The Best Age To Start Bodybuilding (And When You Are Too Young)

At what age should people start working towards becoming a bodybuilder? Can you be too young to start? We tackle these questions to settle the score, once and for all.

Adding context: What is the best age to start different sports?

The age that children start gymnastics

Oureverydaylife.com says that some gyms have tot classes for children to be introduced to gymnastics at the age of 18 months old. Other gyms have beginner gymnastic training courses that start at the age of 12. It quotes The American Academy of Pediatrics of recommending that children under 6 years old don't start organized sports like basketball and football, because they aren't ready yet. They haven't developed enough for the challenges that these sports might bring. It recommends, however, that children from the ages of 2 to 5 years practice motor skills. Motor skills create mind to body connections and include exercises like catching, throwing, running and tumbling. 'Lessons' should be centered on playful activities and games. Gymnastics classes could, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics, start from 2 to 5 years as long as lessons focus on motor skill development and take maturity level into account.

Children aged 6-9 could also start gymnastic classes after they have developed a little more. Our Every Day Life cites a different organization, USA Gymnastics, for endorsing gymnastic courses for children under 3 years old, attended with a parent. They recommend that children start out during pre-school years, but clearly state that there is nothing wrong with starting later either. Oureverydaylife.com says that the youngest age a child could start gymnastics depends on the individual. Some children are more comfortable with certain movements while others might need more time. Additionally, individual attention span also plays a big role.

The age that children start other sports

Joe Haefner from www.breakthroughbasketball.com says that people should not spend too much time trying to teach children under the age of 8 the art of basketball. He recommends focusing on playing games that incorporate a variety of movements, instead of specific basketball skills. He says that this is an important way to start developing athletes that will best perform at the age of 18. He also says that the kind of 'training' in early childhood stages should prepare younger players for all sports and that it should only become more specific to a certain sport, like basketball, as the child ages.

Children between ages 6 and 9 are in their 'guided discover' age and partake in outcomes activities that embody fun. Between ages of 10 and 13, lessons can become a little more technical. These lessons still need to be mostly centered on being fun and playful. After this age, training can become a lot more technical and competitive elements can be significantly increased. 

The above applies applied to sports like soccer, baseball, tennis, golf, cricket, hockey, dancing, volleyball and so on.

Back to the answering the question about bodybuilding in particular...

Will bodybuilding at a young age stunt your growth?

Not according to Jay Horowitz from bodybuilding.com. He says that the idea of weight lifting stunting growth is a widely misconstrued myth. No studies, according to Jay, have ever shown that weight lifting stunts a person's growth. 

One of the biggest risks involved with bodybuilding in children and teens is steroid abuse, which can be easily avoided. Steroids are dangerous and are particularly dangerous to younger individuals. Young people should never use steroids... ever. 

There is also a risk of injury, which is just as likely to occur in younger people as it is in older people. The focus should therefore focus on proper form and lifting weight properly when starting a weight training program - regardless of age. Another risk of injury occurs as a result of overuse: Working the same muscle groups too much without giving them enough time to rest. 

Jay lists the most important elements essential when children start weight training as supervision, light weights, technique and high repetitions. These repetitions should be in the high 12-20 rep-per-set ranges. Teenagers can decrease their lowest rep range to 10 repetitions per set. Children below their teen years should work out in a non-competitive environment. 

Jay adds that children should not be aggressively pushed by parents or coaches to train past what is comfortable for them. Qualified supervision and coaching (to oversee proper execution of exercise, adherence to low intensity levels and limited duration) is highly recommended. He advocates free weight training (which closely resembles sports movements) and steering clear of machines, which are better suited to older trainers.

See which strength training style most suits youngsters according to their age.

Moral of the story

• Below the age of 10, children should do activities that are fun. The goal of these games should be to teach them to move around and discover how their bodies work. Low intensity, playful activities benefit these children most.
• From 10-13, adolescents can start light forms of strength training. High repetitions are best (12 reps or more per set). Body weight and compound exercises should be avoided.
• Teenagers can increase their intensity, but still not below 10 reps. Focus should be on perfect form and sufficient rest.

The age you are at does not determine whether you can start working towards a career in bodybuilding or not. It simply determines the best way to go about achieving your goal. STAY STRONG!

Strength Training for Children, Adolescents and Teens

I have put together a good list of training methods for younger people who want to increase strength or put on a little muscle. 

Before we get started, let me say that weight lifting will not stunt your growth. Click the link for studies that have researched the theory. In contradiction, improper eating and inactivity is much more likely to get in the way of healthy growth and development. Exercise and physical exertion is a natural occurrence that the body was made for. 

Over training and improper form can cause injury. This is true, regardless of age. For this reason, it is extremely important that you learn the right form and do the exercises properly when you start strength training. Failing to do so can hurt you.

Exercises according to age

Exercises for children 9 years and younger

Children who are aged 9 years or younger need to focus on developing the right motor skills. This improves the mind to body connection. The best way to do this is through movement. Make these exercise sessions light and fun. Try doing a variety of activities like catching or throwing a ball, chasing or running away from someone and moving around. This improves spacial perception (correct body placement in accordance with a task and the environment). Stretching and trying out new movements is also good. Keep exercise sessions relatively short, unstructured, and fun. Also make sure that these sessions are at low intensity levels and don't push the child to the point where they start to perceive exercise as a negative endeavor. 

Strength training that involves weights is not suitable for this age group. They do not have the technical ability to perform this kind of training with the best form, which could very easily lead to injury. Focus on fun activities that will improve a large variety of skills that can be implemented into almost any sport.

Strength training for children ages 10 to 13 years

At this age, people can start training with weights. Free weights are better suited, since they closely resemble natural movements that are often used in sports. Light weights and high repetitions are the word of the day here. Keep the repetition range per set at higher levels. Do not do sets where you cannot do less than 12 reps without resting. 

Focus on using perfect from: Doing the exercise exactly the way they are supposed to be done. Using the wrong form can cause injury and learning the right way to lift weights is crucial for the rest of your life. Train using weights for a maximum of 3 times per week. Give your body time to adapt from the pressure that you put on it from training. You can do sports and cardio exercises on other days. Body weight exercises aren't recommended because the intensity is too high. For example, if you can only do 10 push ups, there are not enough repetitions in the set for it to be the best sort of exercise for your body right now. 

Don't do compound or complex movements either. These are exercises that work more than one muscle. They are extremely technical and are very easy to get wrong. Dead lifts and weighted squats, for example, can hurt your back or knees. Focus on isolate movements that work only one muscle at a time. A big focus is to see this as strength straining instead of weight training. Focus on increasing your strength and do the exercise that you are currently good at doing according to your strength. Focusing on weight training will make you try to increase weights too quickly and this can go very wrong, very fast. At this stage, do all your weight training exercises in one workout session for best results. 1-2 exercises per muscle group works best.  

Strength training for children ages 13 to 19 years

Now you can focus on weight training with a little higher intensity. You can decrease your rep range to 10. This means that you can increase the weight so that you can only do 10 repetitions. If you can't do 10 in one go, the weight is too heavy. You can do strength training with weights up to five times a week. If you are experienced with strength training, you can split up your training program so that one day focuses on one muscle group while another day focuses on a different one. For example, Mondays can be leg days and Tuesdays can be back days. 

You can do body weight exercises, but make sure that you allow for at least 48 hours (2 days) of rest between the times that you work the same muscles. If your body is comfortable with weight training, you can start using compound exercises. Be careful with these: Make sure that you do them properly and use the right form. Using the wrong form can hurt your body more than benefit it. If you get injured, your body will get weaker than when it started. This is why you need the right form and enough rest. You can find good workout plans for beginners (13 years or older) here. Do the first one very well for a few months before moving onto the second one. With the second one, make sure that the lowest rep range you use is 10 (instead of 8 as some of the exercises say).

Focus on good form and give yourself enough rest. Eat a well-balanced diet that includes lots of fresh fruit and veg, meat and dairy and carbohydrates. STAY STRONG!

13 Reasons Why Every Athlete Must Have Fish Oil Daily

If you are an athlete, you need to have fish oil every day. Here are the reasons why:

Fish oil contains omega 3 oils

We eat too much plant oils which contain omega 6 oils. These oils are found in almost all processed food and fast food. You find it in baked foods, fried foods and most snacks. These oils are in unnaturally high concentrations. If our diets were completely natural, there is no possible way that we would get as much omega 6 as we do in our western diets. That's only the beginning. When these plant oils are super-heated (like in frying, baking or processing), they become toxic to our bodies. This is the horrible trans-fat stuff that we hear is so bad for us. These oils encourage obesity, diabetes and cancer. Omega 3 oils are generally come from animals. It is more natural for us to eat these in high quantities. 

Fish oil benefit 1: Balances omega oils in your body

When you consume fish oil, you make a step towards restoring the balance between omega 3 and 6 oils. This will correct the inner working of your body, which will make your body perform better. When your body performs better, it recovers faster and can do more than it could before you had this improved omega oil balance. 

Read on to see how I support these claims. The following points will discuss the ways that fish oil makes your body perform better.

Fish oil benefit 2: Prevents joint injury

Fish oil is one of the recommended ways to prevent joint injury. It lubricates the joints. This decreased risk of injury from impact, decreases the rate at which the joints grind against one another during movement and slows overall wear and tear. Fewer joint injuries decrease the amount of time that you would spend in recovery from injury instead of pushing to get to your next goal.

Heart health

Webmd.com lists the ways that fish oils improve heart function. It says that fish oil supplementation can also benefit people who already have heart diseases. It says that fish oil benefits the heart in the way listed below.

Fish oil benefit 3: Reduces triglycerides

Triglycerides are the main components of fat in humans. They are also the main components in vegetable fat. When triglyceride levels are too high, they limit liver performance, along with heart ability. Your liver is crucial for energy production and recovery after exercise.

Fish oil benefit 4: Lowers blood pressure

When blood pressure is too high, you need to be careful about doing exercise that is too strenuous, because this might momentarily make your blood pressure too high for your body to handle. Another example is the fact that people who have higher blood pressure need to limit their times in steam rooms more than people with regular blood pressure. Steam rooms have many benefits and limiting the amount of time you can stay because of high blood pressure limits the benefit you can get from each visit. High blood pressure will limit your heart's ability to get nutrients to your body. This is crucial for athletes who need maximum recovery as soon as possible. Lower blood pressure is strongly linked to physical fitness.

Fish oil benefit 5: Reduces the risk of abnormal heart rhythms

This has been the reason why many athletes have to leave their chosen career path. Athletes with abnormal heart rhythms should not compete, because training at the high intensity levels that their professions demand poses too much risk for their well-being.

Fish oil benefit 6: Slows the development of plaque in arteries

The restricted space in arteries from plaque development poses a big threat to heart health. It limits the rate at which the body can exchange oxygen and carbon monoxide in the blood. Lower blood oxygen leads to decreased maximum performance, as well as decreased duration of physical performance.

Fish oil benefit 7: Reduces heart attack, stroke and sudden death in people with heart disease

It is a big tragedy that many cyclists and runners have passed this way. It is important to look after your heart health and fish oil goes a long way in your efforts to keep that ticker ticking for as long as possible.

Other benefits

Fish oil benefit 8: Keeps your eyes strong and healthy

Dr. Axe says that fish oil combats eye disease. It improves eye health and has been shown to reverse age related eye disorders like macular degeneration and cataracts. There is a strong link between the amount of fish that people eat and the prevalence of eye disorders. Studies have proven a remarkable benefit for eye function when fish oil is regularly consumed. If your sport requires a quick eye, fish oil might be a great way to protect your eye balls.

Fish oil benefit 9: Keeps your bones strong

Shannon Clark from Bodybuilding.com says that fish oil is essential for bone health. It increases their resilience, decreases the rate at which they degenerate and increases their ability to create more cells. This will decrease risk of bone fracture and lower bone fragility.

Fish oil benefit 10: Improves working memory

www.medicalnewstoday.com says that fish oil could improve your working memory. Working memory refers to your brains ability to work with the information it gets right now and process it in such a way that it can interact with that information quickly and effectively. Working memory is important for athletes that need to make quick decisions without giving them much thought. Medical News does note, though, that the effects of fish oil on working memory might decline with age. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you get good amounts of fish oil in your diet from as young an age as possible.

Fish oil benefit 11: Decreases inflammation

It enhances the activity of a certain type of white blood cell. This white blood cell (B cells) lowers inflammation in the body. This will reduce pain, speed up recovery and discourage disease formation.

Fish oil benefit 12: Boosts immune system

Organic Facts tells us that fish oil boosts our immune systems and can reduce the amount of times that we get sick. In the long run, this will lead to less down time and more opportunity to further physical progress.

Fish oil benefit 13: Aids in fat loss 

Fish oil helps your body to metabolize fat. The better you can metabolize fat, the better your body can turn fat into energy. This will automatically increase energy levels and will give you more energy to train and better yourself at whatever you are doing. The energy increase will positively impact your physical performance overall, including contest/ race/ test/ game/ match days.

The best way to get fish oil is by eating oily fish like salmon and mackerel. On days that you don't, you can take 1000-2000 milligrams of fish oil per day. Do not overdo the fish oil though, since taking too much can cause problems of its own like thinning the blood too much. It should therefore not be taken with blood thinners and some other medications. Always consult your doctor before taking vitamins or supplements. STAY STRONG!

12 Ways to Prevent Joint Injury from Exercise and Sports

Prevention is better than cure. Unfortunately, too much of us realize this when it is too late. A joint injury can really set you back in your game. Being forced to take months off to prevent further damage, undergo surgery or end your competitive career because of joint injury can almost always have been avoided. Here are simple and logical ways to prevent joint pain. Perhaps you are currently trying to recover from shoulder joint pain right now.

1. Fish oil

I highly recommend taking fish oil pills daily if you are not eating enough oily fish like salmon. This essential fatty acid (that we simply do not get enough of) promotes and protects joint function. It does this by surrounding and cushioning the joint from impact. This also prevents the joint from grinding against itself. And therefore reduces wear and tear.

2. Proper form

This should top almost every kind of exercise-related prevention list. When you exercise, make sure that you use the right form. This holds true for anaerobic activities like weightlifting and aerobic activities like swimming. Using the wrong form will put unnatural pressure on your joints, instead of allowing the muscles to do the work that they are supposed to do. Make sure that you research and clarify what the correct form is for every exercise that you do. Improper form leads to a large portion of joint pain and injury. This can hurt shoulders in swimmers, knees and ankles in runners and basically any joint in weight lifters. The list goes on.

3. Rest 

Your joints take longer to recover and rebuild than your muscles. Your bones take even longer. Overuse is one the leading causes of joint injury. Make sure that you get enough rest. Not all of these rest days need to be inactive. Using a different kind of exercise to work out, but rest another part of your body is called active rest. For example, swimmers can run on their off days to stimulate energy production but give their shoulder joints a rest. Steam rooms are a great way to speed up recovery. The heat also gets more nutrients to the joints to help them recover. Do you get too frustrated about doing nothing on rest days? Find great rest day advice, ideas and tips here.

4. Eat right

Eat a well-balanced and healthy diet with a variety of different food elements. Diets that are too acidic, for example, will increase your body's acidity level and will therefore erode your joint structures. High acid levels are one of the leading causes of gout and arthritis. One great way to lower body acid levels is to eat raw, fresh foods.

5. Drink lemon juice

Ironically, drinking lemon juice reduces the amount of acid in your body. It also gives you a healthy dose of vitamin C, which is crucial for joint maintenance. Lemon juice speeds up recovery by cleaning out your system and it even gives you more energy. This is why athletes and sportsmen should drink lemon juice.

6. Drink less alcohol

Alcohol increases the acid levels in your body. Also, your body will prioritize alcohol metabolism over recovery from exercise when you drink. See how alcohol affects muscle growth.

7. Don't smoke

Yes: smoking kills your joints as well. Since your body is less able to recover and carry nutrients to the parts that need it because of smoking, your joints will suffer. See how smoking inhibits your body's ability to build new muscle.

8. Vary rep range and intensity

Lower rep ranges and higher intensities put a greater stress on joints. Higher rep ranges and lower intensities are easier on joints. How can you further your fitness or transformation goals when you have to include different rep or intensity levels? By doing just that! In fact, varying your routines will provide muscle confusion and therefore better physical improvement. That is one of the reasons why high reps can build muscle mass in ways you never imagined.

9. Plan your workouts with joint health in mind

For example, many people debate whether you should have separate shoulder days at the gym. Some argue that isolating them on their own day will stimulate them to grow stronger whilst others say that they need more rest. Make sure that you give all of your joints the stimulation that they need to get stronger, and also that you give them the rest that they need to strengthen. Finding the balance and planning your exercise plan accordingly will ensure great joint health.

10. Isometric exercises

Isometric exercises are exercises that work muscles without moving them. A good example of an isometric movement is the plank (a good core exercise). Studies show that isometric exercises can strengthen joints, prevent injury and even speed up recovery from injury. They can give your muscles more power where you need it most!

11. Mobility

Range of motion refers to the range at which a muscle and joint can bend or stretch. Limited range of motion increases injury risk because your body is not able to move as much as you might move it while doing a certain sport or exercise. For example, swimmers need to work on greater shoulder joint mobility. If their mobility is limited, they face a greater risk of hurting their shoulder joints (and muscle) during races when they are exerting themselves as much as they can. The same goes for all physical sports and exercises. Stretching can also improve muscle recovery and size.

12. Get into the habit of warming up

A good warm up will not only decrease the chance of injury but also improve performance. Do an exercise that is lighter than your workout but still warms up your body. Your warm up should produce a light sweat. This will increase blood circulation so that your body is better able to move, provide nutrients to joints and muscle, and expel waste products like carbon monoxide and lactic acid.

Follow these simple tips to strengthen and protect your joints. You will save countless weeks and coin on recovery and you will have one less thing to worry about. As you might have noticed, all of the things listed above have much more benefit than just improving your joints. STAY STRONG!

The Dust You Inhale When Running on Dirt Roads

I enjoy my long runs. When I moved from the tarred suburbs to the country side, my trails turned from solid road to dirt road. I always tried to hold my breath when a car drove past and kicked up a light cloud of dust around me - not easy when you're on a good run! Today I present whether the dust you inhale from dirt road runs are bad for you or not, and what to do about it.

Whether you are a bodybuilder using cardio to boost muscle growth, taking a leisurely jog as part of an active rest day, use the road as part of your high intensity interval training routine or are pursuing the activities that burn the most calories, you might have wondered whether breathing in the dust around you is making your exercise less healthy.

Minimal amounts of dust are safe...

The truth is that we inhale dust all the time - not just when you are on the road. There are millions of tiny air-born particles in the air that you breathe, wherever you are. Dust and other particles that are found in the air are eliminated by your lungs when they are in small quantities. According to www.biology-pages.info, the cilia in your lungs are responsible for moving particles out of your lungs. They do this through the mucus mechanism.

Too much dust is not safe

Livestrong.com agrees with the fact that cilia moves dust out of your lungs, but says that they only do this at trace (or low) concentrations. Too much dust can lead to dust pneumonia. This happens when too much dust travels further than what it is supposed to and can't get out of your lungs. This can lead to infection, pneumonia and lung failure. This is an extreme case, but it is still possible. The first sign of too much dust inhalation is a dry cough. Your body is trying to expel the dust because there is too much for your cilia to handle to handle on their own. The next sign is coughing up of excessive mucus. This mucus can be mud-colored (from the dust), green or yellow. The excessive dust and mucus and can cause wheezing. Chest pain can occur from too much stuff in your lungs or restriction of your air passageways. If this all becomes infected, symptoms can advance to fever or septic shock.

The moral of the story

If you aren't coughing up a storm, struggling to breath or feel any pain; the amount of dust you inhaled will likely be taken care of by your lungs. All the same, try to inhale as little dust as you can, if possible. Avoid running in dust storms and other scenarios that will lead to excessive dust inhalation. Your body naturally expels this inhaled dust. If you are experiencing coughing, pain or asthmatic symptoms; see your doctor as soon as possible to prevent the risk of things elevating out of control. For the times that you are going to run through excessive dust or dirt, protect your air passageways by covering them with materials that will filter out the dust.

What about color runs?

Now that we're talking about particle inhalation, might as well bring up the stuff you could inhale at color runs. Color runs are running events where people are dowsed with all kinds of colorful powders. They have become very popular.
Let's start off by saying that kshb.com reports that the colored powder is highly flammable. Firefighters lit the substance to test its flammability and it exploded into a ball of fire. Make sure you're not running next a smoker! Unless you like fireworks...
Wfsb.com sent out one of their reporters to participate in a race. They then sent the colorful substances covering her body to the lab for testing. A mixture of corn starch and food coloring was found. These were found to be non-toxic. The article did warn, however, that dangers could arise if you are allergic to corn starch or certain food coloring.

As always, make sure that you stay hydrated and get the right electrolytes that you need and get those electrolytes from the right sources. Fuel up before any cardio session you do. Eating carbohydrates before cardio could help you lose even more fat. STAY STRONG!

The Anabolic Window

The anabolic window (also called the metabolic window) refers to the period straight after your workout when the speed of nutrient absorption and the specific nutrients ingested make the biggest difference in muscle recovery and growth. When your body is anabolic, it is building muscle. When it is catabolic, it is breaking down muscle. When your body is stressed or senses danger, it breaks down muscle for the nutrients it needs to survive. Muscle-building exercises are catabolic in the short-term, since they break down muscle. They are anabolic in the long-term, however, because they stimulate the muscles to grow bigger and stronger in preparation for the next challenge. The sooner you can exit catabolism (breaking down muscle) and enter into anabolism (building), the greater your recovery will be.

Here is more information about the anabolic window:

It's all about timing

An article by Krissy Kendall (PhD and CISSN) from bodybuilding.com discusses the theory and reality of the anabolic window. She says that you need to look a little broader than the first hour after your workout. If your pre-workout meal has enough protein and carbohydrates, then those nutrients should still be running through your bloodstream when you are done with your workout. This means that your body already has the nutrients that it needs and therefore you could go for a much longer time post-workout without losing potential muscle gain. On the other hand, people who have not eaten before their workout or exercise before their first meal of the day should definitely ensure that they get the nutrients that their bodies need as soon as possible. 

Your daily nutrition is more important than a single meal

Jeff Barnett from Breaking Muscle reviews a study that measured the effects of consuming protein straight after a workout. While those who got their protein fix straight after their workouts did show greater muscle gain, the difference was minimal and not enough to validate the 'anabolic window' theory. There were issues with this study, however. Firstly, the subjects were untrained athletes. People who are just starting out respond differently to exercise and nutrition. Their bodies aren't used to training in the first place, and their digestive systems are not as adapted at pulling protein into muscle as efficiently as others who have trained for longer. Also, people who are just starting out with weight lifting will generally have a greater muscle response; regardless of whether they are following the best protocols or not. Secondly, this study did not account for carbohydrates. Protein is necessary for muscle growth, but so are carbohydrates! See how carbohydrates are needed for muscle growth. Without studying carbohydrate intake along with protein intake, we are missing too much of the picture to make any valid conclusions. Jeff concludes that the anabolic window probably does exist, but that it is probably a lot longer than the 30 minutes (or hour?) that most people assume. He says that you might even be able to push for up to 6 hours. He said that what was more important was your entire nutritional intake throughout the day. You can have a great post-workout meal or shake, but if the rest of your diet is horrible, the guy that skips his post-workout meal but has his entire eating plan figured out will have a much bigger advantage.

Pre-workout nutrition might be more important than post-workout nutrition

David from How to Beast wrote in interesting article. His viewpoint is that the anabolic window is a myth. He cited studies that were done by bodybuilding nutritionists. These studies found that the nutrition you consume before your workout shows a greater effect than the nutrition you consume straight after. Consuming sufficient protein and carbohydrates before your workout is therefore more effective at giving your body what it needs to grow compared to afterwards. This makes sense, since your muscles will have the nutrition that they need to rebuild while they are breaking down. This would therefore decrease the short-term catabolism of the workout, even though the stimulus is the same. Interestingly, post workout nutrition shortly after exercise did show some benefit. Even though the difference was 'insignificant' compared to getting the right nutrition beforehand, it did make a small difference. That small difference might not be much at first, but tiny differences will certainly add up in the long run. My takeaway: following the anabolic window theory is not as important as it is proclaimed to be, but it does carry some benefit. Just does not benefit us as much as we originally thought.

The anabolic window when you are cutting down on calories

Luke Cafferty from Muscle and Strength outlined the same points as the others did above. Your entire nutritional intake throughout the day is a lot more important than a post-workout meal (or shake). It is only necessary if you are training in a fasted state. Carbohydrates are important because they fill up the energy stores of muscle in the form of glycogen. Sugar is converted into glycogen and stored in the muscle for energy. Bigger glycogen stores equal bigger muscle. Since weight training does not deplete your glycogen stores enough for muscle to significantly benefit from post-workout nutrition, ingesting carbohydrates straight after your workout is not that important - as long as your overall nutritional needs are met and your ate prior to working out. However, post-workout meals can benefit people who are decreasing their overall caloric intake in an effort to burn fat. Since your body has less calories than it needs to function (and will slowly burn fat because of this), you face a greater risk of being in a catabolic state instead of an anabolic state. This is because your body might break down muscle for the nutrients it needs. Your body will most likely do this if it is stressed. A pre and post workout meal that contains carbohydrates is therefore beneficial to people who are reducing their calories because it prevents the body from breaking down muscle to meet its caloric needs when it needs them the most.

Too much reading: Give me a summary!

• The anabolic window is not as important (or effective) as people originally thought.
• It does give you a benefit, but only a little (it can add up in the long run).
• Your pre-workout nutrition is more important than your post-workout intake. Eat well before you work out for better performance.
• Your overall eating plan is the most important. This is where gains come from. Focus on the diet that gives you the most gains.
• Eating carbohydrates straight after a workout will benefit you more if you are reducing your total calories to burn fat.
• Instead of ensuring that you have the protein that your body needs straight after your workout, make sure that it has the protein that it needs all of the time. Choose the right protein for the right time, based on each protein's individual absorption rate.

It is a better idea to focus more on eating right for the entire day and maximizing the hormones that build muscle. STAY STRONG!

Natural Ways To Boost Testosterone

Image Source: Paulaowens.com

Testosterone is often referred to as the manly hormone. People with higher levels of testosterone build muscle faster and are stronger. They have more energy and burn fat more effectively. There are natural ways to boost your testosterone levels. I have searched the web to find the best ways you can increase your natural testosterone levels.

How to Increase Testosterone Levels

1. Do Compound Exercises

Compound exercises like squats, pull-ups and even push-ups increase natural testosterone production. These compound exercises also increase other muscle building hormones like growth hormone. Make sure that a big enough portion of your workout routine involves compound movements that stimulate more than one muscle group.

2. Get Enough Rest

Over-training can decrease your body's ability to produce testosterone. Make sure that your rest days maximize recovery. Allow your body enough resting time to recover and rebuild. Take a rest week every few months for deep recovery and re-calibration. I've found that I come back stronger after a good rest week (one that is earned, of course). Sleep is also very important. Sleep is the critical time for most bodily changes. Besides building muscle, your body also uses sleep to regulate hormones like testosterone. Not enough sleep will deplete testosterone production.

3. Get Enough Zinc

Fitness.mercola.com says that consuming enough zinc to maintain testosterone levels is very important. It states that besides the muscle growth, hair retention and reproductive health benefits of testosterone; it is needed for maintaining bone density and keeping an optimum red blood cell count. It sites a study where increasing zinc levels for 6 weeks increased this hormone's levels in men who had low testosterone levels to begin with. Getting less zinc reduced testosterone levels and zinc protects you from exercise-induce testosterone reduction. Foods that are high in protein are usually high in zinc. Natural sources of zinc include meat, fish, dairy products and beans. Zinc is also important for regular body maintenance and growth. It is needed for immune function, recovery from injury and blood function. Zinc is also touted as a powerful antioxidant that fights cancer. Since conventional farming methods that use a lot of chemicals can deplete zinc content, try to eat as organic and free-range as possible to increase zinc consumption. Go easy on the tabs, though. Zinc supplementation can benefit those who are deficient on zinc, but too much can restrict iron and copper absorption.

4. Stress Less

According to Authority Nutrition, the stress hormone cortisol will decrease testosterone levels if there is too much of it in your body for a long period of time. Cortisol can reduce testosterone levels very quickly. It says that when cortisol levels are high, testosterone levels are reduced and vice versa, since they balance each other out. Not only does cortisol negatively affect your testosterone levels directly; but indirectly as well. Cortisol makes you eat more food and produce more bad fat, which will also decrease the amount of testosterone that your body creates. Consider what makes you stressed and find ways to deal with these situations. Learn to cope better with situations that you can't change. Dedicate enough time to leisure and pleasurable activities and attempt to find a good balance between work and play. Things like exercise, healthy food, laughter and companionship decrease cortisol levels.

5. Eat Fat

www.jackedfactory.com explains that fat is needed to produce testosterone and that low fat diets hamper hormone production in general. Saturated fats (like the cholesterol found in egg yolks) are dangerous in large quantities, but small amounts are needed for the body to function properly. This saturated fat is needed for a strong heart and testosterone function, among other things. Testosterone is actually formed using cholesterol. Fat sources should make up 30% of your total caloric intake. 15-25% of these fat sources should consist of saturated fats. Saturated fats can be found in meat and dairy foods. You don't need any Trans fats, so you can steer clear of those. Trans fats are found in processed oils, baked foods like cakes and biscuits and fried foods. Fats from avocados, fish, nuts and seeds are good for you (when you get them from the food source, not processed).

6. Get the D

www.bodybuilding.com said that vitamin D is arguably the most important vitamin for testosterone production. It cites a study that found that people who were deficient in this vitamin had less testosterone than those who had higher vitamin D levels. You get vitamin D from the sun. Looks like tanning is good for you after all! Just be safe and don't get burnt - that's when skin damage and cancer becomes a risk. Vitamin D is important for strong bones and combats depression, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. People who have more fat often have lower vitamin D levels. This is because fat gets in the way of this little vitamin. Studies have found vitamin D to speed up weight loss in obese individuals. Salmon and mackerel are good food sources of vitamin D.

7. Avoid Alcohol

The Editors of Men's Health say that alcohol decreases testosterone levels. They referred to a study where men drank a medium amount of alcohol every day for 3 weeks. These men had 7% less testosterone than before they started the drinking study. Men’s Health recommends limiting yourself to 1-2 glasses of beer or wine per day to protect your precious testosterone levels. Alcohol also hampers your body's ability to build muscle. When there is alcohol in your blood stream, your body prioritizes the metabolism of the alcohol instead of turning protein into new muscle tissue.

8. Ginger Ninja

Eat ginger and add it to your food whenever you can. www.mensfitness.com states that ginger is one of the best foods for increasing your T-count. In a study, ginger was found to increase testosterone levels and even increase semen quality in infertile men. Ginger is regarded as a super-food because of its many benefits. These benefits include relief from nausea, loss of appetite, motion sickness, morning sickness and pain. It is a powerful immune booster and aids in cancer prevention. It has been shown to decrease the duration of illnesses like flu or colds and make them more bearable. Some even eat it to decrease muscle pain from exercise so that they recover quicker!

I would like to hear other great ways to naturally boost your testosterone levels in the comment below. STAY STRONG!