Next Level Training

The topic of diet is very nuanced and is definitely not a one size fits all protocol.
Some people do well with eliminating food groups like carbs or meat, some enjoy time restricted eating (i.e fasting) but most people want to eat a variety of foods, especially ones they enjoy and still get results.

A diet protocol that ensures you hit all your macro and micro nutrients while still enjoying the foods you enjoy is the best of both worlds. It most certainly can be done with the protocol that we call flexible dieting. Flexible dieting allows the dieter to get their macro and micro nutrients from whichever foods they enjoy and not from certain chosen or so called healthy foods. If one individual wants to get their protein from chicken, another wants to get theirs from fish, its all the same as long as the protein target for the day is met.

The strength of this protocol lies in its flexibility. The reason why people cheat on their diets is because they crave certain forbidden foods. The rigidity can be stifling for many people, however if there is some leeway in the diet to eat that chocolate or that donut it makes it easier.

In the next post i will cover exactly how to implement flexible dieting.

Strength training

The foundation and main focus of any strength training program should be the main compound movements. As mentioned in previous post, the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press and row form the basis of any beginner strength program. The aim should be to get strong on these movements while perfecting your form in the process.

These movements train multiple muscle groups and so they give you the best bang for your buck. Other so-called isolation movements can be added but aren't essential or even necessary for beginners.

When starting out, beginners should look at programs like starting strength stronglifts 5x5 or any similar basic barbell programs. Most advocate for 3 days per week training as this is the sweet spot for most beginners.

At the beginner stage, implementing cardio isn't mandatory as the strength training program will take care of your conditioning needs. Walking a few days a week on your off days (non strength training days) might even aid recovery, but not a requirement.

In the following post i will discuss diet protocols. Stay tuned.

Does your metabolism slow down around age 30 or older?

This is a very common misconception that our metabolism slows down after (insert age). A major study of 6400 people between the ages of 8 days and 95 years was done on metabolism. They found that ones basal metabolic rate and total energy expenditure remains more or less the same up to age 60, at which it slightly declines.

The main cause for weight gain as we enter middle age is due to our lives becoming more sedentary. We don't have hobbies anymore, don't partake in outdoor activities. We tend to move less at our jobs, we have people do things for us as opposed to doing it ourselves.

In my next post i will cover the other reason we gain weight and how to fix it.