the-irish-hulk

THE TOP 5 MUSCLE BUILDING MISTAKES

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 08:37:11 GMT

Everyone makes mistakes... The best learn from them!

The following are what I feel are the most commonly repeated mistakes when it comes to adding mass. From forgetting how to turn on the treadmill, to being afraid of adding a bit of fat during a time when you have to overeat. We will cover all of these here.

1) Stop “bulking” and start improving

That word has to leave your mind now! Simply put, it identifies the situation the wrong way and can influence your approach be it consciously or subconsciously. The famous term “bulk” screams the old cliché “get huge or die trying” and encourages a mindset of making the scale move at all costs.

A recipe for disaster, especially in the minds of most young men looking to gain muscle. The truth is that after the first year or two of optimal training and nutrition (mind you most folks take a few years to get these down) most of the muscle that you build that affects the scale will have been built.

After the beginning things really slow down, and while you can still create some huge strides in your development they won’t change the scale nearly as much as you think. You do want some weight gain, but that is only to ensure that you are eating enough to gain new muscle, not to be confused with the notion that you are actually gaining that much dry muscle. The amount of muscle you will be gaining after the “honeymoon” phase ends is hardly even worth weighing or trying to quantify.

Instead it will be something that will be more visually obvious for the most part.

Let’s not bulk, let’s improve instead and aim for a slow, steady weight gain rather than a 20 pound gain in three months and a pair of “fatceps.” A general rule of thumb is that for as hard as you work in the gym, and outside the gym with your nutrition, you should therefore be able and comfortable playing on the “skins' ' team in a game of football.

Aim for a 1-3 pound a month rate and where to fall within those ranges has plenty to do with your starting frame and bodyweight. For example a guy that is 6’2”180 lbs lean, should be gaining closer to 3 lbs a month compared to a guy that is 5’7” 160lbs at the start of a gaining phase. Another thing is how advanced you are in terms of development, as someone who is in their second year of training should be gaining a bit quicker compared to a guy who has been at it for over five years.

2) Being too flexible

Some guys will go from making sure their scale reads 40 grams of oats and not 41 grams of oats, to making sure they are “just getting enough protein” when they finish with a cut.

With all my clients I use their offseason to play around with ratios, and caloric amounts etc. It’s a great time to gather data that will make us that much more efficient at making improvements (notice I didn’t say bulk) in our physiques, and once again this data will be of great use when it comes time to lose some fat.

It’s a great time to see what works best for you in terms of training, as maybe you come to realise you progress better when you only train three times per week compared to four. The same can be said about nutrition, as perhaps you do better with your fats closer to 15% of total caloric intake instead of 30% etc.

I do preach balance and straying a bit off from the precision and attention to detail that a fat loss phase requires, but one should still strive to maintain some sort of order. There is a difference between tracking your intake in say 30 of your 36 weekly meals, to “just making sure you get enough protein.” It’s much easier to be flexible during these phases, but there is a middle ground here that really goes unvisited.

Surely there are a few who perhaps are too anal retentive about accounting for every nook and cranny that they consume during this time, but they are few and far between. Much more common are the guys that once dieting is over, go from meticulous to overly passive.

3) Dude where is my cardio?

While you will surely not be doing as much cardio as you were while striving to lose fat, it still is an important tool when it comes to muscle gaining phases. Its purpose will no longer be to help push fat loss along, but for health and efficiency. A solid weight training program combined with moderate doses of cardiovascular exercise will go a long way in keeping us healthy. Not much is needed since weight training indeed does more for our cardiovascular fitness than most assume.

So you don’t need much and if anything it can be brief and intense when you are up for it. I actually recommend about one higher intensity, shorter duration session for most clients as a part of their schedule. Something like trying to get a new one mile run record, basketball games, barbell complexes etc. I like to make these fun, something to look forward to and avoid playing hamster if possible. Aside from health benefits, cardio can help aid recovery as a healthier circulatory system will be more efficient at getting nutrients to all the right places. Personally, my lower body days (even more so in my offseason) can really tear me up.

The next day I am not very motivated to train at all, a 15 pound dumbbell feels like 50 pounds, and I pretty much feel like I was hit by a big rig. Getting some slow to moderate paced cardio really helps me shake this feeling, so I like to get my less intense cardio on the days following some really intense lifting sessions. Simply walking on a treadmill on an incline for 25-35 minutes does wonders for speeding up nutrient delivery, and helping you recover for your next big workout.

4) Patience

This point really ties in to my first point, because how much muscle we can gain if we eat and train optimally is pretty much set in stone. Considering this, gaining 25 pounds over the holidays in an effort to bulk up is not going to do you any better than gaining 7 pounds over that same time frame.

On the contrary it will just give you more to diet off, so you will likely keep less when it comes time to drop fat. Great physiques are not built over a summer, or even a year in most cases. Most anyone you will ever see with an admirable amount of development has a story that dates back years, and in some cases even decades. If you enjoy this ongoing push, putting your head down and enjoying the process will be easy and time flies. Slowly, but surely the tortoise makes it to the finish line first in most cases.

While this kind of relates back to the first point I made, this also touches upon weight room progress. From personal experience dating back to my younger years, every time I have tried to rush progress in the weight room and add weight to the bar too quickly, I’ve either ended up hurt, having to go back and correct form, or I simply wasted time.

Same goes with trying to add muscle overnight, it usually ended up with me getting fat and looking less impressive than the sleeker version of myself I was trying to improve on. While I am sure you have a great idea of what you want your physique to look like when it is all said and done, it’s equally if not more important to have smaller goals along the way. This will help you stay motivated and gain confidence.

5) Gain some fat

With most guys the main issue is they want to go from a wiry 145lbs to a 200 plus pound Johnny Bravo by year’s end. Then we have the other demographic which nowadays is almost just as prevalent as the “bulkers”.

This demographic is of course those guys that are “addicted to being lean” for the lack of a better way of putting it. For this group, seeing a bicep vein start to become less prominent causes a panic attack, carbohydrates are cut, and maybe a 7th weekly cardio session is added to the mix. Building muscle is a metabolically expensive process, translation: your body will not invest in the process unless some kind of caloric surplus is looming. So you will need to eat more than your body requires and you will surely have to put on some body fat in the process.

Ideally, this is only as much as we need to grow, and yes this will differ from person to person. Some guys can seemingly gain muscle with only having to give up the vascularity on their abs, while others will have to go from a six pack to just the outline of an ab-cage when they flex really hard. Again this will vary, but don’t shoot yourself in the foot by trying to stay leaner than your body wants to during these phases.

You want to be in a state where your body is hormonally and metabolically running on all cylinders. This is where the best growth occurs and remember, compared to muscle gain, fat loss is a relatively quick process. Gaining 1-2 pounds of muscle for an advanced level physique might be a one year process or even longer, but losing 5-6 pounds of fat can be done in a few weeks.

Summing it up

In a nutshell, plan for the long term, and all those good decisions will accumulate over the long run. “Fast food solutions” are never really solutions.

Overtraining VS Overreaching

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 11:05:21 GMT

What is Overtraining and Overreaching?

True "overtraining" is a severe medical condition, defined by multiple complex symptoms lasting for months or even years that can even end athletic careers. Symptoms of serious overtraining include increased resting heart rate and blood pressure, unexplained weight loss, altered fluid balance (dehydration, lack of perspiration), altered sleeping patterns, and psychological effects (mood swings, malaise, lack of psychological readiness for training and/or competition).

When people think they are overtraining, they often don't realise how bad overtraining actually is, and don't consider whether it is actually possible to overtrain from lifting.

"Overreaching," on the other hand, is very common. It is a temporary response to heavy or intense training, and it's even built into many training programs. This type of overreaching, known as functional overreaching, causes a short-term increase in fatigue and reduction in performance, followed by a brief taper that actually increases performance on testing, competition, or meet day.

This type of overreaching is a necessary part of being an athlete and optimising performance. You can keep functional overreaching in your back pocket for when you need it to get that extra boost in performance for competition.

Non Functional overreaching is a more chronic, long-term condition that can last weeks or even months, although full recovery can be achieved with some rest. There might be some persistent physiologic and mood-related changes and accompanying performance reduction. This type of overreaching can interfere with long-term progress—spending weeks or months in a slump is an inefficient use of training time. If we catch it early and make adjustments, we can put the train back on the rails without much trouble before serious problems come up.

If either of these types of overreaching are left unaddressed, they can morph into overtraining.

Can You Overtrain By Lifting?

While overreaching and overtraining have been abundantly studied in endurance athletes, it has yet to be seriously investigated in the context of strength training. True overtraining is highly unlikely (if even possible) for strength athletes and is characterised by significant persistent symptoms, made worse by outside life stressors.

So, if you are feeling run-down but you're not about to peak for a competition, you might be in a non-functional overreaching state. A deload period will help you get back on track.

If you feel like your progress has stalled, I suggest following the algorithm from "The Muscle & Strength Pyramid" by Eric Helms to determine if it's time to adjust your training. His chart addresses multiple variables that are most likely contributing to your decrease in performance, including sleep quality, nutrition habits, training intensity, and physical and psychological stressors.

Let's say your progress has stalled but you're sleeping 8-plus hours, eating enough protein, estimating RPE effectively, and training consistently with solid technique.

Following Helms's decision framework, you should then ask yourself honestly if you truly dread going to the gym, you are sleeping worse than normal, your performance is getting worse despite the same or higher effort, life stressors are more severe than normal, and aches and pains are worse than normal.

Two or more "Yes" answers means it's time to take a step back from training and allow yourself some extra time to recover. Reduce your volume by cutting back on sets and backing off on intensity as needed by using a subjective RPE scale.

For example, your working sets during deload change from 5 sets of 5 reps at 83 percent 1RM to 3 sets of 5 reps at RPE 8-9, giving you fewer sets and more flexibility with intensity depending on physical and psychological readiness that day.

While overtraining is a real condition, it's highly unlikely you'll get there through resistance training alone. If you are experiencing a decrease in performance, the more likely cause is non-functional overreaching. Take the necessary steps to reduce your intensity and volume, and allow your body more time to rest and recover.

MAXIMISE YOUR METABOLISM

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 11:05:20 GMT

What is "metabolism"?

Metabolism is a complex biological system in the human body that is often exploited by the diet and weight-loss industries. In fact, it’s a billion-dollar business that’s growing each year, as people look for ways to rev up their body’s natural ability to burn fat.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a proven metabolism booster on the market that will do what so many people are seeking. There are, however, ways to maximize metabolism naturally and without a lot of extra time, money or effort. It’s the sum of small things that creates an efficient and healthy body that burns more calories and fat.

First, it’s important to understand what makes up your body’s metabolism and what elements of that process is within your control. Simply put, metabolism is the process of how your body takes what you consume (food and drink) and converts it into energy for all the activities of your life.

Much of a person’s metabolic rate is hardwired and cannot be changed, such as age, gender, height, chronic health conditions and genetics. For example, a 25-year-old male who is 6-feet tall and has no underlying medical conditions likely has a faster metabolism than a 50-year-old woman who is 5-feet tall and has hypothyroidism. Neither of these people can change these biological factors that impact their metabolism. However, there are things they can do that will help improve their metabolic rate while also positively impacting their overall health.

Now that we know what makes up an individual’s metabolism, it’s important to understand how your body burns calories. There are three main ways:

Staying alive. Your basal metabolic rate is the calories needed to keep your heart pumping, lungs inflating and all your body’s systems functioning. For most people, this accounts for 60-75% of calories burned daily.

Thermic effect of feeding. Digesting food and drink requires energy and approximately 10% of calories burned every day is from what you eat and digest.

Activity. This is the energy burned from exercise and movement. It accounts for 15-30% of your daily caloric burn, depending, of course, on how active you are throughout the day.

Of these ways to burn calories, you have the most control over your activity, so movement is critical to maintaining a healthy metabolism. For most healthy adults, the government recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or an equivalent combination of both, plus at least two resistance-training sessions per week. To boost the burn during these workouts, consider adding high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to the cardio rotation and gradually increase the weight during muscle-strengthening activities. Both can rev up the number of calories you burn during a workout.

There are also various lifestyle behaviours that can be optimized to improve your body’s metabolic efficiency, including:

Food and drinks consumed: Eating a balanced diet of whole foods that includes enough protein for your body size helps promote a healthy metabolism. Experts recommend the average healthy person consume approximately 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (to convert pounds to kilograms divide pounds by 2.2). Protein provides energy, helps maintain muscle mass (which burns more calories than fat mass) and keeps you satiated so you are less likely to overeat.
When it comes to hydration, the Institute of Medicine recommends that men drink approximately 13 cups of fluid per day and women drink about 9 cups each day; those amounts should be increased during exercise or if working in a high heat environment. Like protein, water can help keep you feeling full to avoid overeating and it also helps with digestion and other bodily systems that help facilitate metabolism.
NEAT movement: Exercise is important, but it is the other movement throughout the day—termed non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT—that can help burn more calories and keep the metabolism firing. NEAT movement includes activities such as walking the dog, cleaning the house or playing with your kids.
Stop stressing; start sleeping: Chronic stress and lack of sleep can interfere with many of the body’s systems including metabolism. When your body is stressed and sleep-deprived, it releases the hormone cortisol, which can contribute to a slower metabolism. In addition, when in a state of stress or exhaustion, you may lack the energy or interest for exercising, which lessens the calories burned each day. To manage stress and sleep, be sure to make time for rest and self-care, use breathing and meditation to fight stress, and create a better bedtime routine to ensure you get at least seven to eight hours of sound sleep.

While metabolism is a complex function in the body and unique to every person, there are simple habits and behaviours that can promote a better caloric burn and help you live healthier and happier. Try implementing one or more of the lifestyle behaviours above to get a safe and natural metabolism booster.

Benefits of HIIT for a Busy Schedule

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 08:59:07 GMT

High Intensity Interval Training

Short on Time? 7 Reasons, High-intensity Interval Training May Be the Answer.

To achieve substantial health benefits and to produce the results you want, exercise must be done frequently, with enough intensity, and for an appropriate length of time. For long-term results, however, you need to find a form of exercise that you enjoy and that will actually fit into your schedule. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become increasingly popular over the past decade or so because the workouts don’t require a lot of time and are extremely effective.

If you’re not yet convinced that you can fit regular exercise into your already overcrowded schedule, here are seven reasons HIIT workouts may be the answer you’ve been looking for:

The human body expends about 5 calories of energy to consume 1 litre of oxygen. When an activity uses multiple muscle groups at a high level of intensity, more oxygen is needed, and more calories are burned. HIIT workouts that involve both the upper and lower body can be particularly effective for those who want to lose or maintain weight.
HIIT primarily uses the anaerobic energy pathways, which run out of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the chemical muscle cells use for energy, rather quickly. So, not only do you use energy during the work interval, but during the recovery interval, muscle cells continue to produce and replace ATP for the next high-intensity bout. Whether you are exercising your hardest or taking a few moments to catch your breath during an active recovery interval, your muscles are always working during a HIIT workout.
With HIIT, you will not only burn calories during the workout but will continue to burn calories after the workout is over, making it an extremely effective use of your time. Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is the term that describes how your metabolism continues to consume oxygen (and burn calories) for hours after a HIIT workout. Once you are finished with your workout, your muscles will continue to use oxygen, along with fat, to replace the ATP and repair the tissues damaged during the exercise.
When performed at the highest intensity possible, HIIT can support muscle growth with short workouts. HIIT produces a significant amount of metabolic byproducts, including inorganic phosphates, hydrogen ions and lactic acid, all of which help promote the increase of hormones such as insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) or growth hormone (GH) used to repair muscle proteins. This could, in turn, result in an increase in muscle size or definition without having to spend hours lifting weights.
A short HIIT workout not only makes it possible to burn calories and build muscles, but it could also have important benefits for your brain and cognitive performance . When compared to moderate-intensity, steady-state exercise, HIIT may be more effective at producing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which are proteins that support the growth of new cells and blood vessels, respectively, in the brain.
Many gyms apply the science of HIIT to their group workout programs to create instructor-led formats that deliver an effective workout in 30 minutes or less. Logging on to an online HIIT workout or taking a HIIT class at your favourite gym allows you to achieve these benefits with the guidance of a qualified instructor.
When it comes to HIIT, intensity is more important than time; performing a workout at the highest intensity possible allows you to get results in a relatively short amount of time. From start to finish, including both the warm-up and cool-down, most HIIT workouts can be done in less than 30 minutes, making them the go-to solution for when your schedule is out of your control.

While it’s always nice to have a long, stress-reducing workout session, there will be days when time really is a factor. For this reason, it’s nice to know that time-efficient workouts really do work and produce results.

Motivations and behaviours

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 14:37:00 GMT

What is your intensity level?

When it comes to fitness behaviours, motivation seems hard because we often take the path of most resistance, particularly when it comes to exercise. Too many mistakenly believe that exercise must be awful to be effective, which is often enough to stop them before they even get started.

Yet rarely has anyone ever regretted exercising or even just going for a brisk walk.

Here is a simple technique that you can use to capture the shift in mood and energy level that your next workout has provided for you. If you use this for a few workouts in a row you can, in effect, teach your brain to get the immediate “reward” of exercise or physical activity.

Here’s how to do it:

Use the “Voice Memos” app on your smartphone.
Immediately before exercising, record a very short statement describing how you feel physically, mentally and/or emotionally.
Immediately after exercise, repeat step 2.
Playback the recording from steps 2 and 3 right after each other.

You will notice the effect immediately from both the words you use and the tone and energy or enthusiasm in your voice.

A few notes:

If you do not use a smartphone, write down the before-and-after statements on a sticky note or a calendar. This approach misses the opportunity to hear your own tone of voice, but it can still be effective.

This works even if you decide to use the same words in both statements.

Take note of what effect this action has, no matter how small. Too often, people exercise because they “should” and, as a result, it strips away much of the perceived benefit from the positive behaviour because the context of a chore or obligation removes much of the enjoyment around it. This technique changes that.

Why This Works

A noticeable shift in mood becomes the motivator. Once you’ve done this a few times and have listened to the recordings, you have essentially taught your brain to chase the reward of feeling better after exercise or any physical activity. You have created a behavioural loop in which you have taught your brain how to enhance mood and derive a powerful and positive effect from a single exercise effort.

A single action that leaves you feeling better emotionally or mentally expands possibilities and generates hope. It also helps you reframe exercise and change it from a motivational challenge to a mood-transforming opportunity.

It’s worth noting that this strategy can be employed and work equally well when going for a walk or any other form of physical activity. Incidental physical activity may not be as intense as exercise and, in general, does not feel as daunting or challenging as an exercise to many people. Yet, it can still provide an opportunity to reframe all physical activity (including exercise) in a more positive way using the strategy introduced here.

Choose the Intensity You Prefer

If you are just getting started or currently dislike exercise and do it grudgingly, don’t worry too much about how hard you exercise. One study found that people were in a better mood when they picked their own intensity level instead of using a prescribed moderate-effort workout. Some people love high-intensity exercise, while others prefer low or moderate exercise intensities.

When getting started with exercise or becoming more physically active, it is better to use an intensity you find most agreeable as the ensuing consistent participation will likely enhance not just your capacity for, but your willingness to participate in, exercise at varying intensity levels. You can end up doing all intensities if you exercise consistently enough to build confidence and derive the health and fitness benefits of your initially preferred intensity.

Choose your own intensity—not the one that you “should” do

No Pain, No Gain

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:15:16 GMT

If it's easy, you're doing it wrong!

No pain, no gain.

If it’s easy, you’re doing it wrong.

If you’re not sweating, you’re not really exercising.

You have probably heard statements like these before, but they leave the wrong impression about exercise. Fortunately, more people are beginning to recognise that the key to making progress is less about pushing through pain and more about participating in daily movement and exercising to feel good and be able to do the things you love.

Optimal health and fitness, the kind all of us need, comes from constantly moving your body in ways that keep you available, keep you in the game. Because no matter how hard you can push, if you’re injured or sick, you’re unable to train.

If this has you sweating, because you love sweating, don’t fret. The more you recover, the more you can push when you do tougher workouts. Active recovery, which is low impact and low- to moderate-intensity movement, increases blood flow to muscle tissue. This is a necessary part of the repair process, but it won’t happen if you keep pounding the pavement or hitting the gym hard during every exercise session. Light movement designed to keep you feeling good speeds up your recovery so the next time you do push, you can push harder.

Feeling sore? Active recovery also decreases pain, according to a 2018 study.

Professional athletes like NBA great LeBron James and 44-year-old multiple Super Bowl champion Tom Brady know this as well. It’s not the push that gets them ahead. It’s how they recover. It’s the work they do in between games: the ice baths, the massages, the active and focused “easy” movements.

You only get stronger when you recover. Your muscles need time to repair and rebuild after a bout of physical exertion. The greater the intensity, training volume, or duration of the activity performed the more consideration is needed for the frequency, intensity, time, and type of recovery performed. But proper recovery doesn’t just mean massages and foam rolling. It really means getting eight hours of sleep per night, maintaining an adequate state of hydration, and staying on top of your nutrition. It’s also about managing your stress and taking time to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, every day.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, a majority of people reported feeling more stressed and more worried than they have been in the past decade, according to a 2018 Gallup survey. Stress can be destructive and result in weight gain, fatigue, a lack of motivation and other hurdles to health and fitness. Fortunately, deep breathing has been shown to be an effective way to help manage chronic stress levels. Not only will it calm you down, but it may also help improve your athletic performance.

RETURNING TO TRAINING AFTER THE COVID-19 VACCINE

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 10:09:09 GMT

Vaccinated? Time to train!

As of when I am writing this blog, the vast majority of adults in the UK & Ireland have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and most are also fully vaccinated.

Unfortunately, questions remain regarding what exactly this means in terms of returning to pre-pandemic activities. Part of that confusion stems from the governments confusing decisions on the recovery roadmap, not to mention personal choices made by individual business owners. Couple all of that with personal preferences regarding when and where to wear masks and maintain social distance and you have a recipe for confusion.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidelines for individuals who are fully vaccinated. According to the CDC, if you are fully vaccinated, “You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by local laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

There has been some confusion as the roadmap is unclear when and how this scenario plays in a gym setting. Both facility owners and members are understandably having a difficult time navigating these rapidly changing guidelines and policies while remaining mindful of the choices being made by other individuals.

So, what does all of this mean in terms of returning to the gym or getting back to your pre-COVID exercise routine? Here are some evidence-based health- and fitness-related guidelines.

Making your Health A Priority Again

If you are fully vaccinated, now is a good time to schedule missed or overdue appointments with your doctor or dentist and get back to your pre-pandemic exercise routine. And don’t lose sight of the fact that health includes mental health. Focusing on your personal wellness through self-care routines you may have abandoned over the course of the pandemic is an important element of getting “back to normal.”

New ParagraphOutdoor training

Many people have rediscovered the joys of outdoor exercise over the past year-plus. Taking off your mask and getting in a quick workout or playing games with family in the backyard brought a sense of normality in a time that was decidedly not normal. That said, some people remained hesitant to get out on the hiking trails or walk in their local area due to concerns about crossing paths with someone who is not wearing a mask. If you are fully vaccinated, you can set those fears aside and remove your mask in all outdoor settings. Of course, if wearing a mask or carrying one to put on in those situations makes you more comfortable, there’s no downside to doing so.

Group Training

According to the CDC, fully vaccinated people can gather indoors or outdoors with others but should still remain cautious. Many people are understandably excited to have the opportunity to spend time with friends and loves ones they’ve been communicating with only through their cellphone or computer screen. It’s important to note that these guidelines extend to include exercising in groups, so don’t be afraid of attending group fitness classes, joining walking groups or playing sports or games with friends and family.

Returning to the Gym

Right now, we’re in a time of transition. Every local official, business owner and individual is trying to determine the best course of action that embraces the slow and steady return to normal while still adhering to local guidelines and keeping themselves, their employees and their loved ones safe and healthy. If you decide you’re ready to return to the gym—and vaccinated people can feel comfortable doing so—it’s important to remain mindful and respectful of the people around you by following the guidelines of the facility, which may include social distancing and enhanced cleaning and sanitation practices.

If you’re unsure whether a particular facility is safe, ask questions and be observant. Consider things like air filtration, the distance between machines or group exercise participants and other safety measures. Finally, think about the type of exercise you’ll be performing—walking on a treadmill in a well-ventilated space is less risky than crowded indoor cycling class—and take whatever precautions necessary to make yourself comfortable.

Mark G.

All about consistency

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 12:23:16 GMT

10 IDEAS TO HELP YOU BE CONSISTENT

The first thing we must consider when we talk about a fitness and diet routine we can sustain is actually the meaning of the word sustainable:

Sustainable

NOUN

“The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.”

So now that you know the meaning of the word sustainable What is this trend that you hear so often called sustainable fitness?

It is my life that sustainable fitness is a mindset matter more than It has to do with your gym programme or what diet you follow. When a person has the right mindset to go after what they want, that is often the difference between success and failure. Your mindset is something you can practice for life, at any phase, at any age, at any fitness level.

If you want a sustainable fitness plan, you must be in it for the long term. This is not about a quick fix and it is most certainly not about 6 week abs. It’s slow and steady versus a quick fix. It’s reasonable and maintainable over the long haul. It’s fitness you can stick to and get lasting results with.

As the old saying goes you need to work hard but you also must work smart.

Just because we are talking about taking the sustainable road and playing the long game doesn’t mean you can be stage ready. In fact it means quite the opposite.

Rather than a programme that promises 90 day abs, You are building a physique over years and months that won’t disappear as soon as you take a few days off for your summer holiday

If I asked you, would you rather get ripped in 90 days? You would probably bite my arm off to work with me! The problem with that is what happens after the 90 days? Programs that promise you these results are often extreme and usually the results are never sustained as the client never knows how to come off their ridiculous diet and exercise regime.

If the program claims to be insane, it probably is.

My advise is that you should take the time to find an approach that works for you and that you enjoy, this can often take some time but it is definitely worth the effort. The potential for achieving your goals grows exponentially once you figure it out.

Until you figure out exactly what it is that works for you here are my suggestions for things to focus on while you search:

1. Consistency Is the King

Looking after your body should be enjoyable and something that is the highlight of your day rather than a chore. The problem is that when you begin to do nothing but train and eat foods you hate, you start to hate everything to do with fitness

Keep a schedule that is manageable with your lifestyle. And once you find it, do your best to stick to it.

2. Progress is never linear

You will have bad days, maybe you went on a chocolate binge or you just couldn’t make it to the gym. The important thing to realise in the long run, 1 day is not an awful lot.

Progress will not be linear but if you look back in several months time and you have been consistent, you may just shock yourself by how far you have come. I understand that doing the basics and staying the course with the same training plan and diet can be boring but guess what? It works!

We all have bad days but the problem only comes when you let that one day run into a few days or weeks. When that happens, stop worrying or pitting yourself, Just move on and get back on your sustainable regime!

3. Small actions done regularly are no longer small actions

It is important to celebrate the small wins you have. You are playing the long game, stop worrying about the end result and start celebrating when you made your steps for a full week or you hit a new PB on the bench.

You are in this for the long haul. Little changes add up over time and compound. Similar to money invested in the stock market, your strength will build over time. Short term gains might be easy to attain but those gains can be quickly lost if you don’t sustain them.

Add a little bit extra to challenge yourself each week and watch yourself get stronger.

4. Work at a pace you can sustain.

If you are going into every workout and absolutely pushing yourself to the max, you are never going to keep that up in the long term. That is not to say you should never go all out and push limits.

However, the majority of your workouts should be reasonable and not leave you so sore that you have to take days of rest to recover.

5. Keep It Simple Stupid

I have mentioned this earlier but your main focus should be on doing the basics and most importantly doing them well so they become a habit.

One of the biggest issues today with sustainable fitness is the social media fitness influencers attract you try try every new training programme they tell you got them ripped in weeks.

Just stay focused with mastering the basics and stick to what works.That doesn’t mean you should repeat the same workout forever, but mixing things up all the time doesn’t allow for progression.

6. Understand Where You are

If you have never picked up a weight before then seek guidance from a friend or fitness professional. Don’t try to jump into a fitness challenge that you are physically not ready for.

Build up to it.

7. Respect Your Limits

Something you did in the gym ten years ago may not be relevant today.

If you are getting over an injury or getting back to the gym after a long hiatus, start where you are at the moment, not where you were in the past. Be honest and patient with yourself.

8. Be More Active

If the global pandemic has shown us anything about the fitness industry, it’s that not every workout needs to take place in the gym. Take a walk, a bike ride, play a sport, or just do mobility work.

Everything adds up. Over time, just simply increasing your daily movement can have a huge impact on your results, especially if it’s fat loss you’re chasing.

9. Have a Community

If you are embarking on a serious change then it is extremely important to have a support system who keep you going when times get tough. Unfortunately our family and friends don’t often understand why we do things and so you must find likeminded people who do.

At my gym Elite Health & Fitness we are huge on community and we always ensure our members know we have their back for anything they need.

10. Pay Attention to Nutrition and Recovery.

Exercise is just one part of the equation. Don’t ignore everything else.

The most important thing to keep in mind while finding your sustainable fitness is to be flexible.

Remember that life will throw challenges at you and you need to adapt. If you stay true to practicing the above, you will have the tools you need to be able to navigate anything life throws your way.

Mark. G

TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCE MUSCLE GAIN THROUGH SLEEP

support@eazi-sites.com (Eazi Business) — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 16:43:46 GMT

Usually when you read about sleep, it tends to talk about lack of sleep and how it can effect your performance and results. I want to address something slightly different in this article, I want to talk to you about sleep extension and how it can impact you. It is widely accepted that sleep is a key aspect to performance and recovery.

You would think knowing this, many would prioritise sleep, however over half of the population are still sleep deprived. Government recommendation is that individuals should sleep between 7-9 hours per day to get optimal rest.

So why is sleep so important?

Most importantly, sleep is directly related to your overall health, it has been reported that failing to meet the minimum sleep requirements has been linked with various chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and various other major health implications.

A significant piece of recent research into sleep and its effects on performance found significant declines in strength while performing the bench press, deadlift, and leg press. Further findings from the same study found that the participants had increased feelings of difficulty and increased levels of brain fog. Reductions in strength were preserved until the fourth consecutive night of sleep restriction. Still, mood, fatigue, and other subjective sleep deprivation levels increased after just one night of nocturnal sleep restriction.

The Negative affects of sleep deprivation.

Research that focused on cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic responses to sleep restriction in endurance-trained athletes found the following:

“After partial sleep deprivation, there were statistically significant increases in heart rate (P less than 0.05) and ventilation (P less than 0.05) at submaximal exercise compared with results obtained after the baseline night. Both variables were also significantly enhanced at maximal exercise, while the peak oxygen consumption (VO2) dropped (P less than 0.05) even though the maximal sustained exercise intensity was not different.”

It has been made clear that sleep restriction reduces alertness, coordination, and other psychomotor characteristics. whereby participants in the sleep-restricted group saw an associative decrease in performance of throwing darts.

Sleep is known to play an important role in cognitive function, and the literature is consistent in finding impeded attentional mechanisms such as reaction time and coordination when sleep is restricted.

Sleep deprivation of varying levels has also been show to slow down the return to baseline athletic performance. Chronic sleep restriction has been shown to have a much greater effect when returning to baseline performance.

Research that was looking at the effects of sleep restriction on sprint performance and muscle glycogen content discovered the following:

“Sleep loss and associated reductions in muscle glycogen and perceptual stress reduced sprint performance and slowed pacing strategies during intermittent-sprint exercise for male team-sport athletes.”

It is not hard to find research that will show that decreased sleep will have the effect of reduced muscular performance.

It is worth noting that individuals will respond different to sleep, with some able to function on less sleep than others, however it should not be advised for a long period of sleep deprivation regardless.

BODY COMPOSITION AND PERFORMANCE

Body composition, although not as obvious should also be taken into performance considerations alongside sleep deprivation.

Body composition will most definitely be more important when it comes to sports performance. In particular sports which require making weight or a certain power - to - weight ratio is in play.

Lack of sleep has been shown to have significant detrimental effects when it comes to improving body composition, this study found the following:

“Sleep curtailment decreased the proportion of weight lost as fat by 55% (1.4 vs. 0.6 kg with 8.5 vs. 5.5 hours of sleep opportunity, respectively; P = 0.043) and increased the loss of fat-free body mass by 60% (1.5 vs. 2.4 kg; P = 0.002). This was accompanied by markers of enhanced neuroendocrine adaptation to caloric restriction, increased hunger, and a shift in relative substrate utilization toward oxidation of less fat.”

SLEEP EXTENSION EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE

After discussing the potential consequences of sleep restriction, I want to change things up and discuss the antithesis.

A recent piece of research aimed to investigate the effects of sleep extension on various metrics of athletic performance and other cognitive measurements. The literature found the following:

“Total objective nightly sleep time increased during sleep extension compared to baseline by 110.9 ± 79.7 min (P < 0.001). Subjects demonstrated a faster timed sprint following sleep extension (16.2 ± 0.61 sec at baseline vs. 15.5 ± 0.54 sec at end of sleep extension, P < 0.001). Shooting accuracy improved, with free throw percentage increasing by 9% and 3-point field goal percentage increasing by 9.2% (P < 0.001). Mean PVT reaction time and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores decreased following sleep extension (P < 0.01). POMS scores improved with increased vigor and decreased fatigue subscales (P < 0.001). Subjects also reported improved overall ratings of physical and mental well-being during practices and games.”

It can be easily seen by reading this, how important sleep extension was for athletic performance and cognitive function.

The participants in the study were initially sleeping between 6-9 hours per night, but during the research were instructed to record a minimum of 10 hours in bed each night.

What is important to note here, is that 10 hours in bed however does not equate to 10 hours sleep. Due to these obvious limitations, the study's objective was to measure time in bed, a decent guideline for total sleep. However, it may not always be practical to adopt a10 hr sleeping schedule.

Taking regular naps has also been shown to have a significant positive effect on performance and cognitive functions.

Since total cumulative sleep throughout the day is a reasonable metric for recovery and athletic performance, utilizing naps can be an effective strategy to bolster total sleep, enhance recovery and athletic performance if extending nocturnal sleep is not a practical option.

Research has shown that naps that last as little as 10 minutes can have positive effects, however naps that lasted longer that 30 mins had significantly greater benefits on performance.

However, longer naps may lead to a phenomenon called sleep inertia. Essentially this is a period of cognitive impairment following arising from a longer duration nap usually longer than 30 minutes.

Sleep inertia does not persist throughout the day, but it may be beneficial to structure longer naps away from cognitively demanding tasks like work or training.

The national institute of health outlines an additional resource to enhance the quality of your sleep.

1. Set a schedule: go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.

2. Exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day but no later than a few hours before going to bed.

3. Avoid caffeine and nicotine late in the day and alcoholic drinks before bed.

4. Relax before bed: try a warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine.

5. Create a room for sleep: avoid bright lights and loud sounds, keep the room at a comfortable temperature, and don’t watch TV or have a computer in your bedroom.

6. Don’t lie in bed awake. If you can’t get to sleep, do something else, like reading or listening to music, until you feel tired.

7. See a doctor if you have a problem sleeping or if you feel exhausted during the day.

To conclude, It would appear that sleep extension leading to overall sleep lasting longer than 9 hours per night has significant positive impact on training and cognitive performance, However, the benefit it confers may vary since recovery requirements are individual in nature.

How long should you train to gain muscle?

support@eazi-sites.com (Eazi Business) — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 14:54:29 GMT

How long should you train to gain muscle? Will cortisol levels rise too high after 45 minutes? Let’s take a look.

Since you’re reading about the optimal training time for maximising muscle building, I’ll assume a few things about you.

Firstly, you would like to gain more lean tissue, and you want to make sure you’re doing everything possible to speed that up.

You also don’t want to spend any longer on a training session than you need to without sacrificing any progress.

You may also have heard that spending too long in the gym can have a negative effect on some hormones, namely testosterone and cortisol which in turn will potentially stunt muscle growth.

So, what is the optimal training session time for muscle growth? Let’s dive in.

How Long Should a Workout Last?

On Average it should take between 45-90 minutes to complete the required stimulation

I would love to say that’s it but their are many more factors to consider so I will use the old saying “How long is a piece of string?”

You can have an effective training session in as little as 30 minutes but you also could get great benefits from training longer, you should consider the following:

• Your Goals

• Training frequency

• Training type

• Training intensity

•

In this article we will dive a little deeper into each of these aspects in more detail to help you come to a conclusion and find out which training time is optimal for you.

Your goals?

We know your goal is to build muscle but do you know exactly how much muscle you need? Are you gaining muscle to look and feel better in yourself? Or are you planning to step on stage or do a professional photoshoot?

Why are you training? Are you wanting to get stronger and potentially compete in a strongman or powerlifting competition? Or are you simply interested in muscular hypertrophy and you don’t really consider strength and important goal, it could be a bit of both?

The goals you have will in turn dictate how long you train and of course the style of training and the training split you are doing.

Are you in a hurry?

Do you have a deadline for your muscle building goal? Some of you may be happy to play the long game, while others reading may have a short period of time where they have to do as much as humanly possible to pack on muscle by a certain date and need the fastest route to growth.

With the global situation at the moment, muscle building may not be your main priority right now, You may have a business, family or simply just a lack of energy to commit and you’re happy to take it a little slower.

Training Frequency?

This is a big one, it should be obvious to you that if you are training once or twice per week you will need to commit more time to each session that you would if you were training 5 or 6 times per week so that you are making the most of your frequency.

You may be able to spend 90 mins twice per week or 30 mins 6 times per week and in that case it comes down to your other goals and commitments outside of training and gaining muscle.

In this scenario it’s important to look at the bigger picture because although they seem like vastly different training schedules, you would actually be committing 180 mins to training in both instances.

Training Type?

The type of training you employ and some of the methods you do will also have an impact on the effectiveness of your time. Take this as an example, Person A may do a 60 min training session and use single sets and a set rest period in between, while Person B makes use of super sets, drop sets and other methods which will ultimately make their time more effective meaning they training for a shorter period.

Training Intensity?

If you are a beginner you will find it easier to gain muscle than someone who is an experienced trainer and already has a good amount of muscle but wants more mass or is fine tuning. As a beginner you will also not need to train at the same intensity as a more experienced trainer to get results.

The longer you train, the harder it will be to keep progressing at such a rapid rate and that can become frustrating. After a while it comes down to consistency and fine tuning but also ensuring that you are progressively overloading on your training intensity.

People also respond differently to different training programs. Person A may need more work than person B to generate the same amount of muscle growth. As a result, they’ll need to spend longer in the gym.

Unfortunately, We cannot give you a definite amount of time you need to spend in a gym. It will differ person to person.

Looking back at the topics we just discussed, you can see why I am unable to tell you that you should spend 30 mins or 90 mins in the gym definitely, what I can tell you is that you need to test and measure times that work for you and most importantly, times you can commit to on a regular basis.

But, I read 45 mins is optimal……?

You may read that there is an optimal time from different sources. People believe based on personal experience that they have found a one time fits all.

The workout police, however will tell you that if you train for longer than 45 mins, testosterone levels will plummet, cortisol levels will rise and you’ll be sucked into a catabolic black hole from which you’ll never escape.

plan

The idea that you are never coming back from a catabolic disaster if you train over a certain time period is ridiculous.

Pay not attention to these articles, they are wrong on so many levels, most notably from the fact that it has on no level had any conclusive scientific backing. In fact, some workouts lasting more than 90 minutes have been shown to raise testosterone above resting levels for at least two hours after the workout has finished.

What’s more, the idea that the short-term hormonal response to training has a big impact on muscle growth is something that’s been called into question in recent years.

In one study on the subject, researchers analysed data collected from 56 men who took part in a 12-week resistance training program.

If the post-exercise change in testosterone levels was important as far as building muscle is concerned, you’d expect to see two things.

• Guys with the largest post-training testosterone response would build the most muscle.

• Guys with the smallest post-training testosterone response would build the least muscle.

But when they looked at the data, the researchers could find no significant link between the exercise-induced rise in testosterone levels and gains in muscular size or strength.

What About Cortisol?

Cortisol is generally considered a “catabolic” hormone that you should take all possible steps to avoid. If the post-exercise rise in cortisol was putting the brakes on muscle growth, you’d expect to see men with the largest rise in post-exercise cortisol gaining the least amount of muscle. Instead, the opposite was true.

There was a weak but significant link between the rise in cortisol and gains in lean body mass, as well as the growth of the type II muscle fibres.

In other words, subjects with the biggest rise in cortisol levels were also the ones who gained the most muscle.

Drilling further down into the results, subjects in the study were also divided into responders (men who built the most muscle) and non-responders (those who built the least muscle).

And the hormonal responses of those who made the fastest gains in size and strength were not significantly different to those who made the slowest gains.

Or to put it another way, the hormonal response of subjects in the top 16% in terms of muscular gains were no different from those in the bottom 16%.

So why are people saying that 45-60 minutes is as long as your workout should last?

Where Did the Myth Get Started?

The idea seems to have originated with Bulgarian Olympic lifting coach Ivan Abadjiev. Over a 20-year period, Abadjiev turned a weightlifting team that struggled to win anything into one that won numerous European, World and Olympic titles.

Rather than train once a day for several hours at a time, the Bulgarians would train numerous times both in the morning and in the afternoon, with each training session lasting from 30 to 45 minutes.

The protocol was based on Abadjiev’s claim that elevated blood testosterone levels could only be maintained for between 30 and 60 minutes, with the average being 45 minutes.

Whether or not he actually believed this himself is hard to say.

Nicknamed “the Butcher” for the extreme level of dedication and commitment he demanded from his athletes, rumour has it that Abadjiev’s need for control was vast.

He once had a rebellious pupil sent to the military to work from dawn to dusk in a stone quarry.

Keeping them in the gym all day may have had a lot less to do with testosterone than it did with imposing discipline and control on his athletes.

Big Beyond Belief

Many of the principles employed by the Bulgarians were popularised in a book published in the early 1990’s called The Bulgarian Power Burst System. Later editions had different titles, such as Big Beyond Belief.

The book sold thousands of copies via its famous “I’ve got to get this off my chest before I explode” advertisement, and became one of the most successful self-published bodybuilding guides of all time.

It went on to influence a number of writers, many of whom simply regurgitated the fictitious “testosterone levels drop after 45 minutes of lifting weights” advice before checking whether or not it was actually true.

That’s not to say you should be training for hours on end. Plenty of people are wasting much of their remaining time on this planet doing endless sets of pointless exercises, but cutting your workout short simply because you’ve been in the gym for 45 minutes makes absolutely no sense at all.

Final Thoughts

So, what’s the bottom line? How long should a workout last if you want to gain muscle as fast as humanly possible?

On average, it’s going to take somewhere between 45 and 90 minutes.

With some programs, an effective workout might last around 30 minutes. With others, it might take you a couple of hours, especially if you’re resting for long periods between each set.

As long as your overall training program is set up properly, the length of your workouts isn’t something you need to spend any time worrying about. Let it take as long as it takes to get the job done.

Does Alcohol make you fat? An honest Assessment

support@eazi-sites.com (Eazi Business) — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 12:41:17 GMT

Does Alcohol make you fat? An honest Assessment

So you have heard the ‘Gym Bros’ saying that if you want to lose the belly and drop body fat you need to cut out alcohol completely. No if’s and no but’s you must go completely cold turkey or you’ll never see results. So if the guys at the gym are saying it, it must be true, right?

Or is it?

Contrary to popular belief, only a fraction of the alcohol you drink is turned into fat. What’s more, studies show that it’s possible to drink alcohol on a regular basis every day in some cases and still lose fat.

Here’s a closer look at the science on alcohol and weight loss, and what it all means for you.

Does Alcohol Turn Into Fat?

Alcohol can contribute to weight gain. But that’s not because it turns into fat. Rather, the main reason alcohol is associated with weight gain is the excess calories some of the drinks contain and how they are never consumed in moderation or with any form of measurement.

In fact, just two drinks of cider, could end up at almost 400kcals and for the average person in a calorie deficit this can eat in to a huge portion of that days calories, and let’s be honest, how often does it ever stop at only 2 bottles?

Rather than turning into fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into a substance called acetate. In fact, blood levels of acetate after drinking alcohol 2.5 times higher than normal and it’s this sharp rise in acetate that puts the brakes on the fat burning effect of your metabolism.

Here is a quick summary of what actually happens when you consume alcohol:

• A small portion of the alcohol is converted into fat. It is estimated that roughly 3% of alcohol is turned into fat.

• Your liver then converts most of the alcohol into acetate.

• The acetate is released into your bloodstream and takes precedence over the metabolism of protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

The way your body responds to alcohol is similar to the way it deals with excess carbohydrates. Although carbohydrates can be converted directly into bodyfat, this doesn’t happen unless you’re eating large amounts of it and of course over consuming in calories.

Instead, one of the main effects of overfeeding with carbohydrate is that it replaces fat as a source of fuel. By suppressing fat burning, it enables the fat in your diet to be stored a lot more easily, as well as reducing the amount of stored fat that’s burned off.

To sum up, the idea that alcohol automatically turns into fat and goes straight to your waist is mistaken. Alcohol does put the brakes on fat burning while it’s being metabolised by your body. But it’s no more likely to contribute to weight gain than excess calories from food.

Does Alcohol Slow Down Your Metabolism?

Your basal metabolic rate, more commonly referred to as your metabolism, is typically defined as the number of calories your body burns at rest.

It’s the energy required to keep your heart beating, your lungs drawing in air, and generally ensuring your body has the energy necessary to achieve homeostasis.

Some say that alcohol contributes to weight gain by slowing your metabolism. Because your body can’t store alcohol and has to deal with it straight away, other metabolic processes suffer. Carbohydrate and fat won’t be metabolised as efficiently, and as a result your metabolism will slow.

Or so the theory goes, anyway.

It’s true that metabolising alcohol takes precedence over carbohydrate and fat and the reason for this is alcohol is toxic to you and your body will always prioritise survival over any other function. So unlike carbohydrate and fat, alcohol can’t be stored, and your body wants to get rid of it. This is where the liver gets involved. Enzymes in your liver convert alcohol into a number of different substances, which allow your body to break it down and eliminate it.

Metabolising alcohol requires energy, which is known as its thermic effect. The thermic effect of alcohol is around 15%, which is higher than the thermic effect of food (TEF). In other words, for every 100 calories that come from alcohol, roughly 15 of those calories will be burned off in the process of metabolising and processing that alcohol.

No evidence to show an adverse effect on metabolism

In a recent study completed, researchers found no significant effect from alcohol on the overall metabolism. The end results showed no changes between the group who consumed and the group that abstained from alcohol.

In a follow-up trial, drinking two glasses of wine every night for six weeks had no effect on resting metabolic rate when it was measured under controlled conditions.

Here is the conclusion from this particular study:

“The primary findings of this study indicate that in free-living subjects, the addition of two 135 ml glasses of red wine (13% alcohol) to the evening meal over a 6-week period does not influence body weight, body composition or resting metabolism.”

Does the type of drink you consume make you fat?

Drinking certain type of drink, no matter if its beer, wine or vodka won’t automatically make you fat. In fact, there’s plenty of research out there to show that you can drink alcohol and still lose fat, just as long as you’re sensible about it.

In one trial, researchers from Colorado State University got a group of men to drink two glasses of wine every night with their evening meal. Here’s the interesting conclusion, after six weeks, nothing significant happened. The men’s weight didn’t change, and no fat was gained.

Another study from the same research group shows much the same thing. Drinking two glasses of wine, five nights a week for ten weeks, had no effect

on body weight or fat percentage in a group of sedentary, overweight women.

In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related

Metabolic Disorders, German scientists assigned a group of overweight and obese subjects to one of two 1500-calorie diets. The first diet included a glass of white wine every day and the other a glass of grape juice.

The result?

Three months later, there was no significant difference in weight loss between the two groups. A diet where 10% of the calories came from white wine worked just as well as a diet where 10% of the calories came from grape juice.

THINK ABOUT BALANCE.

The best way to enjoy a few drinks and not harm your progress is to be smart and have some balance. If you know you are going to be consuming a high amount of alcohol, the advice I give to people is to drink a glass of water in between each drink. Doing this will not only keep you hydrated but it also gives you the balance

In short, there is nothing inherently fattening about alcohol. As long as your overall diet puts you in a calorie deficit, you can drop fat without giving up alcohol.

Does Alcohol Cause Overall Weight Gain?

Alcohol, in and of itself, doesn’t cause weight gain. What causes weight gain is consistently consuming too many calories relative to your energy needs. In that sense, excess calories from alcohol are no different to excess calories from any other source.

The main negative difference alcohol has on your fat loss progress is not directly from its effects, but rather indirectly by how it effects your behaviour and energy levels. Specifically, alcoholic drinks can contribute to weight gain because they have a “disinhibiting effect,” making it harder to resist the temptation to eat certain foods.

So what does that mean exactly?

For one, studies show that you tend to eat more if a meal is served with an alcoholic drink than you would if that same meal was served with a soft drink.

A Canadian study shows that an apéritif (an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to increase the appetite) increased calorie intake to a greater extent than any other drink.

Alcohol is causing you to get caught twice- Once by its consumption and twice by its effects on your actions.

Of the three main lifestyle factors that encourage excessive eating, alcohol is at the top of the list, ahead of watching TV and sleep deprivation.

Picture the scene: It’s a Friday night, and you’re out for dinner with some friends. You’ve decided in advance that you’re going to indulge a little, but only in moderation.

You sit down for some pre-dinner drinks, and promise yourself that you’ll have just one. But that one is soon followed by another, and then another.

Like the fading light from a setting sun, your ability to resist the urge to eat certain foods gradually dims. Then the “what the hell effect” kicks in, and any attempt to put a limit on what you eat is silently but swiftly abandoned. Inhibitions are lost, and the dietary restraint switch is flicked to the off position. It’s a slippery slope that ends with a trip to McDonald’s in the early hours of Saturday morning.

But that’s not all.

The workout you’d planned to do that day goes out the window, replaced with you binge-watching an entire boxset on Netflix. You’re tired, hungry, and annoyed at yourself for letting things slide.

To make yourself feel better, you end up eating even more, embarking on a junk food binge lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

I already messed up, you say to yourself, so I’m going to do what I want for the rest of the weekend. The decision is made to drop out of your latest mission to get in shape and “start fresh” at a later date, be it next week, next month or next year.

Final Thoughts

Alcohol itself, consumed in moderation, isn’t going to have a negative impact on fat loss as long as it’s accounted for in your weekly calorie budget.

However, where alcohol can torpedo your attempts to get in shape is via the knock-on effect it sometimes has on your eating and exercise habits in the hours and days that follow. Too much alcohol has the potential to damage your progress in a way that extends beyond its calorie content alone.