Is Eating Healthy Fats Beneficial To Building Muscle & Burning Fat?

When it comes to nutrition, fat has long been vilified as an enemy of health and fitness. However, the truth is that eating healthy fats can be beneficial for building muscle and burning fat. Healthy fats provide essential nutrients and are essential for proper body function. In addition, healthy fats can help you stay full and satisfied, which can help you stick to your fitness and nutrition goals.

Healthy fats come in a variety of forms, including unsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts, and avocados, as well as saturated fats like coconut oil and ghee. Each type of fat has its own unique benefits, so it’s important to include a variety of healthy fats in your diet.

For those looking to build muscle, healthy fats can provide the energy necessary to fuel intense workouts. Healthy fats can also help your body absorb and use protein more efficiently, which is essential for muscle growth. Eating healthy fats can also help the body to better utilize carbohydrates for energy, allowing you to push yourself further in the gym.

In addition to building muscle, healthy fats can also help you burn fat. Healthy fats can increase your metabolism, allowing your body to burn more calories. Healthy fats can also help regulate your appetite, making it easier to stick to a healthy diet. Finally, healthy fats can also help your body burn stored fat for energy.

Eating healthy fats can also provide a host of health benefits, including improved heart health, better brain function, and reduced inflammation. Healthy fats can also help reduce the risk of certain diseases, such as diabetes and cancer.

When it comes to building muscle and burning fat, healthy fats can be an important part of your nutrition plan. 

Why Doing Cardio Can Increase Muscle

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Cardiovascular training can also help to improve your body’s ability to utilize oxygen. This means that your muscles will be able to work harder for longer periods of time, which can lead to increased strength and endurance. It can also help to burn body fat, which can help to make your muscles more visible.

Finally, cardiovascular training can help to improve the circulation of blood to your muscles. This means that your muscles will receive more oxygen and nutrients, which can help them to grow and become stronger. It can also help to reduce the risk of injury, as the increased blood flow can help to reduce inflammation and improve recovery.

Overall, cardiovascular training can be a great way to help build muscle. It can help to increase the rate at which your muscles recover, improve your body’s ability to utilize oxygen, burn body fat, and improve the circulation of blood to your muscles. All of these benefits can lead to increased strength and muscle growth.

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What Should My BMI Be? And Is It Important?

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Your body mass index (BMI) is an important measure of your overall health and wellness. It can provide you with a good indication of how much body fat you have, and whether or not you are at risk for certain health issues. Knowing your BMI can help you make informed decisions about your health and be proactive in taking steps to maintain or improve your overall health.

Your BMI is determined by your weight and height. It is calculated by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing it by your height in meters squared. A healthy BMI range is 18.5 to 24.9. If your BMI is below 18.5 it indicates that you are underweight. If your BMI is above 24.9 it indicates that you are overweight.

Being aware of your BMI can help you understand if you are at an increased risk of certain health issues. Being overweight, for instance, can increase your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even certain types of cancer. On the other hand, being underweight can lead to weakened bones, fatigue, and malnutrition. Knowing your BMI can help you take steps to get to a healthy weight and reduce your risk of developing these health issues.

Why Protein Is Important To Build Muscle

Protein is one of the most important nutrients for building muscle, and many people overlook its importance. Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue, and it helps to provide the body with energy for exercise. Protein also helps to regulate hormones, which are important for muscle growth.

Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle. When we eat protein, our body breaks down the amino acids into smaller molecules, which are then used to build and repair muscle. Without enough protein, our body cannot effectively build and repair muscle. Therefore, if you want to build muscle, you need to make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet.

The amount of protein you need depends on your individual needs and goals. Generally, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. However, if you’re trying to build muscle, you may need more than this. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that people who are trying to build muscle should consume 1.2-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.

When it comes to getting enough protein, there are several options. Animal proteins, such as eggs, dairy, fish, and poultry, are some of the best sources of protein. Plant-based proteins, such as legumes, nuts, and seeds, are also good sources of protein. You can also get protein from supplements, such as whey protein powder, casein protein powder, and plant-based protein powders.

In addition to getting enough protein, you also need to make sure you’re getting enough other nutrients, such as carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals. Eating a balanced diet that includes a variety of whole-food sources is the best way to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need for building muscle.

In summary, protein is essential for building and repairing muscle, and it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet if you’re trying to build muscle. Animal proteins and plant-based proteins are both good sources of protein, and you can also get protein from supplements. Eating a balanced diet that includes a variety of whole-food sources is the best way to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need for building muscle.

Building Muscle

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Building muscle can be a challenging and rewarding experience. It takes hard work and dedication, but the results are worth it. With the right approach, anyone can build muscle and see impressive results. 

The first step to building muscle is to create a plan. This plan should include a combination of resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, and nutrition. It’s important to create a plan that fits your goals, lifestyle, and timeline. 

When it comes to resistance training, it’s important to focus on compound movements that work multiple muscle groups at once. Examples of compound movements include squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups. These exercises stimulate the most muscle growth in the shortest amount of time. It’s also important to focus on proper form to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your workouts.

Cardiovascular exercise is also important for building muscle. It helps to improve overall cardiovascular health, increase endurance, and burn calories. This can help to reduce fat and make muscles look more defined. It’s important to include a variety of different types of cardio in your plan, such as jogging, cycling, swimming, and HIIT. 

Nutrition plays a crucial role in muscle building. Eating a balanced diet of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables is essential for muscle growth. It’s also important to get enough rest and recovery. Muscles grow and repair when the body is at rest, so getting enough sleep is key. 

Building muscle takes time and dedication, but it is possible for anyone to do it. The key is to create a plan that works for you and stick to it. With the right combination of resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, and nutrition, anyone can build muscle and see impressive results.

WEIGHTS OR CARDIO?

“Weights or cardio?” For most people who are training without a sport or event specific target in mind, i.e. someone who is training only to look good, and get generally fitter, stronger and healthier, there is only one answer for me: weights. One thing I will say, is that balance is very important. Sticking to weights or cardio exclusively won’t get you the best results. However, if you were to stick with only one, weights would be your best option. When you train, make the majority of your session weights based. Then try doing a related cardio ‘finisher’ at the END of your session. This way you’ll get the most out of your session and you’ll get the best of both worlds. So why should you do weights in order to lose fat and change your body shape, over doing the ‘holy trinity’ of what normal gym goers assume as best. The “I do 20mins on the treadmill, 20mins on the cross trainer and 20mins on the exercise bike” crowd are not people you should be taking health and fitness advice off. These people will never look any different to how they do now and they tend to be superb examples of the ‘all the gear but no idea’ stereotype. So, here are some reasons why you should prioritise weight training in your exercise regime: 1. It’s essential for fat loss. When you weight train, you’ll build lean muscle tissue. The more lean muscle tissue you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate is, therefore you’ll burn more calories across the day. This equates to more efficient fat loss. 2. It’s fun. There is an incredible amount of variations for lifting weights, means you’re unlikely to get bored. Unlike slogging it out on a bike or treadmill for ages and not seeing any results. 3. It’s time efficient. If you do solely cardio, you’ll have to exercise for longer to get any benefits as your body adapts to the stress your putting it under. Weight training will take the same amount of time as when you first start out. As you improve you can simply make the weights heavier, adjust the tempo/intensity of your workouts or incorporate supersets in order to get a great workout in the same period of time. 4. You’ll get stronger and more athletic. Weight training can help adapt the body to daily stresses and strains of everyday life. Carrying the shopping, walking the dog or going up the stairs will never have felt so easy. Plus, because you’re building muscle, you’ll also look more athletic, fitter and stronger than someone who spends hours a week just doing cardio. 5. You’ll feel great. As you get stronger, the weights you lift get heavier and your body shape changes, your confidence will go through the roof. Results are addictive, and once you weight train properly for a period of time, you’ll see the results and will wonder why on earth you ever wasted your time going to cardio classes or beating yourself up about hating going the gym and running for an hour. 6. It helps prevent injury. This is a factor that people who only do cardio need to understand as it will undoubtedly help them with their favoured exercises. When you lift weights, you also strengthen the ligaments and tendons that keep your body moving well on a daily basis. Strengthening your tendons and ligaments will help you continue to operate in peak condition and protect your body from injuries. So there you go. It’s very frustrating as personal trainers, who have clients best interests at heart, when people who have literally no idea what they are taking about preach to you about how they are doing this class or this exercise and it turns out all they are doing is glorified circuit training. Doing a few star jumps and some skipping won’t get you the body you want. Remember that. Make the right choice. Be all you can be. Sean

MISINFORMATION

The definition of misinformation is: False or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive. This is especially relevant in today’s internet reliant world. The internet and social media is a wonderful thing. It allows us all access to an endless amount of information and knowledge, and also lets us keep up to date with our family and friends on a daily basis. However, a lot of what you read, watch or listen to online is complete rubbish. The fitness industry is no different. It’s full of misinformation. From poor lifestyle advice to false body images, to fitness ‘experts’ (who haven’t got a clue) to nutritional ‘specialists’ (they’re probably not), it’s like the wild west out there in the online fitness world. Nobody is perfect, least of all myself. But it’s becoming more and more common now for people to say “well I saw this on Instagram”, or a “fitness blogger said to do this”. Great. But how does that apply to you? ANSWER: It probably doesn’t. In some cases, these social media fitness ‘superstars’ are well educated, superb physical specimens with a wealth of knowledge and experiance, who give, honest useful information which will help the people who look up to them for advice or inspiration. These are the people you should be ‘following’, ‘liking’ or ‘subscribing’ to if that’s what you’re in to. In most cases however, people who are preaching online or giving out advice to anyone stupid enough to listen, are nothing short of con artists. They might be a ‘sponsored athlete’, ‘look good’ or do lots of ‘different’, ‘exciting’ exercises, but the reality is they are either just as clueless as the next person, or are deliberately trying to entice you into buying some kind of completely pointless product they are being ‘sponsored’ to sell. They often have no relevant qualifications, no experience of dealing with anybody but themselves, and will fill uninformed minds with false information in order for more ‘likes’ or ‘followers’. It’s embarrassing. Also, just because someone has a discount code for a product on their social media bio doesn’t mean it’s a worthwhile investment. In 99.9% of cases it will be a complete waste of your time. If you’ve got spare money to throw down the toilet, do that, instead of funding these people and the companies that are selling this utter garbage . Or, even better, give it to charity. At least then it’s going to a worthwhile cause and could make a big difference in the real world. So, when looking for advice or information on training, nutrition or generally leading a healthier lifestyle, look for real, genuine, qualified people with actual life experience and who only have YOUR best interests at heart. The chances are anyone else is wasting your time, money and effort. Rant over. Be all you can be. Sean

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

What is the key to a successful training program? CONSISTENCY. What is the key to successful weight loss? CONSISTENCY. What is the key to successful muscle gain? CONSISTENCY. What is the key to successful nutrition? CONSISTENCY. What is the key to ingraining health and fitness into your lifestyle, feeling better for it and getting the best results you can get? CONSISTENCY. Can you see a pattern starting to emerge? So why is being consistent the key to all these things? Being consistent creates habit. So when health and fitness becomes a habit and an important part of your lifestyle, you’re already onto a winner. Training at the same times and days each week (when possible) is a big head start here. In terms of training, consistency is important for several reasons. If you try and do lots of different exercises every session and don’t follow a solid, structured workout plan, your body will never be able to adapt to the strain you’re putting it under, therefore you will not get fitter or stronger, and you are unlikely to lose any weight, get stronger or achieve any kind of performance related goal. If you are a beginner to exercise, or only have limited time available, doing two or three full body workouts a week with say six or seven key exercises each session will be much more beneficial to you in the long term. This consistency allows your body to get used to doing these exercises and that means you’ll slowly improve and head towards your end goal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting for one minute that you should pick a select few exercises and stick with them forever. At least try and stick with them for a few weeks though, and see yourself improve and get more confident with those exercises. Then change and throw in a few different exercises/sessions and stick with them for a few weeks. Stick to this kind of cycle and you won’t go far wrong providing you’re doing suitable exercises for your end goal. People often like loads of variety in every training session as they get ‘bored’. Those people don’t get the results they want in the end. Helter skelter training sessions with no structure or direction, might seen fun, but won’t be fun for long when you don’t achieve the results you want. You’re just wasting time, energy and in most cases money as well. In terms of nutrition, consistency is also key. Work out your macros, create a meal plan or keep a good diary and stick to it. It really is that simple. If you like eating lots of different meals, come up with a weekly food plan and stick to that. Good food prep is massively helpful in keeping you on track here. Make being consistent a priority in your health and exercise mission, and you’ll be a massive step closer to achieving your goals. Be all you can be. Sean

OLD SCHOOL FOR A REASON

“I don’t want to do heavy weights” “I don’t want to get bulky” “I just want to do cardio” “I don’t seem to be losing weight” Sound familiar? Unfortunately in the health and fitness industry, there are an awful lot of misconceptions which people who don’t have any practical experience or knowledge of seem to be certain are 100% fact. The main reason most people go to the gym, take part in physical activity or visit personal trainers like ourselves is vanity. Who doesn’t want to look great and feel totally confident in themselves? However these same people also feel like because they’ve seen videos on Instagram of their favourite celebrity training in a very exciting and glamourous way, that they know exactly what they need to do to achieve their own personal goals. It’s complete rubbish. Another problem these people have is jumping on the bandwagon when a new ‘fad’ exercise or training method pushes it’s way onto their social media feeds. It can be as pointless and ineffective as you like, but you can guarantee people want to give it a go. So what’s wrong with ‘old fashioned’ training methods? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Training methods that have been used for as long as exercise has existed (an incredibly long time), have been that long lived for one reason – they actually work. Fad exercises go in and out of fashion because they don’t have as many long term benefits as weight training and proper conditioning. So why is old school weight training and conditioning beneficial to everyone, and more effective than other more ‘fashionable’ ways to train, especially if you’re goal is to look good? Benefits of weight training include increased strength, muscle mass, endurance, improved cardiovascular health and appearance, and decreased body fat, and blood pressure. Importantly, for people who want to lose body fat, the body’s basal metabolic rate increases with increases in muscle mass, which promotes long-term fat loss. Also intense workouts elevate metabolism for hours following the workout, which also promotes fat loss. So you’ll be burning calories after you’ve finished training. The best way to get yourself into shape is a consistent and structured weight training program. It might not be pretty, but it’s very effective. By all means, people should do what they enjoy, but do those activities as add ons to a well planned weight training program and diet. That’s your bread and butter. Remember, it’s old school for one reason, and one reason only – It works! Be all you can be. Sean

How do I lose belly fat faster?

Like all the answers when it comes to Fat Loss. Eat Less Move More! It’s as simple as that. Bonous answer don’t drink too many sugerary drinks that includes alcohol  I’m afaid not just for the added calories but the effect it has on your body’s digestive system. Merry Christmas
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