Little Talked About Benefits of the Workout Lifestyle

Hey everyone! Today I want to talk about one of the lesser discussed parts of working out. It's not really interesting or "sexy" to talk about. Not that it isn't important. Usually, we all work out or go to the gym to get bigger, stronger, slimmer, better looking and appealing to find a romantic partner, or whatever. Those goals are clearly defined and very motivating to go after.

But one of the most important parts of going through the workout grind day in and day out is for the health aspect of all that sweat and effort you put in. I know, so revolutionary to be discussing health along with working out! I mean, duh obviously this is one of the most important parts of actually exercising.

It's funny though, because in today's gym going world, it's almost as if everyone is doing things just for the superficial rewards, and they want immediate results and gratification, no matter what the actual effects are for themselves and their health. In the pursuit of trying to always get stronger, slimmer, or bigger, people can actually be hurting their health, rather than helping it.

Let's be clear, I'm not here to lecture anyone. I'm absolutely a fan of putting 100% effort into everything you do, especially when it comes to working out. I'm merely commenting on the fact that the fundamental health aspects of exercise seem to be getting completely tossed aside now, and this is becoming more and more apparent. Especially taking into account that everyone wants instant results so they can look better tonight or post a picture of themselves posing in the mirror on instagram for all their buddies to see.

I'm suggesting that we continue pushing the envelope, keep on dedicating 100% to the workouts, but also keep in mind that what we're doing can benefit our lives so much more than just in the superficial realm. Let's all remember that we exercising actually feels good and can totally transform you into a better person on the inside as well. Obviously it can help you live longer, avoid getting sick, and make you therefore better in all aspects of life. You have more time on this earth to spend time with your family, you can take less sick days off from work, and you can actually accomplish more in every other part of you life since you're used to pushing yourself so hard in the physical world of the weight room.

There are also the intangible benefits that come along with working out as well. I'm talking about that incredible feeling, that rush you get from powering through a particularly heavy set of squats or pushing through that last mile of a half marathon. Though they might not seem the same since the method of exercise is so different, these incredible feelings all come from that part of your mind that allows you to overcome and succeed in the face of trying obstacles. Then there is the actual physical high you feel from the endorphins your body kicks loose as a reward for putting in the work. At the end of the day, let's not lose sight of the amazing benefits working out can give us all by focusing just on what we can see.

Best Food to Fuel Gym Gains

Hi guys, today I thought I'd talk about what food is best to eat to fuel your progress in and out of the gym. Now I know that so many of you are concerned with your workouts to a crazy degree, and that's great. Certainly one of the biggest pitfalls around when it comes to lack of progress is not pushing hard enough in the gym. This is certainly one of my pet peeves - if you're going to do something, go all the way, after all.

Once you have that workout and training intensity dialed in though, you need to keep pushing the envelope in order to see results. I'm not only talking about increasing sets, weight, reps, etc. to keep the body adapting to new stress. I'm also referring to the all important fuel that you give your body in order to enable it to actually respond to the stress you're placing on it. This is the only way to grow.

Ok, everybody knows that protein is incredibly important for making muscle gains, so I'm not going to go too in depth on that here. Recommendations vary about what is the absolute best amount of protein to ingest per day for optimum muscle growth, but it will vary depending on the person, training intensity, current muscle mass, and so on. A safe recommendation, however, for someone looking to put on as much muscle as they can, is to make sure to get around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day. This will make sure that your body always has enough protein to call on to build new muscle.

Great, we got protein down, but there's so much more that's incredibly important to fueling growth. Often demonized or overlooked is sufficient carbohydrate intake. Fact is, you need plenty of carbs to fuel those intense training sessions, or you just won't have the energy to work hard enough in the gym to push that growth. Plus, carbs help fill out the muscles, giving them a larger, more full appearance too. And who doesn't mind that?

Last but not least, always make sure you're getting plenty of green and colored vegetables in your diet as well. These guys have all the vital micronutrients your body needs to run at its highest level. As far as supplements go, I'd recommend leaving them at GNC or whatever and just spending that money on good food. That's the way to go for optimum absorption, etc. The one thing you all should have is a good protein powder for those after workout shakes. Other than that, focus on your foods for all your nutrition needs.