Crash diets

Weight loss experts will tell you that crash diets are rarely effective when it comes to weight loss and there are some good reasons behind this. In fact, most of these diets are usually very unhealthy and only succeed in helping you achieve rapid loss of weight. They promote loss of muscle weight or water weight which besides being gained back quickly, loosing these weight is potentially very harmful to your overall well- being. And as if this is not enough, you will realise that sticking to these crash diets in the long run is nearly impossible as your body will resist the change naturally. This in turn ends up frustrating your weight loss endeavours to a great extent.

Weight loss is only possible through a radical exercise regime

This is essentially not true as to succeed in weight loss; you will need to make small changes which you can stick to for a relatively long time. Losing weight is only possible if you are able burn much more calories compared to what you are consuming and an exercise regime is only one of the ways to help you achieve this. You will thus need to move more, eat less and best of all, combine both of them.

Slimming pills are the solution for effective weight loss in the long term

This is certainly not true as slimming pills will do you more harm than good in your long-term weight loss efforts. Most importantly, don’t use slimming pills for long term purposes and always ask your physician for a prescription.

Carbohydrates cause weight gain

A common myth is that carbohydrates only succeed in making you put on more weight and this is highly unfounded and certainly not true. When carbohydrates are eaten in the most appropriate quantities, they will certainly not lead to weight gain. It is essential that you eat whole meal and whole grain carbohydrates like whole meal bread and brown ice and you will certainly succeed in your weight loss efforts.

Drinking water helps in weight loss

While drinking water is always very important, keep in mind that it will not help you loose water. Water only makes you stay hydrated and could succeed in helping you snack less. Drinking water is important for your overall wellbeing and good health.

Keeping note of these myths will help you know what works and what don’t work when it comes to weight loss just to be sure that you are on the right track.

Muscles needs between 24 and 48 hours to repair and rebuild. If you work the same muscle again, too soon, it can lead to tissue breakdown instead of building.

For years there have been tried and tested methods of revitalisation but some of these have come under question. The daunting ice water bath had been a trusted method up until recently when it was discovered that ice baths may actually reduce gains in muscle mass and strength.

Don’t waste any more recovery time, try out these scientifically proven tips to help maximise your body’s post workout recovery:

Get a good night’s sleep

Multiple studies have suggested that sleep deprivation can have significant negative effects on performance and recovery. When you sleep your body releases growth hormones that repair muscle trauma caused during exercise. Sleep is also the prime time for the body to undergo protein synthesis, meaning proper sleep will make for stronger muscles and increased endurance.

Everybody has a different sleeping pattern but you should aim to have at the very least six hours of rest each night. If you have time, or prefer to sleep less overnight, you can also top up on sleep with a daytime nap. Taking a nap around two hours after a workout can help the body to enter a deep, restorative state.

Foam roll your muscles

Foam rolling, or self-myofascial release, is a method of self-massage that returns your muscles and soft tissue to their native state. Exercise, injury and arduous everyday tasks can cause a build up of knots that restrict performance. By relieving knots and helping soft tissue to operate correctly again, foam rolling improves workout performance.

A study found that myofascial release with a foam roller can dramatically increase your range of motion without any negative effects on strength. Use a foam roller with a PVC core for best results. If you don’t have access to a foam roller, tennis balls or lacrosse balls are effective alternatives.

Use revitalising products

There are several products on the market containing ingredients that aid in the recovery process.

Essential oils are used by sports trainers and massage therapists to support the fitness and performance of their athletes. Aromatherapy massage is used both before and after exercise to improve speed recovery and reduce the chance of injury.

Male grooming experts Regal Gentleman recommend Jack Black turbo wash energising cleanser which contains juniper berry to help eliminate lactic acid from tired muscles. Other extracts that can boost recovery include eucalyptus for circulation and opening airways, lavender for its anti-inflammatory effects and rosemary for pain relief.

Indulge in some music therapy

Music is a great motivation tool during a tough workout but believe it or not, listening to music post-workout can actually speed up recovery time. A study conducted by a team of Israeli researchers found that blood lactate concentrations, which is used to measure muscle fatigue, dropped by 11% in athletes who listened to music during a cool down period.

Researchers have analysed various genres of music with cardiovascular response. They found that fast-paced rap, pop and techno tunes raised the blood pressure of those who listened to them, while certain classical pieces are in sync with the body’s natural rhythm and lowered the listener’s blood pressure.

Hydrate with science-backed beverages

Drinking plenty of water to aid post-workout recovery is no secret. Exercising while dehydrated can cause muscle damage and so it is of utmost importance that you replenish fluids. While H2O provides the healthiest option, many people turn to energy drinks such as Gatorade and Lucozade as a quick fix of replenishing fluids.

There are healthier alternatives to energy drinks. Chocolate milk has been proven to boost muscle recovery. It contains a three-to-one ratio of carbohydrate grams to protein grams which appears to enhance glycogen replenishment. It also contains far more potassium, calcium and vitamin D than most sports drinks and is naturally tuned to human digestive systems aside from those with a dairy intolerance.

An alternative for those lacto free is cherry juice which can help to reduce the swelling that occurs when muscles are damaged. Researchers found that after drinking cherry juice, athletes returned to 90% of normal muscle force within 24 hours, compared to only 85% without cherry juice.

Building muscle mass is something everyone should consider when trying to keep fit. Whether you visit the local gym, go running every day or decide to take up a contact sport, it’s important that your body has the strength needed to get you through each session without succumbing to fatigue.

Top tips

Every muscle mass-building routine should be intense, rhythmic and set to a strict timetable. This will ensure that you get the best possible results from your workout.

There are a number of sure-fire routines to help you build muscle mass effectively and flawlessly. To get you on the right track, here are a couple you could try to help get you started:

Routine one

Preferred mainly by gym members, this one has pretty much all bases covered. It involves:

• Taking three off-days a week: this allows for effective recovery from intense workout sessions and ensures some sort of continuity
• One day working on the chest/triceps/shoulders
• One day working on the legs
• One day for the back/biceps
• One day for the calves/abs

Training each muscle group over the course of a day every week is shown to be effective, but a whole day for muscle recovery isn’t necessary.

Routine two

This is used by many athletes to help build up muscle mass, and has pretty good results. This routine involves:

• Two sessions for the legs
• Two sessions for the upper body
• Three off-days

This is easy to understand, plus recovery time is ample enough to restore energy levels for each session. During each session, they can focus on different parts of the body, which provides a little flexibility.

Nutrition

As far as building muscle is concerned, supplements can help. Whether in the form of energy drinks such as Craze from Driven Sportsor whey protein drinks, they can help to boost you when you need it the most pre or post-workout.

*Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gym.jpg