Shaivy Choubey

Hello Ziddis! The hot topic these days in the corners of the gym is cheat reps. Have you heard of them yet? Some swear by them and others say it could be building indiscipline and injuries. But what exactly they are and should you consider adding them to your gym workout routine? Let us understand them better.

What Are Cheat Reps?

Cheat reps involve using momentum or slight deviations from perfect form to complete an extra rep or push past muscle fatigue. They are often used at the end of a set when strict form becomes difficult. It helps extend a workout and maximise muscle engagement.

Imagine this, you are doing bicep curls and your arms are struggling to complete the reps. You might accelerate your motion to give your movement a slight body swing and voila you get the weight back up. This concept is the pure physics of a pendulum motion. You load your muscles beyond the normal range with a strict form.

Intentional vs. Unintentional Cheat Reps

Let us see what that means:

Intentional Cheat Reps

Intentional Cheat Reps are controlled and deliberate movements that are used as a tool to push muscles beyond failure. Experienced lifters may use them strategically to

• Increase time under tension to help set the momentum.
• Push past the limit to complete the reps.
• Target strength and growth of muscles.

Unintentional Cheat Reps

Unintentional Cheat Reps are simply poor form. This happens when you are tired and instead of focusing on proper mechanics you unknowingly and unintentionally set into a bad posture, extra momentum, slouched shoulders or using other muscles to help move the weight and complete the reps. There is no good side to this and it can cause issues like:

• Increased chances of injury
• Strain on joints and ligaments
• Reduced target muscle activation
• A bad posture and bad habits of training with poor form

Benefits of Cheat Reps

When done correctly, there are tonnes of benefits of cheat reps. They can offer some really cool benefits like:

• Overload the muscles beyond fatigue.
• Push a little further
• Greater muscle breakdown and more muscle growth
• Help build strength
• Build resilience and mental toughness
• Help you train beyond failure
• Better hormonal response by boosting testosterone and growth hormone
• Increases muscle-building potential

Read Also: How Many Sets & Reps Should You Do?

How to do in the Right Way?

As we have read till now, cheat reps can be useful if done strategically but where we draw the line is that they should not replace proper training. If you rely on them too much you could risk bad form and injuries. Here is how to do it the right way:

• Limit just the last few reps of a set.
• Exercises like squats and deadlifts require strict form so do not try cheat reps in them.
• Use it in exercises like curls, lateral raises or rows.
• Do not use its in all your workouts save them for the times when you want to truly push past your limit.
• Focus on proper progression.
• Keep a check on your form and posture.

Takeaway

Cheat reps are not everyone’s cup of tea and one should refrain from them if one hasn’t mastered the form first. When done correctly they can give you the right push, pump and gratification. But if mistaken for an easy way out, you would put yourself at risk of injuries. To help your body push through more, make sure you are energized before hitting those dumbbells. Have a scoop of peanut butter for lasting energy or grab a protein bar to fuel yourself for the workout.

Sources:

https://thepfc.club/blogs/news/strict-vs-cheat-repetitions-which-is-better-for-building-muscle?srsltid=AfmBOoqBu827afimGF9mQAQ4L0EF79S3NgLQbrjwkTCbNBKG21_eUsqx

Hello Ziddis! Have you heard about eccentric training? I guess most of you might not have come across this concept. Its something like resistance training for your muscles. It has multiple benefits in store for you if you are looking forward to building muscles.

What Is Eccentric Training?

Simplifying the mechanism of eccentric training, when muscle resists force it stretches. Eccentric training helps you pump your muscles based on these same principles. When you do movements that involve lowering motion, be it lowering dumbbells during a bicep curl, getting up from a squat position or even walking downhill, there is resistance by your body in carrying forward this motion. This is called eccentric motion. It helps muscle control that force leading to them stretching.

Eccentric Resistance Training

Eccentric resistance training or ERT takes the movements one notch up by adding an outer resistance to an already resistant activity. Assume that you are lifting weights that are heavier than your usual sets. When you lower them in a slow movement, your muscles experience a downward pull but the response of the muscle is quite opposite where it resists this pull. Instead of jerking the weight off your hands, you end up feeling the tension build up in your arms. This method is commonly used by athletes and physiotherapists to improve performance, reduce the risk of injury and help in healing from any injury.

In place of a dumbbell or weight you could use a resistance band or if you workout from home then a heavy bottle of water could do the trick too.

How Does Eccentric Training Help with Muscle Strength and Rehabilitation

Eccentric training has many benefits in muscle strengthening and rehabilitation. Like:

• It leads to activating more muscle fibre
• It helps improve strength
• It helps maintain muscle hypertrophy wherein your muscles would look pumped for a longer time.
• It helps in recovering from injuries faster
• Using eccentric movement to help in conditions like tendinopathy could help improve tendon strength
• It builds more resilience
• It improves your muscles’ ability to be flexible, especially under load.

Risks of Eccentric Training

Its not come with its own set of risks, such as:

• Higher risk of damaging your muscles if micro-tears are not given enough time to recover
• Severe soreness or DOMS
• Excessive weight or improper form can increase the risk of muscle strain
• Longer recovery period in case of injury.

Read Also: Pilates v/s weight training: Which one is for you?

Benefits of Eccentric Training

There are loads of benefits too to eccentric training, such as:

• More strength gain
• Better output
• Increase in muscle mass
• Greater hypertrophy
• Help strengthen joints and tendons
• Improves athletic performances
• Improves speed, agility and power.
• Helps to recover from injury faster
• It can help in weight loss because of muscle gain

Takeaway

Eccentric training is a powerful tool for building strength and muscle if used correctly. Overdoing any exercise could be harmful and injurious While it come with its set of cons, for a healthy person its pros would definitely outweigh. Understand eccentric exercises better before hopping onto this new regime and make sure you are trained professionally for this routine. But while you are starting this routine make sure to add more protein to your diet like paneer, chicken, fish or protein supplements like oats protein to make the most of this routine. 

Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/eccentric-training

https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/a44702696/eccentric-training

Hello Ziddis! We know how the health and fitness industry has evolved so much and not only withstood but also created many trends, especially in the supplements space. But, have you stopped and questioned your supplements and snacks? Are they smart or sugar-coated? From hardcore results-driven supplements to snackable treats that sound just like candy wearing a fitness label. Oh, the labels! The disguise of labels where they hide their harmful ingredients with fancy names relying that with our tired and fast lifestyle, we wouldn’t get time to google them. And they are right. Are the new golden idea for fitness or are we just being fooled and fed by marketing gimmicks? In this blog we are discussing about snackification of supplements.

Snackification: The Rise of On-the-Go Nutrition                          

We know that eating healthy is important but how many of our snacks are actually healthy? Let’s say you have substituted a few ingredients but does that make your snack truly healthy or just a tad bit healthier than it previously was? The rise of snackification of nutrition supplements is not a new concept but it has been on the rise. The on-the-go nutritious snacking solutions have a huge market, especially in metro cities of India where people have started compensating for their unhealthy lifestyle by “healthy snacking”.

Now nutritious supplements are being transformed into bars, gummies or butters. On one hand, this makes the supplements more accessible and enjoyable but it could raise concerns about adulteration or overconsumption.

Snackable Supplements: Convenient but Effective?

An average a 50 gram protein bar has around 15 to 20 grams of sugar. It is the first thing and the only thing some of fitness enthusiasts have to start their day or hit the gym. A gummy that promises immunity or shiny hair also ends up being a sugar-coated lie-  how else do you think you can relish its taste?

Snackable supplements are convenient and also conveniently hiding their harmful ingredients in plain sight because we do not have time to stop and ponder upon them. Now is the time to call out these lies. 

• Hidden Ingredients: These snackable supplements could have some hidden ingredients like added sugars, artificial flavours and fillers that you should be ideally avoiding. 
• Incomplete Nutrition: A protein cookie may seem like a great meal alternative but it lacks the nutrients your body needs and more often than not you will end up feeling tired if you try to only survive on that. 
• Lesser Absorption: Gummies and chewable supplements are great for ease of consumption and tasty for you to not avoid them but they may not provide the same level of nutrient absorption as traditional supplements.

At MuscleBlaze, we do not feed your body with marketing gimmicks. You wouldn’t find sugar-coated lies and whitewashed ingredients in our nutrition supplements. MuscleBlaze serves you hardcore nutrition that helps you boost your performance and gives you the push you need to hit your fitness target every single day. Anything that does not help you to get closer to your fitness goal, it is not in our formula! It is just that simple.

Snackable Food Supplements: Finding the Right Balance

Instead of replacing meals or traditional supplements, snackable food supplements should be used. Products like Fit foods, peanut butter, and protein bars are readily available. These items have a great way of boosting protein intake and cutting down on nonsense and unhealthy foods. Similarly, protein powder remains one of the most sustainable and effective ways to meet your daily protein goals and provide you with a concentrated source of high-quality nutrition.

Takeaway

Snackification nutrition could be convenient but who has ever build their muscles, lost their weight, or gotten fitter in a sweat-free manner? Instead of replacing learn to supplement and instead of snacking on supplements you can invest in no-nonsense foods to reduce your bad bingeing. Choosing high-quality products from MuscleBlaze can be your first step.

It is time to discipline ourselves. There are no shortcuts to fitness. Baked does not change the nature of the ingredient, sugar-free does not always mean no sugar. Make a wise choice because fitness is what you live, eat, and believe. 

Hello Ziddis! When we are starting out our fitness journey we often think that having multiple rounds of workouts could also mean we have better physique and fitness. But is it really true? Today we will try to understand if multiple training sessions is better and get us the benefits. We know the psychology behind this perspective is simple- wanting more benefits in less time. But would it backfire and cause muscle fatigue instead?

Multiple Training Sessions

Splitting a workout between multiple training sessions can have both pros and cons.

PROS:

• Better focus
• Improved recovery
• Greater workload distributions
• No more cramming up everything in one long session
• Can target specific muscle groups at intervals instead of simultaneously.

CONS:

• Miscalculation of intensity
• Lesser time for recovery
• Uneven distribution of nutrition
• Fatigue
• Muscle pain and injury
• Overtraining and under-recovering

Read Also: Pairing Muscle Groups for Working Out

Working Out Twice a Day

Double the session double the benefits is the mindset of people working out twice a day. Let’s see how one can make the most of it:

Morning Sessions are Great for:

• Cardio like running, swimming, jogging.
• Mobility workout
• Skill based drills

Evening Sessions are Great for:

• High-intensity workouts
• Circuit training
• Strength training

Using this method can help you divide your workout in a more sustainable manner which can prevent exhaustion, injuries or fatigue.

Working Out Twice a Day Benefits

Many athletes happen to have a twice a day workout routine. Let us understand what working out twice a day benefits.

• Increased training volume: Splitting workouts allow for a higher total volume without excessive fatigue in a single session.
• Better recovery between sessions: Shorter, well-planned sessions can reduce strain and allow the muscles to recover more efficiently.
• Better skill training: Practicing movements or skills multiple times a day can lead to faster improvement especially, for sports training.
• Improved metabolism: Frequent workouts can help us boost metabolism throughout the day and help in fat loss faster.

How to Plan Twice Daily Workouts

It is not an easy task to have two workouts every day. Here is how to plan twice daily workouts:

• Vary the intensity
• Focus on different muscle groups to avoid over-training
• Smartly split the sessions
• Stay hydrated to avoid fatigue and cramps
• Wear comfortable gym gear like joggers
• Always carry your protein shake in your trusted shaker bottle
• Allow enough rest between workouts
• Load up on proteins, creatine and amino acid
• Listen to your body
• Stop if you spot signs of burnout

Takeaway

Working out twice a day may not be as bad. The problem is one needs to understand the amount of rest they would need between the sessions may not be possible in a busy schedule. Make sure to understand what your body truly needs before committing to the life of working out twice. Listen to your body because at the end of the day, you need to work smarter and not just harder. 

Sources:

https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19539530/is-it-safe-to-work-out-twice-a-day

https://www.onepeloton.com/blog/working-out-twice-a-day