recovery articles

You may love it. You may hate it.
Muscle soreness is one of those things that can leave you feeling like you want to spend the day in a wheelchair or sadistically satisfied…
Either way, everyone wants to know what can you do to bounce back as fast as possible from post workout muscle soreness.
Here are the most effective methods to speed up your recovery between sessions and get rid of ‘delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
HOT / COLD CONTRAST SHOWERS
Just take a 5 minute shower, and alternate between 1 minute cold and 30 seconds hot, showering the water onto the muscle you … Read more

Should you train in a plastic bag?

This is part three of my alcohol series. If you missed part one or two here they are:
Will alcohol stop you losing weight?
Will alcohol prevent you gaining muscle?
Now let me start this article by saying …
Alcohol is not all bad!
Good points
Improve cholesterol
Moderate alcohol consumption can; raise good (HDL) cholesterol, lower bad (LDL) cholesterol, and reduce your risk of clogged arteries which lead to heart attacks.
Reduced risk of heart disease
Moderate alcohol consumption reduces risk of heart disease. Moderate drinkers have a lower risk of death from heart disease than teetotallers or heavy drinkers. This may be due to increasing HDL cholesterol … Read more

Will alcohol prevent me gaining muscle?

You love a good drinking session but you also love a great workout and building some real muscle.
Can you do both?
If you haven’t read my article ‘Will alcohol stop me losing weight?’ take a look here as this article will predominantly focus on alcohol’s effect on your ability to build muscle.
So let’s get straight into the facts…
Reduced testosterone production
If you want to build muscle one of the first considerations you should have is if you are producing an optimal amount of testosterone.
Unfortunately every time you consume alcohol this key anabolic hormones production plummets.
Studies have shown that consuming 1.5g of alcohol … Read more

Will alcohol stop you losing weight?

There’s a certain comedic stigma attached to drinking and the alcohol culture, especially in the UK.
“Ever notice how some people talk louder when they drink? That’s why alcohol content is listed by volume”
“I’m not an alcoholic, alcoholics go to meetings. I’m a drunk, we go to parties.”
I’m not here to demonise one of the world’s favourite social intoxicants as it has some great benefits like reducing anxiety at social gatherings and has actually been shown to increase longevity.
BUT you’re reading this because you’re interested in losing fat.
Surprise surprise, many studies have shown alcohol intake aids to increased risk of abdominal … Read more

3 Things that slow down recovery

Don’t be your own worst enemy
Ensuring you come into the gym ready to train hard with nothing holding you back, whether it be muscle soreness or poor energy levels should be something all trainees strive for to ensure they are on the path to success.
If you can’t create the right environment for yourself to properly recover then it will become detrimental to your progress, if you get any at all. Here are 3 things which I consistently see and are extremely important for you to avoid to ensure you get adequate recovery.
Poor Sleep Patterns
Getting enough sleep is seriously under-rated. It … Read more

You need Fat

In my opinion, which is backed by a lot of science, you should NEVER cut fat out of your diet. Fat is an essential component of your daily requirements. This means your body NEEDS it to function properly, not only for health but it will also help with your goals in the gym whether it’s to build muscle or burn fat. Without fat you are compromising your health and success.
Let me explain why
Fat Loss
Omega 3 based fats have many benefits, one being their ability to help improve your insulin sensitivity (basically put, how well your muscle cells absorb carbohydrates). Maximising … Read more

Should You Stretch When Lifting Weights?