Archive for February 8th, 2011
Getting Better Sleep
As working out is important for building muscles, getting the proper sleep is important for recovering. If you want to see some huge muscular gains, you need to start taking care of those nightly hours spent off in a dream world. To help you maximize your muscular results from nightly rest, here are some tips for getting the best night of rest possible.
- Temperature
Nothing keeps sleep away more than an uncomfortable temperature. If you’re too cold, you wake up shivering. If you’re too hot, you spend the night sweating. Try to balance out the room’s temperature before you go to bed. If you want to get really serious about the temperature of your room, check the weather before you go to bed, and plan accordingly.
- Tech-Free
Too many technological toys in the bedroom can lead to some serious distractions. You start heading to sleep, but your phone rings, so you wake up. Maybe you’re heading to sleep and you catch a glimpse of your computer screen, leading to thoughts of the Internet, video games, and movies. Cut the technology from your room and you may see a more restful slip into sleep.
- Tech-Free Clock
Some digital clocks send a cascade of color soaring through a darkened room. Even a slight tinge of red can be distracting when you are trying to head off to sleep. Even worse are the alarm clocks with green color, because the human eye is designed to pick up the color green. Crack an eye for a minute and you will be wide awake. Opting out of digital clock will give you the alarm, but without the headache of cascading colors.
- New Mattress
Too many people spend the night tossing and turning because they can never quite get comfy. This is something that modern mattresses have been trying to do away with. If your mattress is older, used, or lumpy, it is time to get an upgrade. The investment may be exactly what you and your muscles need to continue developing. If you want to get a professional opinion, head to a chiropractor.
- Blankets and Pillows
Just as vital as the mattress are the pillows and blankets. If you find yourself frustrated with the feel of a specific blanket or pillow, get rid of it. You can always buy a new one, and there is no reason to sacrifice the growth of your muscles for a simple blanket. If you are asking a chiropractor about a mattress, you should also ask them about blankets, pillows, and mattress pads, too.
Staying Fit for Cheap
Gyms would like you to think that you have to own a gym membership in order to get huge muscles. This is not true. Before the days of gyms, people had to work out at home and get exercise throughout their daily routine. Climbing stairs, lifting boxes, running, these can all be the perfect basic exercises for getting ripped, which gym equipment mimics. If you are on a budget, you do not have to continue struggling to meet your gym membership costs.
- Jumping Jacks
To get your heart rate elevated, jumping jacks are the perfect full-body exercise. It limbers up your muscles and prepares you for any intense workouts you have in mind. Even five minutes of jumping jacks can be enough to help tone and condition your body. Jumping jacks are great for athletes looking to stretch their shoulders, back, thighs, and calves, and develop overall endurance.
- Stairs
When you want a great cardio workout, hit some stairs. Jogging up stairs is much more intense than jogging over flat land. Depending on your endurance and physical fitness, try running up between six and 12 flights of stairs. If you can do this at your fullest speed, you are definitely on your way to a healthy cardio.
- The Floor
Push-ups and sit-ups are such classic workout moves that people often forget how helpful they are for rounding out your overall physique. Unlike weights and cardio, you are lifting your body weight, nothing more. This builds enough muscle for you to easily toss your body weight around. The more muscle you build, the more weight you have to lift. It is the perfect workout cycle that will get anyone’s body toned up and fit in no time.
- Tree Branch or Bar
Pull-ups are still one of the best upper body workouts you can do to build strength. Take a venture out to a local park and use the monkey bars or tree branches as makeshift pull-up bars. It is cheap, easily accessible, and gets the job done. Performing pull-ups with your palms facing away from you will focus more on the back, yet palms toward you will focus more on the biceps. It is your choice what you want to work out.
- Chairs
A solid chair can easily become a vital part of your workout routine. Sit down in it and grip the arms. Lift yourself out of the chair and count to ten. Release, and return to the sitting position. Repeat until your muscles are sore and tired.
Casein Protein Powder
Roughly 80% of a cow’s milk is caseins, which are phosphorous-containing proteins. The other 20% of a cow’s milk is whey protein, the infamous twin to casein. Once dehydrated, the casein is isolated into a powder. Even though both whey and casein are contained in a cow’s milk, they each perform different tasks within the body of a human.
- Muscle Mass
Casein is designed to leak into your system at a slower pace than whey protein, like a time-released pill or capsule. Rather than getting this huge chunk of protein right away, you can enjoy the lasting sensation of it, overtime. This can help with recovery and muscle mass production, because you are focusing a direct nutrient on your muscles for an extended period of time. Whey protein hits it quick, yet it does not rival the effects of casein.
- Muscle Recovery
As stated before, casein moves through the body at a slower rate, because your stomach cannot digest it all in a brief amount of time. This can be extremely helpful for athletes looking to build muscle and recover from a workout. Most muscle tissue repair occurs at night while the person is asleep, and casein can continue seeping into your body during the late hours of the night. Take some before you go to bed and your body will be swimming in the excess amount of protein throughout the night.
- Optimizing Growth Patterns
To truly optimize your growth patterns, it is suggested that you combine a rigorous exercise routine, nutritious diet plan, and protein supplements. This will help to create the ideal internal bodily environment needed to supply your muscles with constant stimulation and recovery. If you are sick of your current workout results, you may need to supplement casein in as an overnight protein. As stated, it will continue nursing your muscles back to normal for much longer than the standard whey protein.
- Casein or Whey Protein
As a parting note, some athletes wonder about which kind of protein they should take: casein or whey. The final decision really comes down to what you want flowing through your body: something instantaneous or prolonged. It depends on your preference for protein delivery. If you cannot decide, you could opt for both whey and casein, creating a super-charged protein combination. Of course, some individuals should not consume that much protein within a small amount of time. It is best to talk to your doctor before finalizing any decision.