On July 31, 2023, Crawley posted a video to his YouTube channel where he shared five tips on running a faster 5K. The athlete himself is in the midst of training to improve his mile time and has previously notched achievements like successfully lifting the famous Dinnie Stones. Suffice it to say: Crawley knows where he’s coming from with a staple run.

Here are Crawley’s five essential tips for running an improved 5K:

1. Manage Expectations

Crawley suggested setting reasonable goals and expectations for what an ideal 5K should look like. Everyone’s limits and needs are different based on their personal fitness, life, and overall background, and it’s important not to compare one’s self to others. When in doubt, short-term goals supersede a long-term vision for running.

“[Running] is a skill,” Crawley said. “It’s something we need to develop and be mindful of. It’s important not to compare ourselves with arbitrary numbers or what other people are doing.”

2. Spend Energy Wisely

In order to get the most out of running, Crawley urged creating a diligent plan and tracking it meticulously over the course of a single training week. He explained that the Pareto principle — where 80 percent of the training is easy and 20 percent is moderate or challenging — should be applied. Crawley advised implementing three kinds of running workouts during a single week: Long slows for aerobic capacity, high-intensity sessions for top-level performance, and moderate sessions for 5K endurance. To Crawley, “easy” is an athlete pushing themselves to 70-80 percent of their maximum heart rate. Anything challenging is relatively beyond that threshold.

3. Strength Training

Crawley explained that general strength training can help runners understand how their body works while also improving their running gait. It should be a welcome accompaniment to well-rounded fitness. Crawley’s strength recommendation for enhanced running performance was heavy back squats, trap bar deadlifts, and any single-leg movements.

4. Commit to a Plan

The more structure an athlete has for their running goals, the more likely they will be able to fit it into their daily lifestyle. It also makes achieving occasional milestones easier with a better focus.

“Commit to that race, join that run club, the athletics club, or sign-up to your local park run community,” Crawley said. “These will give you a goal and a deadline and make you more accountable.”

5. Turn Training Into a Social Opportunity

Crawley’s final bit of advice was that a runner shouldn’t isolate themselves from other people while training. Making friends and socializing can make achieving any running goals that much more gratifying. Crawley explained that he spent much of the past two years training by himself and that it took a toll. In 2023, he’s trained with more people, in turn adding more joy to his process.

Featured image: @ferguscrawley on Instagram

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On July 25, 2023, Hemsworth posted a comprehensive workout on his Instagram page that seemingly attacks every aspect of the upper body (his back, chest, shoulders, and triceps). From weighted medicine ball slams to arm training, Hemsworth filled in almost every niche and offered his fans a similar path to achieving his spectacular upper body fitness.

Here’s an overview of Hemsworth’s complete upper body workout. There is a detailed warm-up, a superset, and a tri-set all involved with the clear design of pushing one’s physical limitations in the gym in a healthy fashion.

Chris Hemsworth Upper Body Workout | July 2023

Warm-up

• Medicine ball slam — 4 x 10 (Rest 30 seconds)

Superset

• Dumbbell row — 4 x 10 per arm
• Push-up — 4 x 15 (Rest 60 seconds before repeating the first exercise)

Tri-set

• Renegade row — 4 x 8 per arm
• Lateral raise — 4 x 8
• Triceps pushdown — 4 x 10 (Rest 60 seconds before repeating the first exercise)

This is far from the first instance Hemsworth has shared his workout trade secrets. As the proprietor of the fitness application Centr, Hemsworth seems to make it a consistent point to stay true to that brand by offering training tidbits that demonstrate his knowledge and his own commitment.

For example, in July 2022, Hemsworth shared a chest-centric workout in advance of the release of Thor: Love and Thunder. He would follow that be sharing a minimal equipment workout on a naval ship in mid-August 2022. That same month, Hemsworth was once again seen on the naval ship issuing a five-round, 50-rep, full-body workout challenge.

Hemsworth has undoubtedly built a reputation for being one of the fittest people in Hollywood. With this latest workout in the account, he continues to spread the gospel of his gym secrets and how others can follow in his footsteps if they so choose.

Featured image: @chrishemsworth on Instagram

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On Nov. 8, 2024, Jackman will reprise his role as Wolverine in the upcoming “Deadpool 3.” It will be his first appearance as the impeccably strong character since the critically acclaimed “Logan” in 2017. While there (understandably) aren’t too many plot details out in the open yet, Jackman will star alongside actor Ryan Reynolds, who is playing the eponymous Deadpool. Over the past few months, Jackman has shown off various hints of his recent training progress to be fit like Howlett again.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackman had originally been at peace to hang up his “claws” after playing the character for 17 years across nine films. Part of the reason had apparently been the physical toll it took on the now-54-year-old’s body, as he told CNN/HBO’s Chris Wallace in an early January 2023 episode of Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace?

In the interview, Jackman denies taking steroids to build a trademark physicality for Wolverine. With speculation running amok for years, Jackman said he instead did it the “old school way.” Now, as he gets set to play Wolverine again, Jackman is eating “more chickens” (for his nutrition) and crushing it in the gym.

Recent Instagram teasers of Jackman working out to play Wolverine again include the actor running through dumbbell biceps curls (weight undisclosed) in early February 2023. Then, later that month, the actor shared a clip of himself running through a seated leg press machine with the caption, “middle school French class really kicking in now.” Finally, and most recently in March 2023, the actor shared a black-and-white glimpse of himself performing a weighted plank/ab slider exercise with a bumper plate (weight undisclosed) on his back.

The caption was simple and directly referenced his upcoming acting plans.

“If you’re looking for me, I’m becoming Wolverine again.”

It’s clear that Jackman is getting himself back into the mentality (and physicality) of playing someone as ripped and imposing as Wolverine. Based on his previous stellar fitness results as the famous superhero on the silver screen, it seems evident that the actor’s prescribed gym rigors more than do the trick.

Featured image: @thehughjackman on Instagram

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On Dec. 3, 2022, Smith Jr. shared a clip where he worked through a 10-rep set of incline presses with 120-pound dumbbells in each hand. The rapper-turned-strength enthusiast wore elbow sleeves and wrist wraps to help him through the chest-focused set. His elbows reached a shoulder-joint friendly 90-degree depth on each repetition.

Smith Jr. hasn’t shared his long-term upper-body training goals, if he has any. Based on part of his recent precedent, it could be fair to assume he’s working out with a bigger picture in mind.

For example, in early November 2022, Smith Jr. successfully locked out a 227.3-kilogram (500-pound) deadlift personal record (PR) from a conventional stance while wearing a lifting belt and utilizing lifting straps. That pulling session was likely connected to previous progressive training feats like a 224.5-kilogram (495-pound) deadlift from mid-October 2022.

Meanwhile, in August 2022, Smith Jr. shared an update on his bench press progress when he worked through a 142.8-kilogram (315-pound) press for five reps with wrist and elbow wraps. Another clip from early November 2022 showcases Smith Jr. polishing up his back muscles with some lat pulldowns at an undisclosed weight. All this paints the potential picture of Smith Jr.’s latest incline dumbbell presses being part of his trying to incrementally improve upon his bench press with auxiliary exercises.

As far as Smith Jr.’s recent musical exploits, he is featured on Vinnie Paz’s latest solo album entitled “Tortured in the Name of God’s Unconditional Love.” The compilation was released on Nov. 18, 2022, and has the 51-year-old Smith Jr. dropping a cameo verse in the solo track “Invisible Ether” discussing the current state of the music industry.

Regardless of his precise training aim, it’s evident that Smith Jr. places a premium on maintaining his fitness in the gym while simultaneously keeping his music pursuits busy. His Instagram, for one, is littered with occasional clips of his moments from working out when it’s not disclosing a promotional item for his recording career.

It seems if Wu-Tang is for the children, then well-maintained weights, assumed quality nutrition, and heavy lifting is for one of the group’s founders.

Featured image: @methodmanofficial on Instagram

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On Nov. 2, 2022, Smith Jr. shared an Instagram video of himself capturing a 227.3-kilogram (500-pound) deadlift from a conventional stance during a training session. Based on previous social media posts, the milestone is a personal record (PR). The man known for his rapping, songwriting, and recent acting roles accomplished the feat in his socks while wearing a lifting belt and utilizing lifting straps.

Lifting massive amounts of weight — or staying dedicated to strength training generally — doesn’t appear to be a new development for Smith Jr. Even a quick glance at the rapper’s Instagram will indicate he makes it a point to spend quality time in the gym when he can.

For example, just two weeks prior to Smith Jr. notching his staggering 500-pound PR, he deadlifted 224.5 kilograms (495 pounds) with relative ease for his previous PR. (Note: He had the same equipment on.) Before that, roughly three months ago, in August 2022, Smith Jr. crushed a 142.8-kilogram (315-pound) bench press for five reps while wearing wrist and elbow wraps.

In fact, aside from general promotional items for his music career, a solid portion of Smith Jr.’s recent Instagram features clips of himself pushing his fitness. It looks like even one of the more famous musical artists of the modern era wants to stay in tip-top shape.

It would be hard to miss Smith Jr.’s impact on the industry as a close follower of contemporary music.

The 51-year-old first ascended to stardom in the early 1990s as one of the original and more visible members of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. The group is often considered one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time, as they helped popularize a specific East Coast brand of the genre. According to The Latch, the group has sold roughly 40 million albums worldwide as of September 2021.

Away from the group, Smith Jr. might be one of the more successful individual members, as he can claim six albums that were, at one time, in the top 10 on Billboard’s music charts. One of the more notable would be his original solo debut in 1994’s “Tical.”

In addition, Smith Jr. claimed a Grammy for a duo performance for his work with Mary J. Blige in 1995’s “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By.” He has also amassed nearly 130 acting credits in film and television beginning in the late-1990s and continuing to present day.

Smith Jr. could be considered one of the most influential and successful figures in hip-hop history. He also might be one of the strongest at the same time.

Featured image: @methodmanofficial on Instagram

The post Rapper Method Man, Showing the Method to His Strength Madness, Deadlifts 500 Pounds at Age 51 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Nov. 2, 2022, Johnson posted a clip on his Instagram where he worked through a demanding leg workout that consisted of five “monster sets” and a “killer finisher.” While undoubtedly challenging from a glance, the routine is likely just another walk in the park for a man dedicated to his training.

[Related: The 12 Best Hamstring Exercises for Muscle Mass, Strength, and More]

According to the caption of Johnson’s post, he completed a set of every movement in his workout “back to back, with no rest in between” before beginning the next set, as a type of circuit or superset. (He did five sets of each movement in total.) Here’s an overview of Johnson’s complete leg workout. The reps of each exercise were not provided:

Dwayne Johnson Leg Workout | Nov. 2, 2022

• Leg press — Five sets
• Hack squat — Five sets
• Chain lunges — Five sets
• Dumbbell sumo squat — Five sets

As for that difficult closer that Johnson alluded to, he added a little extra spice to his 100-pound dumbbell sumo squat. The actor’s objective was to perform the dumbbell sumo squat while leaning slightly forward, using a three-second negative (lowering phase) and a one-second pause at the bottom without letting the dumbbell touch the floor. In addition, Johnson held the dumbbell using only his fingertips to further his grip strength.

[Related: How to Do the Hip Thrust — Variations, Benefits, and Common Mistakes]

Given recent developments in his career, Johnson might have been especially motivated to build mass and strength with his legs even before this specific workout.

The actor is currently starring in an adaptation of DC Comics Black Adam. (Note: The film was released in the United States on Oct. 21, 2022.) Johnson plays the eponymous antihero gifted with tremendous talents by almighty deities — some of which involve elements of super-strength and super-speed. With such a prerequisite of physical abilities, Johnson’s portrayal is naturally (and accurately to the source material) that of a dominant demi-god, so to speak.

Similarly, Johnson’s overall background lends itself to a seamless commitment to fitness. The 50-year-old is a former WWE superstar (hence “The Rock” nickname) and was also a member of the University of Miami’s 1991 National Championship team. He was a rotational defensive tackle and notably played alongside future Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp.

From this perspective, Johnson destroying what would be a grueling leg workout for most people is nothing new. To be a shining star on the football field, in the squared circle, and on the silver screen — you have to train like it.

Featured image: @therock on Instagram

The post Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Crushes 5 “Monster Sets” of a Leg Workout appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Oct. 17, 2022, actor Michael B. Jordan shared two teaser posters for the upcoming boxing epic Creed III on his Instagram profile. The teasers feature Jordan — who plays fictional superstar boxer Adonis Creed — and his co-star, Jonathan Majors — playing a new opposing character, Damian “Dame” Anderson — sitting in the corner of a boxing ring. Both actors show off massive shoulders and arms and shredded upper-body masses. The reveals coincide with the announcement of the film’s official release date on Mar. 3, 2023.

[Related: The 12 Best Biceps Exercises for Arm Size]

According to Variety, Creed III will be Jordan’s directorial debut. The 35-year-old actor is reprising one of the more famous roles of his career, where many sequences in the previous iterations feature him rigorously training his cardio, upper body, and general high-level conditioning. (Note: Per IMDB, Jordan can count on other acclaimed lead credits in films like 2013’s Fruitvale Station and 2018’s Black Panther.)

Meanwhile, Majors joins the Creed franchise as a rising star in cinema. The 33-year-old actor might have first risen to prominence with a part in 2019’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco. He has since been notably featured in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods from 2020 and 2021 spaghetti western The Harder They Fall. Majors will be the next lead antagonist, Kang the Conqueror, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

[Related: The 12 Best Kettlebell Exercises for Conditioning, Mobility, and Strength]

In a recent Men’s Health profile, Majors makes it clear that he prioritizes his fitness regardless of his upcoming role in a film.

“If I’m going to bench press 250 [pounds] in a film, I need to be able to bench press 275 [pounds] a few times,” Majors tells Men’s Health initially before walking back his initial sentiment: “305 [pounds] a few times.”

Majors appears to have applied the same thought process in preparation for Creed III. He reportedly didn’t appreciate being handed “fake weights” while filming a scene.

“I will do this all day — We are not putting fake weights on,” said Majors, explaining his rationale to Men’s Health. “I haven’t been training for the past three months to get here and use Styrofoam. “Put these [expletive] weights on so we can lift it, so you can shoot it, so I can tell the story. Respectfully, anything less is like putting fake tears in your eyes. Or putting fake sweat on you.”

It’ll be a little while before anyone sees Jordan and Majors presumptively square off in Creed III. However, for two actors seemingly committed to prioritizing their fitness as professionals, it should be quite the battle between the ropes come March 2023.

Featured image: @michaelbjordan on Instagram

The post Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors Look Like Shredded Boxing Stars in “Creed III” appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Like any skill, however, a little work can make the experience (and the results) even better. Do you want to be more competitive with yourself or others? Have you been stuck at a pace and wondering how to improve your time? Maybe it’s time to check-in and make sure you can keep up a respectable speed.

The 8-minute mile is a high-performance standard. Sustaining that pace for a marathon would complete the 26.2-mile feat in just under three and a half hours, which puts you in the top 25% to 30% of runners. For non-competitive context, the majority of military and law enforcement organizations require fitness tests which include a one and a half or two-mile run. An 8-minute mile pace would score you squarely in the middle of the pack.

No matter your reason, it’s a significant goal to aim for. Here’s a training plan to help you get there.

• Weekly Plan to Get an 8-Minute Mile
• Improve Your Form, Improve Your Speed
• Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of Distance Running
• Frequently Asked Questions

Weekly Plan to Get an 8-Minute Mile

It takes a detailed program to start running more efficiently and improve your running time. Here’s a plan to start shaving time off your run and keep your body balanced and healthy.

Monday

Strength Training

Even one day of focused weight training can build strength and functional muscle when the total training volume is sufficient. (1) A full-body workout can help runners build their legs, upper body, and core — all essential parts to being a strong runner.

“There is usually an improvement in time when a period of training is devoted to strength training,” says Yusuf Jeffers, a coach with Mile High Run Club. “Compound lifts like barbell back squats and unilateral work like lunges are good for developing muscles in the legs. Not just the quads, but also hamstrings and glutes. Muscles don’t work in isolation.”

“Core strength workouts are also of great utility. The trick is to integrate improvements in leg strength and have it expressed as power. Core strength helps with maintaining posture, all of which ultimately leads to faster times.”

Sample Strength Workout

• Back Squat: 3 x 8-12
• Walking Lunge: 3 x 8-12 (per leg)
• Pull-Up: 3 x 8-12
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 x 8-12 (per arm)
• Shoulder Press: 3 x 8-12
• Dip: 3 x 8-12
• Push-Up: 3 x 8-12
• Cable Woodchopper: 3 x 8-12
• Scissor Kick: 3 x 8-12

Tuesday

Speed Workout

Run 400 meters for four to six sets with two minutes rest between each run.

Use a submaximal stride, meaning you work just below the anaerobic threshold and not at full capacity. Each run should be difficult but you shouldn’t be completely breathless.

Wednesday

Active Recovery

Active recovery is a hybrid between a day of serious training and complete rest. It can be a 30-minute walk, slow jog, or other light cardio activity at a comfortable pace. Also spend time working on flexibility, such as long, deep stretching or a Yin yoga class.

Thursday

Tempo Run

A tempo run is a distance run performed at a tempo, or speed, you can maintain for the entire duration. Start with two or three-miles at a consistent speed. As your running improves, work toward a quicker tempo and eventually increase up to five miles.

To hit the 8-minute mile pace, many runners will need to reach 180 steps per minute, or three steps per second. Consider that as an eventual target.

Tip: To stay on tempo and keep a steady pace, try listening to the Running Tempo Mix playlist on Spotify by Nike Women. You can also search many music streaming services for BPM-specific playlists depending on the speed and pace you need.

Friday

Active Recovery

Take another active recovery day for restorative work. Perform another 30-minutes of light cardio followed by more flexibility work.

Saturday

Endurance Run

This should be your longest run of the week to build overall endurance and push your physical and mental limits. Keep your speed between the “active recovery” speed and the “tempo” speed. You should be able to speak in sentences during this run. Start with three miles and increase your volume each week, eventually up to 20 miles.

Sunday

Rest

No training, no running, and no lifting. Take the day off, eat some nutritious food, and recover for the upcoming week.

Improve Your Form, Improve Your Speed

Achieving an 8-minute mile pace is a respectable achievement for any non-professional runner. It’s a sign that you’re starting to bridge the gap between recreational and specialized performance.

Even if you’re not a dedicated runner, allocating some training time to improve your running will boost your aerobic conditioning base, which can be beneficial for everything from high-rep sets of weight training to running the bases in your local rec-league softball game.

Like any exercise or skill, improving your technique can lead to better results and a lower risk of injury. Most people will invest time and energy learning how to deadlift properly because it’s seen as a relatively complicated exercise that requires coordination between multiple muscles.

However, many of those same people would simply take off on a run with minimal attention to factors that can have a significant effect on how the run feels and, more importantly, how your body responds to all those miles. Here are some of the most important cues to run more efficiently, which will shave down your time and reduce wear and tear on your joints.

Cue 1 — Drive Your Knees Forward

Many people focus on kicking their legs back as they move. Instead, focus on driving your knees forward on each step. This improves stride length and helps to activate the hip flexors and core, which are essential for optimal performance.

Form Tip: Incorporate standing high-knee drills and marching in place during your general warm-up to reinforce this type of knee-forward movement.

Cue 2 — Make Contact with the Balls of Your Feet

When striking the ground during a run, think light and quick. You don’t want to slam your foot into the ground. Most modern running teachers no longer teach a heel strike. Hitting your heels on the ground can be slow and lead to foot and ankle issues.

Instead, they teach runners to strike the ground with the balls of their feet. Have a friend watch you run or set up a camera to record your form. If you are striking back on your heel, take the time to move forward on your foot.

Form Tip: While you’re reviewing your form, check to see if you pronate or supinate your feet. If you’re shifting to the big toe-side of the foot (pronating) or the pinky toe-side of the foot (supinating) instead of remaining in a neutral position, you may be at risk of foot and ankle problems down the road. You can also check the wear patterns on the bottoms of your sneakers as an indicator.

Cue 3 — Run with Your Upper Body

Running doesn’t just happen by moving your legs. Your entire upper body needs to be involved if you want to perform well. As you start your run, think about leaning forward with your hips, chest, and ears in front of your ankles.

Keep your head and chest up by looking 50 to 100-feet ahead of you. Swing your arms like pendulums in sync with your legs. Keep your forearms passing by your sides, not across your body, and keep your arms bent about 90-degrees.

Form Tip: Keep your posture tall. Don’t allow yourself to bend forward at the waist. If your upper body starts to collapse, your overall running form will suffer and speed will slow down.

Cue 4 — Keep Your Core Engaged

Your core is essential for keeping your posture upright, as well as keeping your breath strong. Focus on keeping your core engaged and lifting up out of your pelvis.

Maintain tight enough abs so you don’t wobble side-to-side or over-rotate while you run. If your shoulders are tilting or turning significantly as you run, it’s an indicator that your core may be too relaxed and not fully engaged.

Form Tip: Practice breathing in tempo without losing core tension. Count your steps as you breathe in and breathe out, and work on breath consistency in your pacing. Start slow and determine your individual optimal number of steps per breath.

Running Mistakes to Avoid

Running may seem easy because, technically, anyone can do it anytime. However, to improve your time and become a better runner, you need to follow a structured routine. Running without a plan can lead to pain, injury, slow times, and wasted energy. Here are the most common issues to avoid.

Running Too Much

This isn’t so much a technique issue as it is an enthusiasm issue. When it comes to improving your running, some people think it’s better to just do “more” and somehow any issues will sort themselves out along the way. This isn’t true.

To become a better, faster, and more efficient runner, you need a balanced running program — like you would for any other fitness goal.

Avoid It: Follow a well-planned, structured running schedule (like the sample plan laid out earlier in this article). A comprehensive plan should include training time, varied distances, and cross-training days to build skills, balance training and recovery, and avoid injury.

Skipping Recovery

Trying to get better without rest and recovery can set you backwards in your training. Your body needs recovery days to allow your muscles to repair, your cardiovascular system to adapt, and your nervous system to refresh.

Trying to be “all gas, no brakes” won’t get you to your goals any faster and can potentially put you on the sidelines if you rack up an injury along the way.

Avoid it: Make sure your training schedule includes rest days and recovery methods, including flexibility training which can reduce soreness and improve your range of motion. (2)

Benefits of Running

Running has definite benefits, both physiologically and psychologically. Those benefits become more pronounced when supported by proper recovery and other forms of exercise.

Cardiovascular Health

Running is an aerobic, cardiovascular activity that forces active work on the heart and lungs. This work strengthens the heart and lungs and can lead to a lower resting heart rate and higher blood oxygenation. In all, this leads to better cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. (3)

Psychological Health

A “runner’s high” is often considered to be a post-run endorphin rush, where your brain releases feel-good chemicals in response to the almost-meditative blood-pumping exercise you just completed. There’s actually an abundance of science that connects running with improved mental health. Some research even suggests that running consistently can be as beneficial as pharmaceutical intervention. (4)

Additional studies have linked a regular running routine with improved sleep, citing that some people have a significant deep sleep improvement and a reduction in insomnia with as little as two short runs per week.

Note: Avoid any interference with your current doctors’ orders. If you are on prescription medication when starting or improving your running routine, let your doctor know and monitor your results.

Fat Loss

Cardiovascular exercise is a reliable method of fat loss. Many times, a simple walk can be an effective starting point. However, running has been shown to contribute more significantly towards fat loss and improved body composition than walking. (5)

A running program not only burns calories during the run, it has also been shown to suppress one’s appetite, making it easier to stick to the type of calorie-restricted diet necessary for fat loss.

FAQs

Why do my feet hurt after running?

It may be due to running too much and/or too quickly for your foot and ankle structures to adapt, or it may be as simple as running on worn-out shoes that offer no protection from repeated impact. Typically, running shoes should be replaced after you’ve put them through 400 to 500 miles of work. Even well-built shoes begin to breakdown at that point and they no longer offer the same level of cushioning and support as intended.

It is really important to pay attention to your feet, especially foot pain. Foot pain can lead to a very painful condition, called plantar fasciitis, which can affect foot function for years to come. Have a professional check your form while you run and help you with any stride corrections. Get a pair of shoes specifically made for running. Many specialized shoe stores can analyze your gait and help you find the right shoe.

What is a side stitch and why do I get them?

There are several possible factors that can cause side stitches including the timing of your previous meal, your breathing pattern, and the tightness of the ligaments around the diaphragm.

In general, stay hydrated before, during, and after a run; work on developing a breathing pattern in sync with your strides while you run; eat a light meal two to three hours before your run; and if you have pain during a run, stop and massage the area until the pain subsides instead of trying to run through the discomfort.

Ready to Run?

Are you inspired? Good. Lace up and get going. Just remember that overdoing it is not going to set you ahead. If you want a goal to really get yourself in gear, find a local 5K and sign up. Then mark it on your calendar, follow the plan, refine your technique, and pick up your pace to start shaving your time down.

References

1. Ralston, G.W., Kilgore, L., Wyatt, F.B. et al. Weekly Training Frequency Effects on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Med – Open 4, 36 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-018-0149-9
2. Sands, William & Mcneal, Jeni & Murray, Steven & Ramsey, Michael & Sato, Kimitake & Mizuguchi, Satoshi & Stone, Michael. (2013). Stretching and Its Effects on Recovery: A Review. STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING JOURNAL. 35. 30-36. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000004.
3. Lee, D. C., Pate, R. R., Lavie, C. J., Sui, X., Church, T. S., & Blair, S. N. (2014). Leisure-time running reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 64(5), 472–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.04.058
4. Oswald, F., Campbell, J., Williamson, C., Richards, J., & Kelly, P. (2020). A Scoping Review of the Relationship between Running and Mental Health. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 8059. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218059
5. Williams P. T. (2013). Greater weight loss from running than walking during a 6.2-yr prospective follow-up. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 45(4), 706–713. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31827b0d0a

Special thanks to Yusuf Jeffers at Mile High Run Club. If you’re entering your first (or next) marathon, consider their specialized marathon training program.

Featured Image: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A / Shutterstock

The post How to Run an 8-Minute Mile Pace appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I’ve been coaching for almost twenty years now, and I am obsessed with hill running. I have Payton to thank for this, and since speed is the ultimate goal in all of my programs, hills (or stairs for those of you who don’t have a suitable hill close by) are an absolute must in any speed or conditioning program. I’ve spent the bulk of my career split between Cal Poly and San Jose State and both places have significant hill/stadium inclines that are perfect for hammering my athletes.

Why Hills?

Strength and power are critical when we are talking speed, especially during the acceleration phase. Forty-yard dashes, great running backs darting through a seam, a batter racing down the first base line trying to beat out a throw, or a forward exploding to the hole, the sudden burst of speed is the most important factor. It’s the first three to five steps that determine the success of the effort.

Watch the NFL combine. When you see the athletes run their 40s, it’s the start that is the greatest determiner of a good time. Inversely, when you see a guy stumble out of the gate or take a sloppy step, you can rest assured that the time will be less than impressive.

Hill running teaches the drive phase of a sprint as nothing else can. Because of the incline, the runner must use the forefoot to climb. One of the most important speed training cues we use is that front of the foot is for speed, the heels are for braking. Even big guys, who by virtue of their size and propensity to heel contact first when they run on flat ground, are forced into an “appropriate” sprinting position. Think of the lean that you see world-class sprinters use in the first 50-70 meters of a 100-meter dash — that is the position we want to teach and the hill automatically does it for us.

The most obvious benefit is the load hill running puts on the legs. I have always thought that parachute pulling, banded running, and partner towing are silly given that all of those devices or routines are targeting the benefits of time on the hills. Next to squatting, Olympic lifting and/or kettlebell training, nothing will address leg strength and explosiveness like sprints up a hill.

Use Hills for Lateral Applications

Because the vast majority of the teams that I train for speed don’t actually get opportunities in their sports to run straight ahead where track workouts would benefit them (think top-end speed), we devote nearly all of our time working change of direction training. Many kids have little or no understanding of how to turn. They have no understanding of where their body is in space, insist on using their toes to slow down, and more often than not, have little control of their momentum when they run.

Because of the incline of your chosen hill, the runner must naturally situate his/her drive foot in a “toe-in” position when they laterally climb. If they don’t, their efficiency goes down the toilet and they will feel, almost instinctively, a need to adjust. When one are on flat ground, one of the major takeaways in footing that I teach is a subtle toe-in on the outside leg of a directional turn. This does two things. First, it allows the runner to access the big toe completely when they drive. Second, it directionally is in sync with where they are trying to go. Believe it or not, this is something that many of these kids do not possess when they show up at first. And, what you get when they don’t own this technique is a slow, power-stripped attempt at redirecting themselves.

Next, gravity is a bully. The natural incline of the hill demands a very forceful push. One that is necessary on flat ground when the athlete is attempting to accelerate.  If I can get a kid to haul ass up the hill, either laterally or straight ahead, they have context and I can get that type of understanding on flat ground. 

The Benefits of Backward Hill Sprints

Hill running backward is the perfect way to hammer your athletes. The hill I use is out behind our sports complex at Cal Poly is about a 35-yard climb at approximately a 14 percent grade. Steep. We have integrated backward running into the final phase of our hill workouts. Part of it is because I want my kids considerably uncomfortable, part of functional speed for my defensive backs and linebackers, and the other part is because I want them to develop a degree of toughness.

When I was in college, we used to have to backpedal around the outside of the Begley Building at EKU. Truthfully, it was a by-design way to make us miserable. The changes in incline outside were constant and there was an intimate relationship with misery because we would be told to do this for 15 minutes or more without stopping. It was a total jerk move but it taught us a lesson — learn how to push through pain. Nothing careless, just a leg burn that would make you nearly gag on your own vomit.

The foot drive that backward hill running produces basically cannot be duplicated anywhere else. It teaches the kids how to push with all they have off of the forefoot. Remember, acceleration happens at the front of the foot and braking happens in the heel. This trains the runner on the appropriate pressures, where to put them, and how to use their feet in an economic way.

Hills Teach Running Efficiency

Again, because of the incline, the runner is put into a position where they have no choice but to give an all-out effort. Because of the distance, they have to travel up a hill, casual jumping or sissified hopping only makes the getting up the hill take 10 times longer. Because they want it to be over as soon as possible, you get a natural full effort.

The bounding has turned out to be the hardest thing for my kids. Other things might hurt more, but the bounding makes them work as hard as they can, coordinate movements to be as efficient as possible, and it completely burns their anaerobic energy systems to the ground. It’s a pleasure to watch.

Featured Image: KieferPix/Shutterstock

The post The Benefits of Hill Running — More Speed, Better Mechanics, and Power appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to exercise. Two people doing the same workouts may get very different results. One person might work hard in the gym for months without much progress, while their training buddy gets stronger in each session.

Are you not getting results from your exercise program? Here’s what you can do that is backed by science.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to exercise. Two people doing the same workouts may get very different results. One person might work hard in the gym for months without much progress, while their training buddy gets stronger in each session.

There’s a term in exercise research¹ for someone who doesn’t get the expected results from a specific type of exercise: non-responder. In study after study, some participants improve a lot, and some don’t improve at all, even using the same program.¹

It can be frustrating for those who put in the effort and don’t see the results they want, but we can learn from the research in this area to ensure that everyone gets the benefits of exercise.

Here’s an example of how much variation there is across individuals in response to a specific exercise program.

One hundred and twenty-one adults participated in a 24-week walking program, exercising five times per week. Before the study² started, they were randomly split into three groups:

1. A low amount, low-intensity group who walked for an average of 31 minutes per session at an intensity that would be considered moderate according to exercise guidelines. I’ll call this the low group.
2. A high amount, low-intensity group who walked at the same intensity but for about double the time in each session (an average of 58 minutes) as the first group. I’ll call this the medium group.
3. A high amount, high-intensity group who walked for about 40 minutes in each session at a vigorous intensity. I’ll call this the high group.

Cardio fitness was measured several times throughout the study. After six months, here is how each group did:

• In the low group, 62% of the participants improved their fitness.
• In the medium group, 82% improved their fitness.
• In the high group, 100% of the participants improved their fitness.

When you look closer, there is a wide range of fitness changes, even within the groups.

These graphs show how each person’s fitness changed after completing the program. Each bar represents a person’s response. You can see that some people improved a lot, others a little, and some people decreased.

• In the low group, the range of responses was between an 8% decrease in fitness and a 30% improvement.
• The medium group had a range between a 10% loss of fitness up to a 43% improvement.
• In the high group, the least responsive participant improved by only 7%, while the top responder improved by a whopping 118%.

Remember, within each group, these people were doing the same exercise program, but their results were very different.

This study³ focused on endurance-type exercise for cardiovascular fitness, but this happens in other types of exercise studies as well, including interval training and strength training.

In one strength training study,⁴ for example, the same 12-week program resulted in changes in strength ranging from no improvement for one person to a 250% increase for another. There were also significant differences in muscle growth between individuals, with one person decreasing their muscle size by 2%, while the most responsive person increased by 59%.

This effect⁵ has also been seen in nutrition science, with people following the same diet experiencing very different amounts of weight loss, and sometimes even weight gain.

The reasons for these differences aren’t obvious. Of course, factors like sleep, stress, nutrition, and incidental physical activity can impact how someone responds to an exercise program.

Researchers try to take these things out of the equation by asking participants to follow a standardized diet or having them wear activity trackers when they’re not in the lab, but it’s not possible to fully control for them.

Genetic factors also certainly play a role, with research⁶ indicating that about 50% of the response to cardio exercise is the result of genetic differences.

What Can We Learn From This?

If you’re one of the lucky ones who happen to respond well to a specific exercise program, that’s great! If not, don’t worry. While these findings seem discouraging at first, there is good news. If we delve further into the research, it appears that there are no true non-responders to exercise. Everyone does improve in some way.

If you aren’t getting the results you expect from your exercise program, here are some things to consider the following.

When it Comes to Exercise, Consistency Is Key

The most effective program for you is likely to be the one you’ll do regularly.

In the walking study, the researchers reported the fitness improvements only of the people who attended at least 90% of the exercise sessions over the six months.

Not everyone completing the study managed to do 90% of the sessions. When the researchers went back and included those, who attended at least 70% of the sessions, the percentage of people who increased their fitness dropped by about 4% in the low and medium groups and by about 12% in the high.

I’d say that 70% is still fairly consistent. It means that those people exercised for an average of 3.5 sessions a week, every week, for six months. Most of them improved their fitness. More consistency is better, though. People who attended 4.5 sessions per week (90% of the total sessions) were even more likely to improve.

Consistency is probably the most critical factor in achieving the benefits of exercise. Do something, anything, every week. If you struggle with consistency, focus on setting small, achievable goals and creating sustainable exercise habits before you worry about any of the details of the program you’re doing.

Have the Other Pieces of a Healthy Lifestyle in Place

Get enough sleep, drink enough water, eat plenty of nutritious foods, move as often as possible throughout the day, and manage your stress.

Unless you have these things pretty well under control, you won’t know if it’s the exercise program that you’re not responding to, or if something else in your lifestyle is holding you back.

If One Method Doesn’t Work, Try Another

Maybe you have healthy lifestyle habits, and you’ve been consistent in your exercise for several months with lackluster results. What should you do?

Try increasing the intensity or the duration of each session. If we look at the walking study again, several participants didn’t improve their fitness after six months of consistent, moderate-intensity exercise.

Still, all of the people exercising at a higher intensity did improve. Even with moderate intensity, people who increased their volume (doubling the time spent in each session) were more likely to see improvements.

You could also do more sessions across the week. In another study⁷, researchers found that when people performed 60 minutes of cycling exercise 1-2 times per week for six weeks, not everyone improved their fitness.

In that study, there were also people doing the same cycling workouts 4-5 times per week, and all of those people did respond. Afterward, the people who hadn’t improved their fitness repeated the program. This time they added two more sessions per week, and all of them improved.

You could try a different type of training. One study had people complete a three-week endurance cycling program as well as a three-week interval training program in random order.⁸

They found that while some people didn’t improve their fitness with one program, those people did improve when they completed the other program.

For strength training, a range of set and rep protocols⁹ seems to be effective for different individuals. If increasing muscle mass is your goal, for example, and the traditional four sets of 8-12 reps haven’t worked for you, maybe your body will respond better to heavier weights and fewer reps or lighter weights and more reps.

Treat Your Training As A Science Experiment

Exercise provides a range of different and vital benefits. It can improve your body composition, decrease your risk of many diseases, improve your performance, your brain function, and your mood, and much more.

Even if you don’t see the specific results you’re expecting, you will improve your health and fitness in some way as a result of consistent exercise.

For example, researchers had participants complete a one-year cardio program, exercising for 45 minutes, three days per week. Four different types of cardio fitness were measured at the end of the program.

Again, there was a tremendous amount of variability in the individual responses. And, some of the participants didn’t improve in all four ways. However, every person in the study showed improvement in at least one aspect of their fitness.¹⁰

Maybe you’re focusing on the wrong measure of results, or perhaps you’re not tracking your progress closely enough to realize what you’re achieving. If you don’t keep track of what you’re doing and how you are progressing, you won’t know whether or not your program is working for you.

Make a list of a few of the benefits of exercise that are important to you and keep track of each one.

• If you’re interested in improving your health, you might keep track of your resting heart rate, blood pressure, or blood sugar.
• For body composition, you could track your body fat percentage or measurements.
• If fitness and performance are important to you, keep track of your time to complete a certain distance, the amount of weight you lift for each exercise, or the number of push-ups or pull-ups you can do.
• For the more subtle (but equally important) benefits of exercise like mood, stress reduction, focus, the incidence of pain, or energy levels, use a simple 1-10 scale to gauge how you’re feeling each day.

Log this information in a notebook or use a spreadsheet or your phone. Follow a specific program for a few weeks or months, assess how you are responding, and make changes if necessary.

You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised at how many ways you improve your body and your life with exercise.

Maybe your blood pressure didn’t go down, but your mood may have improved, and your 5K time may have gotten better. Perhaps you didn’t lose weight, but your strength increased, and you gained energy and started sleeping better.

These improvements can motivate you to keep going, and if you do, chances are you will find a method of exercise that works best for you.

Don’t Compare Yourself To Others

It should be evident by now that just because your friend got great results following a particular program doesn’t mean you will too. Focus on your progress, not anyone else’s.

The Bottom Line

If you do not see the results you want, keep trying. If you still don’t see results, try something different. Finally, keep in mind that the science is clear. Everyone responds.

If you keep at it consistently, you will achieve meaningful benefits.

References:

1.Pickering, Craig, and John Kiely. “Do Non-Responders to Exercise Exist—and if so, What Should We Do About Them?.” Sports Medicine 49, no. 1 (2019):1-7.

2. Ross, Robert, Louise de Lannoy, and Paula J. Stotz. “Separate Effects of Intensity and Amount of Exercise on Interindividual Cardiorespiratory Fitness Response.” Mayo Clinic, Proceedings 90, no. 11, (2015): 1506-1514.

3. Gurd, Brendon J., Matthew D. Giles, Jacob T. Bonafiglia, James P. Raleigh, John C. Boyd, Jasmin K. Ma, Jason GE Zelt, and Trisha D. Scribbans. “Incidence of nonresponse and individual patterns of response following sprint interval training.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 41, no. 3 (2016): 229-234.

4. Hubal, Monica J., Heather Gordish-Dressman, Paul D. Thompson, Thomas B. Price, Eric P. Hoffman, Theodore J. Angelopoulos, Paul M. Gordon, et al. “Variability in muscle size and strength gain after unilateral resistance training.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 37, no. 6 (2005): 964-972.

5. Gardner, Christopher D., John F. Trepanowski, Liana C. Del Gobbo, Michelle E. Hauser, Joseph Rigdon, John PA Ioannidis, Manisha Desai, and Abby C. King. “Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial.” Jama, 319, no. 7 (2018): 667-679.

6. Ross, Robert, Bret H. Goodpaster, Lauren G. Koch, Mark A. Sarzynski, Wendy M. Kohrt, Neil M. Johannsen, James S. Skinner, et al. “Precision exercise medicine: understanding exercise response variability.” British Journal of Sports Medicine 53, no. 18 (2019): 1141-1153.

7. Montero, David, and Carsten Lundby. “Refuting the myth of non-response to exercise training: ‘non-responders’ do respond to higher dose of training.” The Journal of Physiology 595, no. 11 (2017): 3377-3387.

8. Bonafiglia, Jacob T., Mario P. Rotundo, Jonathan P. Whittall, Trisha D. Scribbans, Ryan B. Graham, and Brendon J. Gurd. “Inter-Individual Variability in the Adaptive Responses to Endurance and Sprint Interval Training: a Randomized Crossover Study.” PloS one 11, no. 12, (2016).

9. Beaven, C. Martyn, Christian J. Cook, and Nicholas D. Gill. “Significant Strength Gains Observed in Rugby Players After Specific Resistance Exercise Protocols Based on Individual Salivary Testosterone Responses.” The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 22, no. 2 (2008): 419-425.

10. Scharhag-Rosenberger, Friederike, Susanne Walitzek, Wilfried Kindermann, and Tim Meyer. “Differences in adaptations to 1 year of aerobic endurance training: individual patterns of nonresponse.” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports 22, no. 1 (2012): 113-118.

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Image Source: Cat Medic

When it comes to optimizing body composition, one of the key areas I see men struggle with is prioritizing their performance. In most cases, the primary objective is to get as lean as possible while improving muscle definition.

But, what usually happens is a quick drop in weight in the first few weeks, which is generally due to a reduction in carbohydrate intake, and once they believe they have stalled any further progress, one of two things tend to happen:

1. A further reduction in calories via less consumption of carbohydrates.
2. A further increase in energy output via cardiovascular based activities, some form of HIIT, or an increase in resistance training days.

This is the downfall for most guys. It is what starts to impact their trainability. Their recoverability exceeds the amount of stress required for stimulation. They simply cannot recover from the amount of work they do.

When I deal with guys like this, they are eating fairly balanced meals during their day, but the biggest issue I see is that there is no structured nutrition intake around the most crucial part of their day, which is where they need to perform their workout.

It’s like showing up to Tuesday night footy practice in nothing but your school uniform and clunky black school shoes. Sure, you are wearing clothes and shoes, and you are at training, but without your training gear, are you going to be able to perform well enough? Take it from a retired international and professional rugby player; it’s a struggle.

Now, your resistance training (RT) is there to trigger a response in the body, a reaction that signals anabolic reactions with a primary focus surrounding muscle protein synthesis (MPS), provided enough effort and demand are being placed on the muscles while training. MPS is a process that repairs muscle damage caused by intense exercise and activity. It repairs and strengthens the muscle fibers.

While a nutrient-driven stimulation of MPS can be seen, it doesn’t compare to the prolonged stimulation via resistance training, MPS can be prolonged even beyond 24 hours after a single exercise session.¹

Right, so RT = > More time being spent with MPS switched on = more time being spent in a heightened recovery, repair, and growth state.

The Shortcomings Of Nutrition

We want to optimize the rest of our nutritional intake so that we can:

1. Maximize the time spent in a recover and repair state.
2. Improve our performance and the quality of work in our training (at the very least maintain it).

When we talk about organizing a peri-workout nutrition strategy, we are referring to your pre, intra, and post-workout nutritional intake.

This will allow your physique to develop and continue to push through any obstacles that stand in your way while dropping body fat effortlessly.

Basically, how can we organize these specific periods in time to better aid in our performance and goal through the timing of nutrients?

So let’s see what the evidence suggests by breaking things down into the individual meal and macronutrient requirements. Let’s begin with the pre-workout.

The Role Of Pre-Workout Nutrition

Pre-workout means the consumption of nutrients within a 3-hour radius of your scheduled training time. This feeding time is to help provide the body with the fuel needed for training.

Consuming protein before your scheduled workout is incredibly important to make sure that you have a sufficient amount of amino acids in the bloodstream, especially if you have not already consumed any protein for the day or have missed a meal.

Now, I must remind you that the most important factor in protein consumption is your daily intake. There is no point in being obsessed with nutrient timing if you haven’t got the basics down when it comes to the nutrition fundamentals.

When it comes to physique development and nutrition, we want to make sure we are maximizing our MPS.

Maximizing the anabolic effect of protein dosing per meal involves a target of 0.4-0.55g/kg.^{2, 3}Total daily protein for accomplishing this goal is 1.6-2.2g/kg (0.7-1.0g/lb).^{2, 3}

Everyone benefits from pre workout protein. Regardless, if your goal is physique oriented or not, protein plays a vital role in all aspects of life. Don’t be stupid. Eat your protein.

The Role Of Pre-Workout Carbs

The pre-workout meal is all about providing the fuel you will need for training. Something worth mentioning is that there has been a large body of evidence showing similar rates of fat loss between high-carb and low-carb diets when calories and protein match.⁴

Since most guys tend to reduce their carbohydrate intake drastically, this just shows that as long as you are within an energy deficit, fat loss will occur.

But, by prioritizing the timing of our high-energy carbohydrates, we will be able to do the one thing required of us, that is, to perform. This will also help in the preservation of muscle mass and create higher energy expenditure.

Now when we look at carbohydrates and performance, your body stores carbs in muscle. This stored glycogen is the primary fuel source in high-intensity exercise.⁵ Consuming carbohydrates pre-workout will also support better muscle contractions due to higher levels of glucose in the bloodstream.

However, as you move further and further into your fat loss journey, the more crucial this becomes, as this could be the difference in your ability to perform at a high enough level of intensity that may be required of you. It is also crucial at providing great workouts and greater pumps. Let’s be honest; no one will say no to getting a nice pump.

Since we know there is no need to remove the carbohydrates from our diet, and you are performing resistance training, then it would make sense to consume carbohydrates, especially if you want the best fat loss result possible.

Let me reiterate that consuming carbohydrates before exercise:

• Aids in performance and recovery – Most people may think that you only need carbs for more endurance-based exercise (two hours or more) when they also happen to benefit short term (60 minutes or more) from high-intensity training. So, if you plan on working out at a high level of intensity, make sure you eat those carbs.
• Muscle and liver glycogen preservation – Carbs are a protein-sparing nutrient, meaning, if carbs aren’t available, your body won’t start utilizing its muscle tissue for energy without them. This is why carbs are so important to consume within your dietary intake, especially if you want to preserve or build muscle.
• Stimulates the release of insulin – The combination of protein with carbs can improve our protein synthesis response and prevents protein degradation.

The Role Of Pre-Workout Fats

Fats before exercise is not a necessity, nor do you need to remove them altogether. Despite what you may hear, fats are not the best option when it comes to performance. Increasing performance is literally what carbohydrates do.

Fats simply don’t have any significant effect on how you perform, but what they can do is provide your body with vitamins and minerals while also helping slow the digestion of food. Which, in turn, can help maintain blood glucose and insulin levels.

The addition of fats in your pre-workout meal is a wise decision, especially if your meal is closer to the three-hour mark before you are going to train. Fats are more critical on a daily intake spectrum, but as I said, you don’t need to leave them altogether out when considering your pre and post-workout meals.

Guidelines To Structure Your Pre-Workout Nutrition

• Aim to consume a whole food meal with a complete protein, a high energy carbohydrate, and if training 2-3 hours later, a serving of fat–especially if you experience low blood sugar levels during an intense workout.
• If time is an issue, make use of a fast-acting whey protein combined with an easily digested carbohydrate source so that you can make sure you have something in the tank.
• For most men, anywhere between 25-40g of protein, 30-60g of carbohydrates, and 10-15g of fat is sufficient.

Example Meal Options:

1. Chicken breast, white potatoes, 1 serving of a water-based vegetable, avocado.
2. Chocolate whey protein isolate, oats, banana, nut butter with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

The Role Of Intra-Workout Nutrition

Intra-workout definition: the consumption of nutrients during your training session.

The use of a protein and carb supplement during training can provide additional energy while aiding fatigue and support your body to continue using carbs as fuel.

Don’t get too excited just yet; what this ultimately comes down to is the duration, amount of volume, and intensity of your training sessions.

If you are not training any longer than 60 minutes at a high intensity with high volume, then you won’t be needing any additional carbs during training.

Instead, we can save our carbs for post-workout where they can aid recovery, blunting the cortisol response after the session. A simple essential amino acid (EAA) and electrolyte blend will be fine.

However, you will want to be adding some quality muscle to your frame once you’ve sculpted that lean and muscular body, so I will give you the rundown of how we can use our intra-workout nutrition when it comes to building muscle.

When muscle growth is a priority, during training, the combination of EAA’s + highly-branched cyclic dextrin (HBCD) is a powerful addition to your intra-workout.

With essential amino acids being very easily digested, throw in some HBCD, and you will see an improvement in the absorption of amino acids to your skeletal muscle.⁶

This triggers muscle protein synthesis and promotes growth. There are studies now showing an increase in cross-sectional muscle tissue in trainee’s that supplement with this combination.

The effect of EAAs + HBCD will be at its highest efficiency intra-workout when your blood is pumping thanks to your workout.

Remember, intra-workout carbs may not always be necessary. If you plan on training for more than an hour with a high amount of intensity and volume, then it may be a good idea to use intra-workout carbs.

Guidelines to Structure Your Intra-Workout Nutrition

• For sessions lasting less than 60 minutes: 1-2 servings of EAA + electrolyte blend (typically 10-20g).
• For sessions lasting more than 60 minutes: 1-2 servings of EAA + electrolyte blend, one serving of HBCD (typically 20-30g).
• For those seeking muscle growth: 1 serving EAA + electrolyte blend, two servings of HBCD.

The Role Of Post-Workout Nutrition

The consumption of nutrients after you have completed your training session fills the role of post-workout nutrition. This meal should be eaten within a 1-3 hour timeframe after your workout.

The focus of the post-workout meal is to bring down the cortisol (stress) response from resistance training, begin the recovery & repair process while avoiding time being spent in a catabolic state.

After your workout the body’s insulin sensitivity is high, meaning it’s ready to make use of the carbohydrates in this meal by replenishing glycogen levels without shifting much of this energy into a fat cell, another reason why this is such a powerful period – wait, so I can expect to gain a rapid amount of muscle in this window?

No, not necessarily, because it’s less likely your body will partition the calories consumed as fat instead of muscle.

The Role Of Post-Workout Protein

Remember, training both increases protein synthesis and protein breakdown. Consuming protein in this window can further aid in promoting a positive nitrogen balance, which is needed for recovery, repair, and growth.

Since most guys tend not to meet their daily protein requirements, a useful strategy is to consume a post-workout shake within 30 minutes after training giving you time to relax before consuming a whole food meal within 1-2 hours after this.

The same protein guidelines from our pre-workout should be met. You can, however, just shoot for 20-40 g of high-quality protein after training in the form of whey protein isolate. This can be repeated every 3-5 hours to sustain protein synthesis⁷ maximally.

In your whole food meal, make sure you are consuming a complete protein source like lean red or white meat, fish, eggs, or a combination.

The Role Of Post-Workout Carbs

This meal should contain the highest amount of carbohydrates in any of your meals throughout the day. We have already established that your body’s insulin sensitivity and partitioning of nutrients is high, but that doesn’t mean you can just eat everything in the kitchen.

Something I always like to remind my clients of is the phrase earn your carbs, meaning make sure you have put in the effort during training so that you can truly enjoy the benefits of this high carb meal.

Also, our post-workout carbohydrates help increase intramuscular glycogen storage, which is known to reduce recovery times.⁸

Also, it’s worth mentioning post-exercise carbohydrates could lead to an enhanced muscle protein synthesis response through the insulin-mediated activation of Akt/mTORC1 pathway, and reductions in cortisol and muscle protein breakdown.⁹

The number of carbohydrates within this meal can vary based on personal preference and the amount you have to play with on a day to day basis.

Since a 3g/kg of body weight is a good starting point when it comes to your daily intake, I like to shoot for 50% of my daily intake with my post-workout meal.¹⁰

For example, an 80kg male would be aiming at 240g of carbohydrates for their daily intake, which would mean 120g of carbohydrates being placed in their post-workout meal. Place the remainder of the 120g of carbohydrates in the other meals throughout their day.

The Role Of Post-Workout Fats

Since we know fats are not necessary within our pre-workout, then it should come as no surprise that they are also not necessary for our post-workout meal.

Since our physique development is a priority, it may be wise to restrict dietary fat in your post-exercise meal. Based on the current body of evidence, I would advise limiting dietary fat content to 10g or below.¹¹

On top of this, it is also worth mentioning that findings have also suggested that post-exercise high-fat feeding may impair regulation of skeletal muscle remodeling processes and suppress anabolic activity.¹²

Guidelines to Structure Your Post-Workout Nutrition

• If you struggle at hitting your daily protein requirements, consume a post-workout WPI shake containing 20-40g of protein.
• Consume your post-workout meal within 1-3 hours post-exercise containing a compete protein source suited towards our initial per meal protein guidelines of 0.4-0.55g/kg of body weight combined with 50% of your total daily carb intake.
• Limit your fat intake to 10 g or below.

Example Meal Options:

1. Red meat, jasmine rice, and capsicum.
2. Turkey breast, pasta, and spinach.

A Few Additional Recommendations

Simplify your protein feedings by spacing them evenly throughout your day. Try to hit the minimal requirements in your pre-workout meal. Remember, the food you consume will take hours to digest, so listen to how your body feels with the size of the meals you eat before you train.

I know my personal preference is to have a medium-sized meal as I do not like feeling too full before training but, also, I do not like feeling too hungry either.

Fats slow down the digestive process, so be mindful of this as you don’t want to attack the barbell feeling overly full. The further out from your workout, you are, the more acceptable fats are in this meal.

Choose quick, easily digestible carbs like rice, cream of rice, oats, and potatoes to use in your pre and post-exercise meals.

There is an inverse relationship between carb + fat-based meals. When consuming a high carb meal, there should be low-fat content. When consuming a low carb meal, there should be a higher fat content.

References:

1. Atherton, P. J., & Smith, K. (2012). “Muscle protein synthesis in response to nutrition and exercise.” The Journal of Physiology, 590(5), 1049-1057.

2. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. “How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution.” Journal Int Soc Sports Nutrition. 2018 Feb 27;15:10.

3. Aragon AA. “Behind the paper: Clearing up protein distribution concerns.” AARR, Feb 2018.

4. Hall & Guo, “Obesity Energetics: Body Weight Regulation and the Effects of Diet Composition.” Gastroenterology, Volume 152, Issue 7, May 2017, Pages 1718-1727.e3.

5. Richard B Kreider, Colin D Wilborn, Lem Taylor, Bill Campbell, Anthony L Almada, Rick Collins, Mathew Cooke, Conrad P Earnest, Mike Greenwood, et al., “ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7, 7 (2010).

6. Bird SP, Tarpenning KM, Marino FE. “Independent and combined effects of liquid carbohydrate/essential amino acid ingestion on hormonal and muscular adaptations following resistance training in untrained men.” Eur Journal Applied Physiology. 2006;97:225-38.

7. Ralf Jäger, Chad M. Kerksick, Bill I. Campbell, et al., “International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition volume 14, Article number: 20 (2017).

8. Burke, L.M., Hawley, J.A., Wong, S.H., Jeukendrup, A.E. “Carbohydrates for training and competition.” Journal of Sports Science. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S17-27.

9. Haff, G.G.; Lehmkuhl, M.J.; McCoy, L.B.; Stone, M.H. “Carbohydrate supplementation and resistance training.” J. Strength, Cond. Res. 2003.

10. Hall, K D, et al. “A review of the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity.” European journal of clinical nutrition vol. 71,3 (2017): 323-326.

11. Stephens FB, Chee C, Wall BJ, et al. “Lipid-induced insulin resistance is associated with an impaired skeletal muscle protein synthetic response to amino acid ingestion in healthy young men.” Diabetes. 2015;64(5):1615-1620.

12. Kimball SR, Ravi S, Gordon BS, Dennis MD, Jefferson LS. “Amino acid-induced activation of mTORC1 in rat liver is attenuated by short-term consumption of a high-fat diet.” J Nutri. 2015;145(11):2496-2502.

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As someone approaching their 40th birthday, I’m interested to know what the research shows about this syndrome.

So, I dug into the research to see what, if anything, could be done to reverse or at least slow down the physical decline we go through as we age.

What I discovered was fascinating, and I share all of it in this episode.

I’ll explain:

• Why do we lose muscle and strength as we age?
• That this rate of decay in physical capacity is not inevitable.
• How you can keep gaining strength and muscle mass up to your 60s.

There is a large amount of research on this subject, and it was eye-opening to dive deep and learn that we are all largely in control of how much muscle and strength we have as we age.

We Are Largely in Control of How We Age

The importance of healthy habits stacking on top of one another is crucial.

Likewise, the negative effects of bad habits compound very quickly.

I also discovered:

• Why most athletes peak in their 20s, but you can be at your best in your 40s and beyond.
• The key training strategies to implement as you age.
• Why your diet is absolutely crucial to you retaining muscle later in life.

If you apply what the research shows and implement the strategies I give in this episode, you can stay strong, muscular, and lean for decades to come.

You might not be an elite athlete in your 40s but, if you give your body what it needs, you can stay strong, lean, and fit. Doing so will serve you well for many decades and increase the chances of living a long and healthy life.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at

tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post Building Muscle as You Age appeared first on Breaking Muscle.