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Tuesday, June 21, 2022

How Carb Backloading Helps You Lose Fat and Build Muscles Fast

 

How carb backloading helps you lose fat and build muscles fast. It works by eating carbs at the time of day your body is more likely to use carbs to build muscle and burn fat. This will be at 4 hours before you go to bed, and right after your workout


Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes



Carb Backloading: How to Torch Fat & Gain Muscle by Eating Carbohydrates

We’ve been taught that eating carbs first thing in the morning helps boost our metabolism and energize us, which is why the typical American breakfast includes OJ, toast, fruit and oats.

We’ve also been taught to avoid eating carbs at night because they can make us pack on the pounds and sabotage weight loss.

While there’s logic behind this claim (it’s true: our bodies demand less energy when going to bed, which suggests carbs eaten at night will get stored as fat, not used for fuel), research suggests that eating carbs at night may actually promote fat loss. This concept is called “carb backloading”, and it goes against everything we thought we knew about eating carbs.

Now, as a quick disclaimer before I get into the details of carb backloading: it’s not a method that encourages you to eat potato chips, donuts and ice cream before bed.

Instead, we’re focusing on quality carbs here, such as sweet potatoes and coconut flour (and I’ll give you a list of the best sources of Paleo carbs for carb backloading at the end of this article). You’ll also want to avoid refined sugar in general, because it offers no nutritional value and damages your health on many levels.

It should also be noted that carb backloading is designed as a natural way to increase muscle mass and fat burning for athletes, as opposed to being a weight loss program.

In any case, carbs are a nutrient that get stored as fat when overconsumed, which is why they should be eaten in moderation (unless you have an extremely high activity level).

What is Carb Backloading and How Does It Work?

You can think of carb backloading as “strategic timing” for eating carbs, based on how your insulin levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day.

Insulin is a storage hormone that helps your body metabolize carbs. Like a “fuel selector” switch, it tells your body when to store carbs as fat and when to store them as glycogen in your muscle tissue.

Carb backloading uses this fuel selector switch to its advantage, and recommends eating carbs based on the time of day your body is more likely to use carbs to build muscle and burn fat. Insulin is more sensitive in the evenings, meaning you can digest carbs easier at night.

Insulin is said to be approximately 30% more sensitive in the evenings and after working out, which means your body can digest carbs more effectively (read: the fuel selector switch is turned on).

On the other hand, insulin levels are the least sensitive in the morning, which means your body is less responsive to carbs and more likely to store them as fat.

As you can see, according to carb backloading principles, steak and eggs may the favorable breakfast choice for muscle building and fat loss after all.

Watch this video – What is Carb Backloading and How to Do It


How Carb Backloading Helps You Lose Fat and Build Muscles Fast

As mentioned above, carb backloading can help you get lean because it takes into consideration when your fat storage hormones are most active.

Simply put, your insulin levels are at their highest peak in the morning, which is when your body is more likely to store carbs as fat. So, ditching carbs in the morning can help accelerate weight loss and allow you to gain more definition.

On the other hand, insulin levels are most sensitive in the evenings and after working out, which is when your body will utilize carbs to replenish glycogen in your muscles and build muscle tissue, rather than storing carbs as fat. Try eating carbs about four hours before bed to best replenish your muscles after a workout.

The best time to eat carbs for carb backloading is said to be 4 hours before you go to bed, and right after your workout to replenish the glycogen in your muscles. Since carb backloading is all about being in sync with your hormonal rhythms, it’s ideal to plan your workouts in the evenings if possible (around 5 pm or later).

If evening workouts aren’t doable with your schedule, you can still practice carb backloading.

If you work out in the mornings, you’ll need to eat a small amount of carbs to replenish lost energy – but it’s still recommended to pair these carbs with a blood sugar balancing nutrient, such as a Paleo protein powder, to prevent excess insulin from being released. Otherwise, your insulin levels will become elevated, which prevents you from being in a fat-burning state.

More Benefits of Carb Backloading

In addition to building muscle and losing fat, carb backloading can help you sleep like a baby.

Carbs help transport tryptophan across the blood brain barrier, which is an amino acid that gets converted to the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Serotonin gets converted to melatonin in the pineal gland – and, as you may already know, melatonin is responsible for regulating your sleep and wake cycle.

Since low levels of melatonin are linked to a disrupted sleep cycle, carbs may just be Mother Nature’s NyQuil.

How to Do Carb Backloading

To summarize, the general guidelines of carb backloading are:

1. Eat protein or healthy fats until 5 pm, when insulin levels are highest, which is when you’re more likely to be in a fat-storage state.

2. Eat carbs after a workout to replenish your glycogen stores. To be in sync with your natural hormone rhythms, it’s best to work out in the late afternoon or early evenings. The average athlete only needs a small amount of carbs, while the elite athlete will require a larger serving.

3. If your daily workout is in the morning, have a small amount of carbs (such as a piece of fruit) paired with a protein source. This prevents excess insulin from being released, and also prevents your body from turning on the “fat storage” switch.

4. Eat your carb meal in the evening, approximately 3-4 hours before you go to bed, to encourage muscle building and fat loss.

Notes:

Some carb backloading experts say small amounts of carbs during the day (after breakfast) are acceptable when carb backloading, as long as it’s less than 30g of carbs, which is the equivalent of one medium-sized banana or two small baked sweet potatoes. When carbs are eaten in smaller amounts, your body releases less insulin, which means the carbs are less likely to be stored as fat.

Carb backloading is most effective for the elite athlete looking to gain muscle and improve athletic performance when training on a regular basis, approximately 4-5 times per week.

Sample Carb Backloading Meal Plan

This sample carb backloading meal plan is based on doing your workouts at 5 pm and going to bed at 11 pm.


Best Sources of Paleo Carbs for Carb Backloading

Since grains, beans and legumes aren’t carbs that are permitted on a Paleo diet, the best sources of Paleo carbs for carb backloading are mainly fruitvegetables and natural sweeteners.

Carbs break down into glucose and fructose. Glucose is your body’s preferred fuel source because it fills your muscle glycogen stores, whereas fructose fills your liver glycogen stores.

This is why moderating high sugar fruits and veggies (such as bananas and plantains) and focusing on low fructose foods (such as apples and pears) can be more beneficial for building muscle and losing fat.

Apples and pears are better for building muscle and losing fat than high sugar fruits.

Here are the best sources of Paleo carbs for carb backloading:

  • Bananas
  • Plantains
  • Apples
  • Berries
  • Pears
  • Mango
  • Peaches
  • Dates
  • Carrots
  • Squash
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Peppers
  • Parsnips
  • Beets
  • Cassava
  • Pumpkin
  • Coconut
  • Coconut flour
  • Tapioca flour
  • Paleo chocolate chips
  • Raw honey
  • Maple syrup

Written by Brandi Black

Author Bio:

Brandi Black is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and the creator of Feel Best Naked, a health blog for women who want to clear up their skin, lose the muffin top and make the bloat disappear. After years of experiencing (and then healing) her own unbalanced hormones, she’s now obsessed with helping other women feel spectacular in their own skin with natural remedies for hormone balance.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook



3 Relaxation Techniques to De-Stress Your Mind and Body

 

Finding time to fully relax in modern society can sometimes feel as difficult as trying to hunt down the extinct woolly mammoth in mid-winter, barefoot (see: impossible). To break out of this thinking and start on a path to regain the lost art of relaxation, here are 3 relaxation techniques to de-stress your mind and body.


Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes



Finding time to fully relax in modern society can sometimes feel as difficult as trying to hunt down the extinct woolly mammoth in mid-winter, barefoot (see: impossible). To break out of this thinking and start on a path to regain the lost art of relaxation, it’s important to first understand how our stress response operates.

Stress is regulated by two systems in the body. The parasympathetic system, which controls relaxation, rest, and digestion, and the sympathetic system, which controls our “emergency” response to stress.

To put it simply, our parasympathetic system is in control when we’re relaxed and calm, while our sympathetic is in control when we’re facing an imminent threat (say, from an angry animal).

However, the giant hiccup in this system is that the sympathetic side doesn’t distinguish between that angry animal and another bad day at the office. This results in a chronic stress response that is extremely taxing on the adrenal system, and can leave us feeling run down and even suppress our immune system.

This is why managing stress is so important to overall health. We’ll help you do just that by providing some of the best relaxation techniques you can practice daily:

1. Mindful Breathing

The way we breathe has a profound effect on our nervous system. Ancient yogis instinctively knew this to be true, developing an entire system around the concept of timed and controlled breathing called “Pranayama.”

Modern research has shed light on this ancient practice, showing that specific types of breathing do indeed influence the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems we spoke of earlier.

For instance, studies have shown that alternate nostril breathing (one of the common pranayama techniques) enhances the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, while decreasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

This is an amazing revelation, considering that breathing exercises are also an extremely convenient technique to integrate into our fast-paced lifestyles.

Below is an alternate-nostril breathing exercise you can do anywhere with just 10-15 minutes, your fingers, and fresh air. Use it during moments of anxiety and stress, or go a step further and practice daily to strengthen the parasympathetic nervous system over time.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

  1. Find a comfortable sitting position with your spine straight and shoulders back.
  • Relax your left arm in your lap, while bringing your right hand up to your nose.
  • Place your pointer and middle finger so they rest between your eyebrows, while focusing on using your thumb and ring finger to alternate closing your nostrils.
  • Close your right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through your left nostril, slow and steady.
  • Close your left nostril with your ring finger so both nostrils are closed, holding your breath for a brief count.
  • Open your right nostril and exhale slowly, pausing for a beat at the bottom of the exhale.
  • Inhale through your right nostril, pausing again at the height of the inhale with both nostrils closed.
  • Open your left nostril and exhale, pausing again at the bottom.
  • Repeat for 5-10 cycles.

2. Mindful Eating

Aside from making sure we’re nourishing our bodies with only the most natural foods, mindful eating also encompasses the way we eat. In our society, mealtimes are often rushed in an effort to get back to work or otherwise save time.

Not only does this result in eating while we’re stressed (which has a host of negative consequences), it also causes eating to become a stressful activity in and of itself, compounding the problem.

Studies have shown that eating while chronically stressed can impair digestion, cause overgrowths of certain bacteria, and compromise the intestinal barrier (which can lead to leaky gut).

Also, in studies where individuals practiced mindful eating, satiety and hunger cues were improved, with researchers also discovering participants naturally lowered their calorie intake as compared to controls.

So how can we integrate mindful eating into our days?

Below are a few simple techniques that will change your behavior toward mealtimes, hopefully filling your plate with peaceful relaxation, rather than anxiety and tension.

Remove distractions. This can be anything that takes your attention away from your food, such as the television, the newspaper, the computer, etc. Focus wholly on what’s on your plate and strive to remain in the moment.

Address your mood. As you sit down to eat, take a moment to address your emotions. What are you feeling? Try to release feelings of anxiety or anger before taking your first bite by taking a few deep breaths (or even doing a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing!).

Eat slowly. Notice that when your mind begins to wander, you tend to focus less on chewing—an important part of digestion. Practice setting down your fork between bites and/or counting chews (roughly 15 per bite) if this helps you slow down.

3. Yoga Poses that Promote Relaxation

Yoga, known as one of the best techniques to promote relaxation, also builds strength and increases flexibility.

Cat-Cow Pose

Cat-Cow combines deep spinal stretching with deep breathing (which we know is a huge plus when it comes to relaxation). Begin on all fours and lift your head, heart, and tailbone to the sky as you inhale. On your exhale, pull in your stomach, round your back and drop your head. Repeat 5-6 times.

Child’s Pose

Sit comfortably on your heels. Lower your torso forward, bringing your forehead to rest on the floor in front of you. Extend your arms ahead of you and lower your chest as comfortably as you can to your knees. Take long, deep breaths.

Standing Forward Bend

Stand with your feet together. With a slight bend in your knees, bend over your legs until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings. You can either let your hands touch your feet, wrap them around your elbows to let your upper body hang freely, or deepen the pose by wrapping your arms around the back of your knees.

Watch this video – 20 Minute Guided Meditation for Reducing Anxiety and Stress–Clear the Clutter to Calm Down


These relaxation techniques can be practiced throughout your day, allowing you to put your nervous system, your mind, and your body at ease in the face of any threat, be it mammoth or traffic jam.

Written by Megan Patiry

Author Bio:

Megan is an inquisitive nutrition and wellness writer harboring an editorial love affair with the decadent and the nutritious. She is a dedicated researcher in all areas of ancestral health, a certified specialist in fitness nutrition, personal trainer, and professional almond milk latte addict.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

Friday, June 17, 2022

9 Ways to Beat Chronic Stress and Anxiety Naturally

 

As the very fabric of our society has changed, we have all become more stressed. In fact, the data all shows that we are all stressed like never before. Here are 9 ways to beat chronic stress and anxiety naturally.


Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes



As the very fabric of our society has changed, we have all become more stressed. In fact, the data all shows that we are all stressed like never before.

We have more options (some would say too many options), many responsibilities, a digital life to manage, a real life to manage, a job (or two), children, television shows – you can see what I mean.

But stress is also one of the most destructive things for our body – especially chronic stress, which is small, but constant. And guess which category all of the aforementioned stressors fall into? That’s right – chronic stress.

When we are constantly stressed, our entire body misbehaves in a multitude of ways. Hormones are thrown off balance, neurological processes go haywire, and we are left frazzled, anxious and uncomfortable. And all of that leads to poor food choices.

But Wait – Why Is Stress Bad?

Stress is a killer – the research clearly states it. But just how pervasive stress has become is not well understood by the majority of the population. What is also not fully understood is the devastating effect this constant stream of stress has on our body, as well as our minds.

And perhaps worst of all, even if we think we are stressed; our body reacts like we are stressed. It’s truly a vicious cycle. Avoiding stress, or at least trying to limit it, is vital for a variety of reasons. For starters, your eating habits will likely improve, as stress is one of the biggest reasons for poor food choices.

Tied in with this is better sleep. Since a lack of sleep has been scientifically tied to poor dietary choices the following day, you can see just how interdependent all these elements truly are.

The Little Things Add Up

Chronic stress has even been linked to cancer and diabetes – not good. The science here mostly points to a chronic systemic state of low-level inflammation – due to excess stress leading to poor choices. The fight or flight response is just a small part of what is happening inside our body when stress hits us.

Interestingly, small things, like how we start each and every day, can have a big impact on our stress levels.

For example, if you hit the snooze button on your alarm a few times before you actually get up, you are likely already late – causing some stress and a feeling of anxiety in your stomach. You may also skip breakfast as a result – furthering your stress spiral. Chronic stress has even been linked to cancer and diabetes.

See how easily little things can start to add up? You then overeat at lunch (or grab a mid-morning donut) and the day just gets worse from there. You are exhausted and cranky (from low blood sugar) after work, so you skip the gym and grab a drink instead. And repeat. What can you do differently?

1. Wake Up On Time

Contrast this with what happens when we wake up on time, or even 10 minutes early. We are relaxed, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, have no anxious feeling in our stomach, and make better choices throughout the day. Since we’re not run down, we go to the gym after work, and burn off some stress exercising.

This seemingly insignificant change has vastly altered our stress levels, and has caused large amounts of change in our daily life. Now don’t get me wrong, waking up late or turning off the alarm can happen to anyone. But it is when these behaviors become regular habits that we start to slide into trouble.

2. Realize That Everyone Is Too Stressed

I know it may be hard to empathize with your boss who is crushing you at work, but bear with me here. We are all slammed with stress nowadays. As we age, it becomes even more difficult to maintain a healthy stress level.

Your metabolism slows, stress and responsibility goes up. It becomes very difficult to stay healthy. The best time to act is today — no matter how old you may be.

While many have been fooled into thinking that increased stress is “just part of life,” the real truth is that we have failed to correct a lot of little bad habits, and they start to catch up with us when our body and mind are no longer (metaphorically) invincible.

Remember: When it comes to chronic stress, the little things add up.

The real cause of stress as a negative risk factor comes from little, daily, seemingly inconsequential problems. Our body is supposed to handle acute stressors, like exercise, near-crashes in cars, etc.

It is not meant to constantly be worried about social media updates or selfie angles. And therein lies the rub – modern life is too chronically stressful. This is just a fact. But what else can we do?

3. Make A Daily Schedule

Using the example, I’ve already outlined, sketch out a daily routine that allows more time for relaxation. Just having a plan and schedule will allow you to feel less stressed.

Even if work is full of stress, you can dominate the rest of your day – leaving yourself feeling relaxed and better able to focus on the work part of your day. You may be surprised just how much a daily schedule can help things!

4. Eliminate The Fluff

Just as important as making a schedule is eliminating things that aren’t truly important. This step is often the hardest of all, and I’ll admit – I struggle with it too.

For me, it’s reading. I simply want to read every article, book and fact ever written. While this can work to my advantage, it can also be hugely destructive, especially when I’m awake at 3 a.m. reading through the entire New York Times.

I have set times that allow me to do things that I enjoy, without going overboard. There are simply stressors we have less control over (jobs, families, etc.)

Taking charge of the little things we do have control over can help us to build confidence, as well as making us more adaptable to the big stresses we inevitably must face.

5. Meditate

I know some may consider meditation a “soft” science, but chances are that it will make you less stressed and healthier! And it actually does have some science behind it, believe it or not! Fit in 5-20 minutes of daily meditation, and reap the rewards of structural brain changes, as a result.

6. Fix Toxic Relationships

How about those pesky relationships, which are a constant ‘will they or won’t they?’ I’m talking about friends we all have, who are flaky, irritating, but also possibly lovable. Research has shown that these kinds of relationships are actually more stressful than ones we have with our actual enemies!

Set hard rules in the sand with late people, or ones who cancel, and stick to them. It is also possible that they just need to be listened to – because they too are stressed!

7. Protect Your Time

Limit your obligations to things you truly need to do – nothing more. This is a lesson that many of us (unfortunately) learn the hard way. I have learned to protect my weekend time like death. You have to!

With cell phones, texting and email, sometimes the only way to secure some alone time is to not agree to any plans – or sometimes not even answer any messages. Your (less stressed) body and brain will thank you for it.

8. Schedule “You” Time

Take at least 1 day per week, and make it your day. If you are married with children, at least take a few hours (though you likely need this more than anyone!). If we do not do little things like this on a consistent basis, the stress bubble will eventually burst, and the results won’t be pretty.

An overlooked part here as well is to make sure you have a large amount of quiet time. Noise causes stress – yes, even people talking. That is why it is so important to protect your alone time – all this constant stress and sound will eventually break you down. But when you spend some quiet time alone, we are adding a deposit back in to our health, instead of continuing the constant withdrawals.

9. Get Away from Screens

I will freely admit that my generation is quite terrible at time management, and also at limiting stress. We live in front of screens, we work in front of screens, and we relax in front of screens.

Scarily enough, we also fall asleep to screens – truly terrifying for our health. I recommend deleting (or at least deactivating) as many social media accounts as you can.

Think of how many people you really need to be in touch with. It’s not as many as you think. You will be surprised at what a gigantic time saver this can be. And when we have more free time – we are less stressed.

Want to beat chronic stress and anxiety naturally? Watch this video – Daily Habits to Reduce Stress and Anxiety


The Bottom Line

I guess if one needed to sum up this article, they could say that stress is the cause of basically all our modern ills, and avoiding it is probably the best thing you can do.

You will be leaner, eating cleaner, making better choices, sleeping more, and feel happier, as a result.

Get off the computer, get off your phone, and go take a nap! Or go outside and walk your dog (remember, exercise is the only endogenous stress reliever). Drop those flaky friends, and learn to delete emails without replying. Your brain (and body) will thank you for it!

Written by Casey Thaler

Author Bio:

Casey Thaler, B.A., NASM-CPT, FNS is an NASM® certified personal trainer and NASM® certified fitness nutrition specialist. He writes for Paleo Magazine®The Paleo Diet® and Greatist®. He is also an advisor for Kettle and Fire and runs his own nutrition and fitness consulting company, Eat Clean, Train Clean®.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

6 Best Ways to Build Muscle as You Lose Weight

 

The 6 best ways to build muscle as you lose weight (as listed in this post) are time-tested and fairly straightforward. Come up with a plan to apply these tips and patiently stick with it.


Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes



Want to build muscle as you lose weight? Try these six tips to help your body get lean and strong.

After fat loss, one of the most common fitness goals is muscle building.

The best ways to build muscle are time-tested and fairly straightforward. Remember, patience and consistency will make all the difference here, so come up with a plan to implement these tips, and stick with it!

1. Eat Protein

Nothing else on this list that will make much of a difference if you do not follow this step. You can lift weights all day, but you will never see proper results if you are not consuming enough protein.

So, how much protein do you actually need? Start by shooting for one gram per pound of body weight, per day. The type of protein is really important here, and complete proteins are far better for you than incomplete ones, like beans. Instead, dig into some Paleo-friendly proteins like grass-fed beef, pastured chickenfarm fresh eggs, sardines, nuts and chia seeds to help you build muscle.

2. Do High-Intensity Interval Training

No need for long, grueling workouts. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) allows you to build muscle in a very short time. In fact, if you are not doing this, you may be losing muscle mass – even if you’re strength training. That is because long bouts of cardio at low intensity can decrease your muscles’ ability to absorb glucose (by immobilizing the glucose transporter).

How do you perform HIIT workouts? It’s pretty simple, just go for all-out bursts of exercise, followed by short periods of complete rest. Think sprints, push-ups, pull-ups or squats, then a rest period of 1 minute. Try this 10 Minute HIIT Workout to get started.

Remember, muscle grows while you rest, so do not perform HIIT workouts more than three or four times per week.

3. Lower Your Stress Levels

One of the biggest issues with both fat loss and muscle growth is the impetus of a chronically high stress level. Of course, we could all use less stress – but it can be difficult to actually make this happen.

The bottom line is that stress hampers your body’s ability to build muscle. What works best for muscle growth is short, acute periods of healthy stress, like lifting weights, followed by long periods of rest.

4. Intermittent Fasting

If you’re already highly stressed, work on step three before trying this step. But for those that are well-rested, live low-stress lifestyles and have a healthy metabolism, intermittent fasting might be a good option.

Intermittent fasting involves consuming all of your calories within a certain window of time. For example, from seven in the morning to seven at night, you might not eat anything. Or you can eat breakfast and lunch, but not dinner. This would effectively have you fasting for 16-18 hours per day.

The goal here is to reach cellular autophagy, a process where your cells clear out aggregated proteins and potential pathogens. Think of this simply as your cells “taking out the trash”.

5. Lift Large

Another way to maximize muscle growth is to simply lift something heavy! I don’t mean that you want to lift to the point of utilizing poor form – but to the point where you are challenged and stressed by the weight.

A good rule of thumb (though you should always use a spotter for this approach) is to make sure your last repetition of your last set is challenging. This is not a step for complete beginners, but can be properly utilized by those who have some background in strength training.

Shorter, heavier sets, like five repetitions instead of eight, will help “shock” your muscles into continuing to grow stronger. Another way to implement this is to simply have one day per week of heavy lifting, followed by a few, less intense days.

Remember – don’t overdo it, and get plenty of rest afterwards to help you achieve your goal.

Watch this video – 17 Min Strength Training Workout for Beginners – Beginner Workout Routine at Home for Women & Men


6. Sleep More

We know that it can be difficult for those who live high-stress lifestyles to “unwind” at the end of the night. But sleep is essential for muscle growth, as growth hormone is secreted as we sleep.

While getting your eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is ideal, it’s just as important to focus on the quality of your sleep.  Make sure your room is quiet and dark, and definitely don’t fall asleep with the television on – toxic blue light disrupts melatonin production, setting you up for a hormonal imbalance.

Watch this video – How to Lose Fat AND Gain Muscle at the Same Time (3 Simple Steps)


The Bottom Line

Though it will take time, patience and discipline to see these changes, you will see real results if you eat a protein-rich Paleo diet, get lots of high quality sleep, and lift heavy weights. Before you know it, you’ll be leaner, more muscular and healthier – and your brain and body will thank you for it.

Written by Casey Thaler

Author Bio:

Casey Thaler, B.A., NASM-CPT, FNS is an NASM® certified personal trainer and NASM® certified fitness nutrition specialist. He writes for Paleo Magazine®The Paleo Diet® and Greatist®. He is also an advisor for Kettle and Fire and runs his own nutrition and fitness consulting company, Eat Clean, Train Clean®.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

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