Tag: Workout

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!

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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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The TRUTH About Strength Training

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The TRUTH

About Strength Training

–

What do you know about Strength Training? Do you know the good and the bad?

Do you know the truth about Strength Training?

“Strength Training is boring!”

Anyone that has been strength training for many years knows this one basic truth…Strength Training is boring! It’s boring to go into the gym multiple times per week, years on end, and do basically the same lifts over and over and over and over again. Of course there is some variation to it, with varying set and rep schemes, along with the occasional exercise variation, but to get truly stronger during strength training you must do basically the very same exercises every time you come into the gym. The greater you vary away from the basic exercises that get you stronger, the squat, bench press, deadlift and related exercises, the less strength you will gain towards them. You have to be very specific to each exercise, practicing it almost weekly, with slowly increasing intensity or work volume over a long period of time to get stronger. For example, if you are trying to get stronger on the squat, you would come in and maybe start with something like 5 sets of 5 reps. You would start with a weight you can do maybe 8-10 reps with and use that for all 5 of your sets the first time in. The next time you come in to squat you would do 5×5 again, with just a slightly higher weight, such as 10 lbs more than last time. You would continue that slow progression every time you come in until you could not do all 5 sets with a given weight before going back down in weight to start the process over or just lower the reps to sets of 3-4. Still, you would be doing the same exercise with little variation to it, but you would be getting stronger. That is how true strength training goes.

“You have to be very specific to each exercise, practicing it almost weekly, with slowly increasing intensity or work volume over a long period of time to get stronger.”

Though it is boring, strength training does have many benefits. The obvious is you get stronger, and the more you do it the stronger you get. You will also experience more muscular growth, tone, and overall function. In fact, strength training to get stronger is one of the best ways to build more muscle and get more JACKED or RIPPED looking, versus using high repetition bodybuilding techniques, early on without the basis of strength first. Also, by getting stronger you are greatly increasing your overall muscular function, so that you become more athletic and protected from injury. Strength training is also great for decreasing body fat and re-sculpting your body to look more fit. You can also expect major increases in self-confidence, focus, determination, brain function and overall creating a stronger mind! As you get stronger you will start to see so many improvements in yourself that are sure to make you proud and enable you to have the courage to take on any challenge life throws at you! Plus, these benefits are not just for men. Women also see tremendous benefits from strength training that also make them look stronger, fit and toned along with the mental benefits of self-confidence. Not to mention, “Strong is Sexy”! By simply getting stronger, all other training and life goals become easier to obtain! Strength training will not only make you physically stronger, but you will also become more athletic and obtain a stronger mindset to take on the world!

“Strong is Sexy!”

The worst thing about strength training is that it is boring, but the best thing is that it makes you better at everything else! By getting stronger you can reach any other fitness goal you have much faster and easier. You can lose or gain weight better, build more muscle faster, run faster, jump higher and increase your overall athletic performance. Just think, by being stronger you can use more weight and have a higher intensity on everything. You will be able to move better and be protected from many unnecessary injuries. Too often I see people in the gym who want to do something like Bodybuilding, yet they have little to no strength to back up their goals. They are trying to build more muscle by focusing on the “contraction” or “feel” of a muscle when they can’t bench press 225 lbs or squat 315 lbs. As an absolute minimum anyone looking to do bodybuilding needs to be able to bench press 315 lbs, and squat at least 405 lbs. Again, that is a minimum, but by having that as a base of strength you will be able to handle a lot more work that will allow you to burn more fat and build more muscle faster. You will also get a similar effect for other training goals, you just have to get through the boring part of reaching that strength level first, but after you get there your world of fitness opens up and becomes so much more obtainable.

“… the best thing is that it makes you better at everything else!”

So there you have it…the truth about strength training. Strength training is boring, but has incredible benefits that help you reach all of your other fitness goals. After you obtain a base of strength, everything else become much more obtainable. Strength is where it all begins, but you choose where it ends. May strength help you to change your world and lead the way through all of your life goals!

Keep getting stronger my friends!