lots of carbs to replace what was lost.

But, when food was consumed in a shorter window of time after a workout there was no significant difference than when it was consumed after a long delay.

In fact, the research would go as far as suggesting that your post-workout window is actually the entire 24 hours after you train, with the key time to eat ideally occurring anywhere within 4 hours after you finish your last set, stop your run, or end your athletic event.

Not exactly the same message as slug your protein shake before your muscles shrink.

How did this massive misunderstanding occur?

It goes back to the sports drink phenomenon. The “glycogen emptying” idea wasn’t really applicable to the average person. In reality, it takes a tremendous effort to completely deplete your glycogen stores.

Extreme marathoners can do it. Bodybuilders who train twice per day can do it. NFL athletes who play a 3-hour game can do it.

But you? It’s a different story.

Most people don’t’ go to the gym completely fasted or do workouts that completely tap-out your energy reserves (even if you feel exhausted). And yet, those were the test conditions used to determine what to eat after your workout.

While it might feel like your body needs food immediately, the ROI of rushing to or even forcing food into your system is minimal: you won’t see added strength, additional muscle, faster fat loss, improved endurance, or a boost in recovery.

The new rules of nutrient timing focus on the bigger picture. If you want to perform and look your best, then you need to consider three factors: what you eat before your workout, what you eat after, and what type of activity you perform.

Need help understanding the proper foods to fuel your body? Our coaches can create a plan for you. Find out more here.

How to Fuel Your Workouts The Right Way

Just because the timing of your post-workout meal has been reduced from urgent to “apply on your time,” doesn’t mean the entire concept of nutrient timing is dead.

In fact, it’s just the opposite. There’s never been a clearer idea of exactly what you should be eating to help your body. And the biggest breakthrough is clear. Protein is the new carbs.

It used to be that you needed to fuel up with carbs prior to your workout and then replenish after your workout. This all ties back to glycogen as a primary source of energy and fuel for your body. Most research tested the benefits of using carbohydrates as fuel and then tested different amounts of carbs.

But, even that rationale was a bit flawed. Nutrient timing should focus on three aspects that help improve your performance and appearance.

Glycogen replenishment: Glycogen is your fuel. The more you have the harder you can push your body for longer periods of time.

Protein breakdown: If you want to gain muscle, protein synthesis (anabolism) has to be greater than protein breakdown (catabolism).

Protein Building – Protein Breakdown = Muscle Growth or Loss

So, it only makes sense that you want to slow the breakdown process.

Protein synthesis: Eating protein after a workout is supposed to optimize the other side of the same equation by increasing muscle protein synthesis, the process that helps you repair and rebuild muscle.

Combined, all three of these factors influence how hard you can train (endurance, strength, work capacity), how well you recover, and your ability to build muscle and burn fat. So it only makes sense that what you eat should target any or all of these goals.

Do Carbs Help Your Workouts?

Carbs are a great source of fuel for your body. But, eating more carbs doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have more energy. And that’s because depleting glycogen is actually very difficult.

For example, let’s say you did a full-body workout of 9 exercises, performed 3 sets of each exercise (so 27 sets total), and pushed at a high intensity of 80 percent of your 1 rep max. That’d be a grueling workout, but when researchers tested this exact protocol, they found that it only depleted about one-third of total glycogen stores.

Even crazier? When a similar workout was tested and followed with no food, about 75 percent of the depleted glycogen was replenished within 6 hours.

So what’s going on? Your body is protective of your energy. The more you deplete your glycogen, the faster resynthesis occurs. The higher your intensity, the quicker you recharge. Even in marathon runners and endurance athletes, complete resynthesis is usually complete within 24 hours.

That’s not a call to avoid carbs. They are important and necessary, and if you’re exercising they need to be a part of your plan.

But, the extreme nature of pre-workout (carb-loading) and post-workout (insulin-spiking) carb needs were overblown. You don’t need to fuel up with hundreds of grams of fuel pre, during, and post-workout because you’re not tapping out your glycogen.

When your tank is empty, you’ll know it without question. So, your ideal carb plan will ultimately depend on the type of activity you perform.

How Much Protein Should You Eat After a Workout?

When eating protein and carbs was compared to carbs alone, it instantly became clear that protein is your body’s best friend. Adding protein improved recovery, muscle protein synthesis, and protein breakdown.

But most interesting? When protein and carbs (25 grams of protein and 50 grams of carbs) was compared to just protein alone (25 grams), there was no additional benefit in terms of muscle protein synthesis or muscle protein breakdown when the carbs were added.

The verdict: Protein is the new king of workout nutrition.

And it doesn’t end there. While we know that protein is important for preventing muscle protein breakdown and fueling muscle protein synthesis, and some carbs (but not too much) are good for glycogen, how much you eat around your workout should not be your primary consideration.

Research shows that the most important dietary factor for performance and appearance was not how much protein or carbs you had before or after your workout, but rather how much you ate in the entire day.

In essence, even if your pre- or post-workout nutrition was less than optimal (say, if you’re in a rush to get to work), as long as you still ate the right amount of nutrients (proteins, carbs, and fats) for the entire day, then you would still see benefits.

The Best Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition Plan

Timing nutrition around your workout is a good idea for both fueling your performance and helping recovery. But, you don’t need to stress the timing as much as we once thought. Instead, the urgency of nutrition depends more on the activity you perform and whether you eat something before you exercise.

When you enjoy a pre-workout meal, that will determine what you need after a workout. That’s because eating before your workout ensures that your insulin, amino acid, and glucose levels are still going to be high several hours after the workout.

Most mixed meals will keep your insulin levels high enough to stop protein breakdown for 4-6 hours. A 45-gram dose of whey protein will do the same for about two hours. Most studies have shown that if you eat protein before, immediately after, or several hours after your workout, your muscle protein synthesis will be about the same.

Translation: choose a pre- and post-workout nutrition approach that works for you.

If you don’t like to eat before a workout, then don’t. But you’ll want to emphasize that post-workout meal more because you won’t have protein or carbs in your system.

If you do like a meal before exercise, there’s no rush to refuel immediately after. Not to mention, if you load up on carbs (such as with oatmeal or some fruit), depending on your type of activity you might not even need post-workout carbs.

The closer your meal is to the training bout, the longer your window following the session. And both are dependent on your primary training goal. Meaning there isn’t a gold standard for what you should be eating around your workouts. Instead, you should fuel your body based on the type of activity you perform.

And remember, as long as you consume enough protein by the end of the day, your body generally has no trouble growing new muscle tissue, recovering, or having the energy needed to push through and become better.

To help you figure out your needs, use the activity chart below — based on the latest research — to help determine exactly what you need for your body and your goals.

The Ultimate Guide to Workout Nutrition

Your Goal: Endurance Sports

Examples: Long-distance track and cycling events, marathons, basketball, soccer, MMA

What to eat: Carbohydrates for replenishing muscle glycogen, maintaining stamina, and maintaining energy during your event.

What to remember: It’s easy to argue that nutrient timing is most important for endurance athletes because of the duration and demands of the activity. Performance is the main goal, therefore making carbohydrates more important as a fuel source during the activity and after for recovery. Protein, while useful for minimizing protein loss, is not as essential in the moment for these athletes, but is still important for recovery and retention of muscle.

Your Nutrition Plan

• The Focus: carbs and protein
• The dose: 0.2-0.25 g/lb target bodyweight for both protein and carbs

During your workout

• For every hour of endurance activity, consume 8-15 g protein and about 15-30 grams of carbs. Liquids and gels are usually best for this.

Your Goal: Strength/Power Sports

Examples: Olympic weightlifting, football, powerlifting, bodybuilding, high-intensity intervals

What to eat: Protein for optimizing muscle recovery and growth and minimizing muscle damage

What to remember: Based on the length of time and type of activity, muscle glycogen is not depleted to the extent of endurance sports. Protein is important for supporting strength and muscle growth while minimizing muscle damage and loss. Carbohydrates are important, but less so, and are generally taken care of by meeting total daily calorie and macronutrient goals.

Your Nutrition Plan

• A balanced, full meal consisting of carbs and protein, 0.2-0.25 g/lb target bodyweight for both protein and carbs

Your Goal: Weight-Loss

Examples: Any type of activity geared towards losing weight. This is your typical cardiovascular type of activity (walking, treadmill, stairstepper) or weight training. NOTE: This is not high-intensity work or something like CrossFit, which is more likely to fit into the strength or endurance categories.

What to eat: Fewer calories (calorie deficit) and more protein

Want a personalized fat loss plan? Our coaches can create a plan for you. Find out more here.

 

What to remember: The most important thing to keep in mind is you must burn more calories than you bring into your body. Create a calorie deficit first, and then worry about dialing in your pre- and post-workout nutrition.

Your Nutrition Plan

• Eat a balanced, full meal consisting of carbs and protein, 0.2-0.25 g/lb target bodyweight for both protein and carbs

Your Next Steps

Remember that nutrient timing should focus on three core aspects: glycogen replenishment, protein breakdown, and protein synthesis. And rather than stressing over timing, focus on giving your body the proper nutrition based on what type of activity you perform.

Have questions? Share them in the comments below.

Or if you’re looking for more personalization and hands-on support our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here. 

The post What to Eat Before and After a Workout appeared first on Born Fitness.

from Born Fitness https://ift.tt/3j8Qlos
via babu31

What To Eat For Breakfast To Fill You Up

The rules of breakfast may have been rewritten, but that doesn’t mean the goal of breakfast has changed.

Even though breakfast is not the most important meal of the day (science suggests that no one meal is more valuable than another), breakfast eaters tend to experience the best benefits by selecting a filling breakfast that leaves you wanting less for lunch, curbs snacking, and gives you fuel for hours.

While eggs are a popular staple (and for good reason, they are loaded with protein and fat) and the foundation of a fulfilling breakfast, you can upgrade any egg-based meal to help keep you fuller for longer — like our hearty egg skillet.

If you want to upgrade your breakfast — or any meal — into a combination of foods that makes it easier to stay on track with your diet, we’ve provided a simple outline that will increase the fullness, satisfaction, and flavor so you have an easier time achieving your goals.

How to Kill Your Appetite

There are many factors that can make you feel hungry that have nothing to do with the foods you eat. For example, sleep deprivation is one of the biggest causes of hunger.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that sleeping less than six hours triggers the area of your brain that increases your need for food while also depressing leptin and stimulating ghrelin.

The more ghrelin you produce, the more you stimulate hunger while also reducing the number of calories you burn (your metabolism) and increasing the amount of fat you store. In other words, you need to control leptin and ghrelin to successfully lose weight, but sleep deprivation makes that nearly impossible.

And if all that wasn’t enough, research published in Psychoneuroendocrinology found that sleep deprivation makes you select greater portion sizes of all foods, further increasing the likelihood of weight gain.

Translation: if you want to kill your hunger, start by getting a minimum of 6 hours of sleep per night, but (ideally), you’ll rest at least 7.5 hours per night.

When it comes to specific foods and feeling full, all calories are not equal. Some foods increase satiety or the feeling of fullness. In particular, if you want to feel fuller for longer (or, in this case, a breakfast that keeps you full for hours) and keep it simple, build a meal focused around 3 elements:

• Protein
• Fiber
• Foods that retain water

Protein is the most-filling macronutrient, compared to carbs or fats.

Fiber helps control hunger by slowing down the process by which foods empty in your stomach and speeds up digestion, and that combo helps you stay satisfied for longer.

Drinking water helps with appetite and enjoying foods that retain water has been shown to help decrease how much food you consume.

What Foods Are Best At Controlling Hunger?

Because satiety determines your hunger and feelings of fullness, the satiety index was created to help you measure how well a meal keeps you satisfied.

It’s a simple way to know if the foods you eat are doing the job you want, which is mainly to keep you away from the snack drawer at work.

Foods that have a score of more than 100 are considered more filling, and those with less than 100 might leave you going for seconds or thirds on your meal.

The foods that are best at keeping you full include:

• Potatoes
• Meat
• Eggs
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Legumes/beans

As an added benefit, research shows that spicy foods can also help suppress hunger.

Use any of those foods and you’re more likely to be fuller for longer. Combine several of those foods and you have the perfect recipe for energy, satisfaction, and the elimination of hunger.

The Best Egg Breakfast to Keep You Fuller (For Longer)

We couldn’t squeeze in every ingredient, but this breakfast has been approved by hundreds of online coaching clients, and it’s exactly what you can eat to fill you up and power you through any day.

This healthy egg breakfast recipe contains 6 of the foods that are highest on the satiety index, and it adds a touch of spice (if you like it) to help keep your hunger at bay.

If you try this recipe, be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon, uncured & nitrate-free
• 6 eggs, pastured
• ¾ cup egg whites
• 1 large sweet potato, cubed
• ½ cup onion, diced
• 20 Brussels sprouts, quarters
• ¼ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 cup lentils
• Hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Slice the bacon into ½” thick mini slices. Add those to a large saute pan or cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, the bacon should be about halfway cooked. Drain ½ of the grease from the pan.
2. Add the chopped onion and lentils. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until they’ve softened, then add the sweet potato and Brussels sprouts. Keep the skin on the potato; that’s where a lot of the nutrients are. No need to de-stem the Brussels sprouts, just quarter. Try to make sure everything is about the same size so they cook evenly.
3. Increase temperature to medium-high heat, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. You want the edges to brown so don’t stir constantly. After 15 minutes, cover and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. This essentially steams the veggies for the last few minutes.
4. Bro-hack tip: add the eggs, egg whites, and Parmigiano-Reggiano to a blender bottle. Yes, that protein shaker cup with the whisk ball in it. Shake it like a shake weight (the new Polaroid picture), and pour over the veggies.
5. Season with salt and pepper, and scramble the eggs. Serve with hot sauce for an extra kick! Makes 2 large servings.

Nutritional Information & Macros

Dietary Information: Paleo, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free  

Macros per serving

• 424 calories
• 21g fat
• 31g carbs
• 36g protein

READ MORE: 

How Many Eggs are Safe to Eat? 

Reinventing Healthy Breakfast: Eggs on the Go

Upgrade Your Meal Prep and Eat Healthier in Less Time

The post What To Eat For Breakfast To Fill You Up appeared first on Born Fitness.

from Born Fitness https://ift.tt/2ZjF651
via babu31