Assuming that you have a reasonable framework (whole-food based with a variety of vegetables, fruit, and quality animal proteins), most people’s failings wont stem from the specifics of their diet plan. More likely it will come from the inability to stay consistent long enough to see results. Everyone has their own reasons for falling off the wagon, but the main issue I want to address in this article is falling victim to negative peer pressure from friends and family.

I recently had the honor of hearing the legendary bodybuilder Dorian Yates speak about his career in professional bodybuilding and life after retiring from competition. He had a lot of great stories and insights, but the one thing that really made an impact was when he said, “You’re truly free when you stop giving a fuck.” It may sound funny and a bit crass, but that’s the mindset that will help you maintain unwavering focus on your own plans, and to not let distractions and other people’s opinions throw you off track.

We’re not going to get into diet specifics at all in this article. What we’ll be emphasizing is the ability to actually stick to a plan and follow through with what you set out to do, while deflecting the negative peer pressure many people are bombarded with when they are in the process of revamping their diet and transforming their physique.

Get Clear on Your Priorities

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

–Jim Rohn

If you’re not 100% clear on what your priorities are and what you want to achieve with your physique, it’s not likely that the choices you end up making will improve your situation. Without being committed to a plan, you’ll be much more likely to procrastinate, get distracted, and just follow the crowd. Be specific with what you aim to do and how you will do it. For example, a specific body composition goal would be to gain 5lbs of muscle mass over the next 6 weeks while maintaining your body fat percentage. A specific plan of action would be to eat at least 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight per day, and ingest 300g of low-glycemic carbs on training days.

You might be changing your diet for health reasons, such as improving energy and reducing systemic inflammation. In this case, your specific plan could be to implement an elimination diet for the next 4 weeks, and then reintroduce one food per week during the “challenge” phase of the diet.

Regardless of your goal, make sure it’s specific enough that you can put some numbers on it and track your progress. If your goal is too general, something like “I want to get bigger,” then you won’t be able to make a specific plan of action around that.

Jump-Start Your Momentum

When you first embark on a new eating plan, let’s assume that you have no willpower. Why? We want to minimize your chances of slipping up. Live like a hermit the first few weeks while you get yourself on track. As much as possible, avoid any situations where you could fall victim to temptations or peer pressure. This might mean skipping out on after-work events, happy hours, and dinner outings.

This might sound a bit extreme, but it’s also the fastest way to get results. If you want to get momentum going and start making progress, it is my preferred way to avoid slipping up in those first few weeks that you’re on a new program. I’m sure you’ll have friends and family who think you’re crazy for doing this, but the ones who truly care about you will understand that you’re pursuing a positive change in your life, even if they do give you a hard time. Besides, this phase should only be temporary. The point is to build up some consistency in your habits.

If you’re lucky, you might be able to recruit a friend that has the same health or physique goals as you, which will make the process much easier. Surrounding yourself with people of the same mindset, or who have already achieved what you are striving for, is a great way to increase motivation and adherence to your plan, and you’ll have a support group you can go to to ask questions and bounce ideas around.

Learn How to Eat in Public

Focusing on yourself those first few weeks of starting a new diet plan is a great way to build good habits and get your metabolism shifting in the right direction. But I’m not suggesting that you become a permanent social outcast just so that you can stick to your diet. The last thing I want is for your diet to become a burden that interferes with you enjoying your life.

Maintaining your diet while eating with friends and family will definitely be a challenge. Everyone has friends or family that couldn’t care less about eating healthy, especially during the holidays or at social gatherings, and they always want to drag you along in their overindulgence. When you’re planning to go out, here are a few strategies you can implement to help minimize the chances of getting off track:

• Eat before you go! If you know you’re going out to a place that doesn’t have a lot of great options that fit with your diet, have a good meal an hour before you go. That way you can avoid having to choose between sitting there being hungry and miserable, and ordering something that will set you back a few days. Maybe you can find an appetizer or side that fits with your dietary requirements. If you eat a good meal beforehand, you will also be in a better mood, and won’t make rash decisions due to hunger.

• Think about how a bad meal affects your progress and how you will feel the subsequent days. If you are someone who is has struggled with keeping your body fat down and are just now starting to make progress, one high-calorie meal loaded with carbs will absolutely set you back. You don’t yet have the metabolism or insulin sensitivity to be able to handle that without losing progress. On top of that, after you deviate from the plan once, it is much easier to keep cheating and fall off the wagon altogether. On the other hand, being able to string together several weeks of good eating will increase your motivation to keep your progress going.In my case, my motivation for sticking to a diet doesn’t have anything to do with losing body fat, but instead with keeping food sensitivities out of my diet so as to not set off inflammation in the gut and throughout the body. My main triggers are wheat and cow dairy, so I know that avoiding them is key to me feeling good and keeping my system running at 100%. If I were to have several slices of pizza, I know that for the next 3-4 days I will feel achy in my joints, bloated, constipated, and my skin will break out. Enjoying one meal is not worth all that, especially when there are equally as delicious alternatives to choose from.

• When people bring up how you used to eat differently and you “turned out okay,” what they don’t realize is that you were not satisfied with just being “okay.” Let them know that while that may be true, now you’re trying to better your situation. Being overweight/underweight/low energy wasn’t ok with you anymore.

• Put your needs first. At the end of the day, you’ll either be closer to your goal or further away from it, and there’s no one to blame for that but yourself. Do you really care that much if people think the way you eat is funny, or that you are wasting your effort trying to improve yourself? Don’t take people so seriously! Seeking validation from others won’t do anything for your long-term success and happiness. Besides, when those people are alone at home, do you really think they’re sitting around contemplating your diet? They couldn’t care less!

Not Everyone Wants to See You Succeed

Whether you’re just starting to make positive changes in your diet and exercise routine, or you have been at it for a while now, you will inevitably come in contact with haters, naysayers, and people who want to put you down. Despite the fact that you are minding your business and not bothering these people in any way, they will still go out of their way comment on your life choices. Understanding the reasons why they do this will allow you to ignore them and to stay focused on what’s important to you.

Many people have tried and failed to accomplish what you are trying to do. For those people, seeing you fail will make them feel better about themselves, because it allows them to rationalize their own failures. Instead of trying to identify what they could improve upon in themselves, they would rather have the satisfaction of knowing that someone else couldn’t do it either. Accept the fact that you will have people rooting for you to fail, but realize that they are doing it because of their own shortcomings. For them, it’s much easier to justify in their mind that something just can’t be done, instead of admitting that it’s a lack of drive, determination, planning, or organization that led to their failure.

Other people will hate on you just because you have a different diet philosophy than they do. They’ll feel challenged by the fact that you are going about it in a different way, and will want to waste time arguing with you or trying to convince you that their beliefs are better. I’m sure you’ve encountered shouting matches (in person or virtual) about the merits of paleo vs. vegan vs. IIFYM vs Atkins, etc., that inevitably end in an exchange of insults. And at the end, not one person will leave with a new perspective. Galileo Galilei once said, “You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him to find it within himself.” Realize that you’re not going to change anyone’s mind by engaging in these fruitless pissing matches, and on top of that, you’ll waste a lot of time and energy that could be devoted to being productive.

Some people will hate on you simply because they are insecure, which is closely related to the last point. People who are insecure are generally afraid of change, even if that change doesn’t directly affect them. For an insecure person, someone doing better for themselves will make them feel worse about their own situation, so they’ll do whatever they can to discourage you and kill your spirit. We’re all insecure or envious at times, but dwelling on what other people are doing is a total waste of time and energy. Instead, learn from the habits of other people who have been successful in what you’re trying to accomplish, and focus on applying those habits to your own life.

Focus on Your Goals, Not Your Excuses

At the end of the day, it’s up to you. Hold yourself accountable for the physique and health goals you want to accomplish. You’ll encounter a lot of people who want to put in their two cents, but no one has the ability to distract you from your goals unless you let them. Now you have no excuses, it’s time to put in the work!

Don’t overthink your plan:

Simplicity Rules: Start Your Diet With Natural Food

The post Peer Pressure, Haters, and Sticking to Your Diet appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

One of the most prevalent bad habits affecting our health is sugar addiction. When people hear the word addiction, they think of chemical addictions like prescription pain killers, or behavioral addictions like gambling. But sugar addiction is just as serious an issue. Because of the ubiquity of sugar in our food supply, it is by far the most common addiction, even more than nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, or other drugs.

Bingeing on candy or slamming high-sugar energy drinks all day seems harmless compared to something like an opioid overdose. But even if your life is not in immediate danger, a chronic high-sugar diet will take its toll on your health, and can lead to serious conditions down the road. Besides just being a major impediment to achieving your physique and fitness goals, there is strong evidence linking excessive sugar intake with type 2 diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia, to name a few.

It’s not as immediately dangerous as illicit drugs, but over time, it’ll kill you just the same. [Photo credit: Pixabay]

Willpower Is a Finite Resource

Once you get a taste for sugar, the cravings can become overwhelming. Resisting them becomes especially difficult when we see candy and junk food sold and advertised everywhere we go, and when so many of our foods have added sugar.

Relying on willpower alone requires huge amounts of mental energy, which is inevitably in low supply at the end of a long day or during stressful times. Instead, set yourself up for success by assuming that you won’t be able to avoid sugar through sheer determination. Have a plan in place that will help you to stop, or at least diminish sugar cravings before they even start, so you don’t end up bingeing on Hershey bars and Sour Patch Kids when you get home from work (not that I would know anything about that!).

I divide these prevention strategies into three different categories:

1. Lifestyle factors
2. Meal choices
3. Nutritional supplements

When deciding which of these strategies to implement, remember we are not trying to just eliminate a bad habit. We must replace a bad habit with a good one. For most of us, making small, sustainable changes will be more successful in the long run than trying to implement all of these strategies at once and becoming overwhelmed.

Get Consistent, Quality Sleep

One of the most important things you can do to prevent sugar cravings is get enough sleep every night. Sleep is when your body restores the brain and your neurotransmitter levels. When you don’t get enough sleep, you will be low on serotonin, the primary neurotransmitter responsible for a positive mood and overall feeling of well-being. Since carbohydrate consumption promotes the release of serotonin in the brain, you will naturally want to eat more carbs in order to balance your mood. Additionally, sleep deprivation also results in decreased levels of the hormone leptin, which signals satiety, and increased levels of ghrelin, which is a hormone that increases appetite.

Good sleep hygiene will be key in your battle against sugar cravings. Here are the behaviors that are the most help for me:

• Turn off anything with a glowing screen an hour before I should be asleep.
• Use that hour to unwind by doing something not work related. I find reading fiction and listening to instrumental music (like jazz or classical) helps to prepare me for sleep.
• Have my schedule for the next day already planned out so that I’m not lying in bed thinking about what I need to do.

Allow Yourself a Cheat Meal

Cutting out sugar and excessive carbs is much easier if you know that you’ll be able to enjoy them from time to time. The use of a cheat meal (one meal, not an entire cheat day) is a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth but still stay on track with your diet. You will also increase your leptin levels which will decrease your feelings of hunger. The only two rules that I have for the cheat meal are to keep it to a one hour window of time, and make it the last meal of the day. As long as you stick to those, you can eat whatever you want.

If you want to get creative and keep things a bit healthier, I recommend making your cheat meal from scratch. That way you will know exactly what is in your food, and you can choose higher quality ingredients compared to what you will find in most stores or restaurants. This is especially useful if you want to enjoy your cheat meal but avoid allergens such as gluten or dairy. Pancakes, pizza, cornbread, brownies, and sweet potato fries are some of my favorite gluten free cheat meals.

Get Breakfast Right

Some people handle carbs and insulin differently than others. But in my experience, the best breakfast to give you energy and keep the carb cravings at bay throughout the day is one that is low in carbs, high in protein and fat, and includes a variety of nutrients.

The reason I don’t like a high carb/high protein/low fat breakfast (like egg whites and oatmeal) is because it can lead to a big spike in insulin and blood sugar. This can lead to reactive hypoglycemia, which results in low energy and hunger an hour or two later. Instead, I prefer a breakfast that is high in protein and fat, but low in carbs. This provides steady blood sugar levels and energy throughout the day because of the low glycemic load of those foods, which in turn keeps me from craving sugary junk foods.

High fat and high protein doesn’t mean that you are limited to bacon and eggs every morning. In fact, my ideal breakfast includes much more variety. I prefer to have a big salad with a variety of greens and veggies with olive oil and lemon juice dressing, along with a good source of protein, either mixed into the salad or eaten separately. The protein source could be eggs, but since eggs are such a common breakfast food, I like to mix it up. Foods like canned mackerel, herring, and ground beef patties require little to no prep time and are easily digestible in the morning.

Stick to Solid Meals Over Liquid Calories

Liquid meals like protein shakes and smoothies are convenient, but it is best to stick to solid meals if you are looking to stay more satisfied and keep your cravings at bay. Solid food takes longer to digest, is more satiating, and keeps your blood sugar stable for a longer period of time. Including a good balance of fats, protein, and fiber will keep you feeling satisfied and will keep your cravings down.

Hydration Is Key

Hydrate first thing in the morning. Drink a big glass of lemon or lime water as a habit to get the day started right. The lemon or lime juice will actually lower the glycemic index of your meal if you have it with food. It will also help prevent the temptation to drink a big glass of fruit juice. Add some good quality salt (e.g. Himalayan or Celtic salt) to improve hydration, especially if you are sweating a lot throughout the day.

Hydration is always a good idea. It’s even better when it replaces that tall glass of orange juice. [Photo Credit: Pixabay]

Use Supplements Strategically

Changing your lifestyle and overall eating habits will have a bigger impact in the long run on subduing your sugar cravings. That said, nutritional supplements are much easier to implement into your routine, so it can be a good first step when you are trying to limit your sugar intake. I have found the following supplements to be very effective and fast-acting to calm sugar cravings both in the short term and long term, depending on how they are used.

• Glycine: This amino acid has a sweet taste, which can help to satisfy you craving for sugar. More importantly, it has a strong effect on reducing your levels of cortisol, which will help you to fall asleep. And if you’re sleeping, you are not eating candy bars! You might notice that your dreams are more vivid as well, which I think of as a bonus. A 5-10g dose in your evening tea is good for most people, but take a smaller dose if you experience any nausea.
• Glutamine: This amino acid is an especially useful tool post workout. Even though glutamine is not a carbohydrate, it helps your body to efficiently replenish glycogen stores. The amount of glutamine you use post workout should be adjusted to the volume of training, meaning that the higher the volume of training on a given day, the more glutamine you should use. A good starting point would be to include 0.1g of glutamine per pound of body weight in your post workout protein shake, and increase from there if you feel like your recovery is lacking.
• Inositol: This supplement that can help you to manage carb cravings by balancing your neurotransmitter levels. It can reduce symptoms of depression, calm mood swings, reduce cravings associated with PMS, and improve sleep quality. Be conservative with your dosing when taking inositol. If you take too much in the evening, you might feel mentally foggy and sluggish the next day or have a bit of nausea. Start with ¼tsp of powder before bed, and work your way up as necessary. If you wake up feeling unwell or your sleep is disrupted, you know that your dosage is likely too high.

It Gets Easier

The encouraging thing is that the longer you stay off sugar, the less cravings you will have. Feeling good on a day-to-day basis will eventually displace the temporary pleasure you get from sugar. You’ll even get to the point where you can enjoy a sweet treat once in a while without going overboard. Until you get there, make use of these tips and strategies to help you stay on the right track.

If you cut all that sugar, where are your carbs coming from?

Your Complete Carbohydrate Prep Plan

The post Hack Your Life to Curb Sugar Cravings appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

If you are a speed and strength junkie who is looking to squeeze every ounce of performance out of your body, some form of sprints should be a staple in your training program. If you have been weight training for years with steady progress but you feel like your training has been stagnant and your results could be better, adding sprints into your routine will help you see results faster.

Sprints blast the fast-twitch muscles of the posterior chain (calves, hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors). The abdominals, obliques, shoulder flexors, and extensors are also heavily involved. Sprinting also trains the stretch-shortening cycle (a quick eccentric contraction followed by powerful concentric contraction), which carries over to improved jumping ability and other explosive plyometric exercises.

Sprint Variations

It’s best to run sprints outside on a field or track rather than on a treadmill. On a treadmill, there is a reaching motion during the running stride because the running surface is moved underneath your feet, which limits hamstring involvement and overworks the hip flexors. Additionally, it is harder to match the treadmill to your true sprinting speed. An exception to this would be the non-motorized, self-powered treadmills such as the ones made by Woodway, but those are a second-best option. The running mechanics are still not the same as sprinting on the ground, and there is no wind resistance. If you are after speed, power, or muscle mass gains, stick to real sprints. If you simply want to build up your lung capacity and increase your caloric burn, a treadmill will work just fine.

Hill sprints are another variation that shift the emphasis of the movement because of the steeper angle of the hill. They can be used in any of the programs we will discuss below, just be aware that if you want to prioritize building top speed, it would be better to spend more time sprinting on flat ground. Stair sprints are also another great exercise, but the mechanics of that movement are different than hill sprints. Still, they are great for building up your lung capacity and muscular endurance.

Finally, sled pushing sprints, bicycle/stationary bike sprints, and prowler sprints are great conditioning exercises, but they are more quad dominant and don’t involve the stretch-shortening cycle to the degree of flat-ground sprints. This limits their carryover to explosive lower-body movements, making them less ideal if you are after speed and power gains or increased muscle mass in the posterior chain. Again, however, for general endurance purposes and fat loss, they are great options.

Want big, powerful, defined legs? Sprinters have them. [Photo courtesy Vicky Good]

Goal-Oriented Sprint Workout Formats: Sprinting for Speed and Power

When training for speed and power, focus on keeping the quality of training high and limiting the accumulation of fatigue during your workout. This means you will be sprinting relatively short distances and taking longer rest periods between sets. The longer rest periods are necessary to allow your body to replenish its phosphocreatine stores, which are depleted after about 10 seconds of high intensity effort, and for your fast-twitch muscle fibers and central nervous system (CNS) to recover. A work-to-rest ratio of 1:15-1:20 is appropriate for this type of sprint, meaning that if you do a 10 second all-out sprint, resting for 150-200 seconds would be appropriate. If you are used to running sprints as a conditioning exercise to enhance lung capacity and muscular endurance, this will seem like a long time, but to make improvements to power and speed, it is important to work at close to 100% capacity. Save the interval sprints that get your legs burning for another day.

There are two ways you can incorporate these types of sprints into your current strength training routine: perform them first in your workout followed by power or maximal strength training for the lower body, or perform the sprints in a separate training session on the same day that you do a strength/power workout in the gym. If you separate the sessions, which one you do first depends on what you want to prioritize. If you need to work on speed and acceleration, then perform the sprints first. If you have deficits in strength, then do the strength training first.

If it’s your first time combining the workouts and it’s been a while since you’ve sprinted, cut back on the number of sets for both the sprints and the strength training. It will take a few workouts to build up to 100% effort sprints in order for the connective tissue to adapt to the stress of sprinting.

Speed and Power Session

Morning workout:

A. 12x10m sprint, 45 sec rest

B. 6x50m sprint, 2 min rest

Evening workout:

A. Clean pulls 6×4

B. Back squat 5×3-5

C1. Glute ham raise 4×4-6

C2. Hanging leg raises 4×8-10

Goal-Oriented Sprint Workout Formats: Sprinting for Leg Size

Sprinting is arguably the best exercise for building the hamstrings, glutes, calves, and quads. The primary difference between sprinting for increased muscle size and sprinting purely for speed and power is that a greater variety in training protocols can be used in hypertrophy training. If leg size is your main concern, then full ATP-PC and CNS recovery is not as critical, because performance gains are not the priority.

You still want to target the fast-twitch muscle fibers as they have a greater potential to gain in size. But a shift toward the endurance side of the spectrum will have a greater training effect on the Type IIa fast twitch muscle fibers, which have higher endurance potential than the Type IIb fibers. It is an oversimplification to say that there are only two types of fast twitch muscle fibers, but the important concept to remember is that short and intense sprints recruit more fast twitch muscle fibers and are more demanding on the CNS. Longer, lower-intensity runs have a minimal effect on fast twitch muscle fibers and are less demanding on the CNS.

Keep the majority of the sprints in the 10-30 second range with a work-to-rest ratio of about 1:5-1:10 for the purposes of hypertrophy. Also include some sprint sessions where full recovery between sets is utilized, as discussed in the previous section on building speed and power. Following this with a moderately heavy bodybuilding-type session in the gym is a highly effective way of stimulating muscle growth in the legs.

Hypertrophy Session

Morning workout:

A. 10x50m sprint, 1 min rest between sets

B. 2x200m sprint, 2 min rest between sets

Evening workout:

A. Clean grip deadlift 10,10,8,8,6,6

B1. Dumbbell lunge 4×10-12

B2. Single leg lying leg curl 4×6-10

C1. Leg press 4×12-15

C2. Kneeling leg curl 4×8-10

Goal-Oriented Sprint Workout Formats: Sprinting for Fat Loss and VO2 max

Sprinting in high intensity interval training (HIIT) format is the most commonly utilized type when paired with a traditional gym-based strength training routine. Also known as wind sprints, tempo runs, shuttle runs, or “suicides”, these types of sprints cause a large metabolic response resulting in increased calorie expenditure and an increase in the circulating levels of hGH and testosterone.^1,2 These effects have a huge positive influence on reducing body fat.

The shortened rest periods for these sprints do not allow for full recovery, so the body has to rely on heavily on the anaerobic glycolysis energy pathway in order to produce ATP. This energy pathway results in temporary acidosis due to an accumulation of hydrogen ions, and it is theorized that this is what triggers the increase in hGH.³ On the other hand, these workouts are not as taxing on the CNS because the average sprint intensity is lower.

The protocols for fat loss are similar to those for hypertrophy, with the main differences being that the rest intervals are shortened and the work periods are lengthened. For these sprints, the intensity of effort is more important than the actual velocity. Remember that the more you “feel the burn”, the greater the subsequent increase in hGH will be, so use that as motivation when you are wanting to call it quits before you have completed all of your reps. I like using a variety of sprint durations in the 10-60 second range and keeping the work-to-rest ratio between 2:1-1:3.

These fat loss workouts should be fairly short, under the 20-minute range including warm-up time, so they can be easily added onto the end of a gym workout or they can be performed as a separate workout on their own. Tacking on a short HIIT session at the end of your workout 2-4 times per week would be an effective addition to your routine that wouldn’t compromise your gains in the weight room. Do not perform these sprints immediately before a gym workout because you might be fairly wiped out after, making the strength training work you do following the sprints less effective.

Fat Loss and Endurance Session

A1. Back squat 4×12-15

A2. Lying leg curl 4×10-12

B1. Dumbbell split squats 3×15 each leg

B2. Horizontal back extensions 3×10-12

C. 6x100m sprint, 30 sec rest between sprints, 2 min rest after 6th set

D. 2x400m sprint, 2 min rest

Make the Program Your Own

Now you have a good idea of how to incorporate sprints into your training routine. If it has been years since you last sprinted, ease into these workouts and don’t go 100 percent right away. Starting out at half of the suggested volume of work is a good place to start, and you can build your way up over the course of 2-3 weeks. Use the sample programs as guides and feel free to be creative and substitute exercises based on your individual needs and availability of equipment. If you want to see more sample combined sprint and weight training programs, including tips on how to effectively warm up for sprints, follow the link in my bio section below.

Need some more tips on getting started with sprints?

Sprinting Basics for Strength Athletes

References:

1. Hackney, A. C., K. P. Hosick, A. Myer, D. A. Rubin, and C. L. Battaglini. “Testosterone Responses to Intensive Interval versus Steady-state Endurance Exercise.” Journal of Endocrinological Investigation J Endocrinol Invest 35, no. 11 (2012): 947-50. doi:10.1007/bf03346740. 

2. Wahl, Patrick, Christoph Zinner, Silvia Achtzehn, Wilhelm Bloch, and Joachim Mester. “Effect of High- and Low-intensity Exercise and Metabolic Acidosis on Levels of GH, IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and Cortisol.” Growth Hormone & IGF Research 20, no. 5 (2010): 380-85. doi:10.1016/j.ghir.2010.08.001. 

3. Gordon, S. E., W. J. Kraemer, J. M. Lynch, and N. H. Vos. “Effect Of High-Intensity Cycle Exercise And Acid-Base Balance On The Proportion Of Free And Total Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 In Human Serum.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 25, no. Supplement (1993). doi:10.1249/00005768-199305001-00438. 

The post Combine Sprints and Weight Training for Accelerated Gains appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

When I took a step back to look at my training as a whole, I realized a few important things were holding back my progress:

• All of my training injuries, some of which took months to recover from, could have been avoided. In training, as opposed to competition, I control all of the variables. Most of my training injuries were the result of a poor length-tension balance throughout the skeletal muscle and fascia in my body.
• Having tunnel vision when it comes to chasing maximal strength without regard to maintaining or improving flexibility actually results in slower progress in the long run. You will quickly find yourself injured if you try to force strength gains, rather than taking a slow and steady well-rounded approach in developing different physical qualities.
• Making significant, lasting changes to your flexibility after years of neglect requires that you prioritize it over all of your other types of training. You will make faster progress by working on your weak points than you will hammering away at the areas that are already strong.

I could no longer use the excuse of “hard training” being the cause of my injuries. While there are many other factors besides flexibility, when it comes to avoiding injury (appropriate intensity, volume, recovery, and nutrition), it is definitely the factor that is the most neglected by the average gym rat or strength/power athlete.

Below I’ll outline the strategies that have gotten me back on the right track and have allowed me to see the best progress in flexibility that I’ve ever had.

Your state of mind is as important as the stretches you perform.

1. Learn to Love Static Stretching

Good ol’ static stretching has gotten a bad rap over the years. When the studies came out proving that long-duration static stretches temporarily decrease muscular strength, a lot of people threw it out of their programs entirely, despite the multitude of positive benefits. When static stretches are utilized, they are seen as somewhat of an afterthought.

Over time, athletes tend to develop chronic injuries when the body is out of balance, and when they reach a point where the pain starts hindering their performance or affecting their daily life, they will start looking for solutions. Initially I had an aversion to static stretching because I thought it would take too much time. However, the first time I took it seriously and loosened up my chronically tight hip flexors, the instant relief I felt in my hips and lower back was enough to change my mind. If you are looking to introduce some serious stretching into your routine, keep the stretches basic, only use a moderate intensity, and warm up the area ahead of time with light exercise.

2. Prioritize Flexibility Workouts Over Strength Workouts

I’ve found it easy to become enamored with chasing strength gains as opposed to maintaining balance throughout my body, even though I knew better. This led to many injuries that could have easily been avoided if I had put more time into stretching and increasing my healthy range of motion.

It wasn’t until I made stretching a priority that I started to bring my body back into balance. In my stretching workouts, I like to include some traditional strength training movements, but they are there more as a means to assess my mobility in between stretches, and they are performed with moderate to light weights only. Remember, strength can be regained much faster than the time it takes to develop flexibility, so don’t worry if some of your lifts drop temporarily. Besides, your long-term progress will be greater once you have addressed your flexibility deficits.

3. Understand Stretching to Loosen Up vs. Deep Stretching

Short duration stretches (less than 15 seconds) and mobility drills (hip circles, arm circles, windmills) can be used during a warm up routine to increase range of motion and loosen up before training, but this type of stretching is primarily meant to help you reach your current maximum range of motion, not increase it beyond that. If you want to make lasting changes to your flexibility, long duration deep stretching where you take the time to relax as much as possible will have a greater benefit.

Deep stretching takes time and patience and can be performed after these shorter duration stretches and exercises, or after a brief workout where you are not particularly fatigued. I generally spend 45-60 minutes (including warm up) in sessions like these before I feel like I’ve hit my limit for the day. Trying to cover all of the joints in the body would take hours, so I generally choose to spend most of my session on a particular region of the body like hips/glutes/adductors or shoulders/arms/spine. Experiment and see what feels good for your body.

4. Relaxation (Mental and Physical) Is Key for Deep Stretching

When you are stretching to create lasting changes in flexibility, your state of mind is at least as important, if not more, as the stretches you are doing. If you feel stressed, impatient, or irritable, you’ll have to clear your mind before you can reap the benefits of the stretch.

But don’t let stress be an excuse to skip your stretching sessions. Sometimes the best way to get rid of stress is to just get started, focus on the sensations you are feeling, and how the feel of the stretch changes as you adjust your posture.

5. Don’t Let Poor Workplace Posture Reverse Your Progress

Consider how much time you spend each week sitting at your desk at work, sitting on a couch, staring down at a cell phone screen, or commuting. This can easily amount to eight or more hours per day, or 56+ hours a week. Even if you perform some type of manual labor at your job, you are still susceptible to chronic injuries and tightness from these sedentary habits.

Now think about how much time you dedicate to training, stretching, and working out the imbalances in your posture. If you are the typical recreational athlete, you are probably allotting between 4-12 hours a week to focused training or sport. Even if you are at the top end of that range, you probably spend about five times more time being sedentary in postures that are having a negative effect on your flexibility.

You need to mitigate the damage. Take breaks at work at least once an hour to stand up and stretch to avoid some of that stiffness by the end of your workday. You’ll feel better, reduce your mental fatigue, and be more productive. The hip flexors, quads, glutes, adductors, pecs, and shoulders are the areas to focus on as they tend to get especially tight from spending an extended time sitting. Adjustable desks that can be used as either a standing or seated desk are great options for reducing stiffness and taking pressure off of the lower back.

Dynamic stretching and deep stretching both play a role in developing flexibility.

6. Use a Different Stretching Sequence

If you ever experience a pinching pain in or around the joints while stretching, stop. You should never experience pain, especially sharp pain, while stretching. If the affected area is injured or inflamed, it’s probably a good idea to lay off stretching the area for the time being.

Stretching in a different sequence might be all you need to do to alleviate the pain. For example, if you experience pain in the front of the shoulder while performing a lat stretch that brings the arm overhead, try stretching the biceps first, and then return to the lat stretch and see if you have improved. Stretch the hip flexors and rectus femoris before targeting the glutes, adductors, and hamstrings, if you experience a pinching sensation in the front of the hip.

Other benefits of varying the sequence is being able to get a deeper stretch on the areas that are last in the sequence. Working from the extremities to the center by stretching the calves before the hamstrings, or the forearms before the elbow flexors can help you to achieve a deeper stretch on the areas targeted second.

7. Put in the Work

I have benefited from therapies like acupuncture, foam rolling, massage, and ART at one point or another. However, my main attraction was the belief that I could see someone for an hour and they could fix my issues so I could get right back to training. The reality was that while these therapies did provide some relief and increased range, without working to build on the improvements on my own time, I would quickly revert back to my original condition.

If you have access to a quality therapist, seek treatment and follow up with a stretching program as a way to accelerate your progress.

Make Your Flexibility Gains Stick

Flexibility is a critical component to a well-rounded training program, and is essential for maintaining quality of life as we age. Once you treat your flexibility gains with the same seriousness as you do your strength gains, the freedom of movement, decreased pain, and lessened tension throughout the body will have you hooked. Now that you have these strategies, it’s time to get to work!

You’ll Also Enjoy:

• Flexibility Is Like Any Other Discipline – It Takes Discipline
• 5 Stretches to Regain Hip Mobility and Flexibility
• Cell Phone Ergonomics: How to Avoid the “Smart Phone Slump”
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photos courtesy of CrossFit Emperical.

The post A Guide to Regain Your Flexibility appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Modern orthopedic procedures are more effective than ever, but most surgeons neglect to provide guidance in the post-operative phase, besides taking painkillers as needed. This approach misses out on a critical opportunity to educate patients on optimal nutrition to speed the recovery process. While painkillers like Percocet and Vicodin are valuable in the initial stages of recovery, they don’t actually heal the body, and are in fact fairly harsh on the liver and gut.

Below are some of the strategies and supplements I have researched and used when recovering from my pectoral repair surgery, in addition to other less serious injuries. Although these have a good track record of being safe and effective, it is always important to speak with your surgeon before taking supplements in the days immediately before or after surgery, as certain nutrients can interfere with pain medications or blood clotting.

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like wild-caught salmon, help fight inflammation.

6 Ways to Help Your Body Heal Post Surgery: 1. Anti-Inflammatory Diet

In the post-operative phase, steer clear of inflammatory foods like processed products, preservative-laden foods, wheat flour and other gluten-containing foods, excessive sugar, trans fats, excessive omega-6 oils like canola, soybean, and corn oils.

Focus on foods that mitigate inflammation. Foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, like mackerel, pastured eggs, wild salmon, and grass-fed meats, will help to reduce inflammation. If you don’t have access to all these foods, take a fish oil supplement to fill in the gaps. Pineapple and papaya contain bromelain and papain, which are both helpful anti-inflammatory enzymes. And it goes without saying that staying well hydrated and eating a balanced diet are both important.

During the first day or two after surgery when you are recovering at home and might still be on painkillers, you probably will not have much of a desire to eat healthy foods, or even to eat. Many people including myself, tend to get severe nausea from opioid-based painkillers. Just remember that the sooner you can provide your body with quality nutrition, the faster you will be on the road to recovery. The last thing you want to do is delay healing by snacking on junk food during this crucial window of time.

6 Ways to Help Your Body Heal Post Surgery: 2. High-Protein Diet

In the first few weeks after a serious injury or surgical procedure, your body will be working in overdrive to repair its damaged tissues. Having a steady supply of amino acids during this time is essential for the healing process. It also limits muscular atrophy that can occur during your downtime away from training.

Aim to get at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight. I prefer sticking to whole proteins from animal and plant sources, but supplemental protein powders may be used if you find yourself having trouble eating enough. If you use protein powders, look for a plant-based protein blend or a goat milk-based whey protein for ease of digestion.

6 Ways to Help Your Body Heal Post Surgery: 3. Proteolytic Enzymes

The use of systemic, proteolytic enzymes is still a somewhat controversial topic within the medical community and is seen as an “alternative” treatment. I recommend them based on the positive results demonstrated in scientific studies, the safety of using enzymes as compared to NSAIDs and opioid-based painkillers, and my own personal experience with them after surgery.

When most people think of supplemental enzymes, they probably assume they are being used as a digestive aid, but that is only one use. When these enzymes are taken on an empty stomach, they can be absorbed into the bloodstream where they break down inflammatory proteins throughout the entire body (hence the term “systemic enzymes”). They also help the body dissolve excess scar tissue. The use of enzymes post surgery has been proven effective in significantly reducing swelling and pain,^1,2 and has been shown to be a viable replacement to traditional NSAIDs based on its efficacy³ and gentle effect on the body.

There are many different enzyme formulas out there. Most of the quality brands contain enzymes like pancreatin, papain, bromelain, trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase, amylase, and superoxide dismutase. Wobenzym by Garden of Life and Intenzyme Forte by Biotics are two good choices. The enzyme formulas from high-quality brands can be expensive, but the cost is well worth it. If I had to choose only one post-surgery supplement, it would be a good quality enzyme formula. Remember that in order to get the most use out of the enzymes, you want to take them on an empty stomach in between meals.

6 Ways to Help Your Body Heal Post Surgery: 4. Probiotics

It is common to receive intravenous antibiotics before surgical procedures in order to prevent infection. The unfortunate side effect of these antibiotics is that they can also kill the beneficial bacteria in the gut, as well as promote antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Although the functions of beneficial bacteria and yeast are still being researched, we know they are important for maintaining a strong immune system, good digestion, and proper nutrient absorption, all of which are important in facilitating your recovery.

Probiotics, which are the beneficial forms of bacteria and yeast, can be obtained from food sources as well as supplements. Fermented foods and drinks such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, fermented pickles, kefir, and yogurt are all probiotic powerhouses. Just make sure they were produced in a way that preserves the live cultures of bacteria in order to receive the full benefit. Alternatively, if you want to save some money and get creative, there are a ton of great resources online that teach how to make your own fermented foods at home. The bacterial strains found in these foods tend to be more diverse than those you get from supplements.

The benefit of buying probiotics in supplement form is the increased degree of precision and convenience in your dosing. Before and after being administered antibiotics, I recommend taking Saccharomyces boulardii, a probiotic yeast that will survive the antibiotics and is helpful in eliminating intestinal pathogens and preventing diarrhea. Additionally, a broad-spectrum probiotic from a reputable supplement brand (Jarrow, Designs for Health, Pure Encapsulations, and Garden of Life are a few of the companies that I like to use) should be taken for at least a couple weeks after the administration of antibiotics.

Use nutrition alongside other physical practices like rehab to speed your recovery.

6 Ways to Help Your Body Heal Post Surgery: 5. Curcumin

Curcumin is a naturally occurring chemical found in turmeric root. It is currently one of the most studied natural supplements and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and even anticarcinogenic benefits. It has also been shown to significantly decrease pain after surgery.^4,5,6 When I used curcumin as part of my post-surgery supplement stack, I only had to use the prescribed painkillers for the first a day-and-a-half after the surgery, even though the doctors had prescribed a month’s worth of painkillers.

When choosing a curcumin supplement, make sure to buy a formula that includes piperine (black pepper extract), which has been shown to greatly increase the bioavailability of curcumin. You don’t have to worry about harsh side-effects when taking curcumin, so dosing at least three times per day should help you to manage the pain and phase out the painkillers.

6 Ways to Help Your Body Heal Post Surgery: 6. Glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid that is utilized in many different metabolic reactions in the body. While not technically an essential amino acid, glutamine becomes conditionally essential during cases of acute trauma or stress. Glutamine is one of the best bang-for-your-buck supplements when used at the appropriate times. It has been shown to be effective in reducing the length of hospital stays with surgical patients and in supporting the immune system, which in turn helps to reduce the risk of infection.^7,8

Glutamine is also the primary fuel for dividing epithelial cells in the small intestine⁹ and maintaining or even improving intestinal integrity. This is relevant to the recovery process, because a healthy intestinal barrier improves nutrient absorption and prevents unwanted particles from getting into the bloodstream (i.e., leaky gut syndrome). Depending on your size, 20-40 grams spread throughout the day should be an effective dose.

Take a Proactive Approach to Recovery

This is far from a comprehensive list of the potentially beneficial foods and supplements that you can take to help recover faster from surgery, but in my opinion, these are the ones that make a noticeable difference and are the best value for the money. These supplements and strategies are also useful for recovering from acute injuries that don’t require surgical repair.

Providing your body with optimal nutrition through whole foods and supplements will reduce your pain and reliance on painkillers, accelerate your healing time, and get you back to 100 percent much faster than you would if you were to be rely on painkillers alone. If you are reading this because you recently got injured, keep your head up and get to work on your recovery.

More Ways to Help You Get on the Mend:

• The Mental Side of Injury: How to Adapt and Overcome
• How to Be Unstoppable in Spite of Injury
• The Science of Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition: Dissecting the Zone Diet
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

References:

1. Kamenícek V, Holán P, Fran?k P, “Systemic enzyme therapy in the treatment and prevention of posttraumatic and postoperative swelling,” Acta Chir Orthop Traumatol Cech, 68(2001):45-9.

2. Isaeva AV, Minaev SV, Sternin IuI, Minaeva NV, “Modern approach to the rehabilitation of children with fractured long tubular bones,” Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult 3(2009):29-31.

3. Bolten WW, Glade MJ, Raum S, Ritz BW, “The safety and efficacy of an enzyme combination in managing knee osteoarthritis pain in adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial,” Arthritis, (2015). Online first. doi: 10.1155/2015/251521.

4. Agarwal KA, Tripathi CD, Agarwal BB, Saluja S, “Efficacy of turmeric (curcumin) in pain and postoperative fatigue after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study,” Surg Endosc. 25(2011):3805-10.

5. Sahbaie P, Sun Y, Liang DY, Shi XY, Clark JD, “Curcumin treatment attenuates pain and enhances functional recovery after incision,” Anesth Analg, 118(2014):1336-44.

6. Sahebkar A, Henrotin Y, “Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Curcuminoids in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials,” Pain Med, 2015. Epub ahead of print.

7. Bart J. Morlion et al., “Total Parenteral Nutrition with Glutamine Dipeptide after abdominal surgery,” Annals of Surgery, 227(1998):302-308

8. Wilmore DW, “The effect of glutamine supplementation in patients following elective surgery and accidental injury,” J Nutr. 131(2001):2543S-9S.

9. Blachier, Francois et al., “Metabolism and functions of L-glutamine in the epithelial cells of the small and large intestines,” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90(2009):8145-8215.

Photo 1 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo 2 courtesy of Precision CrossFit.

The post Healthy Healing: Nutrition for Surgery Recovery appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The biggest factor in failed bulking programs is lack of preparation. But not just in terms of nutrition. Preparing to bulk includes establishing a base of physical conditioning. This foundation will prime you for an intense but injury-free training program. It will also free you up to focus on the logistics of a bulking program, such as meal planning and organizing your training schedule.

Bulking Is Not Forever

Bulking is not a viable long-term approach. I say this for two reasons. First, there are genetic limitations to muscle growth that no amount of bulking can overcome. Second, cycling off the demanding training and eating regimen is necessary to remain injury-free and give your digestive system a break from the caloric surplus. So you need to make the most of the short bulking phases you undertake.

Address your weaknesses before committing to a bulking program.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 1. Am I Ready?

Ask Yourself: Is my overall conditioning (strength, work capacity, mobility) good enough to begin an intense, hypertrophy-focused program? If not, what weaknesses do I need to address?

Consider: Your desire to bulk up may cause you to overlook the weak links. If you don’t have a base level of conditioning or you have nagging injuries, then trying to go full-bore into an ambitious bulking phase will leave you disappointed and with worsened injuries.

I would recommend getting in a solid 4-6 months of training at least 4 times per week before worrying about how much weight you are putting on. It takes time to build work capacity, condition the often overlooked ligaments and tendons, develop full-range mobility in all of your joints, correct deficiencies in posture, master the technique of the basic movement patterns, and develop an overall sense of body control. You will always have weaknesses you need to work on, but taking the time to do the proper physical preparation will allow you to train that much harder and stay injury free.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 2. How Is My Diet Now?

Ask Yourself: Do I currently eat a nutrient-dense diet that allows me to recover from training, stay healthy, and feel energetic?

Consider: You should already be in the habit of eating a healthy diet, meaning mostly whole foods, a variety of animal and plant proteins, vegetables and fruits, and little to no refined sugar, preservatives, and other additives. The only significant differences between your maintenance diet and your bulking diet should be portion sizes and the ratio of macronutrients. If you get sick on a regular basis or don’t have the energy to train without getting jacked up on caffeine, you need to work on filling the nutritional holes in your diet.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 3. Do I Need to Improve My Body Composition?

Ask Yourself: Am I starting with a reasonably low level of body fat?

Consider: If you are at or above the 15-20 percent body fat range, leaning down before you begin a bulking phase should be a priority. Lowering your body fat will improve insulin sensitivity, which allows your body to shuttle nutrients into muscle cells more efficiently and increases your muscle-building potential. If you have poor insulin sensitivity before beginning a bulking phase, you are more likely to increase body fat as opposed to muscle tissue.

“Assessing where you are and where you want to go will ensure that the time, effort, and money you invest in a bulking phase will translate into pounds of muscle mass added to your frame.”

Assuming you are training hard to begin with, cleaning up your diet and avoiding excessive carbs should be enough to impact your body composition. Although you may drop some bodyweight at first, it is possible to maintain or slightly increase your total muscle mass during this phase if you make smart food choices (see question two above).

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 4. What’s the Meal Prep Plan?

Ask Yourself: Do I have a plan of action for my meals at home and on the go?

Consider: If you are fortunate to have access to a good cafeteria, a meal delivery service, or your own personal chef, then meal prep is already taken care of. For the rest of us, putting in the effort to prepare your meals ahead of time is necessary to keep you on track. By far the most common slip-up in a bulking plan is not preparing food ahead of time.

Make a shopping list that is tailored to your budget and the portions you need, and buy in bulk whenever possible. I like to cook breakfast and dinner at home, and I prepare lunch and other snacks ahead of time for when I’m out. Find a routine that works for you and get into a consistent schedule so you can easily transition into your bulking phase.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 5. How Are My Sleep Habits?

Ask Yourself: Do I regularly get 7-9 hours of sleep a night?

Consider: This is an essential step that most people acknowledge but do not execute. Sleep allows your body to heal and recover. Your body also produces a significant amount of growth hormone while you sleep. This is even more important when you are training hard, so make establishing good sleep habits a priority.

6 Questions to Prepare for a Successful Bulking Phase: 6. How Many Calories Do I Need?

Ask Yourself: Have I determined my maintenance level of calories?

Consider: How will you know how much you need to increase your calories if you haven’t established your maintenance caloric intake? You don’t need to know exact numbers, but making a note of the portion sizes that allow you to maintain your bodyweight on a week-to-week basis will help you create a more effective bulking plan.

For example, if your maintenance diet consists of four eggs for breakfast, 10oz of beef and a salad for lunch, and a cup of rice with 8oz salmon and veggies for dinner, you know you will have to either increase those portions and/or increase your meal frequency in order to make gains.

Results Are Worth the Effort

Take the time to honestly answer each one of these questions. Assessing where you are and where you want to go will ensure that the time, effort, and money you invest in a bulking phase will translate into pounds of muscle mass added to your frame.

You’ll Also Enjoy:

• Top 10 Foods to Gain Muscle Mass
• Functional Mass Gain: How to Build Real Horsepower
• The Secrets to Pain-Free Hypertrophy Training
• New on Breaking Muscle Right Now

Photo courtesy of CrossFit Impulse.

The post Are You Ready for a Bulking Phase? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

However, whey isn’t suitable for everyone’s digestive system. This issue is rarely discussed. Milk proteins tend to be more allergenic, so it is not uncommon for people to have allergic reactions to whey and casein.

Before attempting to single out whey protein as a culprit, make sure you are consuming a high-quality whey protein free of additives and sweeteners like sucralose, which itself can cause digestive distress. Once you have chosen a high-quality whey from a reputable brand, try drinking the protein in plain water without adding anything else into the shake. This step will eliminate as many variables as possible and ensure the digestive issues aren’t caused by some other ingredient.

If you experience more subtle, low-level reactions such as producing excessive phlegm, having headaches, or feeling bloated, nauseous, or drowsy, it can be difficult to make the connection between these symptoms and the consumption of whey protein. Some symptoms, such as increased stiffness in the joints and skin break-outs, may not even show up for one or two days after consuming a shake. Just like any food intolerance, symptoms will vary from one individual to another.

By far the most common symptom I hear people complain about is bloating. Most people think this is normal, but it actually means you aren’t able to properly digest the protein. This causes excessive gas. You may be thinking, “What’s the big deal if all I feel is a little bloated?” The reality is that over time, the repeated consumption of foods you are sensitive to results in chronic low-level inflammation, which can damage the intestinal wall. Besides, why put up with symptoms when there are more effective alternatives, so what are some of the best protein powder alternatives to whey?

4 Alternatives to Standard Whey Protein

#1: Goat or Sheep Whey Protein

If you want to keep the benefits of a standard whey protein and lose the bloating, your best bet would be to try goat or sheep whey protein. These proteins are often more easily digested than cow whey, but have the same anabolic benefits and high proportion of BCAAs. You’ll have a tough time finding sheep whey in the U.S., but goat whey is more readily available in retail stores and online. I will admit that goat whey protein has a stronger flavor than cow whey protein. Some may find this unappealing, but the taste is definitely much more mild than goat cheese or goat milk. If you want to mask the flavor, one of my favorite shake recipes is goat whey blended with sweet potato, banana, and cashew milk. It may sound a bit strange, but it’s definitely worth a try.

Try these:

• Goat whey protein – Goat Whey Protein Concentrate by Swanson Ultra, Goat Whey Protein by Tera’s Whey

#2: Vegan Protein Powder Options

In recent years, the demand for vegan protein powders has exploded. As a result, there are many more options available to the consumer. The plant-based protein powders are derived from many sources, with the most common ones being brown rice, pea, and hemp. The most significant advantage plant-based proteins have over animal-based proteins like whey, casein, and egg, is that the plant-based proteins are hypoallergenic. This means they are not likely to elicit an allergic response in most people. They are also useful for those who are following a vegan diet and looking for convenient ways to boost their protein intake.

“I recommend finding at least three different protein powders that agree with your digestive system.”

The drawback, however, is that individual plant proteins, even if they are complete proteins, tend to be deficient in certain amino acids. That means they don’t have the best muscle-building properties when taken on their own. Many brands blend multiple plant proteins together to get a more balanced amino acid ratio.

In addition, plant-based protein formulas geared towards post-workout recovery are often fortified with BCAAs and glutamine to increase the anabolic and anti-catabolic effects.

Try these:

• Plant-based protein – PlantFusion, Vega Sport Performance Protein

#3: Beef Protein Powder

Beef protein powder has also been gaining in popularity in recent years. Beef protein powder has a better amino acid profile than any of the individual plant proteins, so it doesn’t need to be combined with other proteins to be a good post-workout option. As with any protein supplement, some may not find the flavor to their liking, but it is definitely worth giving a try!

Try these:

• Beef protein – PurePaleo Protein by Designs for Health, Carnivor by Muscle Meds

#4: Essential Amino Acid Supplements

Essential amino acid supplements (EAA) are specially formulated to provide all of the necessary amino acids. The primary benefit of taking an EAA supplement as opposed to a protein powder is that it does not need to be digested and is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream. This means it will be absorbed more rapidly than any of the proteins mentioned above. You can actually take EAAs during training without feeling nauseous. In addition to that, you will avoid any potential allergic reactions from protein supplements.

“The reality is that over time, the repeated consumption of foods you are sensitive to results in chronic low-level inflammation, which can damage the intestinal wall.”

The only real drawbacks are that most companies who sell amino acid supplements in powder form tend to add a lot of artificial sweeteners and flavorings in order to mask the bitter taste of the plain amino acids. Look for brands that use natural flavorings and sweeteners like stevia. You can avoid these issues by taking EAAs in capsule form, but it is a less convenient way to take your supplements.

Try these:

• Essential Amino Acid formula: Amino Acid Supreme, Amino Matrix by Optimum EFX

Make Sure Your Protein Is Doing You No Harm

First and foremost, you want to make sure that your protein powder is not doing more harm than good. If you experience any of the side effects we discussed from ingesting whey or any other protein powder, it may be time to try a new protein powder.

When trying different protein powders, take a scientific approach and change only one variable at a time. This strategy makes it easier to identify what is causing positive or negative changes. I recommend finding at least three different protein powders that agree with your digestive system. Then you can rotate through them and prevent the development of food sensitivities from overeating a particular protein.

More on protein and nutrition:

• Want More Muscle? Science Says Eat More Protein
• Anatomy of a Protein Shake: Eating to Build Muscle
• 10 MORE Things I Know About Protein That You Don’t
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Got Bloating? Move Beyond Whey Protein appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

That being said, no one enjoys nausea or vomiting, especially if it interrupts the flow of a training session. Luckily, there are a few strategies you can employ if this is a persistent problem for you.

What Triggers Nausea in Your Workouts?

There are multiple potential causes of nausea during training, but we will first discuss the primary cause, which is the rise in acidity that occurs when you stress your anaerobic energy systems and work above your lactate threshold.

In simplified terms, the lactate threshold is the point during intense exercise at which lactate is produced faster than it can be metabolized and begins to accumulate in the blood. Because of the high demand for ATP during this type of intense anaerobic exercise, hydrogen ions also begin to accumulate in the blood, as they are released during the hydrolysis of ATP.

“Each strategy is beneficial on its own, and when combined, these strategies can work synergistically to be even more effective.” 

It is this rapid breakdown of ATP and accumulation of hydrogen ions that decreases your blood pH (and thus increases acidity) and tends to promote nausea. The good news is your body will adapt to this type of training. The body is able to raise its lactate threshold and become better at buffering the acidity.

That being said, there are also a few tricks you can put to use immediately to help combat the buildup of acidity – and hopefully keep you from decorating the gym floor with the contents of your stomach.

Buffering Acidity Through Nutrition

One of the most effective ways to keep your stomach settled is to sip on an alkalizing drink to counteract the rising acidity levels. Not only will you feel better, but you will also increase your work capacity by extending your time to muscular exhaustion.

As a bonus, maintaining good pH balance has tremendous benefits beyond simply being able to train harder, such as improved energy levels and a stronger immune system.

The following is the recipe I use to make my workout drink:

• 32oz of water
• Juice from one whole lime or lemon
• ¼ tsp of Celtic or Himalayan salt
• 1 scoop of concentrated greens powder

The ingredients in this drink provide a range of benefits to improve workout performance and prevent nausea:

• The lemon or lime juice, although acidic when outside of the body, actually has an alkalizing effect when ingested, and is very effective at settling the stomach.
• The salt, besides supplying sodium, also provides a range of other trace minerals to help maintain electrolyte balance and prevent muscle cramping. Surprisingly, it also makes the water much more palatable and refreshing during a sweat-drenched workout. Don’t worry, it won’t taste like you’re drinking seawater!
• Adding a scoop of concentrated greens powder will further contribute to the alkalizing effect of the water in addition to adding a range of antioxidants and other nutrients. If you are not a fan of the greens flavor, try chugging the greens separately before training to still get the benefits.

To further boost your acid buffering capability, I recommend you also supplement with beta-alanine, which is an amino acid precursor to carnosine. Carnosine is a compound found in muscle tissue that buffers the acidity formed during the breakdown of ATP. Beta-alanine should be taken before you train, but the timing is not that important, because the carnosine formed is able to be stored in muscle tissue until it needs to be used.

Special Considerations Concerning pH and Training

Although maintaining a more alkaline pH will help prevent nausea and delay muscle fatigue, there is evidence the acidic environment produced during training is actually necessary to initiate the hormonal response required for hypertrophy.

“Be aware that trying to stay as alkaline as possible may not be the best strategy when hypertrophy is the primary goal.”

So does that mean having an alkaline drink during training will cancel out all of your potential muscle gains? I wouldn’t go as far as to say you can’t build muscle while drinking alkalizing water, but with that in mind, it may be best to use an alkaline drink primarily when you are concerned with maximizing performance, as opposed to when you want to emphasize muscle growth.

For those concerned with achieving the greatest muscle-building effect, have the drink an hour after you finish training to take advantage of the health and recovery benefits without interfering with stimulating hypertrophy.

Other Potential Nausea Triggers

Sometimes nausea is a result of simply making poor pre-workout meal choices. Here are some ideas for you to test out:

• Give yourself at least an hour between the time you finish eating and the time you start your workout.
• Choose proteins that are quick to digest like fish, eggs, and ground meats.
• Don’t consume too much saturated fat.
• Keep pre-workout meal portions moderate if getting nauseous has been an issue for you.

Pre-workout supplements containing a lot of stimulants also tend to make some individuals nauseous, especially if the supplements include high doses of yohimbe or caffeine. Laying off any pre-workout stimulants or coffee for a while is a good strategy if you tend to get nauseous regardless of the intensity of the workout and you haven’t been able to manage the problem otherwise.

Keep Your Nutrition in Check

To sum it all up, managing your pH levels through nutrition, supporting your acid-buffering capabilities in the muscles with beta-alanine, and making smart pre-workout supplement and meal choices will all help to keep nausea at bay and improve your workout performance.

Each strategy is beneficial on its own, and when combined, these strategies can work synergistically to be even more effective. Just be aware that trying to stay as alkaline as possible may not be the best strategy when hypertrophy is the primary goal, as it may blunt the hormonal response to training.

Try these tactics during your next workout and remember you don’t have to feel sick to have a good workout!

Check out these related articles:

• How to Reach Freak Level Fitness
• Eating to Recover – How and What to Eat Post-Workout
• Folic Acid Protects Athletes Against High-Intensity Exercise
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

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