As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Day, countless individuals will pledge to cut down on the calories and slim down in the upcoming year. I hope you aren’t one of them! You may be thinking, “What?! Don’t resolve to lose weight? But it’s a tradition; I do it every year!” The difficulty is this: In spite of our culture's fascination with slimming down, research has confirmed that diets … [Read more...]
Walking for Weight Loss: What You Need to Know
How much should you walk if you want to start losing weight? The general rule is that you should walk at least 10,000 steps each day. If you are walking for weight loss, you may need to increase the number of steps you take depending on your diet and activity. Walking is a great way to get some exercise into your day. You only need some comfortable shoes, some supportive clothing, and a safe … [Read more...]
Why You Might Be Gaining Weight After Working Out
There are a few reasons why you might gain weight after exercising, which have been backed by research. There are several things that can contribute to weight gain, including muscles, water retention, inflammation after working out, taking supplements, or even undigested food. In most cases, post-workout weight gain is temporary. Here is what you need to know about gaining weight after working … [Read more...]
Muscular Hypertrophy: Back to the Basics [Updated July 2022]
Hypertrophy training is about building muscle mass. Research suggests that the optimum number of hypertrophy exercise sets per week is 15 to 20, but these should be spread across different days. Exercise-induced muscle damage, metabolic stress, mechanical tension, and fascia stretch training are the mechanisms of hypertrophy muscular development. Additionally, horizontal loading is usually better … [Read more...]
Can You Slow Down Your Metabolism?
If you're trying to add weight or muscle mass, having a high metabolism can work against you. Metabolic rate tends to be higher in individuals who are younger, male, and have more muscles. Diet has an impact as well. To lower your metabolism, eat less often, consuming fewer calories with more simple carbohydrates and less protein. Move around less during the day (e.g., avoid fidgeting). For … [Read more...]