Flexibility to improve recovery and performance

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

To stretch or not to stretch is the question.

We often talk about cardio-respiratory and strength exercise as the two kings of exercise. I do believe they are, but there is value to having flexibility.

Benefits of adding stretching to your workout plan

1. Reduces the risk of injury

2. Help muscles recover

3. Improve sports performance

Having more flexibility can reduce the risk of injuries, help muscles recover from workouts and improve sports performance. A good stretching program doesn’t cost a lot of time and the return on the investment is great.

What is flexibility?

Let’s first talk about what flexibility is.

Flexibility is the degree to which a joint can go through a pain free range of motion. The more flexible (pliable) a particular muscle; is the more the joint can bend pain free.

Flexibility or stretching is not a warm-up

I want to establish this fact early on.

Using stretching as a warm-up might be the biggest myth in fitness. It’s right up there with doing crunches to flatten the stomach.

The worst time to stretch is prior to being warmed-up. The muscles should be warm when we are attempting to make them more pliable.

If we attempt to stretch a cold muscle, we can easily pull (tear) that muscle.

We see it all the time with kids (and sadly adults) and sports.

Coaches say, “Let’s warm up by stretching”. WRONG! Warm up and then stretch. A proper warm-up for stretching or anything else is light cardio-respiratory exercise.

The four types of flexibility or stretching

1. Static stretching

2. Proprioceptive neurological facilitation (PNF) stretching

3. Dynamic stretching

4. Ballistic stretching

There are four types of flexibility. I focus on static stretching in this article because you can do it on your own and its intention is to improve flexibility. I want to briefly cover what all the types are.

The four types of flexibility are static, proprioceptive neurological facilitation (PNF), dynamic, and ballistic.

Static stretching

Static stretching is the stretching that you often think of. It is what I'm going to focus on today. It’s holding a steady stretch for 10-30 seconds.

Proprioceptive neurological facilitation (PNF) stretching

PNF stretching is done by contracting the muscle you want to stretch first (or that muscle's antagonist) and following that with a static stretch. This is a highly effective way to improve flexibility.

Dynamic stretching

Dynamic stretching is moving stretching. The word dynamic refers to movement. An example would be doing butt kicks like you may see runners doing.

It is moving the joint through as full of a range of motion as possible in a rhythmic manner. It is used often in sports as part of a warm-up after the muscles have been warmed up with light cardio.

It’s a highly effective warm-up, but it is not as effective for improving flexibility.

Ballistic stretching

Finally, there is ballistic stretching. This is stretching when you bounce from a standard static stretching position.

It really isn’t exercise at all. We still see people do this who are misinformed. This is not a recommended type of stretching and can lead to muscle pulls (tears).

When should you avoid stretching?

1. When you are hyper flexible in a specific joint

2. When you have an injury that needs to heal

Stretching correctly can enhance a person’s physical fitness. There are only a few occasions when it’s not recommended.

Stretching joints that are already too flexible can lead to muscular imbalances

Some people are already hyper flexible in certain joints. This is rare but it’s possible for someone who is predisposed to this or has spent time doing yoga or other disciplines.

You do not want to stretch more when you already hyper mobile. This could lead to excess muscle imbalances and injury. You would know if this was you so don’t worry about this unless you’ve had issues with this in the past.

Stretching can exacerbate damaged tissue

The second area that I caution against regarding telling people to stretch is when they have an injury. Injuries need to heal.

Stretch after the area has healed so that scar tissues won’t set in as much.

When you pull a muscle that is slang for a slight tear. Stretching a torn muscle will tear it more! If you think you have pulled a muscle, do not stretch it! Put ice on it!

Exercise prescription to improve flexibility

What muscles should you stretch?

The most common tight muscles are the hamstrings and hip flexors. Most people need lots of attention there.

I recommend stretching all of the major muscles of the body. It really doesn’t take long so there is little reason not to.

Stretch the thigh muscles such as the quadriceps and hamstrings. Stretch the hip muscles such as the glutes and the hip flexors. Stretch the lower leg muscles such as the gastrocnemius and soleus. Stretch the core muscle of the erector spinae (lower back) and abdominals. Stretch the upper torso muscles of the pecs, lats, and traps. Stretch the upper extremities muscles such as the deltoids and triceps.

When should you stretch?

1. Stretch after your strength or cardio workout

2. Stretch between sets of strength training

There are two ideal times to stretch.

Stretch after workouts (strength or cardio) and stretch between sets of strength training exercises.

I stated above quite emphatically that you should never stretch prior to being warmed-up. The opposite is true.

Stretch after and during a workout. Sit on a mat and stretch all of your muscles after weight training.

Stretch when you are done before wrapping up your workout after running and other types of cardio.

Stretching your muscles after a workout can help your muscles to recover.

I love to stretch while I work out and I stretch between sets.

When I’m working a particular muscle group, I will stretch that area in between sets.

It’s a particularly effective use of rest time. I like to call it active rest.

This helps the muscles to recover and there is some research that indicates that it leads to better muscle growth.

How long should you stretch?

You should be able to stretch all of your major muscles in 5-10 minutes if you do a complete stretch session. You don’t have to move so quickly.

Stretching isn’t improved by doing more and more but if you are hyper mobile it also isn’t bad to stretch longer.

Most people run out of time and stretching is typically the one component that gets left out. For those people, remember that you can do it well in 5-10 minutes.

Another reason why I stretch during my workout is because I don’t have to spend the time to stretch afterwards.

Stretching is not improved by doing more and more of it.

Hold each stretch for 10-60 seconds. Sixty seconds per muscle group is highly effective. You can hold one stretch for sixty seconds or you can do multiple sets of 10 seconds. I like to do the latter.

I can get a better stretch by relaxing and starting again. When I’m stretching during my workouts, I hold the stretch for about 10 seconds. A little does go a long way.

How hard should you stretch?

The official rule is to only hold the stretch to the point of stretch. This means that you feel a pull, but you do not feel pain.

You will not benefit by stretching a muscle to the point of pain. Stretching improves with frequency.

If you are really concerned with your flexibility and want it better as soon as possible, you would be far better off to stretch multiple times per day than to stretch harder when you stretch.

Flexibility really improves with consistency.

I struggle with certain muscles staying pliable. I can forget to stretch for a couple of days and feel like I’m back to square one when I return to it. We really need to stay on top of our stretching.

Use the right form when you stretch

You don’t want to stretch improperly. Form is everything.

For each of the muscle groups I listed above, or if you wanted to just target your problem areas, go to YouTube and find different stretches. Make sure that the source is reputable.

Another great tool we use at our gym all the time is the classic Bob Anderson book 'Stretching'. It’s been around for decades and you can find any muscle group, sport, or problem and find stretches for them.

Final thoughts on flexibility

Stretching gets blown off quite a bit by fitness enthusiasts. I'm guilty of that myself at times.

I can attest to the fact that when I’m doing it consistently, I feel better and recover better. I also know that I move better when I’m more flexible.

The great Tom Brady is a big advocate of pliable and proper stretching. Look at him. He’s 43 and just won another Super Bowl!

I also like to make it meditative. When I stretch it’s like when I lift. I really visualize what I'm doing. If you turn it into a relaxing session like that, you may find that you are more likely to do it.

As I said above, I really like to use it as active rest during sets of strength training. It gives me enough time to rest between sets and improves my flexibility during the rest. That is a win/win.

If you realize that you don’t have to do as much as you may have been led to believe, you may find it a good thing to add to your routine. I hope you do because I see the value in it for me.

This article is written by Rob Maxwell, M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Supplements for Muscle Growth

In this article I look at the top supplements to maximize muscle growth. I've researched what most people use and what gives you the best results in the shortest period of time possible. Live Strong, for example, recommends a good combination of pre and post workout supplements to speed up the growth of lean muscle mass. 

The best supplements that will help your muscles grow as fast as possible

1. Protein powder

Stack.com says that bigger muscles can require twice the amount of daily protein, compared to people who don't work out at all. Legionathletics.com lists protein powder as the top choice in their article of the best and worst supplements. You can get all of the protein that you need from natural food sources like meat, animal products and nuts. Protein powder, however, is still a great supplement to have for the following reasons:

Benefits of protein powder

• Protein powder can be cheaper than food sources of protein, gram for gram. You can get the protein equivalent of a large piece of steak from a single protein shake. And a tub of protein powder gives you many shakes. This makes the cost of protein in powder form a fraction of the cost that it would be in food form.
• Protein powder is convenient. It is a lot easier to throw together a shake with a scoop of powder and a mix of water or milk than to have a cooked and prepared protein source when you need it. You can carry the dry powder in a shaker in your car, bag or locker and simply mix it with water when needed. When it is not mixed with wet ingredients like water, it won't spoil from heat, unlike most food.
• It doesn't expire as quickly as normal food. Protein powder, if left dry, can keep fresh for years without expiring. It will still be safe for consumption when you need it. You can literally buy a tub and keep it in your cupboard for months on end and only use it when you need to.
• Shakes are easier to consume. Eating a steak takes more effort than downing a protein shake. This can save time and is a lot less messy. For example, it is more practical to have a shake after your workout than to bring a bunch of eggs into the gym.
• They are easier to digest. Protein in a powder form is easier for the body to break down into the nutrients that it needs. Your body does not need to break down a full food into tiny pieces before it can enter into the gut for your body to absorb what it needs.
• Protein powders offer variety. There are a variety of flavors and brands to choose from. There are also different types of protein, ranging from egg and beef to milk and plant sources. You can also choose a protein powder according to the time it takes to reach your muscles after consumption. I have even seen birthday cake, mixed sundae and toffee flavors.

2. Creatine

Bodybuilding.com names creatine as the top muscle building supplement of their choice. 

Creatine is a naturally occurring chemical found in your body. It is actually found in almost all animals (all vertebrates). You will find it naturally occurring in meat based foods. It is also made by your body. It is one of the most popular supplements that bodybuilders and weight lifters use, after whey protein (a form of protein powder that comes from milk).

The supplement creatine is most widely available in the following forms:

• Creatine can be sold on its own. Creatine powder is available as an isolated supplement on its own, which you can add to protein shakes (post workout and meal replacement shakes), smoothies or juices.
• Creatine can be mixed with other ingredients in pre-workouts. Pre-workouts are supplements taken before your workout to boost energy levels, physical performance, and recovery and muscle growth. See more on pre workouts below.
• Creatine can already be mixed into meal replacement and post workout supplements. 

It has the following functions within the body:

• It assists your cells to make energy. Without creatine, your muscles will not be able to generate the energy that they need in order to work.
• Creatine increases muscle size by increasing the water that a muscle can hold. This increases the amount of nutrients that can enter the muscle. It also elevates the amount of waste products that can exit the muscle in a given period of time.
• It is involved with the formation of protein nutrients into muscle tissue, by allowing protein synthesis to take place.
• Creatine signals to the rest of the body where muscle needs to grow and recover.

There are different forms of creatine (like creatine monohydrate, micronized creatine, creatine serum, buffered creatine, ethyl ester, effervescent creatine, creatine nitrate, hydro chloride and more). See the different forms of creatine and how these differences affect your muscle growth here.

3. Branched Chain Amino Acids

www.muscleandfitness.com says that branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) are by the far the most important of all the amino acids for building muscle. It also says that they are important for repairing the muscle after stimulating it to grow bigger. The advantages of taking these amino acids are:

• They ensure the reduction of muscle breakdown (being in a catabolic state). Your body can break down muscle for energy if it feels the need to do so. This can often happen if training periods are too long, your body feels stressed or threatened, you are sick (flu or colds, for example) or if you don't have enough nutrients for it to get the energy it needs. When you take branched chain amino acids, your body can break them down instead of muscle for energy and leave your precious muscle mass alone. They are good to take during times when you risk muscle loss, like when you are sick or need to go a long time without eating.
• They increase protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is the process where protein is converted into muscle. BCAA's increase the rate of protein synthesis because they are crucial elements needed to make protein. They are important building blocks of protein. Taking them allows your body to create and maintain muscle more easily.
• They increase energy levels. These amino acids increase physical energy and physical performance. They also decrease the rate at which muscles start to fatigue. They are therefore also great to use during workouts to maximize performance and decrease muscle damage.
• They help to improve the time that your body takes to recover from exercise and other activities that impact your muscles. These other activities can be long periods of standing for work, for example.

4. Glutamine

Glutamine stimulates the growth of your muscle, according to mensfitness.com

It is also an amino acid and therefore one of the building blocks of the protein nutrient. It is a fantastic supplement that speeds up all round recovery. Patients on hospital recover faster from surgery when they consumed extra glutamine.

Exercise greatly depletes your glutamine stores, and therefore supplementing with it after exercise will speed up the recovery process. It helps with recovery on almost all aspects of your body. For example, it speeds up recovery from illnesses like flu and colds, shortens the amount of time that wounds take to heal, supports a strong central nervous system and even protects the immune system from vulnerability.

Similar to BCAA's, it prevents muscle from breaking down. While BCAA's will give you the energy to exercise while assisting muscle growth, glutamine will protect you from damage and speed up all-round healing and recovery while assisting with muscle growth. It also helps to increase human growth hormone (HGH) levels. This growth hormone is one of the most important muscle building hormones, along with testosterone.

Glutamine is very active in maintaining digestive and gut health. Glutamine supplementation is an effective treatment for leaky gut syndrome. It has a vital role in other bodily functions, like maintaining liver and kidney health.

5. Beta-alanine

Beta-alanine supplementation can combat muscle fatigue and therefore increases the amount of work that a muscle can do before tiring out. This is according Michael Matthews from www.muscleforlife.com

When your muscles perform at high intensities like lifting weights, they produce an acid called lactic acid. This lactic acid is responsible for the burning sensation you feel in your muscles when you work them hard enough. It is a by-product of what happens in muscle fiber when it exerts itself to contract or expand against a heavy force. This lactic acid was primarily responsible for our survival, because it stops us from working a muscle so hard that it causes more damage than what the muscle can recover from. It is also responsible for the soreness and stiffness that you can feel for days after a good workout.

The primary survival reason for this response was to prevent you from over working a muscle that hasn't healed sufficiently yet. Beta-alanine supplementation decreases the release of lactic acid, allowing muscles to perform for a longer period of time. This increases the total time under tension that stimulates a muscle before it tires out.

Some people are more sensitive to this supplement than others. The beta-alanine content of pre-workout supplements is what causes the tingling sensation that some people feel on their skin. It can also cause some users to itch. Others don't have any negative side effects from it at all. If you feel a tingly, itchy side effect from a pre-workout; it is probably the beta alanine that your body does not have a good reaction to. Others do feel the tingly sensation, but like the feeling. They say that it makes them feel like the supplement is working all over their bodies.

6. ZMA

www.myprotein.com says that ZMA boosts muscle building hormones. ZMA is made up of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B-6. My Protein mentions studies where people with zinc and magnesium deficiencies had increases in testosterone and insulin-like growth factor when they took ZMA. Insulin-like growth factors (or IF-1 for short) are proteins which are extremely similar to insulin. It is commonly known and used for its ability to enhance muscle growth. To find out more about the benefits, sources and deficiency effects of zinc and magnesium, click here. ZMA is typically sold at supplement, health and vitamin stores as a natural testosterone booster. 

As a combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B-6, ZMA aids muscle recovery by assisting the body to rebuild itself after exercise. This can increase the speed at which muscle grows, as well as the amount of growth that it undergoes following stimulus. This works to improve muscle size and physical ability in a shorter period of time. It enhances quality of sleep and allows the body to turn fat into energy more efficiently.

Your body cannot store zinc, so it is important to get enough of it regularly. Your body naturally needs zinc for healing (from exercise, wounds or other damage), growth (creating new tissue), turning food into nutrients that the body needs and maintaining proper immune function.

Magnesium is important for the optimal maintenance of muscular, skeletal and nervous systems. It is also heavily involved with many biochemical functions within the body. Magnesium supplementation can ease muscle pain, decrease fatigue and improve performance. Many runners use it during big races for this reason. 

Vitamin B-6 is needed for energy production from the food we eat and transporting oxygen throughout the body. It is also important for keeping neurotransmitters healthy and active.

A combination of the above benefits gives ZMA its muscle-building benefits.

7. HMB

Authoritynutrition.com lists HMB as one of the top muscle building supplements. HMB stands for Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate. It is made when your body breaks down leucine, and it is essential for proper protein synthesis and muscle growth. It is naturally made within the body (by breaking down the amino acid leucine) and therefore supplementation is not necessary. Taking it as a supplement to increase the amount of HMB in your body, however, can benefit muscle creation. Authority nutrition cites studies that show that new athletes who take this supplement (at 3 - 6 grams a day) benefited with increases in muscles mass, compared to people who didn't.

Other studies show that trained athletes with more muscle mass than the beginners did not benefit significantly from HMB supplementation. Therefore, this supplement is a great option for people who are just starting out and need an extra boost to help them along their new journey. The benefits of HMS supplementation seem to diminish after the bodies of these athletes become better at turning protein into muscle. 

Beginners respond differently to exercise, compared to those who have trained for longer. For example, this workout plan is great for beginners who are new to weight training. It will help them to get their bodies into the routine of breaking down and building muscle without the amounts of physical stress that could hurt their bodies more than build them up. On the other hand, experienced bodybuilders will benefit from this workout routine more, since their bodies have adapted to weight training and need a newer, heavier stimulus to increase muscle growth.

Art of manliness says that HMB is not likely to be effective in increasing muscle mass. It discusses a study where people who took the supplement had great muscular gains from weight lifting. These people were consuming more calories than what their bodies were burning, though, which is also highly conducive to muscle growth. When these people used HMB while restricting their caloric consumption, they did not have the same benefits. This could mean that the reason why the people who used it initially gained muscle was because of diet and not because of the supplement itself.

My Take

It is fine to use HMB and the other supplements on this page, but diet must come first. Supplements cannot undo a bad diet. You should first focus on making sure that your diet is as conducive to muscle growth as possible before adding supplements into the mix. Supplements make a great bonus after your eating plan is properly implemented. Use these tips to create a diet that builds the most muscle.

8. Caffeine

The energy that caffeine gives you can benefit muscle development. Caffeine is found in most pre workout supplements for this reason. It gives you energy by breaking down fat stores. This is why it is also found in most weight loss supplements. Since your body has more energy from caffeine, it won't resort to breaking down muscle tissue for the immediate nutrients that it needs to cope with the physical stress during exercise. Studies have shown that subjects who work out in a fasted state retained more muscle mass when they had caffeine before their workouts. The extra energy that caffeine gives your body will allow your muscles to do more before tiring out. This increases the amount of stimulus that you can apply to muscle mass with every workout that you do.

The decreasing effect of caffeine

As great as the above information is, caffeine does have a diminishing effect. This is because the more caffeine you take the less sensitive to caffeine your body becomes. Since it increases energy levels by metabolizing fat, your body will try to counter this by decreasing natural fat metabolism. The process by which your body counteracts an action in order to restore balance is called homeostasis. The more caffeine you use (and the longer the period that you use it for); the more your body builds up a resistance in this way. For best results, I recommend using caffeine only in times where you need an extra boost, fear muscles loss due to diet change or need to jump start a new fat loss routine. By using it sparingly, you can get the benefits of this stimulant without minimizing its potential value for helping you to reach your goals.

9. Pre-workouts

The Athletic Build recommends using pre workouts to maximize strength and size gains. Pre workouts are supplements that are taken before exercise to increase energy and physical performance, decrease fatigue and rate of failure, increase recovery and growth, and boost motivation during exercise. Pre workouts are a mixture of different ingredients that bring about these benefits. Creatine, caffeine, testosterone boosters, amino acids and simple (fast acting) carbohydrates are common ingredients in pre workouts.

Pre workouts are usually very potent. For this reason, if you are using a pre workout for the first time; you should only use half of the dosage and increase or decrease it the next time that you work out, instead of taking a full dosage in the first go. For example, the first time I took a pre workout I felt very nauseous and felt like I was going to puke throughout my entire workout. 

It should also not be taken by people under the age of 18, or by people who are sensitive to stimulants. Since a lot of pre-workout supplements contain creatine and sugars which can increase water weight, many pre workout products are not recommended for people who are trying to lose weight or are preparing to compete. There are many variations without creatine and sugar for these people, though.

Pre-workouts give you an insane amount of energy. This massive amount of energy helps you to complete your workouts with the most stimuli that you can. The high energy effects also help to get your head in the game. I often compare taking a pre workout to drinking 10 cups of coffee in one go. 

Just like caffeine above, pre workout supplements need to be cycled. You should not take these every day of the week. Give your body at least two days of each week to rest from its energy-boosting properties; otherwise your body can burn out quite quickly. Also, allow for training cycles where you don't use a pre workout at all. Using it all the time will incur the same diminishing effect as caffeine. This happens when your body tries to balance out the effects of the pre workout. Since it greatly raises performance levels, it is easy to develop a mental dependence where people struggle to work out and give their muscles the stimulus that they deserve without the pre workout. 

Some people recommend using it for no more than 5 days a week and for no longer than eight weeks in a row before taking a 4 week break. This decreases dependence and counteracts the long term 'balancing out' reaction that your body will likely produce.

I personally only use it to break through a plateau where I haven't seen much progress in a long period of time. I also use it when changing up my program to a new routine that is much more demanding on my body. I also only use it for 5 weeks in a 1/4, 1/2, full, 1/2, 1/4 fashion. In my first week I will use a quarter of the full dose. In the second week I will use a half the normal dose. In the third week I will use a full dose so that I am increasing my dose as my body gets used to it. I then decrease my does to 1/2 and then 1/4 to give my body time to keep the same physical performance level with the decreasing amount of help from the pre-workout.

10. Horny goat weed and catuaba 

According to Men's Health, these two herbs reduce estrogen production and increase muscle growth. Estrogen is the female hormone; the opposite of testosterone. Your body balances these two hormones, which are both present (and made) in male and female bodies. When testosterone levels are high, estrogen levels will usually be lower. Your body uses the one hormone to balance out the other. For example, if your testosterone levels are too high, then your body will create more estrogen to balance out the excess testosterone. Horny goat weed and catuaba are often used to inhibit the production of estrogen.

Estrogen is not the worst thing in the world for muscle growth, says Iron Mag. Too much of it can cause ill effects (like practically every other substance in our bodies), but it is needed in male bodies for the creation of good sperm. Low estrogen levels are linked in infertility in men. Falling estrogen levels in women are linked to decreased bone health. Some studies suggest that the same is true for men. Estrogen is also strongly linked to good cardio vascular health.

Supplement tips

Here are some extra tips to help you decide what will work the best for you.

Choose wisely

Spot me bro recommends choosing the best supplements based on price and effect. If you are buying whatever everybody recommends and taking it without monitoring what works best for your own body, you could end up wasting a lot of money without achieving the best results. On the other hand, if you choose your supplements wisely, by doing a lot of research and trials to find what works best for you, you can achieve more while spending less.

Everybody's needs are different

Your body works different to mine and the next guy's. In the same way, some supplements will benefit you more than me. For example, I have tried a few pre-workouts to find the one that benefits me the most. I know of friends who say that the one that I use is nothing compared to their choices, but those ones don't have as a great an effect on me as the one I choose to use. Is one of us wrong? Not really. I discovered that the pre-workout I like works best for me. My friends have also tried a variety of supplements and found the best ones that work for them. 

Even entire categories of supplements might not benefit you in the same way that it could benefit someone else. Testosterone boosters are a good example. Most people below the age of 25 don't need testosterone boosters because their natural testosterone levels are already at their peak. Using them will be a waste of money that could be spent on other supplements that could make a much bigger difference. This isn't only limited to age or gender. Some people do better without pre workouts at all, for example.

Don't try too many new supplements out at once, so that you can test each one on its own without confusing the results. This way, you can feel which supplements are really helping you and which ones aren't making any difference.

If you have a few friends that are training with you, give the supplements that you don't use to them instead of throwing them away. Supplements are expensive. They might use it and benefit from it more than you did. This encourages them to give you their stuff that they don't use anymore. This becomes a great way for you to try out new stuff without having to commit money to it first.

Choose supplements according to goals

Decide on what your goals are before choosing the best supplements for you. If your goal is to lose weight, the supplements you use will be totally different to someone who is trying to gain weight. The ideal supplements differ greatly even for people who want to build muscle and lose fat, compared to people who want to build muscle and don't mind whether they gain a little fat or not.

If you don't mind gaining fat, for example, you will make sure that the calories that you consume are always more than what your body is burning, so that there are enough calories in your system for your body to turn into new muscle tissue.

If you want to burn fat at the same time, it becomes harder because you need to hold a close-to-perfect balance between eating enough calories to support muscle growth but less than enough for the body to turn into fat.

Different supplements can help you to bulk (or gain mass), lose weight (or cut/ tone/ define/ burn fat), strengthen (enhance performance), or recover. Find out what you want to do the most and buy supplements according to these objectives.

Priority list

Your first priority should be nutrients. Make sure that you get all the right nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy and grow muscle. These nutrients include water, carbohydrates, fats and micro nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, trace elements, anti-oxidants etc.)

Build up a good diet that gives you as much of these nutrients as possible. Once that is done, find the best supplements to help you fill the gaps that your new diet cannot fill. For example, your diet might not be able to give you all the protein that you need according to your goals (for appetite, money or time reasons). This is how protein shakes can provide a good benefit.

Once your nutritional aspect is taken care of, you can look into supplements that will boost muscle growth over and above what would normally happen without them. The next best thing is totally up to you. It is a good idea, however, to choose the next supplement according to what you feel like you need the most.

For example, glutamine might be your best option if you feel sore for too long after your workouts or take longer to recover than normal. Caffeine and pre workouts will be better if you feel like you need more energy to give your workouts the kind of intensity that they need. Branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) are great for times when you feel like your body could be breaking down muscle (like going too long without eating or getting sick).

Choosing a supplement based on what you struggle with the most will give you a lot more bang for your buck.

Don't replace food with supplements

You need to eat real food. Do not replace too much real food for supplements.

One of the reasons for this is micro nutrient diversity. You might be getting the same amount of carbohydrates from an apple as you do in a meal replacement shake, but that apple has many naturally occurring micro nutrients which the shake does not have, but that your body needs. Real food has many micro nutrients that your body needs to function properly. Eating a varied diet of real food along with supplements ensures that you get all the micro nutrients that your body needs.

Additionally, studies are repeatedly showing that our bodies absorb micro nutrients a lot more efficiently from real food, compared to supplements.

Shape.com lists the following micro nutrients as absolutely essential for athletes that are creating diets to meet their caloric needs:

• Vitamin C is important. You can get it from fresh fruit and vegetables. This aids recovery and supports a strong immune system.
• Fish oil is also needed. You can get it from oily fish like salmon. This balances out negative plant oils (trans fats) that come from fried foods. Fish oil is great for eye, brain, heart, skin and cardiovascular health.
• Calcium consumption greatly benefits health. It benefits muscle function just as much as it benefits bone health.
• Magnesium that comes from spinach and legumes supports healthy living. Most people already don't get enough of this mineral. It alleviates muscles cramping and decreases muscle soreness from exercise.
• B vitamins, which are important for skin and nervous system health, should not be neglected. They are also extremely important for proper metabolism function and energy production.
•  Vitamin D is needed and is strongly connected to other muscle building hormones like testosterone and growth hormone. Insufficient vitamin D can lead to sleep problems.
• Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps to combat the oxidation that exercise can put on cells. Almonds are a great source of this vitamin.

Another reason why we need real food is digestive health. Supplements are made to be easily digested and used within the body. Real foods are harder to digest into nutrients. If too much of your diet consists of supplements, your digestive system will lose its ability to break down actual food. I know of someone who ate nothing but protein shakes to lose weight for a few months. After that, they struggled to eat normal food and got pains every time they tried to; because their bodies grew too accustomed to easily digestible 'food'.

Stacking supplements

Stacking refers to using different supplements at the same time (throughout the day) to achieve a desired effect. Here are some of my personal stacks, according to my specific goals.

Bulking
During bulking phases I use a mass gainer, whey hydrolysate, casein and a pre workout.

I mix my mass gainer and whey hydrolysate in the mornings as soon as I wake up and straight after my workout. I use my pre workout half an hour before my weight training session and I use a combination of my mass gainer and casein before sleep.

Cutting 
On days where want to burn fat while retaining muscle I use BCAA's, whey hydrolysate, caffeine and casein.
I take my hydrolysate shake after I wake up, use the caffeine and BAA's before and during my workout and use BCAA's throughout the day. I drink a shake of casein powder before bed.

Maintaining
During maintenance phases, I only use my mass gainer and BCAA's throughout the day.

Please note: This is all in addition to my regular meals (I eat 4 meals of real food every day).

I hope that this article helps you to make the right supplement choices. I hope that it will not only help you to reach your specific physical goals, but also keep you strong and healthy. Health and physical success are closely inter-related. The less time your body needs to spend fighting off illness, the better. It will have more time to build muscle. The healthier you are, the more energy you will have to do the workouts that you need to do to get further. Unfortunately, none of these supplements work over night. You are still going to have to put in all of the time and dedication that it takes to reach the top. STAY STRONG!

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Speed Up Recovery from Exercise

If you're tired of waiting too long for your body to recover from exercise, here are a few things that you can do to speed up the process.

How to Recover Faster From Exercise

1. Get enough rest

Your quality of rest will determine the amount of rest that you need to recover. Make sure that you get enough sleep and that you don't challenge your body too much straight after your workout. This will allow your body to spend more resources (energy, nutrients and biological processes) on recovering. When you are physically doing too many things at the same time, your body spends fewer resources on recovery because it needs to dedicate a portion of those resources to other activities. Make sure that you sleep enough. Sleep is a very important factor in recovery. It is the time your body uses to do most recovery-related activities. It is also the time that it regulates muscle-growing hormones that directly affect muscle growth, strength, power and (you guessed it...) recovery. Here are good ways to maximize your rest times.

2. Get the right nutrients

Your body needs the right nutrients to recover. Absence of these essential nutrients will inhibit recovery. Not only can recovery take longer, but it can also limit the amount of recovery that your body gets. Furthermore, lack of nutrients can decrease the rate at which your body grows and strengthens as a result of exercise. Someone who does the exact same exercises as you but has the right nutrient intake will become faster, better and stronger than you if you aren't eating right. A bulking diet is great if your goal is to pack on as much muscle, as quick as possible. Taking different proteins at different times will ensure that your body has all the protein it needs, all of the time.

3. Stretch it out

Stretching your muscles out will increase blood flow to them, so that those precious nutrients will get to the right places. Blood flow will also allow waste products (including waste products stuck in the muscles from exercise) to get out of the muscle fibers. Static stretches are a great form of stretching for rest days because they relax the muscles, along with increasing mobility. Static stretches before exercise aren't recommended because the relaxing effect will lead to lower power output. Dynamic stretches, on the other hand, make for great warm up stretches because they prime the muscles for movement and exertion. Warming up before exercise and cooling down afterwards will also decrease recovery time. Increased blood flow during exercise will get nutrients to the places that need it and blood flow after exercise will help them usher out the waste products like lactic acid. Lactic acid is the stuff that makes your muscle feel sore and stiff after working out. It is produced as a by-product of muscle activity and is biologically used to stop you from over-exercising a muscle and damaging it.

4. Cool off

After exercising, cool your body down. When your body temperature returns to normal, your body exits its 'ready for action' state and enters into its 'recover from action' state. This will also help to bring your heart rate back down to normal. When the body is cooler, it is more relaxed and less stressed. This will take you out of catabolism (breaking down muscle for energy) and put you into anabolism (using energy to build muscle). If your body still feels like it needs to be ready for physical activity, it will hold onto energy that it could use for recovery in case you need that energy to survive. This is part of our survival mechanisms that ensure our survival. When you are stressed, your body keeps energy aside to escape from danger or face it (fight or flight). When you are not stressed, your body will use this energy to recover so that it is better prepared for the next physical challenge it might face.

5. Warm up

Ironically, warming up also increases the rate of muscle recovery. It does this by increasing blood flow. When your body temperature increases, blood vessels widen. When blood vessels are wider, more blood can move through them. Muscle tissues also expand with heat and can therefore accept more nutrient-containing blood and expel the blood again, which will contain the waste products. Try to cool down after your workout, and then increase your body temperature later on, or on rest days. Heat patches are a nice way to increase heat to a certain area or muscle that needs specific recovery. Steam rooms are great to increase heat throughout your whole body and increase blood flow everywhere.

6. Use a foam roller

Men's fitness recommends using a foam roller to speed up muscle recovery. This is good if you are feeling tightness or pain in a specific muscle or muscle group. Rolling your muscles out with foam rollers will give you similar effects to a massage. It will loosen up the muscle tissue so that new blood can enter and old blood can leave. A tight muscle takes longer to recover and loosening the muscle will allow it to undergo the right recovery processes that it needs to go through to get better. It will also break up scar tissue in the muscle if there is any. This scar tissue, if there is any present in the muscle, hampers proper muscle function. Lingering scare tissue could be in the way of optimum recovery. Knots in muscle tissues will also be eliminated.

7. Don't push too hard

Pushing your body too hard could lead to longer recovery periods needed before you can get back to your next exercise session. If this period gets too long, the amounts to exercise sessions (and total stimulus) that you miss out on could be greater than the initial workouts that grounded you in the first place. You must aim for a good balance of optimal training and recovery. When one overtakes the other, you will not be bettering your personal goals as quick as possible. Bodybuilding.com says that too much damage will force your body to use more of its resources on recovering from the intensity of exercise, instead of improving itself for the next workout.

8. Lighter exercise

Light forms of exercise that work the same muscle groups can speed up recover. Note that the point of these exercises is not to stimulate the muscle or body to get stronger, but rather to speed up recover. Since recover is the goal, exercises will be a lot lighter. A light walk will get the juices flowing and fire up your body's internal functions. For example, exercise can push your liver to work harder. If exercise is light enough, the liver's hard work (and increased functionality) won't go towards recovering from the current exercise, because the exercise it too light to demand too much resources. Instead, the extra resources woken up from the lighter exercise will be allocated to recovery. Men's Health recommends using resistance bands to perform similar, lighter versions of your exercise to speed up recovery.

9. Get enough water

Fit Day says that staying hydrated during exercise reduces the chance of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Not surprisingly, hydration also allows your body to get rid of more waste products, like the lactic acid that is responsible for delayed onset muscle soreness. The more hydrated your body is, the better it performs at all of its biological functions and processes. The better your body can do what it naturally does, the better it can recover and get back on track. Water will also prevent the muscles from tightening, which will take them longer to heal because they need to relax first before being able to recover fully.

10. Use proper form

This could be classified more as preventative advice, but using the right form will decrease the amount of time that you need to recover between exercise sessions. This applies to weight lifters, runners and soccer players alike. Nerd Fitness says that improper form is one of the leading causes of prolonged exercise recovery time. They also say that using the wrong form over and over again will almost definitely lead to injury. Injury could take you out of the game permanently, or for too long a time. I once had to stop training for 6 months because of a shoulder injury. Many end in surgery because of it. Ensuring proper form is one of the best ways to avoid these situations. If you are using the wrong exercise form, this will increase your required recovery time.

11. Get a massage

Live Strong cites proof that a massage reduces delayed onset muscle soreness by 30% when done after a workout. They recommend getting a massage once a week if you can. If you have been stuck in recovery for too long or need to gear up quickly for a major event, a good massage might be just what the doctor ordered. Massaging the muscle works to speed up recovery by deeply penetrating its tissue and loosening up and tightness, knots or scar tissue. Live Strong says that getting a good massage at the end of every week will prime your body for optimal performance in the week to come.

12. Decrease stress

Active.com recommends trying to avoid mental stress in order to improve physical recovery. Stress releases a hormone called cortisol. This hormone is the body's primary survival mechanism to get it ready to face a challenging situation. Higher cortisol levels decrease your body's ability to recover from exercise. This happens because your body is getting ready to face danger and does not want to use its energy to recover. It saves this energy for the perceived danger that cortisol is priming the body for. Try to avoid situations where you feel negative emotions. Dedicate time to doing things that you enjoy and that make you feel relaxed.

Great Supplements for Recovery 

Would this list be complete without the best supplements that will aid recovery? I don't think so. Here are two great supplements that will help you get back on your feet again.

1. Glutamine

Glutamine is a super recovery supplement. It is one of the amino acids that make up protein. It is naturally found in your body. Exercise greatly depletes this amino acid and loading up on it will speed to recovery. It can also be used by patients in hospital to decrease the amount of time that they have to stay after surgery. It also helps with injuries and shortens the time of illnesses like flu and colds. Nutrition Express recommends consuming 5 to 8 grams of glutamine post workout for optimum recovery. They also recommend making sure that your protein powder and meal replacements have a few grams of the stuff.

2. Branched chain amino acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Branched chain amino acids are three specific amino acids. These are leucine, isoleucine and valine. They promote protein synthesis and promote the muscle healing process. They also stop the body from breaking muscle down for energy. This is because your body can use these BCAA's for energy instead. They speed up muscle recovery during exercise and therefore increase physical performance. Taking them during exercise will decrease the amount of damage done to muscle and taking them afterwards will aid protein synthesis (turning protein into muscle), stop muscle breakdown and decrease recovery time.

I hope this article helps you in your quest to become the best. Remember to take your journey one step at a time and that everybody worth remembering started at the bottom. I am looking forward to reading your comments. STAY STRONG!

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Isometrics

Isometrics refers to working a muscle without moving it. Tensing your muscles is an example. We've all heard some of the big boys at the gym tell us that flexing the muscle group you have just worked in the mirror at the change rooms afterwards helps the muscles to grow even bigger. This is actually true because it further stimulates the muscle to grow and increase your pump. The pump in itself is beneficial because it causes the blood vessels to widen, increasing the amount of nutrients that can enter the muscle and increases the amount of waste products (like lactic acid) that can leave the muscle.

Isometric training already incorporated into your training session

Here are a few ways that you are probably already using isometric training:

Isometric exercises

Planks, which work out the core (abdominal, oblique and low back) muscles, are an isometric exercise because they work the muscles while they stay in the same position.

Stabilizing muscles

Muscles are also worked in an isometric fashion in lifts that require movement, but the stabilizing muscles aren't moved during the lift. For example, the core during push-ups, deadlifts, pull ups and squats does not move but is stimulated. Another example is the biceps, forearms, trapeziums and shoulders during dead lifts.

Isometric holds

You perform an isometric hold when you pause at the peak of your lift, like holding for one or two beats at the top of your bicep curl. Isometric holds have been touted as a great way to increase total time under tension and squeeze maximum muscle stimulus out of every rep.

Benefits of doing isometric training on its own

Here are a few reasons why doing isometric training in addition to your usual weight training routine can be beneficial:

Prevent and recover from injury

Isometric training is a great way to recover from joint injury because it does not require movement of the joint but still stimulates the muscle. For example, squeezing your hands together as hard as you can in front of your chest will still stimulate your chest muscles put will put less strain on your shoulders if you are recovering from shoulder injury.

Increase muscle strength during a specific range of motion

For example, if your chest muscles are at their weakest during the lowest part of the bench press (when the barbell is closest to your chest); you can increase the strength of your chest at this range of motion. You can do this by holding heavy dumbbells for as long as you can in this specific position for a few sets without moving them. This will increase your chest strength at this point, helping the outcome of your overall lift.

Shaping the muscle

Isometric lifts can shape muscles in order to achieve their best aesthetic look. For example, holding a dumbbell curl when the bicep is fully lengthened will develop the bicep in such a way that I will look longer. By performing an isometric hold when the bicep is fully contracted (shortened), it will make the bicep 'pop out' more.

Some people argue that you can develop the same amount of muscle mass through isometric contraction as normal weight lifting and there are numerous stories online of people who claim to have developed muscle this way. This is, however, a debated topic and we cannot verify whether this is true or just hype.

Well now you know what 'Isometrics' is all about, you know why the guys are posing so hard in the mirror and you have a few more options when it comes to injury and muscle shaping. Keep in mind that intense isometric holds do momentarily increase blood pressure as you tense your muscles as hard as you can. Keep pushing and be the best you can. STAY STRONG!

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The Perfect Rest Day

Regular rest is important to maximize muscle growth. It prevents over training, gives your body a chance to grow and adapt to the stimulus you have put on it and ‘catch its breath’ so to speak. It also makes sure that your central nervous system and immune don’t fall behind. Most of us don’t like rest days, but they can be a good mental break to come back in full force. Additionally there are things you can do on your rest day that will help your body recover to its maximum potential.

Here is a list of things you can do on your rest day:

          Total Rest

Total rest is good for the body to recuperate. It gives your muscles the time to recover on a deeper level, refill their glycogen stores and grow in strength without rushing to recover before being worked again. Most workout splits work a certain muscle once or twice a week so that they can recover before their next session, but their recovery is sometimes limited because even though they are not being put under a physical stress, they end up competing with the other muscles that are working in the other sessions for nutrients. The body can only do so much at a single time, and occasional rest days that involve complete rest with any stimulus allows it to focus more of its resources on rest and growth instead of performing at the same time.

          Replacement

Those who are really dedicated to the iron often feel lost during the time that they would be pumping things up. It is also possible to also feel depressed because you don’t feel the endorphin release that exercise brings. Others even feel guilty for not pushing their bodies to the limit all the time. This can make some hate rest days, but some use this extra time as an opportunity to do things that they don’t usually have time for or don’t think about doing. These things can include taking a walk, going for a swim, spending time with family and friends, watching a good movie, cleaning out the house or eating at a fancy restaurant.

          Steam Room

The steam room is a favorite among those on rest days because they have an excuse to go to the gym (force of habit) even though they are not working out. The steam room also compliments rest and recovery because of sweating that helps remove toxins and waste products. Additionally, the increased blood flow from the heat and widened blood vessels increases the availability of nutrients to muscle for optimum growth.

          Stretching

Stretching is also a good option because it elongates the muscles, increases blood flow and relaxes them. The benefits that stretching provide not only help to get the most out of rest days, but offer additional benefits like improved range of motion and flexibility and decreased injury risk.

          Light Cardio

Light cardio is a popular form of rest (often called active rest) because it allows people to still exercise when they are ‘resting’ from their prioritized form of exercise. Light cardio can benefit rest and recovery because it increases blood flow, which will help take away toxin and waste products from recovering muscle and at the same time increase the rate at which required nutrients are delivered to these muscles. Cardio at a higher intensity or for a prolonged period of time, however, can actually inhibit muscle growth because this could cause the body to redirect resources (energy and nutrients) from muscle to cope with the new stress placed on it.

These things can help to maximize your rest days. It is best to try a combination of these. For example, doing light cardio on some rest days will contribute to a balanced health and fit body, but rest days with complete rest (no exercise) are also necessary for the body to dedicate all of its resources to growth and development alone. STAY STRONG!

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Stretching For Bigger Muscles

Can stretching really lead to bigger muscles? Yes it can! Stretching can be used to maximize muscle recovery and performance when used to compliment a good strength training routine. Today we look at how stretching can help you on your journey to bigger arms and massive legs.

One of my favorite reasons why stretching helps muscle growth is because it elongates the muscle. By elongating the muscle, there is more space for the muscle to grow. This makes the muscle look bigger and more aesthetic. It won’t look shortened or too small for the area it is supposed to cover anymore. Think of biceps that have a little lump in the middle. By stretching the biceps, they can lengthen to appear larger.

Static and dynamic stretching for muscle

Static stretching

Static stretching is the kind of stretch where you hold a certain muscle for a few seconds before releasing (like toe touches). Research has shown that static stretching before exercise (hamstring stretch before running, for example) does not actually decrease the risk of injury. Research has also shown that static stretches do not improve muscle performance either, but can actually decrease muscle output. For example, stretching biceps in a static fashion before doing bicep curls will decrease their maximum output before failure. This effect lasts for over an hour following a good, thorough static stretch. The reason appears to be because static stretching relaxes the muscle fibers, sensitizing them to tension.

Does this mean that there is no place for static stretches in the world of muscle growth? Not at all! Static stretches aren’t very effective as a warm-up for before exercise, but they do offer benefits like increasing range of motion, releasing tension and correcting postural imbalances. All of these effects will decrease overall risk of injury in the long-term and help with optimized muscle gain, if used at the right times. By increasing the range of motion, you are able to get the best out of every rep. For example, people who have a problem with their heels lifting off the floor during the squat (bad form) because of tight calve muscles and tendons can do static calf stretches for a few days to loosen them - so that heels are flexible enough to stay on the ground and stabilize the entire squat movement (this is the right way to do them).

Lifting weights can tighten muscle fibers over time - which leads to them losing their overall range of motion. For example, people who have built up their upper bodies but have not stretched regularly can often feel uncomfortable when resting with their hands folded behind the back of their head.  This tightness is not because the muscles gets too big, but because the muscle has grown tighter over time and is not as elastic - as a result of all the tension. Static stretching can both prevent and undo this.

As discussed above, static stretching won't help much if done before exercise. Static stretching can, however, be done after exercise to cool down. This works very well because when the muscles are warm, they are more flexible and will therefore respond well to stretching. This will increase how much they can stretch, and by extending them further, you can increase your range of motion even more.

Even better: static stretching is great to do on rest days to maximize recovery and growth for a variety of reasons. Firstly, not much energy is required to stretch and this means that you are still not burning too much energy on your off days (which should be directed towards muscle growth). Secondly, static stretching will release built up tension. It also helps relaxes the muscles. This helps them to recover faster and grow more. Static stretching also helps to improve blood flow, which helps the muscles disperse lactic acid and get the nutrients needed for recovery.

Pro tip: stretching in the steam room will increase flexibility, release tension, improve circulation (and nutrient delivery), and increase recovery even more.

Dynamic stretching

Dynamic stretching is the type of stretching that has movement throughout the stretch. For example, swinging the arms in front of the chest and behind the back to stretch out the upper body (chest, back, biceps and triceps) is a dynamic stretch. Dynamic stretching, in contrary to static stretching, is well suited as a warm-up before exercise because it increases blood flow to the muscles and ‘wakes them up’ before exertion. Studies have shown that the dynamic stretching of a certain muscle before weight training increases its power and strength output immediately afterwards. For example, swinging the arms in front of the chest and behind the back could increase the amount of reps performed on the bench press. Besides increasing short-term power, dynamic stretching also elongates the muscles and increases overall range of motion.

Stretching helps to make sure that the muscles stay supple and flexible. Having big muscles won’t cost you your mobility - if you stretch them regularly. For bodybuilders, stretching does not need to be done daily, but a good stretch once or twice a week could really give you an extra edge. As small as the impact that stretching has on muscle growth seems to be, the difference adds up over time and makes a significant contribution.

Personally, I do a static stretch routine on my active rest days. STAY STRONG!

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