Who has never dreamed of being able to master the most complicated yoga asanas, such as the majestic Eka Pada Rajakapotasana ([One-legged] King Pigeon Pose), or the legendary double-hand Natarajasana (lord of the dance)? However, how embarrassing is it, when you step on the yoga mat for the first time in your life, feeling as stiff as a board, while everyone else around you looks like they were born on that mat? Good news is, you don’t need yoga classes to become a yogi, and you don’t need to be advanced to improve your flexibility.
Working on flexibility has a lot of benefits for your overall fitness
This is why setting a flexibility goal for yourself is a great idea:
the greater the ROM around a joint, the more efficient the movements produced by that joint. This means that you will be able to target the muscle correctly, stimulating all the fibres, and recruiting as many motor units as possible. In turn, this will help you achieve your strength or hypertrophy goals;
stretching a muscle group after exercising can help reduce DOMS and speed up recovery;
the more relaxed your muscle, the more relaxed your mind: regular practice of yoga and/or other types of stretching have been associated with stress management and overall, individual wellbeing.
1 Item that will make your yoga practice fun and easy
Yogi-me Yoga Mat (by @yogimeuk) is a revolutionary item that will turn your at-home yoga sessions into fun moments to look forward to: it is a yoga mat, with a full, laser printed flow on. It was originally designed for children however it can be just as helpful for beginners, too.
It comes in many different colours and 2 different flows to choose from: sun salutation, or freedom flow. Choosing the right colour was hard for me, as they all looked amazing however, I decided to go for the purple one, purple like the colour of my aura, according to someone who saw it. As to the flow, the choice was hard, too, and I eventually picked the sun salutation, as it is a different variation from the one I am used to doing, and I wanted to see how easy or hard it effectively was, to learn a new sequence just by looking at the images and reading the captions.
Well, the time-lapse down below speaks for itself: easy, fun, and QUICK!!! This mat will make it possible to improve your flexibility at home, without stress, and in as little as 5 minutes a day.
Feel free to check out and supportYogi-me on Instagram, for daily yoga inspiration. If you are considering purchasing Yogi-me Yoga Mat, I would really appreciate it, if you could use my Amazon Affiliate link: it is a free way to support both me and the seller. 🙂
You might have heard that muscle is also called the ‘organ of longevity’
Podcast
On 9 July 2020, I recorded a podcast with @Wildmanstrengthpt Taylor Thompson. Our discussion was mainly focused on the benefits of muscle growth, strength and power training for health, longevity and independence in old age. In that occasion, Taylor also presented his Wildman Strength & Longevity protocol for the first time. However, as we ran short of time, some topics were left uncovered, which are relevant to the process of muscle growth – such as micronutrient intakes and supplements. While you can read about, and watch the podcast here, I will attempt to give my 2 cents on what I consider to be the best hacks for muscle building in this post.
Sarcopenia and mortality
Before we dig into muscle building, it is important to understand why it is so important to our health. To do so, let’s start from the definition, and health implications of ‘sarcopenia’. The the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) has defined sarcopenia as ‘the loss of muscle mass plus low muscle strength or low physical performance‘.
To asses how sarcopenia relates to human health, several studies were conducted between 2013 and 2014, in different countries and regions. What all those studies found was a strong correlation between sarcopenia and increased mortality in elderly population (80-85 years of age) (Arago-Lopera et al. 2013, Duchowny 2019, Landi et al. 2012, Landi et al. 2013). What it means, is that sarcopenia can be thought of as the direct responsible for natural mortality. Consequently, it also means that the more muscle you carry and the stronger you are, the lesser chances you have to die from sarcopenia.
Therefore, building as much muscle as possible at a young age can delay or prevent sarcopenia, hence extending one’s lifespan.
Power and independence in old age
Moreover, other studies have specifically associated strength and power training with increased functionality and independence in old age (De Vos 2008, Hazell 2007, Marsh et al. 2009). What this means, is that building significant strength and power at a young age can also extend one’s lifespan.
For these reasons, I like to refer to muscle as ’the bank of longevity’: invest in muscle now, live a better future.
How do we build muscle?
The four most important elements for muscle growth
1. Resistance training
In order to grow, muscle needs to be stimulated. Muscle growth is indeed a consequence of the body adapting to a consistent stimulus. As is of common knowledge, the highest hypertrophic response is achieved within a 8-12 rep range performed at 60-80% 1RM. However, sets of 5-6 reps can also promote hypertrophy, while building strength at the same time.
2. Leucine
This is by far the most important amino acid for muscle building, as it acts with insulin to activate the mTor pathway, which is responsible for cell metabolism and growth. To activate mTor, just as little as 2.5g of leucine are necessary, corresponding to 80-120g red meat, poultry or seafood; 17g whey protein isolate; 3 eggs; 70g hard cheese; 140g cottage cheese; 400g tofu (not very practical); 380g lentils (not very practical, either); 120g almonds (again, not very practical) (source: https://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/110701-Protein-Supplementation_General.pdf). While all protein-containing foods are great to build muscles, those high in leucine play the most important role in the process.
3. Carbohydrates
Although dietary carbohydrates are non essential nutrients in the human diet, meaning that the body can manufacture glucose from fat and protein (the process is known as ‘gluconeogenesis’), post exercise carbohydrate intake facilitates insulin production, activating the mTor pathway, and creating the ideal environment for muscle protein synthesis. However, highly processed carbohydrates (such as high-fructose corn syrup) can play a detrimental role in insuline sensitivity, in the long term. Therefore, try to prioritise fruit, raw honey, starches, gluten-free grains and legumes.
4. Sleep
Muscle is stimulated in the gym, nourished with adequate leucine and carbs but it is regenerated while resting. Human growth hormone (HGH), which is responsible for all growth mechanisms in the body, is indeed secreted by the anterior pituitary gland while sleeping. Adequate sleep is therefore crucial to muscle building. Furthermore, an optimised sleep-wake cycle regulates the melatonin-cortisol ratio, hence reducing stress and promoting muscle-building even more.
My favourite supplements for muscle growth
1. Pre Workout. L-Arginine
It is a precursor of nitric oxide and has two important roles, as it:
stimulates blood production – potentially facilitating nutrient delivery in the muscles –
has been shown to increase growth hormone levels in the blood.
Even though the literature on taking L-Arginine supplements is still controversial and further research is probably needed to confirm its efficacy, taking 3 g dissolved in 50ml water as a pre-workout can potentially increase both performance and muscle growth.
2 Intra Workout. EEAA (essential amino acids)
To sustain high-volume workouts, dissolving 15g EEAA in 500ml water, with ¼ tsp Himalayan salt and 1tsp unsweetened berry jam or organic honey has become a must for me. During high volume training, glycogen stores might run low, so sipping high GI sugars (from berry jam or honey) will replenish glycogen fast, while adding EEAA will prevent further energy from being taken from muscle fibres. I also add Himalayan salt to replenish the electrolytes that get lost through sweat.
3 Post Workout. L-Glutamine and Creatine
Glutamine is a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning that, although it is produced by our body in otherwise sufficient amounts, in particularly stressful circumstances, the body tends to run low and it needs to be replenished. 5-10g post workout are proven to speed up recovery in some trial studies (e.g. Legault et al. 2015).
Creatine is a compound produced by the liver, made from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. As you might know, it is also used by the muscle cells to produce energy. Therefore, ensuring that creatine stores are always full, assists muscle recovery and facilitates energy production in muscles. The debate as to whether it is advisable to assume creatine before or after a workout is still open, however I personally prefer adding 1 scoop to my post-workout whey protein shake, alongside l-glutamine.
4 Before Bed. Tryptophan
Tryptophan is a precursor of both melatonin and serotonin (the happiness hormone). Melatonin being essential for HGH production and release, drinking 3g of tryptophan with 50ml water before bed can potentially facilitate muscle growth.
Conclusion
Even though the debate is still open as to whether taking supplements can significantly improve muscle growth, research seems to unanimously agree on the health benefits of muscle mass, as well as on the functional role of strength and power training. One more caveat concerns the quality of supplements.
Indeed, the supplement industry is a relatively new one, and substantial studies on long-term supplementation lack to this day – to give an example, tryptophan was banned for well over a decade (from 1990 to 2005), as tryptophan produced by a certain company was proven to cause eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS), due to toxins elicited by the genetically-modified bacteria used by that company in its fermentation process (you can read the full story here). Whether deciding to take supplements to help muscle growth is your choice – and so are the potential risks involved – you can surely control the quality of such supplements. Here are some easy tips to do so:
make sure you read labels carefully and avoid those with too many additives (these are usually encoded as an ‘E-numbers’ code, so you basically want to avoid as many ‘E’s as possible);
try to always choose the brand which contains the highest possible percentage of supplement (and the lowest of additives);
before purchasing supplements from an unknown brand, do some research and check if, and how many peer-reviewed studies exist on that specific product: even though such studies might be highly biased by the interests of the supplement company, reading through what some scientists have found out about a product, is always better than knowing nothing at all.
Remember, when it comes to health, make sure you always choose quality over quantity. Stay strong everyone!
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A disciplined and focused mind can achieve anything. This is no secret, even in the bodybuilding world. In fact, some of the greatest bodybuilders ever, such as 6x Mr Olympia Dorian Yates and ‘bodybuilding yogi’ Ben Pakulski, have compared training to meditation, and emphasised the importance of mind training to improve physical training too. Moreover, more and more athletes have been experimenting with visualisation and some of them have even attributed their success to their constant visualisation practice (e.g. 2x Ms Figure Olympia Erin Stern). Lastly, the motivational benefits of self-talk in sports have been exhaustively explored and reviewed (see Hardy 2006). But how does this translate into your everyday’s workout?
I’ve always regarded my workout as MY moment, in which nothing else is allowed but training-related movements and thoughts. There is no room for stress or preoccupation, nor is there any space for looking at my mirror reflection and analysing my physique. When I lift, I just lift, rest, sip some water and lift again. I might listen to some music or greet a friend, as long as these ‘distractions’ don’t affect my workout. When I train, I want to be present in the moment, I want to train mindfully. As any other routine, you want to perform every single act in the same way, as a sacred ritual, however, you want to do so intentionally and purposefully. And, I can say, when you train this way, your physical strength, mass and technique will also improve. On top of it, you’ll feel less stressed out and more relaxed. Below are a brief description of what a mindful workout should look like, and some quick strategies to make your workout mindful.
Mindful Workout Structure
In order for your workout to be mindful, there are 3 points to concentrate on:
Feel muscles activating. When you focus on the ‘here and now’ in the weight room, it translates into shifting your attention from the surroundings to your own muscle contraction, trying to feel your muscle fibres shortening and lengthening as much as you can. Don’t worry if you can’t feel your muscle contraction very deeply initially, it will improve over time, as long as you keep your practice consistent.
Control muscle activation. This step comes immediately after feeling your muscles activating and enables you to become aware of your ability to control your muscles, and to feel such ability. Again, your skills will improve over time.
Isolate exercise execution from gym environment and noises. This is the hardest part of a mindful workout, as it means that you should be able to isolate yourself from the gym environment and not let distractions interfere with your training. For advanced mindful athletes, this also means being able to not let inner distractions, such as thoughts or emotions, interfere with their workout. As a beginner, trying not to look at the person using the machine next to yours for the entire exercise duration is enough.
Strategies to Make your Workout Mindful
Here’re some strategies to practice mindful fitness. Some are meant to help you get into a mindful state, others are to be used during your workout, some others are general tricks or tools which you can implement in your everyday life to help your workout become mindful:
Scan your body before warmup. Individuate stiffness, pain or aches, or areas that need to be focused on when training.
Focus on stiff areas during warmup and try to loosen them up (you can also use a foam-roller or a lacrosse ball).
Focus on muscle contraction and relaxation during each rep and try to control muscle activation. You can literally visualise your muscles shortening and lengthening, as well as your brain pulling your tendons through your nervous system, as if it was a puppeteer pulling the threads.
Make sure you breathe deeply throughout, and don’t let your increased heart rate make your breath too shallow (you want to bring in as much oxygen as you can and you want to feel in control of your breath all the time). Needless to say, this doesn’t apply to intense cardio (I’m mostly referring to weight training).
Keep a training journal in which you record parameters such as ‘ability to feel the muscles’, ‘ability to control the muscles’, ‘ability to concentrate on exercise in a busy environment’.
Always start your workout from those exercises in which you feel you struggle to control or activate your muscles and see how they improve over time (again, a journal is the most helpful way to do so).
How Long for?
I encourage you to keep a mindfulness journal for at least 4 weeks, and to review your progress both at the end of each week and at the end of the full programme. If you need some more advice, or if you’d like to use my Mindful Fitness Journal, schedule a FREE session today.
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I hope you’ve found this article helpful. If so, feel free to read more of my posts and articles.
Let’s face the truth: we constantly experience a lot of peer pressure at the gym. There will always be someone who lifts more than you, or who appears leaner than you, or who seems more conditioned. Even worse than this, in every gym there’s always someone willing to chat with you, to tell you how amazing your arms are, or maybe to correct your form, because they “used to lift heavy, back then”. If you’re a regular gym goer, you might consider this as a healthy way of perfecting yourself, confronting with others and setting higher and higher goals for yourself. However, if you’re new in the gym and not really experienced in weight training, such peer pressure might turn into a feeling of inadequacy which can seriously discourage you and push you to quit.
Luckily enough, you don’t need real confidence to appear confident and keep some of the pressure at bay. Most of your inadequacy feeling, indeed, comes from your transmitting your lack of confidence to whoever runs into you. If you do look confident, however, nobody will realise that you’re new or insecure. The best trick to boost your confidence level is to use a few simple items, that will: sustain you through your workout (thus improving your form); keep potential pests away; making you appear as a pro athlete.
Here they are.
1.Squat/Hip Thrust Pad. Using your own pad will give you extra confidence at the gym for 3 reasons: first of all, it’ll help you perform hip thrusts properly, allowing you to go heavy, yet keeping your form throughout, in case your gym doesn’t provide any pads; second, you won’t have to wait for the person before you to finish using the gym pad (btw, how many germs and bacteria would you find on it?!?), so you’ll avoid an awkward conversation with a stranger (or a potential, unreachable, Mr/Ms Olympia); finally, bringing your own pad will make you come across as someone that knows what they’re doing at the gym, like a pro athlete, rather than an insecure rookie. Below is my own super cheap pad, which has saved my life — and my hip bones — many times. The only downside of it is that the black straps broke after a couple of usages. However the pad is still in excellent conditions after nearly 3 years. You can still go strapless, if you don’t want to take the risk…
2. Straps. Using straps will help you lift heavy, even if your grip is not solid. However, unless you have an injury, straps on lower weights aren’t recommended, as they’ll prevent your grip from becoming stronger. I’m currently recovering from a nodular fascitis on my right forearm, which was surgically excised last December, but I’m trying not to use straps on my warm-up sets anyway, in order to build more strength in my forearms, as a sort of prevention for further injuries.
3. Bluetooth Headphones. Yes, wearing headphones all the time will make you look focused on your workout and out of the reach of potential interlocutors, giving you all the confidence you need to finish your workout in peace.
Headphones always on, straps around my wrists, overall confident appearance…
However, most of your confidence will come with time, and, unfortunately, pests will always be around, ready to engage in a conversation with you, as soon as you return a set of dumbbells. But, by then, you’ll have learnt how to cope with them and will be answering their questions quickly and with a genuine smile on your face, because, by then, you’ll have achieved all the confidence you need. You’ll have learnt that the gym is your second family, a community of athletes constantly supporting each other to do better and better. And you’ll be happy to share your passion with them.
