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Building Muscles With Proper Diet & Exercise

Muscle Building TipsBody building has always fascinated me. My weight training journey began at the age of 16 and since then my goals have been very clear – building muscles and lifting weights! They became my passion. But I realized that just lifting weights to achieve a fit body was not the solution. Anything to do with fitness requires dedication and hard work coupled with smart eating and proper rest. This ultimately helped me achieve the results I was seeking.

You must be wondering how I managed to achieve what I was seeking. Well, the idea germinated in my mind after I watched a movie, ‘Pumping Iron’ starring Arnold Schwarzenegger – my body building idol. Arnold is perhaps the greatest bodybuilder of all time! It was his personality and muscles that I admired and got kicked about lifting weights.

It’s funny – I am half as tall as him, yet I wanted to have a body like him. I set out on the path of building muscles. Within a short period of time, I learned the techniques and secrets of building muscles – which I am about to share with you.

For many of us, gaining muscle would mean spending countless hours in the gym and we seldom think a good diet is important. Remember that our body needs calories and nourishment to feed growing muscle mass and to adjust to varying amounts of activity.

I am going to tell you about building muscles through a three tier process namely proper diet, good exercise and good rest. Each of these tiers is equal and important. Let us take a closer look at each of these processes.

1. Proper Diet

To build muscles you need a proper diet that consists of micro and macro nutrients. Micro nutrients are vitamins and minerals whereas macro nutrients are a combination of protein, carbs and fat. Eating each of these micro and macro nutrients in the right quantity is important to build proper muscle mass.

Just pumping iron or what we call ‘lifting heavy weights’ in the gym does not serve the purpose. One needs to create a proper balance between the two.

1.1 Protein

One needs to eat sufficient amounts of protein to build good muscle. The rule of thumb is that an average person needs one gram of protein per kg of his body weight to maintain his muscle mass, skin and hair. But an individual who is exercising needs almost 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kg of his body weight to build muscles. For example, if you are 150 lbs(pounds) or 68kg, you should eat between 150 and 225gm of protein each day if you want to consistently gain muscles.

Proteins are found in eggs, meat, fish, cheese, milk and soya beans. Muscles are active tissues, unlike fats. Like every active thing, muscles also need proper maintenance. In order to maintain muscles, the body needs to burn calories and that’s one reason why our basal metabolic rate (BMR) goes up. More the muscle mass in the body, more the BMR level. Increase in BMR level avoids gaining fats in the body and is very helpful for fat loss as well.

1.2 Carbs

Including carbohydrates in your diet in the morning and post workout is essential. The primary function of carbs is to provide energy.  Carbs intake should be monitored very closely. One gram of carbs gives 4 calories. A number of carbs that get utilized as energy and the extra carbs that are still present, get stored as fat.

In order to avoid carbs getting stored as fat, we need to limit their intake. You can get Carbs from Sugar which provides the energy required for daily activities. Sugar may be available in three forms, lactose, fructose, and sucrose obtained from milk, table sugar, and fruits respectively. Carbs from Sugar Starch can be found in rice, beans, peas, and other grains. And lastly, carbs from fibers. Fibrous foods help in quick digestion of food and can found in some green vegetables, whole grains, peas, dry beans, bran, and soya beans etc. Fiber is also good to remove waste from your body.

1.3 Fats

Most people are of the opinion that fat is our enemy. Although, it gives 9 calories per gram. That’s much compared to carbs and proteins. The function of fats is to give energy during an emergency such as when the glucose level of the body dips to a low and there is no source of energy (Adenosine Tri Phosphate) and there is no food available in the body. In such a case, the body uses stored fat as the source of energy for that period of time.

You can get fats from olives, peanuts, sunflower, fish, nuts, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds, soy products such as tofu or soy milk. Fats build healthy cells. Without a healthy cell membrane, the rest of the cell cannot function. Fats help the body use vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the fat in foods helps the intestines absorb these vitamins into the body. Therefore the diets should contain carbs, proteins and fats. You can get vitamins from the inclusion of green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.

1.4 Water

It is the other important nutrient that is important for our body. One who is exercising should always hydrate himself or herself well. Water provides cushioning and lubrication between joints. Pain problems around joints are a very common among bodybuilders and strength athletes. Maintaining hydration and joint health is a very important part of your training over the long haul.

2. Proper Exercise

The second tier of building muscles is through proper exercise. Without exercise, it will be impossible to build huge muscles.  When we exercise there is a wear and tear process that takes place within the body and the immediate reaction of the body is to repair those muscles.

The greater and deeper the damage to the muscle, the bigger and stronger the muscle will be repaired. It is therefore important to schedule the exercise program in order to achieve great results. Weight training should be done 3-4 days a week and this should be coupled with cardio exercise on the balance days of the week when you are not weight training. With weight training, you will be able to build muscles and get stronger. With cardio, you will be strengthening your lungs and heart and it will help you increase your stamina.

3. Rest and Recovery

This is the last and final tier of building muscles. This aspect is the most neglected tier of the three. You train hard in the gym, nourish your body with proper nutrition but if you do not give enough time for your body to recover through proper rest, the body will not utilize the nutrients in a proper manner to build muscles. After a hard day’s work when you finally go to sleep, that’s when the damaged and tired muscles get repaired. One needs to sleep for at least 7-8 hours to obtain good results.

Muscle can only get stronger and bigger by stimulating it through hard exercise, helping it recover with high-performance nutrition and giving it rest.

Disclaimer: Before making sudden changes in your lifestyle, you may want to consult your doctor and trainer

If you found this article helpful and would like to read more on fitness, click here. Additionally, you can also join a live, interactive workout session with an expert by booking a GOQii PRO class through the GOQii App.

What were your key takeaways from this article? Let us know in the comments below!

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Strengthening Exercises You Need to Include in Your Routine

strengthening exercises

Strengthening exercises, as the name suggests, paints a picture of big muscles and heavyweights but that’s quite far from what it actually is. Strengthening Exercises have different aspects to them depending on the goal.

Strengthening Exercises involve complex movements and work on major muscle groups as well as secondary muscle groups. Any activity that makes the muscles work harder than usual, improves muscle strength, maintains bone density and strengthens them. In addition, it also improves balance, reduces joint pain and helps one lose weight.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need costly equipment or a gym membership to practice strengthening exercises. If your body is strong, you will be able to do any of your daily chores efficiently. Let’s begin!

Few Exercises You Can Practice

If you’ve not been able to visit the gym or get your workout today, try these strengthening exercises you can easily do at home!

  1. You can perform Squats which are a great way to improve the strength of your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, abdominals and calves. You can also perform lunges or reverse lunges which work primarily on quadriceps, the gluteus maximus, knee joints and other leg and core muscles.
  2. When we talk about upper body, the first workout that comes to mind are pushups – which work your chest muscles, pectorals, shoulders, deltoids, back of your arms or triceps and abdominals. By adding triceps dips and pull ups, you can engage the supportive muscles of your upper body.
  3. Planks, crunches, reverse crunches, leg raises and Russian twist are exercises which help you make your core muscles, obliques, abdominals, spinal erectors and upper back (scapular stabilizers) stronger. By strengthening your core muscles, your spine gets much stronger to bear the excessive load and to transfer the force from the lower body to the upper body and vice versa. Strong core muscles can help you function without any injuries.
  4. Mountain Climbers and Burpees are workouts which help you train your whole body in one go. These workouts work your upper and lower body together and engage your core muscles as well. These are considered as compound workouts. Some of the muscle groups that get worked out include the spine range, hip muscles, quadriceps, calf muscles, ankle, rectus abdominis and obliques, etc.  
  5. Balancing workout – you walk, sit, stand – to do any work, you require great balance in your body. Some of the workouts you can perform to improve your balance include: standing on a single leg, balancing a stick on your fingers and walking on a single line. These balancing workouts help you prevent falls, walk safely, avoid twisting your legs, etc.
  6. Flexibility Workout – Bhujangasana, front bending pigeon pose, glute stretch, Warrior Pose – these are some examples of the flexibility workout, which is again a major factor of your fitness level. Good flexibility has many physical benefits such as less injuries and pains. When your body muscles are loose, relaxed, and less tense, you’ll experience fewer aches and pains and the chances of developing cramps will be very less. It helps you to improve your posture as well.  

Benefits of Strengthening Exercises

  • Makes you stronger, making it easier to perform daily chores especially when aging
  • Protects bone health and muscle mass by preventing loss of lean muscle mass post 30 years
  • Helps keep weight off by increasing resting metabolism even on the days we are not exercising
  • Helps better body mechanism by developing better balance, coordination and posture
  • Helps with lifestyle diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis along with lifestyle changes
  • Boosts energy levels and improves mood

We hope this article helps you include strengthening exercises to your daily routine. To learn more about fitness, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to live, interactive classes on GOQii PRO, where our experts will guide you on the correct form and posture in real time while making sure that you are well motivated! You can book a class now from the GOQii App.

To get workouts and tips directly from your GOQii Coach, sign up for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr 

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Healthy Weight Gain Tips

Weight Gain

We’ve heard one too many instances of people having great success with weight loss! In fact, every time I visit the gym, I come across many such success stories. However, I can’t help this sinking feeling that the real strugglers are the ones who want to gain weight and build muscles.

Are you one of them? Ever wondered what you’re doing wrong despite indulging in healthy food and doing every possible workout and increase your appetite? Let’s see how you can gain healthy weight but before that…

Let’s See What You’re Doing Wrong

1. Protein: Gym trainers and dieticians often suggest including more protein, some in the form of powders and others suggest natural sources such as eggs, Sattu, curd, cottage cheese and the likes. However, calculating the right amount of protein required is often missed. One requires around 1.25g/kg ideal body weight proteins to build up muscles. For example if you are 60kg, then the required amount of protein required by you on a daily basis to build muscles is 75g.

If you aren’t having enough or the required amount of protein, you will not see a difference. Hence, take some time out and consult professionals who can help you calculate. To gain healthy weight and build muscles, you also need to watch your carbs, antioxidants and workouts.

2. Carbohydrates: I’ve noticed this as a trend. Most people place so much emphasis on proteins that they forget about carbs. Did you know that if approximately 60% of your diet isn’t from carbohydrate sources, your body will utilize protein to supply energy. Which means, your body will not have enough proteins for tissue building.

3. Antioxidants: Fruits and salads are often flawed to be used as a weight loss diet. Vegetables and fruits are the best source of antioxidants that help in tissue repairs, prevent injuries and inflammation. So include vegetables and fruits with selenium, zinc, vitamin C and Vitamin E in your diet on a daily basis.

4. Workout: Your workout should focus more on strength training, however, ensure that you still do some cardio. Cardio will help your heart and lungs function better which in turn will prevent you from falling ill during your program.

Foods That Help in Healthy Weight Gain and Muscle Building

  • Dates: They are loaded with iron, natural sugar and antioxidants. Eat 4-5 dates before your workout as dates provide you with instant energy and prevent muscle damage.
  • Sweet Nuts or Pulse balls (Chikkis): These is a sweet dish made up of pulses, nuts or seeds. It is nothing but roasted whole gram, peanuts or sesame seeds and jaggery. It’s a perfect combination of proteins and carbohydrates. Munching on them as mid meal snacks work as an energy booster.
  • Nut Shakes: A big serving of dry fruits is difficult to consume at a time but having them in a powdered form with milk will supply your body with good amounts of protein.
  • Fruit Smoothie: Eating fruits with curd will help add some antioxidants to your protein dose. This is probably the most tasty and delicious way to consume fruits!
  • Combination of Cereals and Pulses: Just eating a pulse at a time will really not help as it doesn’t provide us with good quality proteins. But, when combined with a cereal, it will provide the benefits of both protein and carbohydrates. Options like Dal Paratha (Pulse Flat Breads), Puranpoli (Sweet Jaggery Flat Breads), Khichdi (mix of pulses, rice and vegetables cooked together) and Idli (steamed rice pan cakes) should be considered.
  • Adding Vegetables to Meat: Eating a separate serving of vegetable becomes difficult. The meal size may exceed if we have 1 serving of vegetable for vitamins & minerals and 1 serving of non-veg preparation for proteins. The best option in my opinion is to combine a nonvegetarian source with vegetables. For instance, Spinach (Palak) Chicken, Tomato Omelet and Capsicum Stuffed with Mince.
  • Peanut Butter: People often go overboard with regular butter and get major changes in lipid profile but no change in weight. Ideally, one should apply peanut butter on their bread slices for the right fats and protein combination.

The key rule for healthy weight gain is to go for nutrient-dense meals. These healthy compact meals do not require an extreme appetite boost. Focus on healthy weight gain and be patient while you are in a weight gain program as it’s easy to cut on fats but takes time to add on muscles. Remember, it took 9 months to give you around 3kg of weight at birth. Stay at it and be patient.

We hope this article helps you! For more, check out Healthy Reads or you can speak to a GOQii Coach directly for expert guidance and motivation. Subscribe for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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