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Level up your fitness journey with MuscleBlaze

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What is the Right Age to Build Muscles

Do you wonder there is a perfect age for bodybuilding? Do you think that unless you are young, specifically in the twenties, it will be hard for you to build muscle. This is not true. The fact is that there is no perfect age to build muscles.  Whether you are sixty, forty or younger you have an equal opportunity to flex your muscles as long as you pump the iron and eat healthy. Do you find it hard to believe then take a look at the popular Bollywood icons? Hrithik, Shahrukh, and Aamir have painstakingly sculpted their bodies, irrespective of their age. The basic rules for muscle building remain the same, the only difference may show in the pace of the gains. Generally, it is believed that with age your progress slows down, but it is not always true. University of Oklahoma researchers compared people of different ages who followed an exactly same program for eight weeks. They found that guys between 35 and 50 years built more muscle than the young college going men. For middle-aged men, the muscle gains were 1.13 kg, whereas for the college going men it was 0.9kg.

WHAT FACTORS AFFECT MUSCLE GROWTH

Age is not a barrier to building muscle mass. As long as you pump iron hard enough to challenge your muscle tissues, eat clean and healthy and get ample rest, which allows growth hormones to do their job, building muscles should not be a challenge. Still, once you are past thirty, you tend to lose muscle mass and you need to work a way out to arrest the muscle loss and build new muscle tissues. The factors that affect muscle growth for all ages are:

1.       Start young

Late teens and early twenties are the perfect age to start bodybuilding.  Puberty and bodybuilding are closely related because this is the fastest time for muscle growth. Between, 17-25, you will experience testosterone driven growth burst in your muscles. However, you need to be moderate with your workouts and its intensity. Follow the 10 percent rule and raise the intensity by one-tenth at a time, so that your body gets ample stimulus to grow. However, this does not mean that you will not grow bigger after you have crossed this age, only the pace slows down a bit.

2.       Are you training for the first time?

If you pick up the iron after leading a sedentary life for a while, you recruit new muscle fibers which strengthen your muscle tissues and make them stronger and more visible.  In the first 12 weeks, it is not uncommon to see 10, 20 or 30 percent increase in strength. In the first three months of training, you will burn fat at a higher rate and your muscle tissues will pull in water and swell in size.

3.      Remain consistent in your efforts

Slow and steady wins the race, actually, builds the muscle. Do not train insane. You might risk an injury and it will make it difficult for you to lift heavy till you recover. Inactivity will result in the loss of your hard-earned muscle. Therefore, train consistently and reasonably. Perform lunges, squats and exercises that work your quad muscles, hamstrings. Be sure that resistance levels and the number of reps are high enough to fatigue your muscle tissues. ACSM recommends 8-12 reps for each exercise

4.       Alternate muscle groups

Exercises such as a squat, bicep curl and bench press give you the best return for your time and energy, burning more calories and addressing more muscles. When you weight train, your muscle tissues suffer from microscopic injuries that get rebuilt with protein rich diet and adequate rest. Until you allow your muscles to rest enough, you cannot rebuild those.

The ACSM recommends a three-day split as follows:

  • Day one: Chest, triceps, and shoulders
  • Day two: Lower body (quads, hamstrings, gluteals, hip abductors, and calves)
  • Day three: back, biceps and abs

5.      Do you drink enough water?

Your muscles are more than 70 percent water. When you challenge your muscles during resistance training, they contract. During this contraction, water is driven from the blood into muscle cells and surrounding areas that make those muscles swell

The American College of Sports Medicine recommendation on water intake:

  • Before exercise: 600ml (1 tall glass) of water
  • 1 hour of workout requires at least 1200ml (2 tall glasses) of water for proper hydration.

6.      Get ample protein

Your muscles are made of protein. In the absence of adequate protein, your body will not be able to synthesise new muscle tissues. The rule of thumb in bodybuilding has been for years 2.2g/ kg of bodyweight for decades. By this rule, your protein allowance will be as follows per day

Body weight ( Kg)             Protein Need

60   132g
65   143g
70   154g
75   165g
80   176g

Not only should you focus on your protein intake, but also on the quality of the protein. The availability of essential amino acids is a marker of protein quality. Your body does not synthesize essential amino acids, which are required for muscle growth. Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score is a method of evaluation the protein quality based on the amino acid requirement of human beings and their ability to digest it.

The score of 1.0 is the highest score given to a protein source.

Both whey and casein (milk based protein) enjoy 1.0 score.  Whey is a good source of leucine, a Branched Chain Amino Acid integral for muscle recovery. So does egg white. For vegetarians, good protein sources are legumes, whole wheat, peanuts, black beans, chickpeas. 

If you are on the right side of 30, or more, your protein intake needs to increase further, because post 30, you will notice a decline in your muscle mass.

7.      Remain injury free

Have you wondered why middle aged folks stay away from vigorous weight lifting? Are they lazy or they have an injury? As you age, your joints lose flexibility and become susceptible to injuries. A slight knee strain would not have prevented you from working out in your twenties, but in your thirties, it will. Ultimately, this will result in muscle loss. To remain injury-free, you need to take frequent deloads. A deload is a light block of training, where you lift but with a reduced intensity.

8.      Add cardio to your workout schedule

Cardio for muscle building? You might be surprised, but this is true. Moderate cardio increases blood flow to your muscle tissues which helps your body repair muscle damage quickly. Cardio is good for your cardiovascular system which benefits anyone.

9.      Get the right supplements

Supplements can fill in the dietary gaps and give you a muscle-building edge. A whey protein shake remains a must after your workout to provide immediate nutrition to your muscle tissues, irrespective of your age. A fish oil supplement or flaxseed supplement for vegetarians provides essential omega 3 fatty acids, which keeps your joints limber and active. If you are looking to fill out mass gainers will help you add the necessary bulk.

10.      Train with a trainer

If you wish to build muscle at any age, you need to seek the help of a trainer who has experience in training mature individuals, so that s/he can customize your training and diet plan to help you accomplish your goal.  Every six weeks, your trainer will change your program so your muscles do not get complacent and you overcome the growth plateau.

Are you still thinking, what’s the right age to build muscles? Well, the verdict is that if you are younger than 25, take advantage of the opportunity to build your muscles at a faster pace, but once you reach 30 and beyond, you can still build your muscle with the right type of training. Also, provide your body adequate nutrition, a careful balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins as well as vitamins and minerals.  You should eat five to six small meals in a day and work outright. Fill in the gaps with supplements and be kind to yourself. The results will surprise you as well as the rest of the world. 

From Shake to Bake- Raw Whey Protein Recipes

For fitness enthusiasts like you, a whey protein shake is the standard norm to get your protein fix. However, drinking the same whey protein day in and day out becomes monotonous.  No one said that bodybuilding has to be boring for your taste buds.  It’s possible to give an interesting twist to your regular shake with interesting recipes of raw whey protein powder and without compromising on the muscle-building protein. All you need to do is to move from shake to bake and create a complete meal with recipes, like pancakes, dessert bars and brownies. You can even add different flavours and interesting ingredients to raw whey protein powder to whip a delicious breakfast smoothie that meets your protein needs and keeps you asking for more.  

SHAKE-WITH-A-TWIST

Mornings are usually rushed, but this doesn’t mean that you go protein hungry or drink the same whey protein shake that you drank yesterday, or for that matter day before yesterday. Put a few simple ingredients along with raw whey protein in the blender and your delicious shake is ready to savour.

Strawberry Protein Shake Recipe

  • Strawberries: 10-15
  • MuscleBlaze Raw Whey Protein: 1 scoop
  • Skimmed milk: 180ml
  • Vanilla flavour: ¼ teaspoon

Blend all these ingredients together to customize your breakfast smoothie. Replace strawberry with cocoa powder to prepare a delicious chocolate whey protein shake.

Do you wish to add more punch to your shake?  Then you are going to love this protein packed smoothie recipe. The healthy dose of vitamins, vitamin C, fiber and protein make it a well-rounded meal in a glass.

      Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

  • Peanut butter  1 scoop
  • Almond milk 473ml (2 cups)
  • Strawberries & Raspberries 1/2 cup
  • Powdered oatmeal 1 cup
  • MuscleBlaze Raw Whey Protein 1 scoop

Soak a cup of almonds in two cups of water. Let it stay for two days. Peel and blend it in a blender with a cup of water. Strain it and it’s ready to use. In the almond milk, put the rest of the ingredients run it in a blender. Enjoy. 

YOU CAN BAKE DISHES WITH RAW WHEY

Do you think it’s impossible to have your cake and eat it too? Well, you have not added whey to your batter so far. This simple addition raises protein content by several notches and satisfies your sweet tooth without making you feel guilty. Learn to bake new dishes with raw whey protein. 

Baking with raw whey protein is simple if you follow certain guidelines. Since whey is a drying ingredient, you need to be careful when you substitute whey protein with baking flour in your recipes. While baking with whey protein, you are better off using quinoa and oatmeal flour.

  1. It’s easy to sneak in whey protein in readymade pancake or cake mixes, but do ensure that the batter should not contain more than 1/4 whey protein.
  2. Since whey is dehydrating in nature, therefore it needs to be baked in the company of ingredients like Greek yogurt, applesauce, bananas or berries to add moisture to it.
  3. You should use a binding substance like egg whites or whole eggs when you are baking.
  4. Whey protein will burn at high temperature. Therefore, keep the temperature 25 degrees lower than usual when you are baking with whey protein.
  5. Do not beat the whey cake mix too vigorously

Chocolate Whey Protein Muffin Recipe

For 6 muffins

  • 100g Buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta)
  • 40g Sukrin Gold (Brown sugar alternative)
  • 30g Raw Whey Protein powder
  • 20g Cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 120ml coconut milk
  • 2 Eggs
  • 80g Unsweetened applesauce

To prepare applesauce follow the following steps

  1. Peel, core and chop apples. Combine apple, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons cold water in a saucepan.
  2. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium.
  3. Transfer mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. 
  4. Your applesauce is ready to be used for baking.

Recipe

  1. Preheat your oven to 180-200 degrees Celsius. Mix dry ingredients together (flour, Sukrin, whey, cocoa, baking powder).  Beat liquid ingredients together (coconut milk, applesauce, eggs).
  2. Fold the two mixtures and you will get a smooth normal cake batter. Pour into a silicone muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. The muffins are cooked when the blade of a knife comes out clean.

Protein Bars

Creating whey protein bars at home with raw whey protein is simple, if you select a flour that can be eaten raw, like coconut flour (dehydrated, desiccated coconut) or almond flour (grind dry/ sprouted almonds) to obtain one.

Bind the flour and raw whey protein with milk/ coconut/almond milk. Once the batter is ready, shape it into bars. You may add desiccated coconut powder or coconut flour to your batter if you feel it is gooey. Coat the bars with melted chocolate and freeze it. After 30 minutes your bar would be ready to use.

Coconut Vanilla Whey Protein Bar Recipe

  • Raw whey protein:  1/2 cup
  • Coconut flakes: 1/4cup
  • Coconut flour: 1/4 cup
  • Dark chocolate melted: 30grams
  • Milk: 1/4 cup
  • Vanilla essence: 1/4 teaspoon

Fold the ingredients together and pour chocolate over your bars. Allow it to freeze before it satisfies your taste buds.

Whey Protein Pancakes Recipe

You can easily make whey protein pancakes. They are rich in protein and work as a perfect breakfast.

  • 1/4 cup Raw oats
  • 1/4cup Cottage cheese
  • 1/2 scoop Raw Whey Protein Powder
  • 1/2 cup Egg whites

Recipe

  1. Blend all the ingredients together and pour the batter over a hot griddle.
  2. Flip when the edges start browning
  3. Top it off with peanut butter and almonds

Include raw whey protein powder to create interesting recipes that satisfy your taste buds as well as meet your protein needs.

Guide to Ketogenic Diets

Keto or Ketogenic diet is the latest buzzword in the realm of fitness that puts the body’s own fat burning mechanism on overdrive and helps the dieter get rid of unwanted weight in as little as ten days. The diet has seemed to help, even children suffering from epilepsy. Ketogenic diet plan reverses the food-guide pyramid and the fitness community is divided on it. While proponents are enthusiastic about keto diet, as they feel that it not only it helps lose fat but also stabilizes insulin levels and provides more energy, the critics find it downright dangerous. MuscleBlaze investigates Ketogenic diet in detail, so that you can make an informed decision.

Just like Atkins, Ketogenic diet is an extremely low or no-carbohydrate diet that forces the dieter to go into a state of ketosis, a state in which the liver is forced to utilize its store of fat reserve for energy. In order to know how ketogenic diet helps in fat loss, you need to understand the energy mechanism of your body.

5 STEPS TO UNDERSTANDING THE BODY’S ENERGY MECHANISM

ATP (Adeniosine Tri Phosphate) is the energy currency for your body.

  1. Whenever you need energy for any activity, your body dips in its ATP reservoir but it continuously needs to replenish its ATP reserve.
  2. Carbs and starch are the most convenient sources of fuel for the body as they are easily broken down into glucose, the body’s principal source of energy, more so for the brain.
  3. The longer chain version of glucose is stored into the muscle cells in the form of glycogen. When you exercise, this glycogen breaks down into glucose. The liver also converts its stored glycogen into glucose and releases it directly into the bloodstream to maintain your blood sugar (blood glucose) level.
  4. During exercise, your muscles use some of this glucose, along with its glycogen stores. The carb content of your diet determines your glycogen stores.
  5. The body constantly uses and replenishes its glycogen stores. The carbohydrate content of your diet and the type and amount of training that you undertake influence the size of your glycogen stores.
Energy TypeFormEnergy Stores (ATP/CP)
CarbohydrateBlood Glucose80
 Liver glycogen400
 Muscle glycogen1500
FatSerum free fatty acids7
 Serum triglycerides75
 Muscle triglycerides2500
 Adipose tissue80000
ProteinMuscle Protein30000

It’s clear that the body stores a larger share of energy in the form of fat, but it is designed in such a way that it refrains from using its fat reserve as long as glycogen stored in the muscle cells is available for consumption.  Ketogenic diet coaxes the body to use its reserve of fats. 

HOW KETOGENIC DIET HELPS YOU LOSE WEIGHT

When your carb intake is high, your body has to access easier fuel reserve, glucose. The absence of carbs in ketogenic diet forces your body to find alternate source of energy, like fat, a denser source of energy than carbs and proteins. In this diet you go carb hungry, consequently your glycogen stores exhaust. Now, the body plugs in its alternate fuel, fat. A biomarker of lipid metabolism is the rising level of ketones in your body.  The best part about ketogenic diet is that it spares protein and burns fat for energy.  Other than weight loss, ketogenic diet is useful in improving lipid profile and reducing blood pressure.

 HOW TO PREPARE YOUR KETOGENIC DIET PLAN

Once you have calculated your calorie needs, follow the essential steps to calculate the protein and fat composition in your Ketogenic Diet Plan are:

  1. Multiply your body weight with 2.2 to get your body weight in pounds
  2. Get your body fat measured to find the fat percentage. Caliper method is easy and economical for assessing your body fat.
  3. Subtract your body weight in pounds with the weight of your body fat.
  4. Now, you know your lean body mass. Multiply it with 1g to arrive at your protein need required for supporting your muscle growth.
  5. Multiply this number with 4  and find the calorie value of the protein portion of your diet
  6. From your stipulated calorie allowance, subtract the protein number. Divide the rest by 9 and you have found the amount of fat you can have in this diet.
  7. Do not worry about your 30-50g carbs. It will creep in your diet with protein and fats on its own.

WHAT GOES INSIDE YOUR KETOGENIC MENU

Putting it simply, anything that is carbs or close to it goes off your menu, proteins and fats stay. Eating fats doesn’t give you a license to eat unhealthy greasy fatty foods, rather you should eat healthy fats, like extra-virgin olive oil. There is a lot to munch in-between meals when hunger strikes on a ketogenic menuKetogenic snacking options are fatty fish, cheese, a fistful of nuts, cheese with olives, a hard-boiled egg, full-fat yoghurt, strawberries with cream, a milkshake whipped with almond milk.

KETOGENIC DIET

Foods to eatFoods to avoid
Red meat, chickenHigh sugar foods: cakes, pastries, sweets
Fatty fishAll kinds of grains: wheat, rice, brown rice, corn, cereals
Whole eggsAll fruits except a bit of strawberries
Butter and creamBeans or legumes
Unprocessed cheese Root vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes and it’s like 
Healthy oils, like extra virgin olive, coconut oil Alcohol because it can contain carbs 
Low carb veggies, usually leafy greens, tomatoes, onionUnhealthy fat: Limit your intake of vegetable oil and mayonnaise
Condiments, like salt, pepper and herbsLow-fat diet products because these are highly processed

WHAT SUPPLEMENTS TO TAKE ON KETOGENIC DIET


A few supplements can help with ketogenic diet. As usual, whey protein tops the list because it helps you get your necessary dosage of proteins.
If you are hitting the gym on a ketogenic diet, creatine is for you. Since you will go lethargic in the initial phase of keto diet, a pick-me-up like caffeine is going to provide you enough stimulation.

Try to add MCT oil to your shakes and yoghurts. This will improve your energy store and help increase the level of ketones. Add salt and minerals on your keto diet to fix the water and mineral balance. 

SIDE EFFECTS OF KETOGENIC DIET

Ketogenic diet is safe in the short run and the only side effect is the melting away of stubborn fat. However, during the adaptation phase, you may suffer from poor energy, impaired mental function, increased hunger, sleep issues, nausea and stomach discomfort. In the absence of glycogen, your exercise intensity will suffer. If you wish to counter this you should include low carbs in your diet. Moreover, in a keto diet will also change the water and mineral balance of your body, so you need to add extra salt to your dishes or take mineral supplements, like sodium, potassium and magnesium per day to reduce side effects.

KETOGENIC DIET VERSUS PALEO DIET

In case you are wondering that Ketogenic diet is just an another name for Paleo diet, then you are not right. Both are different. 

  1. Super low-carb, moderate protein and high-fat diet define Ketogenic diet, whereas in Paleo diet the ratios are not clearly defined because the whole objective is to resort to the dietary pattern of a caveman, which would change as per the geography and season.
  2. Naturally, dairy products were out of bounds in a Paleo diet but are present in Keto.
  3. Moreover, carb content in Keto is strictly restricted for fat loss benefits to kick in, but the allowance is on the higher side in Paleo, as it allows fruit intake.

Related: The Beginner’s Guide to Paleo Diet

If stubborn fat is your bane, try ketogenic diet for a short while and with a viable diet and supplement plan.  The results are going to surprise you. 

The Best Beginner Weight Training Guide

If you are new to gyms, then the whole setup can be quite daunting for you?  The sight of muscular men grunting while lifting weights intimidates you, so much so that you leave those machines with pulleys and levers alone and continue with your cardio or cardiovascular exercises. These exercises increase your heart rate and blood circulation throughout the body. It boosts metabolism and helps burn calories, but iron wields the real benefits of a workout.

Your muscles follow the logic of use it or lose it. Therefore you need to learn to engage it in varied ways and here you will find strength training also known as resistance training or weight training immensely helpful. As an integral part of any beginner’s workout regime, strength training helps anyone build muscles irrespective of their age or gender.  

Weights Lifting Exercise

Lifting weights is a compulsory exercise for bodybuilding beginners and it helps them achieve their fitness goals. A young lad of 20 bulks up and someone in the forties sheds weight and shows off muscle definition with weight lifting as part of his gym exercises routine.  For a fifty plus, iron is the key to building strength, stamina and muscle tone.

When you strength train, you provide your muscles with resistance in the form of external weights or your own body weight. This causes your muscles to contract against this resistance and this leads to an increase in the strength, tone, endurance and mass of the muscles involved. According to Dr. Len Kravitz, an exercise researcher at the University of New Mexico, resistance training offers the greatest stimulation to your muscle cells, which shows in faster gains.

Though your muscle cells are undergoing hypertrophy, the visible results will take some time to show. It normally takes four weeks to see your body change, eight weeks for your friends and family to notice and 12 weeks for the rest of the world.

Benefits of Strength Training Program

The fact is that strength training is for anyone who wants to get fitter irrespective of gender and age? The wholesome benefits of strength training make it a must workout that ticks off most of your fitness goals. 

Beyond improving strength and flexibility, the benefits of strength training program include positive changes leading to reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease. American Heart Association has found that moderate weight training offers benefits to people with heart disease. An intelligent strength training program includes easy to follow workout plan for gym beginners. The outcome of such a program will be an improvement in your muscle tone, posture and improvement in metabolism as well as reduced likelihood of injury.

Other Advantages of Weight Training

  • Weight lifting not only builds your body but also sustain weight loss.  A recent study revealed that women who followed a weight-training routine 3 times a week increased a number of calories burned in normal daily activity (in addition to those burned during exercise), helping them to maintain their current weight.
  • Additionally, strength training is good for your bones, decreases the risk of injury and boosts your energy levels and elevates your mood.

If you are new to bodybuilding, terms like ‘set’ and ‘reps’ stand out for you. A rep (repetition) indicates one complete motion of an exercise; a set is a group of reps. Thus, if you performed two sets of 10 reps of bicep curls, this means you did 10 bicep curls, rested and then did 10 more.

How to Get Started

As a beginner to weight training, you need to know the difference between compound and isolation exercise. An isolation exercise isolates a particular muscle and works only on that muscle group, whereas a compound exercise works more than one major muscle. As a natural trainee, we have a limited amount of natural testosterone and growth hormone in the body that we need to make the most of to get the maximum possible protein synthesis and in turn muscle mass and strength gains. Big multi-joint compound exercises work a lot of muscles simultaneously which results in muscle growth.

1. Bodyweight Training

Like all beginners, you should start with bodyweight training. You hardly need any equipment for this training, at the max a pull-up bar or a set of gymnastics rings. Body weight exercises like squats, push-ups, handstand push-ups and planks are the must-have workouts for any guy who wishes to build strength and stamina.

Squats come naturally to human beings. It is a compound movement, which uses more than one joint (hip and knee joints) to complete. Squats strengthen your entire body, both your bones and your muscles and increase flexibility.

  • Stand your feet slightly wider than your hips.
  • Your toes should be pointed slightly outward.
  • Look straight ahead and pick a spot on the wall in front of you.
  • Now, lower yourself with a straight back, neutral spine and chest and shoulders up.

Related: How to squat like a pro

The pushup is another exercise that all bodybuilders love to do. In this exercise, you balance your body weight on your arms and push yourself up against it.  How many times you are able to push yourself up without getting tired, is a barometer of your health and fitness. Pushups recruit more than one muscle group, primarily chest, shoulders and upper arms. This bodyweight exercise also strengthens core muscles, helps build stronger bones and improves metabolism

2. Dumbbells

They are quite handy while weight training. Any gym will keep dumbbells in different sizes, as you can also buy them and use at your leisure. Moreover, dumbbells will put to use the principle of progressive overload. Dumbbells point our muscle imbalances easily and if you feel that you have picked a dumbbell heavier than you can handle, it’s easier to drop it than a barbell.

Hand weights and dumb bells are more or less the same, but with a difference in weight. Dumbbells weigh more than 10 pounds or 4kgs, whereas hand weights are lighter and can be used for exercising muscles anytime.  Keep them handy and do a few sets of bicep curls when the commercial break appears on the idiot box.

As a beginner, it isn’t necessary to overload on heavy weights right away; start with a pair that feels comfortable for your needs and tires you out in about eight to 10 reps.

3. Barbells

 A barbell is a 5 to 7 feet long steel bar, which can be thick or thin and has engravings on it to help the lifter maintain their grip. Weight plates are slid on the outer portions of the barbell and are secured with collars to prevent them from sliding off during the exercise. Barbells are easy to learn the basic lifts and are used for weight training, Olympic lifting and power lifting. Owing to its stability barbell allows you to go easier with lower body movements like the squat and deadlift.

4. Kettlebells

Kettlebells looks like a cannonball with a handle. Use kettlebells to pack on more muscle and to get ripped faster. Kettlebells will help you develop more power in your hips, legs and glutes.

5. Resistance Bands

Resistance bands allow you to get a full body strengthening workout without weights.

Your progress will depend on the number of reps you do.

RepsMuscle Tone
1-5Super dense muscle and strength
6-12Equal amount of muscular strength and endurance
12+rangeMuscular endurance and size

After initial days of strength training, you may notice muscle imbalance when one muscle is stronger than its opposing muscle. If this is the case then you’ve to engage a mix of muscles in your strength training schedule to enhance your muscle gains.

15 Minute Workout Plan to Burn Fat

Do you lack the patience or inclination to endure lengthy cardio sessions? Well, you are not alone and you need to learn about HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), the best workout to burn fat. Currently trending at position 3, as per the American Council of Sports Medicine Report for the year 2016, HIIT involves exchanging the moderate, session of cardio with a short, but fast and furious style workout. Undoubtedly, HIIT is the best cardio for burning fat and this 15-minute workout plan burns belly fat and tones up muscles. Also, it promises to erase boredom associated with cardio. Till now, the only way to blast that stubborn fat resting on your abdomen was to pitch in endless hours of cardio at 60-70 percent of MHR (Maximum Heart Rate).  

Well, this made workouts boring, difficult to follow and with less than satisfactory results and the question remained how to lose belly fat fast.

HIIT changes the whole spectrum on cardio by putting weight loss on fast track. Unlike your regular cardio, it’s not a hike in the park, rather you invest your 90- 100 percent in the workout for a short duration, and a shorter rest period in between. The total workout lasts for just 15 minutes.   

SCIENCE OF HIIT

Putting it simply, HIIT alternates multiple short bouts of energetic cardio sessions with brief intervals of rest. Several notches above your average cardio session in intensity HIIT makes your heart work at its maximal capacity and increases your EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption rate) to fill in the oxygen debt post the strenuous workout. The very process makes you a lean mean fat burning machine because your body burns fatty acids (triglycerides) the secondary source of fuel while you are recovering from the oxygen debt with increased EPOC.

The fitness enthusiasts would know that glycogen or long chain glucose is the primary source of fuel for muscles during high-intensity workouts, but to burn fat, the body should switch to triglycerides as the source of fuel. 

Research studies prove that HIIT is more efficient at fat burn as compared to a regular session of cardio. One of the earliest studies, on HIIT lasted for 15 weeks as compared to the steady-state cardio for 20 weeks. The moderate cardio group burnt 15000 calories more than the HIIT group, but those who were on HIIT program lost more body fat.

Even in an 8-week program, HIIT has been a clear cut winner.  The study was conducted at East Tennessee State University and the subjects who were on HIIT program dropped more body fat, versus those who plodded through steady state cardio.

TOP 5 HIIT WORKOUTS

Well, HIIT can be any workout as long as it is unforgiving and pushes you to your max. Since it is a fearsome exercise, you need to prep your body before you embark on a strenuous activity. Warm up with light stretches, light movements, before you amp up the intensity of your workout to reduce the risk of injury.

 Tabata discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo is a typical HIIT workout featuring exercises that do not last beyond 4 minutes. The HIIT Tabata workout goes like:

  • Workout hard for 20 seconds
  • Rest for 10 seconds
  • Complete 8 rounds

During these 20 seconds, you have to actually push yourself to the max. You can do squats, push-ups, burpees or any exercise during Tabata workout but with a MHR of 90-100 percent. 

A Tabata workout will be like:

  • Push-ups (4 minutes)
  • Bodyweight Squats (4 minutes)
  • Burpees (4 minutes)
  • Stationary Bike (4 minutes)

Get started with pushups. Do for 20 seconds with vigorously, rest for 10 seconds and complete a round. Repeat in the same way for 8 rounds. Move to bodyweight squats, burpees and stationary bike in the same way. In totality, you will be doing 32 rounds of 20 seconds of workout where you will pour your heart and soul in the workout. By the end of the session, you are too drained to move a muscle for a while.

BENEFITS OF TABATA

In a research study, Tabata and his team compared two groups of athletes doing moderate-intensity cardio for one hour  (5 days a week for 6 weeks) versus Tabata work out (4 days a week for 6 weeks). The moderate group increased their cardiovascular strength, but had no improvement in their muscle mass or tone. Tabata group showed more improvement in their cardiovascular fitness and had 28 percent improvement in their muscle mass.  

Sprint Fartlek workout

In Swedish Fartlek means ‘speed play’. This form of exercise stresses aerobic and anaerobic systems by running at a fast, low and medium pace. Swedish coach Gosta Holmer developed fartlek sessions to train cross country runners. The sessions were designed in such a way that they should cause the athletes to work 60 to 80 per cent of their maximum heart rate. The initial sessions were as follows

  • Warm up: easy running for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Steady, hard speed for 1.5 – 2.5 kilometres); like a long repetition.
  • Recovery: rapid walking for about 5 minutes.
  • Start of speed work: easy running interspersed with sprints of about 50–60 metres (160 – 200 ft), repeated until a little tired.
  • Easy running with three or four “quick steps” now and then (simulating suddenly speeding up to avoid being overtaken by another runner).
  • Full speed uphill for 175-200 metres (574 – 656 ft).
  • Fast pace for 1 minute.
  • The whole routine is then repeated until the total time prescribed on the training schedule has elapsed.
  • 100 meters of walk back sprint

Basically, it’s sprinting for 100 meters and walking back to the starting point. The sprint allows your heart to work at its maximal capacity. Walking back to the start point lowers the pace and permits you to rest and recover from your high-intensity workout. Repeat four times to get the advantages of HIIT.

Jump Rope Workout

Jump rope is an effective cardio exercise that works your arms, legs, and core. It also helps strengthen your bones and improves balance. To get the HIIT benefit, skip for 2 minutes and drop the amount of skipping by 30 seconds in each rep. By the time your set is complete, you’ve made four reps of 2, 1.5,1 and 0.5 minutes each.  The amount of rest is equal to the amount of exercise.

15 Minute Plyometrics Plan

Designed by Equinox’s Stephanie Vitorino, creator of the best-selling VBody DVD series—Plyometrics engages high-intensity exercises to get the fat-burning job done fast. These super-efficient exercises require muscles to exert maximum force in minimum time. Learn the technique carefully before you embark on the plyometrics plan

  • Do 15 reps of jump squats. Rest 30 seconds.
  • Complete 24 reps of jump lunges. Rest 30 seconds
  • Repeat for 5 rounds.
  • By the last set, you may feel your legs are on fire.

If you are worrying how to lose belly fat fast, 15 minute HIIT belly fat blast workout is for you. Drop excuses and begin to HIIT to take your fitness quotient several notches higher. Not only will your fat level drop, but your body will begin to detoxify itself as an added bonus. 

Top 5 Side Effects of Anabolic Steroids

How Anabolic Steroid Works

The use of steroids for bodybuilding is harmful yet practised by some bodybuilders. People use steroids in order to build sturdy muscles and improve their performance at the gym. Anabolic steroids have various side effects. In this article, we’ll put forth 10 reasons that justify why you shouldn’t be using steroids for muscle building.

WHAT ARE STEROIDS?

Steroids are anabolic compounds of the male sex hormone testosterone. Steroids are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and have various effects on your body such as boosting strength, muscle mass, and fat reduction.

Skipping the details, let’s understand how steroids help in muscle building. The effect of steroids on your muscle building is so great that you can see yourself transforming in a few days. The androgen receptor sites that clamp the steroid to the muscles, enhance glycogen and help in improving muscle size and strength.

Since steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, you are likely to suffer from the side effects. Some of the commonly known ill-effects of steroids are hair loss, testicular degeneration, roid rage, and gyno. But the list doesn’t stop here. Lab testing on humans was never done to determine the effect of steroid overdose because of the ethical implications.

Anabolic Steroid Effects

HOW DO STEROIDS WORK?

Steroids work by reducing the inflammation and bringing down the activity of your immune system. Inflammation is a process through which your body’s white blood cells and Chemicals safeguard you against infections and viruses and bacteria. if you are affected by certain diseases, your body’s defence system is unable to function correctly. This leads to the inflammation to work against your body tissues and damage them.

 Mentioned Below are the Signs of Inflammation:

  • Swelling 
  • Pain
  • Redness
  • Warmth 

Steroids can lower the production of chemicals that lead to inflammation. This helps in controlling the tissue damage. Steroids can also minimize the activity of your immune system by affecting the functioning of white blood cells.

While steroids might be helpful in treating certain conditions, the body’s defence system is not functioning properly, steroids have more harmful effects than the positive ones.

HOW STEROIDS AFFECT MUSCLE GAIN

When you are working out rigorously, your muscle faces tears. Your body adds larger cells to protect itself from these injuries and build stronger muscles. This process is called muscle hypertrophy. When this process is repeated continuously, it leads to muscle growth.

Testosterone is the key ingredient that initiates the process of anabolism. Anabolic steroids supplement the natural testosterone levels in the body. When your muscle cells receive it, this steroid starts to merge with your cell’s DNA and triggers protein synthesis. This results in cell growth.

  • Anabolic steroids not only help in bulking up and expanding muscle size but also block the stress hormone known as cortisol. This hormone is released post intense workouts. This blockage results in the prevention of muscle breakdown. A reduced rate of muscle breakdown lowers the level of fatigue and enhances the retraction of sore muscles.
  • Most steroids are directly injected into your muscles, but there are some available in the market in a gel or patch form to allow topical application. To prevent the negative side effects of steroids, many bodybuilders practice an on and off usage of these. They consume it for some time and then stop it while they are in their rest period and then take it again. This method is known as cycling.
  • There are many types of steroids available. Those who consume them, often take more than one type of steroid. This is known as stacking. Some bodybuilders combine cycling and stacking and this method is known as pyramiding. Under this process, the individual consumes one or more anabolic steroids in a minimum dose. In 6-12 weeks, this dose is increased and made maximum. Then again the dosage drops to zero to give the body some rest and then the cycle continues.

Not only bodybuilders but athletes too, take steroids. They use it in a way that before they go for a doping test, these are entirely flushed out of their body. Bodybuilders work out intensely to get the maximum results with the help of an increased level of testosterone injected in their bodies.

It depends on the type of steroid you are consuming and the length of the treatment along with the dosage that determines how badly steroids are going to affect you.

TOP 5 SIDE EFFECTS OF STEROIDS IN BODYBUILDING

Generally, steroids are taken in two forms- via a needle or orally. Oral steroids are highly toxic to your liver and can act as a poison for them. The higher the toxicity of the steroid, the more dangerous it is for your body. Steroids taken through a needle are bound together with the help of oil. This oil can cause skin irritation and abscess formation.

Here are The Key Reasons to Ditch Steroids:

  • Roid Rage

Individuals who consume a high dose of steroids can often engage in violent behaviours as they are getting a high amount of testosterone. One can also indulge in psychotic behaviours and can experience bouts of paranoia and depression.

  • Puffiness on Face

Testosterone absorbs water and this is why you’ll experience puffiness in your body and especially on your face. And we’re sure you don’t want your face to look like a potato!

  • Hair Loss

While we all lose some hair strands on a daily basis, hair fall is a next-level thing. Steroids can make you lose the hair you adore so much. Male pattern baldness can be sped up via steroid intake. So, if baldness runs in your heredity, you are more likely to be affected if you’re on steroids.

  • Troubles for Your Heart

Your heart keeps you alive and you certainly don’t want to ruin its health. But if you consume steroids, you are causing harm to your heart’s health. Steroids can lead to an increase in the LDL which is your bad cholesterol. An increased level of LDL can cause heart diseases.

  • Cause Liver Cancer

Steroids are toxic to your liver. Some simulated steroids are said to be the cause behind the breeding of a certain bacteria which is responsible for infecting the liver that leads to jaundice. Such steroids can also lead to liver cancer. Scary, isn’t it?

Other Negative Side Effects of Steroids:

  • Acne formation
  • Weight gain
  • Enhanced appetite
  • Mood swings
  • Easy bruising
  • Excessive hair growth on the body
  • More prone to infections with lower resistance
  • Muscle fragility
  • Osteoporosis
  • Restlessness
  • Sleeplessness
  • Irritation in stomach
  • Complications in diabetes
  • Onset or worsening of hypertension
  • Impotence, as injecting synthetic testosterone stops the production of natural testosterone
  • Blood poisoning & risk of HIV
  • Cause Gyno
  • Bad for Kidney

We hope that this long list of steroid side effects is enough to warn you against its usage. If you think these are any better for women, reconsider. Women can also be badly affected by the consumption of steroids. These can lead to enlargement of the clitoris, hoarseness or deepening of the voice, excessive hair growth on the body, and possible infertility.

The worst part about taking steroids is that any of the side effects that you face because of the consumption is irreversible. So, think twice before choosing them.

Common FAQs Pertaining to Steroids

  • What do anabolic steroids do?

Anabolic steroids supplement the natural testosterone levels in the body. These help in bulking up and boosting muscle size. They also block the stress hormone known as cortisol which is produced after an intense workout session.

  • How do steroids build muscle?

Your body uses the muscle hypertrophy process to repair the damaged muscles and build stronger muscles. Natural testosterone helps in enhancing this process, but steroids supplement you with testosterone. When you consume them, they travel through your bloodstream and get into your muscle tissue. It goes into the muscle cell’s receiving point which is known as the androgen receptor. Once your muscle cells receive it the steroids establish a connection with your cell’s DNA and boost muscle protein synthesis.

  • How quickly do steroids take effect?

Steroids are very powerful and when taken in the prescribed dosage, they can start showing the effect within a few days of consumption. These help in reducing the symptoms of inflammation and you can notice the difference in the initial days of consuming them.

  • Will anabolic steroids help heal injuries?

Anabolic steroids can help in treating muscle contusion injuries in order to boost the recovery of force-generating ability. Anabolic steroids have demonstrated an increment in the rate of healing wounds and injuries even when hypogonadism is absent.

  • Are anabolic steroids good for bodybuilding?

Anabolic steroids can help you in improving your performance at the gym, boost muscle mass, and reduce fat. It can help you build a ripped physique but it comes with a lot of side effects which are mostly irreversible.

The Bottom line: Use the Natural Way of Bodybuilding

Even if you have all the money in this world, refrain from the usage of steroids for building muscles. Use natural ways to get that chiselled physique. Workout regularly and eat only a healthy diet which is rich in all the nutrients. Follow a training schedule that is on par with your goals and don’t be afraid to fail. Use natural supplements. Your health is important and gets that straight to your head. Don’t depend on such things to meet your goals.