How to combine Cardio into your Lifting Routine
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll probably know I always emphasize the importance of lifting weights. It is not the only way to gain muscle, it also helps you to lose weight sustainably through increased metabolism, reduce injuries, diseases, illnesses, improve posture, balance, and sleep, and gives you stronger bones for longevity, to name a few. On the other hand, cardio has its great benefits as well - it burns calories, help in cardiovascular health, improves mood, and has also shown to be highly correlated to reduced diseases and illnesses too.
So this article is not to compare which one is better, because they are used for different goals, but how do we best combine the two. But first, we will look at how they’re different, the tradeoffs, and finally what types of cardio, how much cardio, and when to do them to help with your goals. Let’s dive in.
How to Choose the BEST Exercise for Muscle Growth
You’ve probably seen tons of videos or blog posts on the Internet entitled “The best arms exercise!” or “The only glute exercise you’ll ever need!” And I’m sure other videos titles like “You should never do this exercise” have caught your attention before, especially if it has more than a million views. I’m guessing you’ve watched them and took their advice as golden. I do use such headliners myself on my YouTube page, but that’s all for marketing and click bait purposes. The truth is, there is no such thing as a best or worst exercise for muscle growth. There might be a grain of truth in that, but it is mostly BS - the best exercise for arms or glutes does not exist! Does that mean that the fitness influencers are wrong?
In this article (adapted from concepts by Dr. Mike), I will be giving a checklist to assess if an exercise is not good for you or not. Then you can judge for yourself if these fitness influencers are wrong. Let’s dive in.
4 Must-Dos to Ensure Optimal Muscle Growth
Everyone wants to build muscle as fast as possible. In fact, one of the top reasons why people come to me for Personal Training is to build muscle. However, the truth is that muscle-building is a long, slow and often frustrating process. As a result, it may be hard to tell if you’re actually effectively building muscle or not. And the added fact that progress will slow down as you gain more experience, is not helping.
But roughly how fast can you realistically build muscle? A study at McMaster University found that the average male beginner training 4 times a week can gain about 3kg of muscle in 10-12 weeks. That means about 1kg of muscle per month while training in optimal conditions. In this other study, it was found that with good nutrition and consistent training, 0.9kg of muscle growth per month is possible for beginners. While it may seem little, over time, the results can be significant. With 12 months of consistent training, you’ll be able to gain up to 10kg of muscle mass! But as you progress, the rate of muscle gain will slow down. At the intermediate stage, researcher Alan Aragon estimate the rate of muscle growth for a 70kg male is about 0.4-0.8kg per month. And for advanced individuals, about 0.2-0.4kg of muscle growth per month.
And these numbers are assuming that your training and nutrition are optimal, but since this does not happen for most people, muscle-building can actually be even slower than previously outlined. So the important question is - What should you do to build muscle as fast as possible? In this article, check out the 4 Must-Dos to ensure optimal muscle growth.
How to Pack on Mass Fast for Skinny Guys (or Hard Gainers)
You’ve been training for some time, eating all the ‘bodybuilding food’, and on paper, it seems like you’re doing everything right. But you just can’t seem to put on any size despite all the hard work, and get frustrated. You look at yourself in the mirror daily and feel like you’re just destined to be skinny forever, or in other words, a hard gainer.
I’ve come across many people who once thought they were hard gainers. No matter how much they ate or trained, they just can’t seem to put on any weight onto their skinny frame. Although there are studies that show that body types are not pseudoscience, it is still definitely possible for hard gainers to put on significant muscle mass as long as they are eating and training right. And after these hard gainers realized their mistakes and optimized their training and nutrition, they started to add pounds of muscle to their frame after consistency and patience.
I am pretty sure most of you hard gainers can do the same too. And in this article, I’ll be going through the things skinny guys should be doing to put on muscle mass in the most efficient way possible. Let’s dive in.
Best Science-Based Workout Split to Maximize Muscle Gains
One of the biggest decisions you have to make when you start hitting the gym is choosing which workout split to do. Or to put it simply, what exercises to do on different workout days of the week. For example, when I first started to gym, I used what was very popular in fitness magazines, and what my friends recommend - the “Bro Split”, meaning to do each muscle group once a week (Monday is International Chest Day!). I definitely build a significant amount of muscle over years of training, but the more important question is whether I would have progressed faster if I had used a better workout split.
After years of lifting and research, I would say that there’s a high chance that using a different workout split would have accelerated my muscle growth. Finding a workout split is also a useful way to formulate a training plan and stick to it - an essential step to optimizing results. You wouldn’t want to walk into a gym finding the first empty machine and start pumping out reps would you?
In this article, we will take a look at the different options and which one is best suited for you. Let’s dive in.
Top 8 Training Myths Debunked by Studies
Discerning legit and reliable information on effective training is harder than it seems these days. It is already difficult enough to keep up with a workout regime. Yet the sheer number of misinformation from different sources is making things worse. Gyms, social media and internet “gurus” throw around fad theories which can get in the way of maximizing our workouts. These theories not only lack evidence, they also prevent us from making the most out of the little time we have.
On the other hand, fundamental truths often get lost in the pool of these myths. While some of these myths are harmless, others will make your gains suffer. The worst case? You’re waiting for an injury to happen.
It’s time to call out these bro-science and bullshit once and for all. Here we will identify the top 8 training myths and using evidence, we will put them to rest.
The Optimal Training Volume to Build the Most Muscle (Tons of Research!)
One of the most common questions among lifters is figuring out exactly how much volume or how many sets one should do in a workout.
On one hand, some say that doing a few sets close to failure is sufficient for muscle growth and doing too much can cause injury, overtraining, and excess fatigue. On the other, others say that the more volume, the more gains. Which is right and which is wrong?
The short answer is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer as different training frequency may work better for others. The long answer? Here we will look at some evidences to find out how many sets of workout you should do to optimally build muscle.
4 Reasons to Lift Weights
The main and perhaps only reason you lift weights is to build muscle. In fact, unsurprisingly, the leading motivation that people hit the gym is to put on mass, or to look ripped. However, there are many other reasons you should be lifting weights, arguably more important ones. That is why I always recommend everyone to lift weights. Truth be told, focusing on the other multitude of reasons instead may actually be more motivating for you.
Personally, lifting weights changed my life for the better. Check out some of reasons how it can do the same for you!
Answer to Skinny Fat
Skinny fat. An oxymoron that gained popularity in the last 10 years. How can someone be both “skinny” and “fat” at the same time? This frightening combination of words is actually applicable to more people that you expect. Those who are skinny fat face a huge dilemma. The weighing scale says “skinny” but the mirror screams “fat”. They are too skinny with their shirt on, yet look too fat with their shirt off, not forgetting a myriad of health problems that come with it.
Even if they’re motivated to do something about it, they’ll probably still be very confused on what to do exactly - whether to focus on eating more to build muscle (bulking) or eating less to lose fat (cutting). There are also experts who recommend body recomposition, which is gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time. But which is the best method to curb skinny fat? How should a skinny fat person approach diet and exercise?
In this article, I’ll be explaining what exactly is skinny fat and the best method(s) to fix it. Let’s dive right in.
Everything you need to know about Newbie Gains
You’ve heard the benefits of lifting weights. It improves your metabolism, reduce risks of diseases, and helps with better posture. More importantly, for the guys, you want to put on slabs of muscle to fill your shirt, and for the girls, to have toned legs, arms and back to wear fitting clothes more confidently. And so you made a decision to sign up for that gym membership.
However, stepping into a gym for the first time and picking up your first dumbbell can be intimidating. New movements and terminology can be overwhelming. But good news for you! If you are new to lifting weights, you can put on muscle incredibly quickly. That’s a special advantage that many seasoned lifters would envy. You can progress with relative ease - as much as 15 kg of muscle for men, or 8 kg of muscle for women, in just one year of proper training! This is the power of newbie gains, which refers to the rapid increase in muscle and strength for individuals who just started lifting.
In this article, I’ll be explaining more about newbie gains, how to maximize them, and what’s next.
Let’s get started.