Tag: How to get Stronger

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How To Get Stronger

Getting strong for beginners is simple. All you have to do is learn how to workout properly with a basic strength training program. However, how to get stronger properly for years to come is something few truly know how to do. Some people believe it’s all focused on building muscle with Bodybuilding techniques. Others believe in going hard and heavy with Powerlifting. Overall, these are both true to some extent, but that’s not the whole story. So let’s get started on the keys to building strength, the right way.

If you’re looking to get stronger, then you’ve come to the right place!

Provided below is all the information you need, specific to your goal of increasing your strength. Whether you are a beginner, an athlete, or an advanced Strength Warrior, prepare to get stronger, fast!

Strength Is Your Base

To accomplish anything we all need a strong Base of Strength.

First, strength is the basis for all other Training Goals. By becoming stronger you are better able to:

That is why the Mathias Method Strength System focuses on strength before anything else. We incorporate strength into all of our programs and make strength the main piece of our training system. We encourage you to move towards your specific goals, but strength training must be a part of your program if you want to perform at a high level.

Without this strong foundation, you have little to nothing to build on. So don’t neglect strength. Instead, keep it at the forefront of your training!

How To Build Strength for Beginners

Getting stronger is simple. It just takes a lot of hard work.

Building strength is very basic and, over time, can even be boring. Most people are looking for a new innovative way of how to workout because it is more exciting than the simple formula that has been around for decades. The thing is, the ways to build strength have been the same since the start of time.

You must stay consistent and always progress forward by doing more than yesterday. You can quickly increase your strength by improving your technique or by gaining more size, but eventually, it all comes down to how much work you are willing to put in.

Strength training is something where what you put in is what you get out. If you only put in a minimal amount of work you will get a minimal amount of results. If you train hard, stay consistent and always push for progress then you will continue to get stronger.

Keys to Building Strength

Stay Consistent
Train Hard
Be Patient

First, you have to be consistent. If you workout on and off, or here and there, you are never going to get anywhere. You have to be consistent, and consistently pushing yourself.

Without consistency, how can you accomplish anything in life? You can’t. So get a gym buddy, or even a personal trainer, if you need too, but don’t neglect your training.

Second, you have to work hard. If you go in and just go through the motions, or do minimal work that leaves you fatigued, but not pushed, then you are going to make little progress. YOU HAVE TO PUSH YOURSELF!

You have to put in the work if you want the results. Now, that doesn’t mean you need to go in and annihilate your muscles every workout. You just need to make sure you are always doing more than you did before. Otherwise, you will fall behind or plateau.

Finally, be patient. Remember, building strength takes time. It can seem like years before you reach a strength level you are proud of, but if you keep working at it, you will get there.

Overall, just be consistent and always push to do more. Small jumps add up. So just keep going!

Learn how to build strength for years to come!

The Mathias Method Strength System Training Guide is perfect for anyone looking to get really strong, the right way! Learn the fundamentals of strength training for all levels with this one-of-a-kind Strength Training Guide!

What makes the Mathias Method unique is that it is a System, not a Training Program. It is a unique Systematic Approach to Strength Training that allows you to stay Healthy, Improve your Performance, and Get Stronger, all while moving towards your specific training goals.

This system has been used for years, helping Strength Warriors from all over take their training to the next level.

The weak get strong, and the strong get stronger!

Includes: Build Your Own Workout Guide – Training Template – Strength Training Program

Get our #1 Best Selling Strength Training Guide

Cardio for Strength

Many people believe that cardio is the mortal enemy of strength gains and muscle mass. That is true, but only if you do it wrong.

The truth is, cardio is great for building strength and gaining muscle mass. In fact, without cardiovascular training, your muscle and strength gains are limited. This is because cardio training increases your body’s work capacity and strengthens your heart. If you have a low work capacity or total workload your body can handle, then you will fatigue easily. Not only that, but you will have slow recovery time between workouts.

The fact is, the better shape you are in, the more muscle and strength you can obtain.

However, if you do your cardio wrong, then your strength can suffer. For example, if you do long-duration, low-intensity cardio, then you are basically telling your body to get rid of your muscle mass. This is because muscle is hard to maintain for your body, and your body only cares about survival.

Muscle is vascular (has veins) which your heart has to work hard to pump blood too and feed. The more muscle you have, the harder it is to maintain. So you have to give your body a reason to keep the muscle around.

Heavy lifting is a great start, but if your heart is weak from never doing any cardio, it may not be enough. That is where conditioning and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) cardio comes in!

Conditioning and HIIT Cardio

Conditioning is any form of weighted or resisted cardio exercise. Examples are sled drags, weighted carries, ball slams, CrossFit WODs, etc.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is a very intense form of cardio where you do maximal effort for a short period of time and then have a rest period before repeating. Usually, the most effective work to rest ratios are 1:1 and 1:2. These are basically sprints done on any cardio machine or just running.

Conditioning is usually easier as it is more continuous with moderate intensity. HIIT is harder because your work at maximal capacity for 30-60 seconds and only get about that long to rest.

Both conditioning and HIIT are effective for maintaining muscle and strength while increasing your cardiovascular conditioning. This is because of their intensity. The higher the intensity, the greater stress it places on your muscles, similar to heavy weight lifting, and therefore helps to maintain muscle mass and strength.

It has been found that sprints done at 90+% max effort with a 30 second work time and 60-second break for 12 sets is most effective for fat loss with minimal muscle loss.

So we recommend you add 10-20 minutes of conditioning or HIIT cardio to the end of your workouts at least 3 times per week to improve recovery and avoid long-duration, low-intensity cardio.

Resources

The Perfect Strength Program for Beginners

Build Muscle and Strength, FAST!

Base Of Strength is the perfect strength program for beginners to get strong, fast! It takes you through a simple, yet highly effective strength program for anyone! By using only the most effective strength exercises to build strength and muscle you will quickly create a solid base for all of your future training goals.

This program is perfect for beginners looking to learn the basics of strength training or even advanced Strength Warriors that want to strengthen their training foundation while building some solid muscle.

If you are ready to get strong, lean and JACKED, then I suggest you get this program!

Get our Base Of Strength Training Program

RAW Powerlifting Programs

If you are preparing for a Powerlifting Competition, or want a Powerlifting Specific routine, then I suggest you view our 12-Week RAW Powerlifting Programs.

Squat Program

Bench Press Program

Deadlift Program

Full Power Powerlifting Programs

Powerlifting for Mass: Hypertrophy Program

Powerlifting Power: Westside Conjugate Method

Advanced Powerlifting Program

All Strength Programs

All Programs are based on the Mathias Method Strength System and follow our Strength Principles.

Articles on How To Get Stronger

Stronger – How to Build Strength

JACKED – How to Build Muscle

The Best Powerlifting Meet Openers and Attempt Selection Strategy

Stronger Beginnings (Beginner Training)

The TRUTH About Strength Training

RECOVERY – The Most Important Aspect of Training

How To Lift Properly for Strength

Squat

Bench Press

Deadlift

Sumo Deadlift

View All Main Lifts

View All Exercise How To’s…

Ask Your Strength Training Questions

If you have any questions you can always Ask Me!

Note: You don’t need any special supplements to get stronger, the right way.

Strength Goals

Whatever your goal is, we have a workout plan to set you on the right path to success! Choose the right Strength Goal for you and get started today!

Pick Your Strength Goal

If you don’t have a goal, then how do you know which direction to take? You don’t! So, pick a strength goal and get started on your Journey to Greatness today!

Don’t see your Strength Goal here?

If you don’t see your Strength Goal here, then comment below what you would like to see! We are constantly making updates!

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If you would prefer, you can also just choose from our Strength Programs to see which would fit your workout style the best.

The Truth About Protein Supplements

Should I take a protein supplement? When is the best time to take it? How much protein do I need? What is the truth about Protein Supplements?

So you recently decided to spend your hard earned money on a protein supplement, and now you are not really sure how to use it to achieve the greatest benefit. However, you were told that you “NEED” it to get bigger, stronger, or leaner. The person telling you this, said that protein is the key to getting bigger and the more you eat the bigger, leaner, stronger you get…right? I mean, they must be an expert for you to let them direct how you spend your money, or maybe they are just really JACKED. So if it works for them, it must work for me, right? Either way, you bought some protein, or are convinced that you “NEED” it, and want to know the best way to use it. So let’s get into it…

“The idea of eating more meat/protein to build more muscle is the same as trying to eat eyeballs to improve your eyesight.”

The Truth

First, let’s clear this up right away…the idea of eating more meat/protein to build more muscle is the same as trying to eat eyeballs to improve your eyesight. It just doesn’t work that way. Yes, protein is a key part to building muscle tissue, but it is not as big of a deal as you might have been made to believe. There are many components to building muscle tissue, and overall calories is a big part of that. If you do not consume enough calories above maintenance level (the amount needed to meet your daily energy needs), then your body will only use the extra calories, whether they are from protein or not, as energy to survive.

The only thing our body wants to do is survive, and if you don’t give it the fuel to do that, it is not going to grow. In fact, it will think you are starving yourself and start feeding on your muscle mass in order to survive, because it is hard for your body to maintain muscle when depleted.

Now before you get worried that you are going to be catabolic (muscle consuming) every second of the day you are not eating protein, don’t stress yourself. As long as you eat regularly you will not be catabolic. Consume enough daily calories, which is not that hard, and you will be fine. Make sure to eat a variety of foods with a balance of protein, carbs and fats. It is ok to be hungry. Hungry doesn’t equal catabolic.

Hungry does NOT = Catabolic

Who needs the most protein?

Now, how much protein you should consume is different for everyone, because we all are different. Everyone’s energy needs are different and our training loads vary. Many people would think that big bodybuilder type individuals need the most protein to maintain their muscle mass, but this is not the case.

In fact, those with a large muscle mass need much higher carbohydrate amounts to maintain their muscle mass rather than high protein levels, as muscle is vascular and takes a lot of energy to maintain. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for our bodies, so their carb intake will be very high with a relatively normal amount of protein. Your body can only build so much muscle mass at a time, therefore protein intake is relatively normal for larger individuals.

You may be surprised to learn that the individuals that need the most protein relative to their bodyweight are endurance athletes. Yes, I do mean those little scronny people, with not much muscle mass, that do marathons and Ironman Challenges going for hundreds of miles at a time. Their protein intake is much higher because their overall calorie needs are much higher than any other form of athlete and they need the protein to replace all the muscle tissue they break down regularly. Each of their workouts last hours at a time and break down extremely high amounts of muscle tissue compared to even a high level bodybuilding athlete doing an extremely intense bodybuilding session for 2 hours.

“Do not take more than 2g of protein per pound of bodyweight unless you truly need it.”

So how much protein do I need?

Most individuals need between 0.7-1g per pound of bodyweight when doing strength training or sport related exercise. Those that do endurance training can consume up to 2-2.5g per pound of bodyweight, while large bodybuilders and high l even athletes should have between 1.2-1.5g per pound of bodyweight. This may seem lower than you would expect, but again we can only build so much muscle at a time and it is all relative to your body size.

The biggest factor in determining how much protein any individual takes is their overall caloric needs. Those that need more calories, such as endurance athletes need more overall calories and therefore intake more protein as a result. You can determine which category you are in, but be sure that you do not take more than 2g of protein per pound of bodyweight unless you truly need it, because this places a lot of unnecessary stress on your body (mainly kidneys) and can lead to major health problems later on. Even if you are looking to get bigger, stick to 1g per pound of bodyweight and just increase your overall calories 200-500 calories every 2 weeks.

“You likely do not need any supplements to reach your goals.

In fact, they may be holding you back.”

Do I really need a protein supplement?

Now you may find that consuming 1g per pound of bodyweight is not that hard to do when you are eating regularly. That is why a protein supplement is not necessary for most of the population. Real food is always better and going to help you much more than a supplement. Supplements do not give you gains, they are just like fast food. It is an easier version of real food that sells fast. So you likely do not need any supplements to reach your goals. In fact, they may be holding you back.

“It is more important to have carbohydrates (sugar) rather than protein, in order to replace your lost glycogen (energy) immediately post workout.”

What about the 30 Minute Anabolic Window?

When reading the label of a protein supplement, it will likely tell you to take 1+ scoops immediately post workout. It may even say to take it before the workout, or when you wake up in the morning. They do this to make you think that, “because you workout, you need this supplement to obtain gains”. They want you to feel that you cannot move towards your goals without it so you keep going back to buy. This is a great way to sell protein, but it is not the best time to take it.

You may have heard of the “Anabolic Window” being within 30 minutes post workout (this still makes me laugh). Turns out this doesn’t make sense, because it takes more than 30 minutes to digest and absorb the protein you just ingested, no matter how micro filtered and pre-broken down it is. If anything, you should take the protein before the workout so it breaks down as you lift and ready for your muscle afterwards, but this is still not best.

Yes, your training does trigger a lot of growth signals, but these are just signals to be acted upon later, while you sleep. You might as well just eat regularly throughout the day and save the protein supplement for later on.

Overall, it is more important to have carbohydrates (sugar) rather than protein, in order to replace your lost glycogen (energy) immediately post workout. So after your workout, just go eat some food and don’t buy into the gimmick.

“Your body does the greatest amount of growth and recovery within the first few hours of sleep and Whey protein out performs all other proteins.”

The best time to take a protein supplement is…

If you have a protein supplement and want to use it to the best of its ability, then you should take it immediately before bed! This is because you do most of your growing at night! Your workout triggers this growth, but most of the calories you consume during the day while awake will be used for energy, and if you take a protein supplement immediately post workout you may have used it all up for energy before it is used for growth at night.

So save the protein supplement for before bed and only use Whey protein. Casein breaks down slower and lasts longer, but you don’t need it to last. Your body achieves the most growth and recovery during the initial hours of sleep, making it the perfect time to fuel with the best whey protein supplements like Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey, Dymatize ISO100, and Swolverine Whey Protein Isolate. These high-quality options ensure rapid absorption and superior support for muscle repair and growth while you rest.

Just make sure it is whole proteins (protein isolate is best) and not extremely broken down as this may supply only partial proteins that are useless for growth.

How much protein should I take at one time (in supplement form)?

You only need 20-25g of protein before bed if you are under 200lbs and only 25-30g if you are 200-300lbs. Again, we can only grow so much at one time so do not waste your protein on your energy needs. Get only what you need, if you take it at all.

So there you have it! The story behind optimal protein intake and timing for those of you that still think you “NEED” a protein supplement to get those gains! If you have been convinced otherwise then just make sure you get enough total calories in, a standard amount of protein, then vary your carbs and fats as needed.

Learn about My Thoughts on Steroids and PEDs in Strength Sports…

Keep getting stronger my friends!

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BE NO Strength Motivation

A Grandfather’s Legacy

My Grandfather was the hardest working man I have ever known…actually, of all those that were lucky enough to know him, he was the hardest working man that anyone ever knew! He lived to work, and worked to live. Whether it was working for one of the many small businesses he created, or working around the house on his days off, my grandfather was ALWAYS working.

“Accomplishments don’t come to those on a break,

they come to those who put in the work.”

He had incredible work ethic, and it was important to him that we all learned that from him. Even from a young age, when my brothers and I would go over to his house, while our parents were at work, he would have us join him on all his projects. In his mind, there was always something to work on, and if not, he would create something to work on. Sometimes it was driving a tractor around the property gathering rocks we could barely lift, so we could build a rock wall. Sometimes it was wash the motorhome, or as my mom often joked about her childhood; reproofing the house before my grandma got home from work. And this was all before any of us were 10 years old. No matter what we were doing, we worked hard at it. Whether it was in the sports we played, or the jobs we did, my brothers and I all learned early on that 100% effort was the minimum requirement, and it has not failed us yet. Accomplishments don’t come to those on a break, they come to those who put in the work.

“The fact that we were 2, 7, 8 and 9 didn’t matter.

We worked hard, all the same.”

My grandfather owned a successful business for over thirty years, but he always found the time to create and build several different side businesses as well. Family, being the most important thing to him, he always included the whole family in whatever new business he was working at. One of his side jobs was renting motorhomes. This often meant we would clean them and deliver them to local camp grounds with my dad and grandpa. The fact that we were 2, 7, 8 and 9 didn’t matter. We worked hard, all the same.

The other thing my grandpa was known in our family for, was giving us all nick names, (Treelore, Tan da’ Man, Jakes n’ Joe, Bills n’ Bob, etc.) but it was during this motorhome rental business that he earned his nick name…

“If you were to ask for a break he would respond with,

‘There will BE NO breaks.’”

The thing with working with my grandpa meant you were working. You weren’t eating or drinking or playing, you were getting the job done, until it was done. If you were to ask for a break he would respond with, “There will BE NO breaks.” If you wanted to eat before the job was done, he would say, “There will BE NO food until we are done.” If we wanted to stop on our travel route he would say, “There will BE NO stopping.” If you wanted to go to the bathroom, he would say, “There will BE NO piddling until we are done.” Of course, he was joking…we think…but there would still BE NO nothing, until the work was done.

One day, while we were working my dad started calling my grandpa BE NO. At first he didn’t know what my dad was talking about. None of us did, but once we figured it out, it quickly stuck. When you work with grandpa there will BE NO breaks, there will BE NO rest, there will BE NO eating, there will BE NO drinking, there will BE NOthing, but working.

My grandpa passed away several years ago, but his nick name BE NO, and more importantly his work ethic, will always live on to those that knew him. There will BE NO breaks, BE NO rest, BE NO stopping us until we reach our goals, BE NO excuses and BE NO limit to what we can do.

“There will BE NO breaks, BE NO rest, BE NO stopping us until we reach our goals, BE NO excuses and BE NO limit to what we can do.”

THAT is the STRENGTH of BE NO!

–Strength To You,

Ryan J. Mathias, CPT & Sandra Mathias

MathiasMethod.com

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How To Prevent Injury

Do you have muscle and joint pain? Does your body ache after training? Are you losing mobility? Do you know how to prevent injury? Find the answers to all these questions and the keys to longevity in training below!

“The one thing that can stop all progress and take you backwards in training is injury.”

The one thing that can stop all progress and take you backwards in training is injury. If you are injured your focus will be set towards recovering from that injury as quickly as possible so you can continue to progress forward. However, during the time of recovery you are going to slowly be losing all that you have built before the injury occurred. That makes injury one of the most feared and dreaded things in all of strength training. Though it can be prevented, or even beneficial…

“The greatest risk of injury comes from improper lifting technique.”

Injury will likely strike us all down at some point, whether it be small or large. With every exercise, every set, every rep, and even every step we take there is a chance for injury to occur. We knowingly take that risk in order to strive for greater progress, and to become stronger. Many people think that lifting heavy, or just with high intensity, you are at a greater risk of injury, but that is not true. The greatest risk of injury comes from improper lifting technique. Even if you lift very light weights over and over again for more repetitions you are at a much greater risk of injury than someone lifting intensely with proper technique. Many people also believe that machines are safer to lift with than free weights, but again this is not true. Machines serve a purpose of attempting to focus on targeting specific muscles which often will put you in a compromised position to do so. Yes, this can help target a muscle better, but it does not mean that you are in a safe position to do so. They are easier to use and learn on as most of them only work one way, but many of them can be just as dangerous if not set up properly. Another thing to add about machines, is that they often limit the range of motion to both focus the stress on a specific muscle and to keep you out of the most compromising positions for your body that will cause injury when done repeatedly. So feel free to use machines or free weights, lift heavy or light, but when doing so, make sure you are using proper technique to help prevent injury.

If you want to learn more about how to perform exercises correctly look here: All Training Exercises

“We all need to keep moving, every single day.”

Movement is key to preventing injury. Remember the saying, “If you don’t move it, you lose it.”? Just by simply moving you can prevent countless injuries, along with other common aches and pains. We all need to keep moving, every single day. We need to take our joints through full ranges of motion, stretch our muscles and re-enforce movement patterns every day so that we do not lose what we already have. As we get older, move less, or just don’t mobilize our tissues as we get stronger, we begin to lose joint range of motion. This is commonly due to stiffening of muscles, tendons and ligaments. As they become more stiff, they become much harder to mobilize over time. Eventually they will become atrophied and nearly impossible to fix. That is why movement is so important. Even light activity every day enables your body to stay limber, and strong enough to prevent unnecessary injuries. It is when muscles become out of touch with their neuromuscular proprioception (mind-muscle activation) from lack of use that they are much more susceptible to tears and strains. You should always stay active and exercise, but you should also have a simple daily routine that you follow in order to maintain your basic movements on a daily basis. This is one of the many reasons I created the Daily 30. It allows you to practice your basic human movement patterns, while increasing mobility and allowing you to maintain your strength, all in less than 2 minutes of movement. No matter what you do, to prevent injury and be healthy, just keep moving.

To learn more about how to improve your movement patterns and mobility look here: The Daily 30

“When a joint and the muscles surrounding it are all functioning properly it is much less likely to have an injury occur…”

Strength and mobility act together to prevent injury. Both strength and mobility increase the function of a muscle, along with the tendons and ligaments surrounding joints. When a joint and the muscles surrounding it are all functioning properly it is much less likely to have an injury occur, however it also needs to be strong enough and mobile enough to withstand varied forces that may act upon it. If muscles surrounding a joint are strong, but not very mobile, then the muscles, tendons or ligaments will tear when a large force is applied. This force can even be the momentum of that person or a maximal force created by their strong muscles. If a joint is too mobile, then an improper move can dislocate the joint causing great harm. So for a joint to be healthy, the surrounding tissue needs to be able to withstand strong forces and keep a joint in place, while being mobile enough to not tear. That is why it is vital that athletes, along with others that perform intense activities, do strength training, but also mobilize so that they do not become too stiff. Muscular strength and mobility is vital for preventing injuries.

To learn how to perform numerous mobility exercises go here: Mobility Exercises

“Though injuries can be prevented…sometimes an injury can be the best thing for someone.”

Though injuries can be prevented with proper lifting technique, daily movement, and increasing muscular function, sometimes an injury can be the best thing for someone. By having an injury occur, there is always a lesson to be learned that, in the end, can make you stronger. You may learn of a new way to approach training, or how to recover better, or what you might have been missing before that held you back. So when an injury does occur, do not take it lightly. Find a way to learn from it and come back stronger. Do not accept the defeat. Always find a way to make it better. Take on your new challenges with full force and don’t accept failure. Bring out your warrior spirit and recover what the injury took from you. Now, take control of your future, and go Change Your World.

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