Meditation: An Underrated Tool For Dieting Success

 

So you have now calculated your macro numbers from the macro calculator here on IIFYM and you have begun following all the necessary steps to your new weight-loss plan. However, you’re beyond stressed at work and it’s taking a toll on your motivation to follow through will all of your hard work and research.

IIFYM knows that life can be challenging and stressful, but the main goal is that you find success with what you’re doing. Meditation and mindfulness can be a great tool add to your tool belt along with all the wonderful IIFYM fitness programs we have to offer.

The Mind and Body

The human body was designed to move and endure the challenges of everyday life. The more you work on your body, the more the body will give back to you in the form of strength, stamina, and endurance.

The human mind is similar: the more work and focus you put in maintaining the health and wellness of the mind, the more benefits you will see in return. In order to tap into what the mind can really do, you need to do the opposite of what you would do with the body: Quiet the mind and eliminate excess thought.

The world we live in is very fast paced. We are constantly being stimulated by social media, digital devices, and computer screens. Practicing mindfulness and meditation can give you mental focus and stamina to keep up with your body.

Meditation has been widely practiced among the yoga community for thousands of years and lately is has started to make its way into other areas of health and wellness. Many corporate and educational settings have used meditation as a tool to promote mental and emotional wellness.

 

 

What are the benefits of meditation

 

#1 Reduces Stress

When the body is under threat, it releases adrenaline that increases your heart rate and cortisol which increases your blood sugar. Your body uses adrenaline to increase blood flow to your heart to increase your energy supplies and the added cortisol increases the glucose in your blood stream to help with tissue repair. [1]

Both of these phenomena are great for the body to experience if you find yourself in a life-or-death situation because when the threat goes away the hormone level will return to normal.

Like if you are being chased by a bear. However, if your bear is a metaphor for work pressure and problems at home, then your stressor never goes away. You are constantly being chased by a bear and your hormones never return to normal.

Effects of Stress on the Body

Being under constant stress can cause a whole host of health problems, including weight gain, memory problems, headaches, digestive problems and increases in anxiety and depression. Which is why meditation can be so helpful in reducing your stress levels.

Dr. Herbert Benson, professor, author, cardiologist, and founder of Harvard’s Mind/Body Medical Institute coined the term Relaxation Response, which uses meditation to encourage your body to switch out of fight or flight and into rest and digest mode.

Meditation encourages the brain to release chemicals that tell your body to slow down and increase more blood flow to the brain, allowing the body to relax and relieve stress. [5]

#2 Weight-loss

Stress can be incredibly counterproductive to our weight-loss goals. Increased levels of cortisol have been shown to cause higher insulin levels and lower blood sugar; both of these can lead to craving high-calorie foods.

After asking 400 participants questions about mindfulness, he noticed that people with lower levels of mindfulness were 34% more obese than people who scored higher. [4]

Eating can be a stress reliever because the chemicals released while eating fatty and sugary foods can combat the symptoms of stress. [1]

Therefore, that could conclude that those who have less stress also have fewer cravings for junk food. Because meditation can lower stress levels in the body, it can certainly become one of your tools for weight-loss.

 

 

Weight Loss and Mindfulness

Eric Loucks is leading a study about mindfulness and weight loss at Brown University. He found that people who practice mindfulness tended to have less body fat. Loucks thinks that is because we are hardwired from the early days of man to eat as much as we can while it’s available.

This is due to us not knowing when our next meal will come, Loucks believes we haven’t yet evolved out of that human trait. So, when we are in the presence of fats, sugars, and salts, we might not know when to stop, especially when we are under stress.

Our mind and body will crave more of these items because it thinks they we require more nutrients. However, those who are more mindful are more aware of why they are eating. Whether they are truly hungry or they can stop, helping them recognize if they need more (macro) nutrients.

After asking 400 participants questions about mindfulness, he noticed that people with lower levels of mindfulness were 34% more obese than people who scored higher. [4]

Increase your Awareness

Meditation teaches us mindfulness so we can become those people who can decide if they really need that cupcake or our bodies are actually just asking us for something else. People who practice meditation can also practice mindful eating.

This is where you notice how you feel before, during, and after eating to determine if you are full, satisfied, and properly can digest the food you have eaten. Practicing meditation can increase your awareness of how you feel in your own body and allow you to not only lose weight because of decreased stress levels but be more mindful of what you are eating, which can also help you lose weight.

#3 Focus

Whether you’re challenging yourself to 30 days or 90 days with IIFYM it is important to have a constant focus on your goals. Meditation is a mindful relaxation technique that allows you to release your thoughts and worries from your mind.

So as you go through your fitness journey with IIFYM you don’t have to worry about all of the issues you have had in the past or worry about if this program is going to work because you know it will work and you can use meditation to help you just enjoy the process.

Therefore, people who meditate over longer periods of time had better memory and decision-making skills. [7]

When we hold onto the conditions that stress us out, it can prevent us from seeing the real solution, thus making us even more stressed out causing further difficulties. This can cause the mind to become clouded with unnecessary thoughts and problems.

When you follow a regular relaxation exercise, you can allow your blood pressure to drop, your mind to quiet and the cluster of thought to dismiss. That will allow you to think more clearly.

 

 

Change your Brain

A study by Sara Lazar Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, showed that meditation literally changes your brain. She looked at long-term meditators and a group of people that had never meditated before.

What she found was that meditators had increased gray matter in the insula and sensory regions, the auditory and sensory cortex. This happens because when you meditate you’re focusing on the present moment, on your breath, and not on your cognition.

You are only focusing on what you’re doing not thinking ahead to what will happen next or what this practice will do for you. The frontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with decision-making and memory, had more gray matter. Therefore, people who meditate over longer periods of time had better memory and decision-making skills. [7]

How Long Will it Take?

During a second study, she found that people had a difference in brain volume even after only 8 weeks of practicing. So, it doesn’t take long to see the results of meditation.

From personal experience and those of my students, you will see them after a short 30-minute session, but if you keep with the practice based on the data Sarah LazarPh.D. found, you’ll see more results after 8 weeks and even more through the remainder of your life. [7]

#4 Decreased Anxiety and Depression

Meditation can help relieve anxiety and depression because it teaches us how to let go of what is troubling us. Anxiety is the mind worrying about the future and depression is the mind worrying about the past.

Meditation teaches us to live in the present moment and connects with ourselves on a deeper level. People can improve their symptoms of anxiety and depression through practicing meditation and mindfulness.

Anxiety

According to Dr. Chopra, anxiety can be a habit formed by the mind that is causing you to react to every stressful thing that happens to you. [3] Anxiety is initiating the fight and flight response in the body that causes you to become on edge and alert even when you don’t need to be.

Mediation can help correct that response by relaxing the body and easing the mind. Over time, the habit will be corrected and you will notice a decrease in your anxiety or you will learn to better deal with what triggers your anxiety.

 

 

Depression

Depression is similar; meditation will teach us to let go of the entities that are troubling us about the past so we can be at ease. Psychologists from the University of Exeter published a study about meditation and how it can improve depression.

It showed that patients who meditate for 30 minutes at home showed a significant reduction in symptoms over the course of the 8 sessions. For people who were looking to get off their anti-depression medication, it was also helpful in preventing a relapse.

Professor Mark Williams is also the author of Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World. A leader during this study said that “One of the key features of depression is that it hijacks your attention”[5]. Meditation helps focus the mind and keep your attention on what’s happening in the present, instead of remembering the bad things that have happened to you in the past.

#5 Sleep

IIFYM knows how important sleep is to the fat-loss process. It is crucial for the body to heal and recover especially after an IIFYM workout. Meditation has been shown to decrease stress, promote weight loss, help with anxiety and depression.

All of those things that can reduce insomnia and promote better sleep. As your health begins to improve, so will your sleep. People who suffer from insomnia generally have a lot on their minds right before retiring.

The can’t sleep to turn off your mind but meditation can help you do just that. From what you have read above, you already know that meditation is designed to quiet the mind and promote relaxation.

Well, the more you practice it you will notice it outside of your practice, especially when it comes to the quality of your sleep. When our minds are quiet and calm, we sleep better but don’t just take my word for it.

Facts about Meditation and Sleep

JAMA Internal Medicine did a 6-week study, with about 49 middle-aged people, a few years ago. The study had them meeting weekly for 2 hours to learn mindfulness through seated meditation and other mindful practices.

The participants had to practice 5 to 20 minutes of mindfulness and meditation daily. At the end of the study, they found that just after 6 weeks of practice, participants of meditation and mindfulness improved their sleep. [2]

 

 

How to Meditate?

Step 1: Find a comfortable seat (can be in a chair or on the floor). Have a nice straight tall spine. Sitting on a cushion or blanket to elevate your hips above your knees can make this easier.

Step 2: Take 3-5 nice deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Step 3: Close the eyes and begin to breathe in through the nose and out through the nose.

Step 4: Begin to notice your breath. In the beginning, it is easier to follow your breath when you count it. There are two ways of doing this.
A) You can inhale to count anywhere from 4 to 8. Then exhale for the same count.
B) You can inhale and exhale. Inhale and Exhale. All the way to 10. Then start over.

Step 5: Begin to relax the body. Relax the shoulders, legs, hands, feet, and face. Anywhere there is tension in the body, try to relax it. Still, maintain a tall spine so you leave room for your lungs to expand.

Step 6: If you notice that your mind keeps wondering, don’t worry; just come back to focusing on the breath. Over time this will get easier and easier to do, but keep in mind that every day will be different.

IIFYM recommends you practice meditating for 5 minutes if it’s your first session and work your way up to 30 minutes at least 3 times a week. Add this to your regimen to see all the wonderful changes you can make to your mind and body.

However, if you’re up for a real challenge, a daily practice of meditation is always recommended for best results. So, give meditation a try and start noticing the benefits it has to offer! Don’t let stress kill your progress!

 

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Part 2: Are Compound Exercises Superior to Isolations?

PART 2 – PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS AND FAT LOSS

In part 1 we talked about the different benefits of isolation and compound exercises, exploring the relevant research on this topic. In part 2 we are going to take this research and see how we can implement it to optimize our training for balanced muscle growth. Also, check out the impact compounds vs isolations have on fat loss. Building muscle and Losing fat starts with nutrition, get your bulking or cutting macros with the IIFYM calculator.

Practical Applications

As the research shows, in beginners, a couple of opposing compound exercises for the upper body (push/pull) is all you likely need to maximize muscle growth in this area. The same can likely be said for the lower body, although research is needed to confirm this.

Trained individuals, however, may need to do more than this. They need more of a stimulus to generate the same hypertrophic response. Wernbom (1) found that 3-4 sets per muscle group per workout tends to maximize the hypertrophy response in untrained people. While 4-8 sets were needed for more advanced lifters.

Remembering that compounds don’t hit all muscles they target evenly (e.g. bench press hits pecs harder than it does triceps and anterior delts). We can now try set up a workout around these guidelines. Your IIFYM coach can certainly help you with this process!

 

 

Sample Beginner Routine

From the studies in part 1, it’s rather clear that for complete beginners compounds are all you need for 95% of results. So a minimalist full body program for a beginner, performed 2-3 x per week, could look something resembling this:

• Back Squat 3 x 8-12
• Romanian Deadlift 3 x 8-12
• Low incline DB bench press 3 x 8-12
• DB bent over row 3 x 8-12

Now before you lose your mind at how few exercises there are. The only muscles that miss out a bit here are calves (although they are worked to some extent during squats), middle delts (although they are worked to some extent during DB bench) and upper traps.

Feel free to add in exercises to target these muscles. Yet, for a complete beginner, this is the most efficient use of time. It’s also important to remember this, from Lyle McDonald (a supporter of flexible dieting/IIFYM), in his article on beginner weight training:

“One goal of all training should always be to get the most adaptations/gains in performance with the least amount of training. That way, when gains slow down, there is actually room to increase things. Start too high, to begin with, and you’ve got nowhere to go when you actually need to do it.”

Furthermore, anecdotally, I’ve seen many beginners add a ton of muscle from focusing on progressive overload on these compound exercises for the first year or two of training.

Compounds or Isolations – which first?

Now that we know a mix of compound and isolation exercises is best for maximal muscle growth for everyone apart from rank beginners. The next question is – how do we order them?

A review of resistance training exercise order suggested that, “based on strength and hypertrophy effect-size data, the research suggests that exercises be ordered based on priority of importance as dictated by the training goal of a programme, irrespective of whether the exercise involves a relatively large or small muscle group.” (2).

…when smaller muscle groups were trained before larger muscles, the subjects did less total volume (4)

This implies that you should first target the muscle groups you are trying to grow the most while you are fresh.

For example, if you are training your whole upper body in one day, and your weakness is your back, train it first. And considering no advantage in terms of muscle growth has been shown to pre-exhaust a compound movement with an isolation exercise beforehand (3).

It is this authors’ opinion (as well as the IIFYM coaches) that compound exercises should precede isolation exercises. Due to there being a greater amount of muscle mass being targeted which could benefit from being fresher/less fatigued.

 

 

Compound Exercises Before Everything

To explain this further, considering compound exercises hit many muscle groups at once. Performing them fresh will allow for more volume across more muscle groups compared to doing them when fatigued.

When one tired muscle group might limit the volume that could have been placed on the others. This idea is backed by research which showed that when smaller muscle groups were trained before larger muscles, the subjects did less total volume (4). And as shown in part 1, total volume is important for muscle growth.

Yet, it would make sense that EPOC would be higher from a program based around compound exercises which use more muscle mass.

Furthermore, compounds also place larger demands on coordination, which is another reason to do them first. In fact, due to research over the last couple of years showing muscles grow well from a variety of rep ranges.

A great way to set up your program is with heavier compounds followed by lighter isolations later in the workout. For example, below is a sample routine for an intermediate trainee.

Sample Intermediate Routine (4x per week):

Upper body:
• Bench press 3 x 6-8
• Bent over row 3 x 6-8
• DB shoulder press 3 x 8-10
• Pull-up 3 x 8-10
• Fly 3 x 12-15
• Lateral raise 3 x 12-15
*Note – smaller muscle groups (such as biceps, triceps and anterior delts) need no direct volume due to how much indirect volume they get during compound exercises.

Lower body:
• Back squat 3 x 6-8
• Romanian deadlift 3 x 6-8
• Leg extension 3 x 10-12
• Leg curl 3 x 10-12
• Calf raise 3 x 10-12

An advanced trainee’s program could look very similar. Only with extra isolation exercises added in to address their individual weaknesses or areas that are lagging compared to the rest of the body. An IIFYM coach can help you out with this assessment, as they have for many clients!

 

Fat Loss

So far we’ve just talked about compound exercises vs isolation exercises in terms of muscle gain. Rightly so, because that’s what resistance training does best. In terms of fat loss, compound exercises burn a greater amount of calories per unit of time due to more muscle being used.

However, resistance training should not be programmed in a way to burn the greatest amount of fat. It should be used to build muscle, while cardio and diet (tracking macros through IIFYM) should be used to burn fat, as these will have a larger impact on caloric balance. To accurately and quickly work out your macros, use the

It should be used to build muscle, while cardio and diet (tracking macros through IIFYM) should be used to burn fat, as these will have a larger impact on caloric balance. To accurately and quickly work out your macros, use the IIFYM calculator.

Although the calculator is a fantastic resource! Our coaches can build your Custom Macro Blueprint with numbers and an approach that’s dialed in.

However, having said this, some studies have shown large amounts of EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) from resistance training (5). Unfortunately, no study has compared the EPOC response to resistance training using compound vs isolation exercises.

Yet, it would make sense that EPOC would be higher from a program based around compound exercises which use more muscle mass. Since this will cause more metabolic disruption. Couple this with an IIFYM diet and you’ll see great results for fat loss!

Conclusion

In summary, there’s no doubt that compound exercises are more efficient for body composition changes, but for those seeking maximal muscle growth that aren’t complete beginners. Adding in some isolation exercises for individual muscle groups that are lacking or don’t get sufficiently trained by compounds will help ensure maximal muscular development.

In short, base your routine around compounds, and sprinkle in isolations where needed!

Compounds VERSUS isolations???

 

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Are Compound Exercises Superior To Isolation Exercises?

 

Compounds vs isolations – training’s version of the clean eating vs IIFYM debate! By the way, here’s a link to our IIFYM calculator to help you optimize your diet. This article, on the other hand, will help you optimize your training. Both compounds and isolations have been included in the training programs of those seeking to optimize body composition over the years.

However, which one is better for muscle gain and fat loss? Is one or a combination of the two better? What does the research say? This article will answer all these questions and more, and put this topic to rest once and for all!

First off, it’s important to define what compounds and isolations are before we go on. Compound exercises target multiple muscle groups, whereas isolations are exercises that target one muscle group. For example, the bench press is a compound exercise as it targets the chest, triceps and anterior deltoid.

Whereas a bicep curl is an isolation exercise as it targets just the biceps. This is where understanding functional anatomy comes into play. Since the joint actions that are being performed will determine which muscle groups are performing the heavy lifting.

It’s also important to understand which muscle groups are being trained in order for you, or your IIFYM coach, to plan effective workout routines. For example, you might train chest one day (including doing the bench press) and arms the next.

In reality, you’ve trained triceps 2 days in a row! This may cause issues with muscle recovery, as most people seem to take at least 48 hours to properly recover from compound exercises (1).

Let’s start with outlining some of the advantages of isolation and compound exercises.

 

 

Compound Exercises – Advantages

• Probably the biggest advantage of compounds is that they hit multiple muscle groups at once and therefore count towards volume for each muscle. This is important as the volume is one of the most important factors for muscle growth (2). Therefore, compounds are more efficient per repetition from a global hypertrophy perspective.

• Allow for easier progressive overload. Ever gone from 9kg dumbbells to 10kg dumbbells on lateral raises and found the mere 1kg jump to be significantly harder? Compare this to going from 90kg to 92.5kg on bench press – the jump is much smaller. Therefore, it’s easier/more convenient to progressively overload.

• Can be safely performed in low rep ranges, unlike isolation exercises which don’t lend themselves to low rep ranges. This allows you to target low and high rep ranges in your training, both of which have been shown to cause significant muscle growth (3,4).

• Release more growth hormone and testosterone than isolation exercises (5). Which the most recent research shows might have an impact on muscle growth (6). However, the jury is still out on this, and every second study seems to have a different conclusion.

The Prime Mover

However, it’s not all good news. Every compound exercise has one muscle group that contributes the most to the lift (known as the prime mover). This muscle benefits the most from the exercise. Other muscles benefit as well, but not as much as the prime mover.

Two recent papers on untrained individuals suggest that isolation exercises are not necessary.

This means that compound exercises can create imbalances in the growth of the various muscles involved. For example, barbell shoulder press will hit the anterior delts harder than the middle delts.

So, if this was the only shoulder exercise used, this will likely result in the middle delt being underdeveloped. Which in turn means the trainee will miss that ‘capped’ shoulder look.

In intermediate-advanced trainees who have only ever done compound exercises, it is likely you will see underdeveloped muscles. Such as calves, middle delts and upper traps in particular, compared to the rest of the body.

 

 

Isolation Exercises – Advantages

• Better target individual muscles. Compounds don’t always take each muscle through a full range of movement, which is important to maximize muscle growth (7). For example, deadlifts from the floor are claimed to be the ultimate mass builder. Yet, do not take any one muscle through its full range of movement.

• Allow you to increase the volume for specific muscle groups without impacting others that don’t need any more volume. For example, lateral raises to target middle delts, but let anterior delts rest, which is hit with a lot of volume in any pushing/pressing exercise.

• Way to increase volume without increasing central/systemic fatigue as much as compounds. What takes it out on your whole body more – a set of leg extensions to failure or a set of squats to failure? The coaches at IIFYM know the answer to this!

• Safer to take to failure and for higher rep ranges. It is potentially dangerous taking compounds such as deadlifts to failure or to train it in higher rep ranges as fatigue influences form. For example, spinal erectors may fatigue before hamstrings/glutes, putting you at risk of low back injury.

• Help improve activation of individual muscles/mind-muscle connection.

Effect of Training Status

While there are benefits to both isolation and compound exercises, research has shown that training status plays a large role in the need for isolation movements. Untrained people may only need a few sets per muscle group to maximize the stimulus for muscle growth from a resistance training session.

Whereas advanced trainees may need more than double that volume per session (8). This is where isolation exercises come in handy as they allow for more volume with less systemic fatigue. Intelligent coaches, such as the ones at IIFYM, know this well. Let’s take a look at the research on untrained vs trained people.

Studies on Untrained Subjects

Two recent papers on untrained individuals suggest that isolation exercises are not necessary. Since they don’t produce any more hypertrophy than compound exercises that target the same muscle group (9). Interestingly, they don’t provide any extra benefit when performed in addition to compound exercises (10)!

In a 2015 paper by Gentil (9), they took 29 people and split them into 2 groups. One group performed only lat pull-downs for the biceps, while the other performed only bicep curls for the biceps.

They did this training twice a week over 10 weeks, and after 10 weeks there was no difference between groups for bicep muscle thickness. Suggesting that compound upper body exercises are just as useful as isolation exercises for arm muscle hypertrophy.

 

 

To take this one step further, Gentil (10) again split 29 people into 2 groups – one group performed only multi-joint (compound) exercises (lat pulldown and bench press). While the other group performed the same compound exercises PLUS single-joint (isolation) exercises (lat pulldown, bench press, elbow flexion, and elbow extension).

After twice a week training over 10 weeks, they found that doing single-joint exercises on top of the multi-joint exercises resulted in no additional benefits in terms of muscle size or strength gain!

Muscle development requires a focused diet and proper training. Have one of our coaches build your Macro Blueprint to help you build muscle!

This led the authors to conclude that “in order to save time we can choose exercises that target a higher number of muscle groups at a time (compound exercises). This strategy can increase training volume and reduce the time commitment.

Which, in turn, may improve exercise adherence since a lack of time is the most cited barrier for an individual engaging in any exercise program (9).” Here at IIFYM.com, our coaches are all about creating strategies to improve adherence for clients!

Study on Trained Subjects

But do these results hold true for trained subjects who may need more volume to grow? de Franca (11) investigated this idea with 20 young men with at least 2 years resistance training experience. They split the subjects into 2 groups – upper body compounds only or upper body compounds plus isolations and performed an 8-week training block.

Both groups significantly increased flexed arm circumference (1.72% vs 1.45%, for compounds and compounds + isolations, respectively). As well as, arm muscle circumference (1.33% vs 3.17% for compounds and compounds + isolations, respectively).

Another significant limitation is that most of the studies to date aren’t long enough to see significant hypertrophy (only 8-10 weeks).

Comparison between groups revealed no statistically significant difference in any variable. The authors concluded that “the addition of single-joint exercises to a resistance training program involving multi-joint exercises does not seem to promote additional benefits to trained men. Suggesting multi-joint only resistance training to be a time-efficient approach.”

However, issues of statistical significance vs real world significance come into play here. For arm muscle circumference, a 3.17% gain is more than double a 1.33% gain. What trained person who is optimizing their diet through IIFYM wouldn’t want more than double the increase in arm circumference!?

 

 

Also, 8 weeks may not be long enough to show up significant differences between groups in trained people. The authors state that “it does thus remain a possibility that significant differences might manifest in trained participants over a longer training duration with the inclusion of single-joint exercises.”

Also interesting is that “the participants of the present study habitually performed single-joint exercises prior to participation and the exclusion of these exercises did not appear to significantly compromise their results.”

Limitations and Other Research

While this research offers some interesting insights. There are a number of important limitations to these studies that need to be acknowledged. One such limitation is that the methods used to measure muscle size (ultrasound and circumference) do not consider non-uniform muscle hypertrophy.

Since previous studies have suggested that isolation and compound exercises result in different patterns of muscle hypertrophy (12). The results of the comparison are limited to the region analyzed and not necessarily representative of the response of the whole muscle.

An evidence-based approach is even more crucial when it comes to your diet. One of our coaches will build your Macro Blueprint based on proven science.

Accordingly, one may argue that performing isolation exercises may be necessary for the complete development of a muscle (13).Furthermore, there is a lack of studies examining the effect of isolation and compound exercise on muscle growth in the lower body.

This is important because it’s possible that the effects may be muscle group specific. As for the lumbar extensors, studies have tended to support the view that this muscle group may benefit from single-joint exercise (13). Therefore, future research should look at the effect of isolation vs compound exercises on muscle growth in the lower body.

Another significant limitation is that most of the studies to date aren’t long enough to see significant hypertrophy (only 8-10 weeks). Therefore, Ribeiro (14) suggested that “to draw more definitive conclusions, further research is required with more sensitive testing methods better suited to detect subtle hypertrophic changes in response to short-term resistance training protocols”.

 

 

Concluding the Present Evidence

Furthermore, in contrast to the studies above, other relevant research has highlighted a need for isolation exercises. Ogasawara (15) found that beginners who trained the bench press for 6 months increased their pectoral hypertrophy by ~37% while their tricep hypertrophy only increased by ~21%.

This shows that isolation exercises might need to be added to maximize tricep gains. The IIFYM coaches can certainly show you some great isolation exercises to maximize tricep growth! They’ve helped numerous clients with muscle growth!

Additionally, some studies have shown different muscle activation patterns in isolations vs compounds. For example, higher rectus femoris activation in leg extensions vs squats, and higher vastus lateralis activation in squats vs leg extensions (16).

Finally, one study showed that exercise variety was better for growth than intensity changes. The varied exercise groups presented hypertrophy in all of the quadriceps muscle heads, whereas the constant exercise groups did not (17). Therefore, it might be necessary to hammer a muscle with different types of exercises to maximize muscle growth.

Be sure to check out PART 2 of this article to see the practical applications of this research for your own training, and to explore the effect of compounds vs isolations on fat loss!

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Diet Break: Is It Time For You To Push Pause?

 

The mere thought of going on a diet is enough to make someone reach for the cookies and hold on for dear life. Fat loss OR ice cream? How about both! When most people think of a diet they think of bland food (thankfully, not you because IIFYM and flexible dieting for the win!), endless hours of cardio, and going to bed every night curled in the fetal position holding their poor, rumbling stomach as they cry themselves to sleep.

Thankfully though, since you’re on the IIFYM website, you know that isn’t the case! Many individuals aren’t even sure where to start with their diet, and, unfortunately, set themselves up for failure from the get-go. Check out the

Check out the IIFYM calculator or one of our coaches to get the best advantage possible. Plus, the news gets even better! You don’t need to diet yourself into the ground in order to see fat loss. Plus, implementing flexible dieting means you get to bring the shreds, and hold onto the food you love. Don’t believe me? Continue reading…Cue mind being blown.

Diet Break

It’s exactly what it sounds like. Taking a break from your diet. Pausing your calorie deficit AND allowing it to aid in fat loss. But don’t worry, you and your diet will be reunited soon enough. (And you’ll be on much better terms).

Plus, pairing a diet break with IIFYM, you’ll be in macro heaven. In the most basic terms, a diet break is a brief interlude from your calorie deficit, as well as a reduction in cardio. This can be executed two different ways.

 

 

The Full Diet Break

This method is best suited for individuals who aren’t in contest preparation and not restricted by time constraints. A full diet break consists of 10-14 days of tracking a little more loosely. What’s important is to continue eating at your normal times, and strength train as usual.

Along with these changes, your amount of cardio will be reduced by 50%. That’s right…more food AND less cardio. Feeling uneasy? Talk to one of our coaches to see if this approach is best for you. This diet break strategy is one we use with our clients that have been dieting for 16-20 weeks, feeling lethargic and have stalled with weight loss 3 or 4 times already.

Our coaches have the experiences to provide you with your proper diet break macros in your Custom Macro Blueprint.

The Partial Diet Break

This method is best for competitors, or those coming off of an extreme deficit. Unfortunately, many competitors don’t give themselves enough time to be able to implement a diet break; which could be notably beneficial for fat loss.

Plus, using IIFYM and flexible dieting along with a diet break makes the process much easier, and generally, keeps the dieter sane; because let’s be honest. We can’t abstain from the sweet stuff forever.

In an attempt to maintain homeostasis our body adjusts as it sees fit; generally by stalling weight loss.

The difference between the full diet break and the partial diet break is during the partial, you can either add roughly 500 calories or increase calories by 20% to perceived maintenance regardless of your weight loss goals.

Rather than loosely counting, you continue tracking as usual. But, with a substantial increase in calories. Again, talking to one of our coaches to see what approach is best for you is a great place to start.

 

 

Mental Benefits of a Diet Break

While dieting, it’s inevitable that our stress levels increase. Weighing in weekly; your calories and sanity hanging in the balance. If you’ve dieted before, you’ve been there. Your weekly check in determines if you get to hold onto those precious carbs.

Or, if you’ll be kissing that nightly bagel goodbye and saying hello to an extra 20 minutes with your mistress; elliptical trainer.

Knowing that another calorie cut is imminent is enough to send your stress levels through the roof. But hey, at least you kissed that bro diet goodbye and welcomed flexible dieting into the family. Happy thoughts, right?

Observing Fat Loss in the Long Term

Another interesting point to note, which will sound obvious, is that fat loss is not instantaneous. It takes time; and a lot of it. So, the thought of this is usually off-putting to most. Sacrificing sitting down and mowing down an entire box of Oreos (highly doubt THIS fits your macros) is something not everyone wants to give up.

Especially if your goal is a significant amount of fat loss. An extended, several months, or even up to a yearlong diet sounds atrocious. Thankfully, if you follow IIFYM, it isn’t AS painful, but dieting regardless of circumstances can be a long tumultuous road.

Also, IIFYM, paired with a diet break, and an end in sight, makes your weight loss journey feel more doable. Take, for instance, a weekly refeed, this is enough to get a competitor through the week.

The knowledge that within several days they get a break from the monotonous routine of salads and veggies for every meal. (Hello, poverty macros and flashbacks of life before IIFYM!) There are rough guidelines for such breaks. The leaner you are, the more often you’ll need a diet break. This below chart is outlined for men, and as a general rule, women should add 7% to body fat.

 

 

Frequency of Diet Breaks

 

Body fat %	Frequency of Diet Break
<10%	Every 4-6 weeks
10-15%	Every 6-8 weeks
15-25%	Every 10-12 weeks
25%>	Every 12-16 weeks

As you can see from the chart above, this gives the dieter a substantial recess physically and mentally, along with aiding in the overall fat loss. Having an end in sight and a solid time frame makes the thought of dieting much more palatable.

 

Physiological Benefits of a Diet Break – More Fat Loss!

The physiological benefits come down to hormones. While dieting, certain hormones levels go up, while others go down. In an attempt to maintain homeostasis our body adjusts as it sees fit; generally by stalling fat loss.

Your body is not concerned with getting your body lean enough to strut your stuff in a swimsuit.

Along with weight loss, another benefit that should be noted is the likely increase in performance due to the calorie elevation.

Your body is concerned with keeping you alive and healthy. In an attempt to preserve precious fat stores, your body lowers testosterone, thyroid, and leptin.

While increasing cortisol and ghrelin. This means low energy, extreme hunger, lack of sleep and irrational irritability (how DARE your roommate drink your last diet coke!).

 

 

The “Whoosh” Effect

Especially through a long dieting phase, hormones can shift so much that fat loss stalls altogether, sleep quality further decreases, and workouts suffer. Plus, once your calories reach an all-time low, IIFYM isn’t as fun as it once was. You begin yearning for those Cheerios.

This is where a diet break can be hugely beneficial. If you’ve dieted before, you’ve probably experienced this phenomenon; a giant family dinner, relaxing, kicking back and enjoying yourself with zero stress after a long week of low calorie.

If you believe that you need a diet break, then let one of our coaches provide your diet break macros in your Custom Macro Blueprint!

The next morning you wake up and wah-la! You feel lean AND the scale is down several pounds. How could this be? Well, unfortunately, this is not an overnight weight loss (as badly as we wish it were). In the bodybuilding world, this is referred to as the “whoosh” effect.

The increase in calories temporarily lowers cortisol levels, thus releasing the excess water being stored in our bodies. Plus, the extra glycogen filling your muscles, forces water out. Now, as I said, this is generally just water. But, the lowering of cortisol has massive effects longer term.

Balancing Those Precious Hormones

When calories are increased back to maintenance and cardio is dialed back, it gives the hormones a chance to get to a more normalized level. This means more fat loss and more of those much missed and well-deserved goodies IIFYM has allowed you to have in your diet.

Can you say win-win? Through strict dieting phases, metabolic rate slows. Your metabolism is not a singular entity. It is comprised of dozens and dozens of hormones throughout the body.

It’s important to maintain the diet break for the suggested time (10-14 days) because, after about 7 days, hormones begin to regain balance, and the following 3-7 days ensures they reach maximum potential.

In simple terms, regaining this balance gives your body the break it needs to start letting go of unwanted weight. It is important to note that an increase in carbohydrates is important because of the thyroid, as well as leptin, are particularly sensitive to them. So an increase (100-150g/daily minimum), would be sufficient to elevate thyroid and leptin enough to a higher functioning level.

 

 

Start Loving Your Happy Place Again

Along with fat loss, another benefit that should be noted is the likely increase in performance due to the calorie elevation. We’ve all been there. Your one-time happy place has become a chore. You have zero energy, and the lower the calories, the less energy you must execute a killer workout.

So, a slight pause could be what you need to get your groove back in the gym and potentially gain back that lost strength. Those extra carbs are enough to make you feel like you could crush your last PR. (Use that carb high with caution.)

Summary

There are substantial benefits, both physically and mentally, to implementing a diet break; even more so when paired with IIFYM. So, you can either diet yourself into the ground (which many do), or give yourself a break, and ultimately increase the likelihood of more weight loss and overall success in the long run.

Get in touch with one of our coaches to help you calculate your diet break macros. Remember, weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Work smarter not harder. Okay, enough clichés. You get the point.

 

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IIFYM Under A Microscope: Before and After Results

 

Right up there with fasted vs fed cardio, there’s few more polarizing debates than the IIFYM vs. Clean Eating debate argued endlessly over the last 5-6 years within the fitness industry. Broccoli versus brownies, pasta versus pastries- choose a side and prepare to fight for it to the bitter (or sweet if you chose IIFYM) end. Although fun to joke about, the misconception that total macronutrient intake and food quality are mutually exclusive has gotten seriously out of hand.

Don’t feel comfortable choosing between fruit and fro-yo just yet? Good news for you, you never had to go without either to reach your fitness goals and correctly applying IIFYM (here’s the IIFYM calculator to start the process) is much more reasonable than many extremists would have you believe.

Pull out your microscope and take a look at the real IIFYM approach, and prepare to see why balance and moderation can be much more beneficial than extremism and restriction for gaining more muscle, losing body fat more effectively, and enjoying life- broccoli in one hand, brownie in the other!

IIFYM Application vs. Intent

For coaches such as myself and the coaching staff for IIFYM.com, it can be frustrating seeing how often those in the fitness industry lead others to believe that food groups should be severely restricted, or that food choice itself is completely irrelevant. IIFYM was never developed with the intent of encouraging Pop Tarts and Protein Powder to be the bulk of a diet and provide optimal body composition results.

Instead, IIFYM (otherwise termed Flexible Dieting), was meant to allow flexibility within an otherwise nutrient-dense diet during situations such as traveling, social events or merely the periodic family night out at the favorite restaurant. IIFYM was about, and still is for educated coaches, allowing people the flexibility to choose the foods they prefer, that fit their budget, and are easy to access in their area to fit their daily macronutrient needs. All while still making sure to consume a variety of macro and micronutrients that support overall health and performance.

 

 

How to Actually Use IIFYM

IIFYM is about going to eat with the family at the local steakhouse without smuggling in your food scale or shirking all responsibility and falling off the wagon. IIFYM is about having the freedom to enjoy a few servings of homemade cake after a day of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. It’s not for cramming as much “fun food” as possible into a diet and simply keeping within a given macronutrient total.

Suggesting that clients restrict certain food groups, limit themselves to specific “health foods” or swinging the other direction by encouraging a “no holds bar” on any fun food the client can fit are not only all unnecessary but also downright unethical.

IIFYM isn’t about sacrificing health and performance focused intake goals for fun foods, it’s about knowing how to balance the needs of the body with the enjoyment of everyday life.

Coaches like those on the IIFYM.com staff and myself want both athletes and non-competitors to eat for health and performance, but also know when to treat themselves as dietary “budgets” allow once certain goals are met such as fiber, hydration, whole grain, and fruit & vegetable intake.

Gone are the days (if they aren’t, find a new coach ASAP) of encouraging clients to follow restrictive diets, or suggesting that food selection itself doesn’t matter at all. Instead, science is continuing to show us that although total caloric intake is a major factor in improving body composition, food choice does matter when making long-term improvements in muscle growth, training performance, and body fat reduction. How exactly does it matter? Well, I’m glad you asked!

Appropriate Fuel for Proper Performance

The first proclamation by IIFYM extremists in a keyboard dispute will be something like, “total caloric intake is the only factor that matters in weight loss.” The irony is although their statement is technically correct, it’s short sighted.

Find out your proper macro/caloric intake with a Custom Macro Blueprint which lays out an entire approach which is easy to follow!

Thermodynamics, which in terms of nutrition is the rule of energy balance (calories consumed versus expended), does, in fact, dictate changes in total body weight. More calories consumed than expended leads to weight gain, and the opposite holds true for weight loss.

The often-overlooked factor by many is that of body composition when it comes to muscle tissue versus fat tissue, as well as optimizing gym performance. Take, for instance, just a few roles some vitamins & minerals play in performance.

 

 

Performance Boosting Micros

Magnesium supports proper muscle function, protein synthesis, energy production and plays a role in over 300 enzyme systems. Found in mushrooms, dark leafy vegetables, bananas and other nutrient dense foods.

Vitamin E is a collection of compounds that serve as antioxidants within the body which maintain and repair various types of cells and also support a healthy immune system. Vitamin E can be found in various foods including almonds, spinach, and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin B6 is a soluble, versatile vitamin that plays many roles including the metabolism of carbohydrate and fats for energy as well as supporting cognitive function. You can find Vitamin B6 in foods such as wild-caught tuna, bananas, beef and hazelnuts.1

These are three of countless examples in which vitamin and mineral intake ultimately affects physical performance, recovery, nutrient usage and long term health. If you’re sick less, recover faster, and able to exert greater force and total work output from workout to workout. It’s clear that over the course of months and years in the gym, you can experience greater overall muscle growth and/or body composition changes. Compared to someone chronically under eating nutrient dense foods, the athlete consuming a balanced diet is much more capable of maximizing their physical potential.

It’s clear that over the course of months and years in the gym, you can experience greater overall muscle growth and/or body composition changes. Compared to someone chronically under eating nutrient dense foods, the athlete consuming a balanced diet is much more capable of maximizing their physical potential.

More isn’t Better

Before you conclude that endlessly eating “clean” is the best idea for maximizing results, keeping in mind that more isn’t always better will go a long way in helping you find the right balance for yourself. Although it’s important to consume a sufficient intake of micronutrients, there comes a point of diminishing returns where excess micronutrient intake won’t lead to better performance or body composition changes.

Although it’s important to consume a sufficient intake of micronutrients, there comes a point of diminishing returns where excess micronutrient intake won’t lead to better performance or body composition changes.

…even if macronutrient goals aren’t listed in the diet plan, they are still consuming a certain amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat each day.

Just as Jerry Seinfeld would argue a “towel can’t be more wet, once it’s wet;” after intake is sufficient, you can’t eat cleaner and see more progress. Although it can’t necessarily cause harm to consume greater than adequate intake of most nutrients, it’s unlikely to pose a greater benefit to performance or body composition.

Instead once your bases are covered, this can be a great time to incorporate IIFYM principles and enjoy some of your favorite “fun” foods to meet your daily food intake goals for the day, without the fear of negatively impacting performance.

IIFYM isn’t about sacrificing health and performance focused intake goals for fun foods, it’s about knowing how to balance the needs of the body with the enjoyment of everyday life. Eating carrots consistently for health, and cake occasionally for the enjoyment.

 

 

Your Diet Plan is Still IIFYM!

I’ve always found it funny how distinct the separation of clean eating and IIFYM is deemed to be in online debates, but how impossible one is without the other in reality. For anyone following a given meal plan based on clean eating (whatever that actually is, Windex seasoning maybe?), even if macronutrient goals aren’t listed in the diet plan, they are still consuming a certain amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat each day. As the meal plan is changed each week, so are the set macronutrient goals as a consequence.

By “clean eating” or following a set meal plan, dieters are simply fitting pre-determined macros with very nutrient dense food choices. Sorry self-proclaimed “clean eaters,” you’ve actually been following IIFYM this entire time.

Instead of wasting months on figuring out your proper diet approach, have one our coaches build your Custom Macro Blueprint

By choosing to follow IIFYM in its originally intended strategy, you simply have the option to choose both nutrient dense and occasional “fun” foods of your choice rather than being the slave to a “coach” demanding certain foods are necessary for success and others are to be avoided at all costs.

Want to eat 15 grams of carbohydrate worth of strawberries instead of raspberries today? Already have 2-4 servings of fruit and vegetables and would like to use some remaining carb and fat macros for a bit of chocolate after dinner?

Believe it or not, you won’t spontaneously combust, and can actually reach your fitness goals all the same by simply practicing moderation and tracking your total daily intake along with meeting your micro-nutrient intake goals.

Flexible Macros, Sustainable Future

There’s nothing wrong with routine and efficiency. Some people simply prefer to eat set meals each day to help with scheduling during the workweek. That being said, eating a set group of meals from day to day, then making a point to swap out different fruits, vegetables, and other foods periodically is much more manageable than feeling obligated to only eat specific foods, or totally restrict foods for an extended period of time.

Although certain crash or fad diets may work in the short-term if a caloric balance is adjusted, it’s imperative that people realize the long-term implications that must be considered. IIFYM not only allows for more enjoyment in food selection but simply provides a much more sustainable approach to lifelong nutrition.

You won’t always have a full kitchen to prep and pack every meal, you, of course, don’t want to miss out on social events the rest of your life for the sake of accurate food tracking, and you surely can’t imagine a life where certain foods are continually avoided at all cost.

For many, it’s common to be encouraged to severely restrict foods then have “cheat meals.” By doing so, those cheat meals full of otherwise restricted foods, lead to immediate regret for having consumed so much they become sick, which doesn’t only increase the chance for rebound fat gain but also creates a risk of poor long-term relationships with food; or even outright eating disorders.

 

 

Cleaning up the Restriction

Just recently I had a client sign on with me that had suffered from working with an extremist Clean Eating minded coach. She was several months post show yet still eating incredibly low calories, performing a lot of cardio, but most importantly, absolutely terrified to eat anything but a few select foods.

Fruit intake was nearly non-existent, the thought of carbs after 5 pm was absolutely terrifying, and the idea of including anything fun through the use of IIFYM was absolutely out of the question.

As we began working together, it was a gradual transition as I helped her find a balance between eating for health & performance and still finding time to enjoy favorites foods while keeping within a daily intake goal.

It was important not just to get food intake up and aerobic activity down to improve health markers, but to also create a positive mindset that allowed her to apply IIFYM while enjoying little things like the occasional cupcake, or eating a meal out with friends.

Progressively, through calculated adjustments, her food intake rose, energy in the gym improved, carbohydrates were no longer an object of fear, and body composition improved. Also not to be forgotten, her body weight has remained essentially the same as when we started through improved macronutrient distribution, improvements in adherence and more efficient training performance.

During the IIFYM transition, my client went from eating a stressful, restrictive meal plan, to eating a more, nutrient dense balanced diet but also including foods such as tortilla chips, homemade Mexican food, and baking with chocolate chips and other pleasant items.

She once again enjoys date nights with her boyfriend, and progress in the gym is better than ever. All of these amazing changes have occurred in just over 4 weeks time, and show no signs of letting up.

Actual Client Highlight

 

	Starting	Current
Client Weight (lbs.)	131	132
Carbohydrates (g)	90	145
Fat (g)	35	55
Protein (g)	165	150
Calories	1,335	1,675

 

IIFYM, FTW

Enjoying different foods in moderation through IIFYM doesn’t have to be an excuse to have a poor diet, and isn’t you being “weak.” It’s a sustainable approach that can allow you to have fun at events, periodically eat the foods you enjoy, and still follow a diet conducive to your health and fitness goals… not for 30 days, not for a contest prep, but for a lifetime. Now when putting it this way, IIFYM doesn’t sound bad eh?

 

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The Vast Benefits of Kettlebell Training: Build Your Grip, Stamina, And Physique

 

Barbells and dumbbells have long been the staple of an effective training program. And for good reason; they provide the biggest bang-for-your-buck when it comes to building strength, muscle, and sculpting an impressive physique.

But, in recent years, a new kid has shown up on the block and has taken a foothold as a must-do in your training programs.

His name is kettlebell training – and when combined with an IIFYM program – can help take your results to the next level. Not following an IIFYM program? Then start here with our IIFYM calculator.

Kettlebell Training: What Is It?

The development of kettlebells can be traced back to Russian farmers in the 1700s, as an implement originally used to weigh crops. The farmers noticed that they became stronger through the use of these implements, and used them to show off their strength at festivals. Later, the kettlebell was used as a training tool for the Soviet army.

Kettlebell Training vs Dumbbell Training

While kettlebells and dumbbells can both be used to train similar movements and exercises, kettlebell training has the distinct advantage of being able to produce ballistic movements more easily than dumbbells. These are movements that produce maximum velocity and acceleration over the shortest amount of time.

As far as ballistic movements go, in kettlebell training, it all begins and ends with the kettlebell swing. Precisely why our coaches start all of our clients who are beginners at kettlebell training with the Russian swing.

The Swing: The King of Kettlebell Training Movements

First things first…the kettlebell swing is a hinge movement, not a squat. This means that the move originates with the hips, not the knees. But it doesn’t stop there.

With a kettlebell swing, every muscle in your body is involved in every rep, with a specific emphasis on the entire posterior chain. A proper swing involves bending at the hips, not the knees, and using a strong contraction and thrust of the glutes to propel the kettlebell up. Then, your lats and abdominals take over to control the kettlebell as it transitions from the upswing to the downswing, and you start the process all over.

The kettlebell swing is in an elite class of exercises, along with the likes of the deadlift, and full cleans/snatches, that work your entire body in one movement.

 

 

The Many, Many Benefits of Kettlebell Training

It’s true “functional” training

While the term “functional” gets thrown around a lot – and often too much – kettlebell training is functional exercise at its best. While a lot of machines and certain exercises train our muscles individually, kettlebell exercises train your body as a whole; utilizing almost every muscle group working together.

This carries over directly to our lives because of our bodies rarely, if ever, use muscles in isolation, instead of working in conjunction with each other to more efficiently perform tasks, prevent injuries, and build strength. Kettlebell training trains your entire body.

Kettlebell training increases work capacity

Work capacity is simply how much work your body is able to do. Increasing work capacity allows you build more muscle, get strong, and burn more calories.

As our previous post pointed out, your body requires more calories the greater your activity is. Find out what your ideal starting macros are with a Custom Macro Blueprint!

Kettlebell training increases work capacity, and it increases it very quickly. Because of the ballistic nature of kettlebell training, you can improve cardiovascular ability while also strengthening your hips, legs, lower back, and core in a very short amount of time.

Training with kettlebells increases power

Power is important for almost any physical activity but especially important for athletes. Power is defined as the body’s ability to generate as much force as possible, as quickly as possible. Or in other words, explosiveness.

Classic kettlebell exercises like the swing, snatch, and clean all must be performed in a fast, explosive manner.

Kettlebell training teaches to you extend and fire through your hips, thus strengthening your glutes, and taking the stress off your lower back.

Not only that, but kettlebell training teaches you how to repeat these movements over and over again, increasing your power-endurance. And, in athletics, it’s usually the athletes that can sustain power and explosiveness over an extended period of time that come out on top.

Develop crushing grip strength

Grip strength is an underappreciated aspect of strength training. A weak grip can be a limiting factor in a number of exercises; particularly the deadlift. A stronger grip means heavier lifts, but also means larger and stronger forearms.

We’ve seen that kettlebell training has been great for improving the grip strength of our clients for a few reasons. One, the handle of the kettlebell is larger than the typical barbell or dumbbell, so any exercise you perform with it is going to stress your grip more.

Two, the nature of kettlebell exercises – the swing in particular – put unnatural stress on your hands and forearms. Swings require you to hold the kettlebell for an extended period of time, as well as having to combat a moving and every changing center of gravity.

 

 

Kettlebells are space-savers

You don’t need a lot of room to perform kettlebell exercises. Hell, most could be done in a closet. They also require very little storage, which makes them excellent options for at-home workouts, or for small studios.

Build stability with instability

Because the weight of a kettlebell is not centered like that of a dumbbell or barbell, kettlebell training can help build stability with instability.

Kettlebells teach your body to deal with an off-center of gravity. This means that your smaller stabilizer muscles are activated more than with traditional exercises, thus making them stronger.

Aches and pains are often a result of instability and imbalances. Kettlebell training doesn’t just expose these imbalances but works to correct them through improving coordination, joint strength, and the use of low impact.

Kettlebell training can combat lower back pain

We’ve found with our clients that the biggest cause of low back pain is weak glute muscles. The glutes are the largest muscles in the human body and are responsible for almost all movement. When the glutes are weak and don’t fire correctly, a lot of the work they should be doing is taken over by our lower back muscles, which are not designed to do as much work as the glutes.

Kettlebell training teaches to you extend and fire through your hips, thus strengthening your glutes, and taking the stress off your lower back.

Better posture and spinal stability

In keeping the theme of our back and posterior chain, kettlebell training has the ability to improve posture, as well as spinal stability, which will help prevent injuries.

Thankfully, kettlebell training can provide many of the benefits of traditional cardio and more.

Our posterior chain is responsible for our posture. When these muscles are weak, our posture is normally poor, with our shoulders rolled forward, back rounded over, etc. Poor posture increases our risk for nagging aches and pains, as well as injuries.

Kettlebell training combats this by strengthening the entire posterior chain. A stronger posterior chain helps you keep your shoulders pulled back, with a neutral spine. This is our body’s natural position and reduces our risk of injury issues.

Kettlebell training also addresses the issue of spinal stability. Protecting your spine comes from the ability to properly brace your core. This is done by drawing in breath, and bracing your stomach like you’re about to take a punch. This helps build core strength and will transfer over to other exercises, as well as everyday activities.

 

 

Cardio without the cardio

Most people who love resistance training tend to hate traditional cardio. The thought of jogging on a treadmill, or swaying back and forth on an elliptical for an hour is pure hell on earth. Thankfully, kettlebell training can provide many of the benefits of traditional cardio and more.

The reason kettlebell training is a great alternative to cardio is that 1). It’s not boring, and 2). It gives you the added bonus of training multiple energy systems.

There are two main energy systems we use during exercise. The aerobic system is used during sustained periods of activity, usually greater than a minute. This system relies on oxygen the body draws in for energy. The anaerobic energy system, on the other hand, uses stored energy for an activity usually lasting less than 15 seconds.

As you expend energy through activity, you need to fuel your body with the proper amount of macros and calories. Let us create a diet approach that does that with your Custom Macro Blueprint!

The best way to use kettlebell training to train both systems is by utilizing a HIIT – or high-intensity interval training – protocol. Typically this is done with a 1:1 or 1:2 work-to-rest ratio. What this means is you’re doing work for say 30 seconds, followed by 30-60 seconds of rest.

This has shown to provide a greater positive effect on both the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems, than simple traditional strength training or cardio alone does.

Burn more fat

While following a sound nutrition plan – such an IIFYM diet approach – is the main driver of progress when it comes to fat loss, your training methods can also drastically help increase your results.

Kettlebell training is a great conditioning tool for fat loss for the reasons I just mentioned. Not only does it burn a ton of calories during the activity due to the aerobic response, but also after the activity, due to increased EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.

EPOC is the body’s response to the intensity of activity and its desire to return to a normal state. The higher the intensity, the great the EPOC, because the more oxygen the body needs to return to normal.

Kettlebell Training is fun

Other than heavy deadlifts, kettlebell training is probably the most fun you can have in the gym. Kettlebell workouts are quick and can be done anywhere, so you don’t have to be stuck in a gym. Plus they’re great for friendly workout competitions with a buddy.

 

 

Quick Kettlebell Workouts

The great thing about kettlebell training workouts is there are endless combinations of how they can be done. Here are a few of my favorites:

Kettlebell/Burpee Countdown

Perform 10 kettlebell swings, followed by 10 burpees. Then immediately perform 9 swings, followed by 9 burpees, then 8 swings, followed by 8 burpees, and so on, counting all the way down to 1 rep. Rest only as needed.

Top of the Minute

At the top of the minute, perform 20 seconds of kettlebell swings, followed immediately by 6 reps of a bodyweight exercise of your choice (push-ups, pull-ups, jump squats, etc). After the 6 reps, rest for the remainder of the minute. That’s one round. Complete 10-20 rounds.

One-Arm Complex

Set a timer for 10 minutes. Perform all reps with one arm/leg before switching sides and repeating. That’s one round. Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes, resting as little as possible. This is a complex so you will use the same weight for each exercise, and perform all reps without setting the weight down.

• One-Arm Swings x 3
• Single-Leg RDL x 3
• One-Arm Split-Stance Row x 3
• One-Arm Clean x 3
• One-Arm Reverse Lunge x 3
• One-Arm Push Press x 3

1-Minute Intervals

Perform each exercise for 60 seconds, with 60 seconds of rest in between. At the start of your 60 seconds of rest, perform 10 push-ups, then rest for the remainder of the 60 seconds.

• Two-Arm Swings x 60 seconds
• Shoulder Press x3 60 seconds per side
• Romanian Deadlift x 60 seconds
• One-Arm Row x 30 seconds per side
• Goblet Squat x 60 seconds

300

Perform as many or as few reps of each exercise as you want during one set. Your goal is to complete the prescribed number of reps for each exercise, for a grand total of 300 reps. Aim to complete all 300 reps in 15 minutes.

• One-Arm Swing x 50 reps per side
• Snatch x 25 reps per side
• Clean & Press x 25 reps per side
• Reverse Lunge x 25 reps per side
• Squat & Press x 25 reps per side

When combined with a proper IIFYM diet, kettlebell training is a fun, quick, and unique way to burn fat, increase strength, and improve your overall fitness. With a short learning curve, it can be done anywhere, by anyone, at any fitness level. Add kettlebells to your fitness regimen, and watch your results skyrocket.

 

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9 Benefits of HIIT: Is it the King of Cardio?

 

I’m about to use a word that I absolutely hate, and that word is CARDIO. I may be standing alone on this one, but I’m willing to bet there are many of you out there reading this IIFYM.com article having the exact same thought. I live an extremely hectic life between running my business and being a good husband and father.

Every devoted second of my day I want to be consumed with those elements. That’s not to say that I don’t value my health, in fact, it’s because I make my health and fitness a priority that I am rarely ever sick, and I’m able to play with my son without needing an oxygen mask. Valuing your health is critical, if you haven’t already, find out your cutting macros with the IIFYM calculator.

One way that I’m able to minimize my time in the gym and spend more time with my family is using HIIT cardio. HIIT for those who aren’t familiar is high-intensity interval training. Because we all seem to like acronyms these days, we simply say HIIT for short.

Why HIIT is Superior for those Pressed for Time

Getting back to my loathe for cardio. I have zero interest in spending an hour on the treadmill, bicycle, elliptical, stepper, rower, or whatever piece of cardio equipment you’d like to throw in here. It’s not going to happen. I don’t like it. You couldn’t pay me to do it. And because I don’t like slow steady-state cardio for long durations, I found HIIT to be extremely advantageous.

I highly recommend that if you do not like a form of exercise, find an alternative that you do. That doesn’t mean to totally neglect that piece of the equation, it just means you need to find something else to slot in its place that you enjoy. Cardio is a necessary evil when it comes to achieving your physique goals and burning off unwanted body fat to showcase the muscle you worked hard to build.

*Note: Before we get any further, we need to say one thing. HIIT cardio or any form of exercise CAN have negative side effects on those with health issues and even those without any symptoms but rather has an underlying health issue. We at IIFYM.com, as well as the author, would encourage all of you to see your doctor before engaging in any exercise program including the HIIT topic described in this article. For your safety, please make sure the doctor clears you and says it is safe to begin any exercise protocol.

 

 

Through HIIT there is HOPE

HIIT is a style of training where you exert 100% effort in quick bursts and is then followed up by a short recovery period before being repeated again several times. The rest and recovery periods for HIIT can either be done actively through something like a walk.

For instance, you can utilize sprints in your HIIT training. You could sprint for 30 seconds on a treadmill or outside, and then walk for the next 60 seconds for your rest and recovery phase. Then you repeat the cycle.

HIIT is a great way to burn fat while preserving hard-earned muscle mass

Some people will use the rest and recovery phase to completely rest and stop movement all together before hitting it hard. In that case, many people shorten the cycles where they give an all-out sprint for 20 seconds and completely rest for 10-20 seconds before beginning their next sprint.

The more advanced you are in the fitness game, the longer you are going to want your working phase of HIIT and the shorter you want your rest and recovery to be. Start out with shorter work phases and longer rest/recovery and keep progressing and pushing yourself.

Example Routines

Need some other examples to get you started with HIIT? Here are some IIFYM.com recommendations through the use of a high school track assuming you have one nearby:

1) Bleacher sprints are a great way to get in your HIIT session. You could do something as simple as 10 complete rounds and then call it a day. To complete your first round, all you need to do is start at the bottom of the bleachers where there is a clear row going all the way to the top of the stadium bleachers. Sprint up the stairs to the very top.

Once at the top, turn around and walk back down to ground level. Perform these nine more times to finish off a killer HIIT cardio session. As your fitness level improves, you can add in more rounds as necessary. Once ten becomes too easy, bump it up to 15, then 20, etc. As a note, if the bleachers are wet or snow-covered, do not attempt HIIT on them as there is a high probability that you will slip and potentially injure yourself.

2) Want to feel like an athlete again? Walk out onto the football field and line up on the goal line, facing the opposing goal line on the opposite side of the field. Then sprint from the goal line to the 10-yard line. Turn around and walk back to the goal line. Then immediately sprint to the 15-yard line. Turn back around and walk to the goal line.

 

 

Do this until you reach the 50-yard line. After you walk back from the 50-yard line, do your 10th round by sprinting all the way to the other goal line and walk back to where you started. As this becomes easier for you, progress from the 50-yard line until you eventually can keep pushing in five-yard increments to the other goal line. As an additional note, just like in the above example, if the ground is wet or snow-covered, do not attempt HIIT cardio on the field.

Because Time isn’t On Our Side

The goal with HIIT cardio is to keep your heart rate elevated so it allows you to burn more calories and fat in a shorter period. I’m a fan of productivity and efficiency, so in my opinion, HIIT is a slam dunk. You get to it, hit it quick, hit it hard, and then you’re out of there and moving on with your day.

…those who were in the HIIT group burned on average around 100 more calories per day compared to the slow steady-state group…

We all know that you can’t out-train a poor diet. And the good news is that you don’t need to when you find a plan that fits your lifestyle. IIFYM.com has everything from a 90-day weight loss challenge, to custom workouts, and even blueprints and recipes that you can utilize. If you haven’t checked out the IIFYM.com programs, I highly recommend you take a few minutes to see how they can take your health and fitness to the next level.

What are some benefits of HIIT cardio for IIFYM fans?

• You can do HIIT anywhere—inside or outside
• You can do HIIT with friends or alone
• HIIT is extremely efficient on time
• Aids in heart health
• HIIT challenges you both mentally and physically
• You don’t need any equipment to perform it
• It’s a great way to burn fat while preserving hard-earned muscle mass
• HIIT is a fantastic way to naturally increase your metabolism
• HIIT allows your body to burn calories well after your session is over

Exercise can be tiresome and demanding but your diet shouldn’t be, have one of our coaches build your easy to follow Custom Macro Blueprint

When you have zero excuses to not exercise, where do you go from there? Claim insanity? HIIT allows you to exercise anywhere you want, at any time of day. It can be in your house or outside, it doesn’t matter. Do you travel for a living?

Great! No matter where you go, you can fit in a HIIT session—including in your hotel room. Is the weather nice outside? Perfect! Grab your friends and crush a HIIT workout with them and see who can out-perform the others. Is your day full of meetings but you have a window of around 15-minutes before work to get in a quick workout? HIIT it is!

 

 

The Psychological and Physiological Edge

You’ll also find no other form of cardio tests your mental fortitude like HIIT cardio does. There is a very good chance that in the middle of your HIIT session you think you could very well die. It’s rough—but you need to push through it. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it—ah, the cliché.

But let’s also look at this from an athlete’s standpoint. Let’s compare the physiques of marathon runners and sprinters. Notice a difference? The sprinters are almost always carrying more muscle mass than a marathon runner and the sprinter is often times also holding onto less body fat as well. Why is that?

You’ll save time, burn more calories over the next 24 hours, and make your cardio sessions more efficient.

For starters, look at their training styles. Sprinters, well, sprint. Marathon runners are generally training for hours doing a slow steady-state form of cardio. How about we allow studies show us why there could be a difference between these athletes and how utilizing HIIT could help you burn fat and preserve your lean muscle mass in the process?

The research speaks for itself

In a 1994 study, two groups were used to test the effectiveness of HIIT cardio versus slow steady-state (1). One group was asked to perform 15-week of HIIT cardio while the slow steady-state group was asked to complete 20-weeks of cardio. At the end of the study, the slow steady-state group burned 15,000 more calories than the HIIT group. However, the HIIT group burned more body fat and in a shorter timeframe.

Another group of researchers conducted a similar study in 2001 where a slow steady-state group and HIIT cardio group were asked to perform their respective forms of cardio over an eight-week duration (2). At the end of the eight weeks, the group who utilized the HIIT style of cardio shed two percent body fat, while the slow steady-state group did not lose any body fat.

Even with a proper exercise routine, a great physique starts with a dialed-in diet. Have us create your Custom Macro Blueprint, so you can start to lose fat now!

It was also noted that those who were in the HIIT group burned on average around 100 more calories per day compared to the slow steady-state group when tested 24 hours after the conclusion of a cardio session. This shows HIIT participants can burn more calories at rest when using this style of cardio.

Still not impressed? HIIT cardio can also be beneficial in the short-term as well. In 2007, a study was published looking at females and how HIIT cardio could improve fat loss (3). Within a two-week timeframe, the researchers asked the young women in the study if they could perform seven HIIT sessions. When the study was complete, researchers found that there was a 30% increase in fat oxidation for all of the subjects who participated.

 

 

It’s a No-Brainer

Who wouldn’t want to burn more calories at rest from a single cardio session? I sure as heck would! Yet another study on HIIT cardio was conducted and showed that those individuals who used a stationary bicycle for their session were able to burn significantly more calories at rest for the next 24 hours than their counterpart who conducted a slow steady-state form of cardio (4).

The coaches at IIFYM.com can take your fat burning metabolism (thanks to HIIT cardio) and keep it revving by helping you choose foods that provide you with both the micro and macronutrients your body needs to function optimally. They are also able to customize workout plans to suit your needs and goals.

In Conclusion

If all of the studies mentioned above and information provided in this IIFYM.com article wasn’t enough to at least have you thinking about giving HIIT cardio a try, then I hope you are making some amazing progress with that slow steady-state you might be doing. However, if you are looking in the mirror and you aren’t happy, what do you have to lose by giving HIIT cardio a shot? Nothing.

I’m a fan of trying new things that are free and don’t cost me a thing other than my time. I’m also willing to bet that once you give HIIT cardio a try and you find the right form that you enjoy (whether it’s sprinting outside or on a bicycle) that you will never want to go back to slow steady-state again.

You’ll save time, burn more calories over the next 24 hours, and make your cardio sessions more efficient. I’m not saying HIIT cardio is the only way to reach your health, fitness, or physique goals, but I am saying it’s a pretty darn good way if you stick to it in the long-run.

Using a combination of HIIT cardio along with an IIFYM diet program is a great way to achieve your health and fitness goals. If weight loss is your goal, IIFYM.com has some of the best and most affordable plans available. If knowledge is what you are seeking, IIFYM.com has some of the best writers in the industry producing top notch content. While not all articles are specific to IIFYM, they are definitely all things that you can add or implement to your IIFYM lifestyle.

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