#the “you will get bulky if you lift heavy” thing is a myth

[thelordofshrimp]

i want to be the voice in the head of every woman at the gym telling them to lift heavy

[glorifyg128]

Transform Your Body: The Best Strength-Building Workouts for Women

Transform Your Body: The Best Strength-Building Workouts for Women

Do any of these sound familiar, ladies? You’ve been sick of feeling feeble. You’ve been desperate to feel strong and confident in your skin. You’ve been going to the gym but aren’t seeing results. Your friends on Instagram hit new PRs once a month and think you’re a weakling (but you know it’s more that they’re just way into Instagram)! You’re completely confused about how to get started and feel weighed down by all the information out there that says girls shouldn’t lift heavy or they’ll become bulky. (Who made the rules anyway?) The good news is, you’re not alone. Loads of women like you struggle with what kind of workouts build strength in the right way. But cheer up! In this article you’re going to finally learn what are the best workouts to make you a lean, mean fighting machine!

The Problem: Not All Workouts Are Created Equal

Think about it: you’ve sweated it out on the treadmill, coughing up 300 crunches, and it still feels like your body hasn’t budged an inch. It’s maddening if you aren’t building a stronger, leaner body through your punishing workout regimen, right? The downside is that not all workouts are built to make you stronger: the end goal of many workouts is to burn fat, or improve your cardio, or improve your flexibility, or any number of different objectives, rather than to build strength. Perhaps because of the fear of becoming bulky, many women stay away from lifting weights altogether; or they get into the weight machine area with little to no idea of where to start. The good news is that strength training is the secret sauce to a lean, muscular and powerful physique. Here’s how to get started.

Objection Handling: Debunking Myths About Strength Training

Prior to jumping into the workouts, let’s debunk a few of the common objections and myths preventing you from giving Iyengar Yoga a try.

Myth 1: Strength Training Makes You Bulky**

Not a chance! It’s simply not in the cards for women because we don’t produce enough of the male hormone, testosterone. Strength training will add muscle, and muscle burns calories, giving you a lean, toned appearance.

Myth 2: Cardio Is Enough**

Cardio is excellent for the heart but not great for increasing strength. By adding strength training to your cardio workouts, you’ll be doing it all.

Myth 3: I Don’t Have Time**

You don’t have to slave for hours in the gym either. The results to be gained from short duration, focused strength training workouts can be spectacular.

The Solution: Best Strength-Building Workouts for Women

With these misconceptions out of the way, let’s get down to brass-plated tacks: the workouts! These are the best exercises you can do for strength.

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Squats Squats are the king of bodyweight, Dumbbell and Barbell exercises.These workouts work your glutes, quads, hamstrings and core greatly. How to do it: Feet shoulder-width apart, lower hips back and down (like you’re sitting back in a chair), and then stand. Maintain an upright chest and a drawn-in core.

Deadlifts Deadlifts work your whole posterior chain (aka your backside): hamstrings, glutes, lower back and core. They’re great for overall strength and posture. How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of you, hinge at the hips and lower the weights without rounding your spine, and then return to standing.

Push-Ups There’s a reason that chest-cuddling stalwart the push-up is always the first thing most people think of when they think of ‘workout’. It targets your chest, shoulders, triceps and core, and is easy to modify to your fitness level. How to do it: From a hands-wide-than-shoulder-width plank, lower your entire body until your chest nearly touches the floor and push back up, all while maintaining a strong straight line in your body.

Rows Rows work wonders for your posture and upper-back strength, and include barbells, dumbbells or even resistance bands. How do you do it?: Bending your knees slightly and keeping your back straight, hold weights or a band with your straight arms and pull towards your head, then lower back down, squeezing your shoulder blades together.

Planks

Planks are an amazing core-strengthening exercise that also engages your shoulders, glutes, and legs.

How to do it: Begin in a high push-up position, with your body in a straight line from head to heels. Contract your core so your belly button is drawn up and in, keeping your back flat and your hips neither sagging nor lifting.

Open Loops: Staying Motivated and Seeing Results

So now that you have the workouts, how do you stay motivated and keep knocking them out day in and day out? How do you stay motivated when life throws you curveballs and you don’t see results that don’t happen instantly? Don’t worry, we have an upcoming article that will give you a few of our best tried-and-true tips to encourage staying motivated and tracking your progress so you can do just that – and you’ll want to know all about them!

Conclusion: Your Journey to Strength Starts Now

Strength is a process, not a state. If you give any of the exercises I have detailed here an honest try, you will soon see that your body has a whole new yearning for movement, your brain is buzzing that it has achieved something challenging, and you’ll soon be picking yourself up off the floor where you’re absolutely screaming ‘YES!’ You’ll not only have gained some serious strength, but also a sturdiness of character – and that can never be a bad thing. We all start our journey with no strength, keep asking, ‘Can I do this?’ and ‘Will it work?’ along the way; and that is what it is all about. Give these exercises an honest go, keep at them, and before you know it, you’ll feel like you have become the strongest version of yourself – or at least the fittest and bravest version that you’ve ever had! So let’s get picking up heavy things here, people – I have faith in you!

Click HERE To Get Fit Faster With 2024’s Best Fitness Gear

[mkfitnessnz]

5 Reasons Why Strength Training is Vital in Your Fitness Workout Routine

If you have recently started your fitness journey or you are looking for tips and guidance from a Fitness trainer, one thing that every personal trainer or bodybuilding trainers will say is begin with Strength training. 

It’s your key to strong muscles and will help you in better transformation. 

I am Manik, a Personal fitness trainer and wellbeing coach in Auckland. Here’s what I have learnt over the years in my fitness journey. 

When it comes to planning an effective fitness workout routine, strength training holds a prominent position, and for good reason. Personal trainers and coaches across the fitness industry consistently emphasize the importance of incorporating strength training into one’s workout routine. Strength training goes beyond just building muscles; it offers a number of benefits that contribute to overall health, performance, and well-being. 

Looking for a personal trainer in Auckland central? Find out more here 

1) Promotes Mental Health and Confidence: 

Firstly to begin any new thing be it exercise, work or a skill we have to have a positive attitude. Treat workout routine as a happy self care process that will not only help in building your strength physically but also in a stronger mind. 

Physical fitness and mental health are closely related. Strength training triggers the release of endorphins, often referred to as “feel-good” hormones, which contribute to reduced stress and anxiety levels. Additionally, achieving strength and fitness goals can significantly boost self-esteem and confidence. The sense of accomplishment from mastering new exercises or lifting heavier weights can have a positive impact on one’s overall mental well-being. 

In our daily busy life I totally understand how much we are lost and have no time for self-care. Even if you take out time 30-40 minutes in working out at home, you will see the positive difference in your mindset because you are not doing this for anyone else but for YOU and better wellbeing. 

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2) Boosts Energy and Fat Loss: 

Mostly my clients complain about why their fat is taking time to lose? Strength training will help you in a better diet, where you will intake more Proteins and it will help you in boosting your energy. 

Strength training is a key tool for fat loss. Besides increasing your metabolic rate, as mentioned earlier, it also contributes to the afterburn effect, also known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This means that even after your strength training session, your body continues to burn calories at an elevated rate, aiding in fat loss and weight management. 

3) Increases Functional Strength and Performance: 

The benefits of strength training extend beyond the gym and into our daily lives. By strengthening various muscle groups, you improve functional strength, making everyday tasks easier and reducing the risk of injury. From carrying groceries to lifting heavy objects or simply maintaining proper posture, strength training equips you with the physical capabilities to lead an active and independent life. 

4) Builds Lean Muscle: 

I have been in this profession for quite sometime and being a Auckland Central Fitness Trainer I get many of my female clients often having this fear that they will look bulky like bodybuilders. That is a myth. 

One of the primary objectives of strength training is to increase lean muscle mass. Contrary to the misconception that it might lead to a bulky appearance, strength training, when done correctly, results in a sculpted, toned physique. More lean muscle mass translates to a higher metabolic rate, which means your body burns more calories even at rest. This is especially crucial for individuals aiming to lose weight or maintain a healthy body composition. 

5) Enhances Bone Density: 

As we age, our bone density naturally decreases, making us more susceptible to fractures and osteoporosis. Strength training imposes mechanical stress on bones, stimulating them to become stronger and denser. This not only reduces the risk of bone-related issues but also improves overall bone health, making it essential for individuals of all ages to incorporate strength training into their routine. 

To conclude: 

Ask yourself what is your GOAL? 

Fat Loss, Bodybuilding, Fit looking or anything else? All will incorporate Strength Training. 

So beyond the aesthetic benefits of a toned physique, strength training offers so many advantages, for you. Moreover, the positive impact on mental health and confidence makes it a holistic approach to fitness and well-being. So, whether you are a seasoned fitness enthusiast or just beginning your fitness journey, don’t overlook the significance of strength training – it’s an investment in your long-term health and vitality. 

If you struggle to go to the gym, try my easy Home Workout Tips 

Exciting News!!! 

The wait is finally over! I am pleased to announce that MKfitnessnz exclusive App is launching soon. I will be there with you everyday anytime anywhere to guide you with your transformation journey. More details coming out soon, in the mean time click the link to show us your interest and be the first person to hear. https://getstarted.mkfitnessnz.com/

For the original version on Mkfitnessnz.com visit at: https://mkfitnessnz.com/5-reasons-why-strength-training-is-vital-in-your-fitness-workout-routine/

[yourhealthandexercisetips]

Health and Exercise Tips

You may disagree with these facts, but that's what keeps the myths alive.

And away we go...

1. The healthiest method to gauge your progress is weighing yourself: MYTH

You think I'm about to say that the answer is to get frequent body fat tests, don't you? Nope! The healthiest way to gauge your progress is to make sure your strength levels increase when performing resistance exercise, make sure your endurance improves through cardiovascular exercise and make sure that your clothes fit exactly the way you want them to. When did we stop trusting ourselves to the extent that everything has to be successful by a measurement? Don't we have enough pressure in our lives?

2. Women will get big if they weight train: MYTH

A woman has approximately one-third the testosterone compared to a man, so putting on a ton of muscle is not going to happen. The women you see in the magazines that look big and manly are on steroids, growth hormones, etc. You may look bulky if you're carrying excessive body fat and building muscle. However, if you're reducing body fat, you'll eventually be able to see those lean, defined muscles.

3. You must work out five to six days per week to make progress: MYTH

I see a lot of people in the gym five to six days a week and they'd be better off playing ping pong. Consistency and level of effort is the key. I'd rather see someone work out three days per week with enthusiasm and intensity, than five inconsistent days of lackadaisical effort. In fact, for those clients that have trouble with motivation, I recommend only two days of workouts per week, but they must do it every week.

4. Spot Reducing Is Possible: MYTH

The human body loses fat over the entire body at various rates of speed. It's impossible to spot reduce. If you're focusing on only losing fat that sits on your hips, it won't work. Generally, the first place you gain fat is the last place you lose it.

5. If You Exercise You Can Eat Whatever You Want: MYTH

The big message in the nutrition and personal training world today is that most people need to eat more to stimulate the metabolism. The truth is, you need the correct amount of total calories to lose body fat. Exercising will burn calories, but if you're eating anything you want and you're over maintenance calories, you'll most likely gain fat.

6. Stretching prevents injuries: MYTH

After analyzing the results of six studies, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could not find any correlation between stretching and injury prevention. According to Dr. Julie Gilchrist, one of the researchers involved with the study, "Stretching increases flexibility, but most injuries occur within the normal range of motion." Dr. Gilchrist goes on to say, "Stretching and warming up have just gone together for decades. It's simply what's done, and it hasn't been approached through rigorous science."

Make no mistake; a stretching program is not without benefits. Seven of nine studies suggest that a regular stretching program does help to strengthen muscles. However, it does not appear to actually prevent injuries. Warming up prior to exercise and increasing blood flow to the muscles is actually more conducive to injury prevention. I'm not suggesting that you eliminate stretching. It is valuable and flexibility is certainly important as we age. However, we may be off base assuming it's an injury-prevention technique.

7. There is a 'Best Workout Routine': MYTH

There is no best and only way to workout. I get a multitude of questions concerning the efficiency of super slow-rep workouts, "the best video tape" workout, "best number of days to workout," etc. In reality, it's good for you if it works for you, but don't stay with any of it for too long. Don't let the body or the mind adapt. The body will adapt to any exercise routine in approximately four to six weeks. Vary volume of sets, time between sets, reps, exercises, cardiovascular exercises, exercise tapes etc. Manipulate your routine every three to four weeks and view change as your key to efficiency and results.

8. One should lose weight before they begin an exercise program: MYTH

There is no physiological reason to lose weight prior to beginning an exercise program. Exercise is the best thing for your health and there is no time like the present to start. There are too many benefits of exercise to list here, but you're doing every system and cell in your body a world of good by exercising. Any amount starting with 5 minutes a day is beneficial.

Fat loss and muscle gain are only two of the many benefits that your body will experience from exercising. Each day will get a little easier as you become more fit. There is no justification for waiting to begin - unless you have orders from your doctor.

Whether you exercise with 20-percent body fat or 30-percent body fat, you'll still be providing your body with the same benefits. Of course with less fat, you can move a little easier and it may be less strenuous on your heart, but you can be more fit and efficient at 30-percent body fat if you are exercising than if you wait to get to 20-percent body fat without exercising. The goal is to gain or preserve muscle and lose fat - not just lose weight (which implies both muscle and fat).

9. When working out with weights, very high reps (over 15) will help me to get defined muscles and very low reps (8-12) will make them bulky: MYTH

You're not going to improve your strength or effect muscle definition if you're choosing a weight that is too light. Muscles respond to overload. It's the only way to get the cosmetic and strength benefit from weight training.

Muscular definition is the result of a calorie reduced diet, overall body fat loss and weight training with challenging poundage's. Add cardiovascular exercise and you have the body you've been dreaming about - over time, of course. The guidelines used for selecting a weight are to choose a resistance that allows you to do between 8 and 12 repetitions. If you can't do 8, it's too heavy. If you can do 12 repetitions, then increase your resistance by 5 percent. Keep in mind that all of your muscle groups are not equally as strong. For example, you may be able to use 7 pounds on a lateral raise, but need 15 pounds to be challenged during a squat.

10. Lifting weights very slowly is the best way to weight train: MYTH

Lifting super slowly produces super long workouts - and that's it. University of Alabama researchers recently studied two groups of lifters doing a 29-minute workout. One group performed exercises using a 5-second up phase and a 10-second down phase, the other a more traditional approach of 1 second up and 1 second down. The faster group burned 71-percent more calories and lifted 250-percent more weight than the super slow lifters.

The real expert says: "The best increases in strength are achieved by doing the up phase as rapidly as possible," says Gary Hunter, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., the lead study author. "Lower the weight more slowly and under control." There's greater potential for growth during the lowering phase, and when you lower with control, there's less chance of injury.

11. Eating a lot less or going on a crash diet will get the results you seek: MYTH

This was a dietary strategy popularized prior to the 1980s. People would go on crash diets like the grapefruit diet and lose weight - meaning muscle and fat. They assumed just eating less would take care of everything. Today, we know total calories important, but so are the amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats in the diet.

A slight caloric deficit (less than maintenance) must be adhered to as well as eating small meals and snacks every two to three hours. This helps to control blood sugar; and it is a fact that blood-sugar control will help you to lose fat. It may look confusing, but eDiets.com takes all the planning and hassles away by doing it for you. I always recommend some sort of structured nutritional program. Just guessing doesn't work.

12. You must be 100-percent perfect on your nutrition program all the time: MYTH

Sure, this is a great thing to do if you have a strict time frame for fat loss, but it's a disaster waiting to happen for most people.

Haven't we learned that we love food and we need to find a way to build in modest amounts of treats that we enjoy? I trained a client several years ago who asked me to design a nutrition program for her. She was somewhat depressed as she told me she just knew she had to give up eating the four chocolate-chip cookies two to three times per week that she had with her kids. She was overjoyed when I told her she didn't have to give them up. However, I mentioned that I was going to reduce the number to two cookies and it would fit into the overall nutrition solution. Yes, she did lose body fat with this realistic approach, and she also enjoyed her treat. We need to make progress, but a sane approach encourages consistency and avoids that dreaded denial feeling.

13. Performing countless abdominal crunches thinking it will get rid of the 'pooch' area on the lower tummy/abdominal area: MYTH

I see this comment or get a question related to this issue approximately 20 times per week. It is not possible to spot reduce any area of the body.

The real solution is to reduce overall body fat through a slight caloric deficit, add resistance exercise (weight training) to stimulate the metabolism; and, cardiovascular exercise to burn additional calories. That's the way to fat loss. Performing crunches will never reduce the abdominal area because it only serves to strengthen muscle, not flatten a specific area. Just as 200 bicep curls will not make the arm smaller, nor will 200 abdominal crunches make the waist smaller. You cannot spot reduce any part of the body. It's just not physiologically possible.

14. Performing a lot of cardio is the best way to lose fat: MYTH

Some people go up to 90 minutes and longer on a cardio machine. The problem with this strategy is it's completely ineffective. It's a poor method to lose body fat and a real time waster.

You can workout for long sessions with moderate intensity or use shorter sessions with higher intensity (based on your fitness level). You can't do both! The shorter, more-intense session will burn more overall calories and preserve muscle, which will make you look tight and lean when you get to your scale weight goal. In addition, the shorter/intense sessions will have a more profound effect on the calories you continue to burn 24 hours after completing the session. Want to lose fat efficiently through cardio? Pick up your pace a bit and try to get a more intense and efficient 30 to 45 minutes. You don't need to be huffing and puffing for dear life, just increase the intensity a bit and keep it sustained at a higher level within your target heart-rate range.

15. Calories are the only thing that counts when trying to lose fat or gain muscle: MYTH

Ratios of protein, carbohydrate and fats are also important. The key to losing fat and gaining muscle is controlling and manipulating insulin levels. In simple terms, when we consume excessive calories or excessive amounts of high glycemic carbohydrates at one meal, the body's blood sugar rises. When this happens, the pancreas secretes insulin to lower blood sugar levels.

[geona-professors]

Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard the Lizard pokemon line.

This line of pokemon are very famous in every region because most of them are very outgoing. They are also very adaptable to most places, in the big plains to forests and valleys, to the tops of mountains whether they have snow or not. This is a very hardy pokemon line and very strong workers if trained right.

The most common are the flying fire types, but there has been talk about hidden types. One unique type is the flying ghost type found in the Geona region's place of resting. Another is near Lumiose City in Kalos, a flying electric variation. In Alola, they had mutated to becoming flying dragon pokemon due to the large mountain area where mostly dragon pokemon reside. Another sighting was at Mount Silver of what looked to be an ice type family, though investigation is still underway.

All variations are strong pokemon, and love to show off their strength and power by helping humans in their work. Charmanders use their scorching breath to help cooks or even heat up spas. Charmeleon works well with Machops and other fighting types in doing heavy lifting while also retaining their usefulness of their fire and claws to cut fruit and vegetables. Charizards are much too bulky for most inside jobs, so they enjoy helping lift and carry things and people through the sky, especially seen in Alola.

Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard are all mostly meat eaters. Though they do enjoy the occasional berry platter, they like to torch their food to their own liking, and it is of course different for each individual and may even change upon evolution.

These pokemon are not exactly recommended for young children, with the flames at their tails, sharp claws and fangs also poise a threat to those not able to handle them well. But they make excellent guard pokemon and can be very gentle when taught right once they hatch.

The myth of the flame at their tails going out meaning that they'll die is mostly untrue. The flame is a very good indicator of their health, but it is not their life source and it can be reignited if it does go out. That being said, if the flame starts to go out and the pokemon is feeling rather cold, you should immediately take them to a pokemon center. If it starts popping and crackling like an out of control campfire, they have been working too hard and need a rest, and also a trip to Nurse Joy wouldn't be too bad either.

Because they could easily get sick from their tail going out, and that the tail can catch things on fire if not watched out for, these pokemon are not recommended for places such as Seafolk Village in Alola or Pacifidlog Town in Hoenn.

In battle, this line of pokemon are actually very fast. So the need for moves that go first shouldn't be a priority. And, most people tend to go one way or the other when it comes to physical or special attacks, though the higher stat is commonly special attack. They also learn a variety of moves from Thunder punch, Earthquake, Dragon Claw, Iron tail and more. So, when putting together a team, you should know first what other teammates you are going to have as well as what you want to focus on.

Another thing people seem to forget when they are Charizards, they gain flying type, so they must watch out for electricity and ice moves.

Either way, these pokemon love to work and train. You must always see which you are most compatible with, because if they don't see you as an equal and a leader, they may end up not listening to you.

[doctipster-blog]

Women strength training myths

Women strength training myths

There are various myths circulating around in women’s strengthtraining. If you know about these myths, then it will help you to get the maximum benefit from strength training.

Myth 1: women should not lift heavy

There is a myth that women should not lift heavy or they will become bulky. This is the biggest myth in female training. Picking up heavy things does not make a bulky. Those female…

[nomanwalksalone]

SO WE’LL GO NO MORE A-ROVING

by Réginald-Jérôme de Mans

I knew the art of travel was dead.  We all know those hopelessly aspirational social media posts from clickbaiters with that tag, showing pictures of matching hardsided leather suitcases or steamer trunks, with all of the ridiculous specializations that used to be needed for the itinerant leisured class: hat trunks, crocodile-wrapped valet cases fully stocked with every unguent and ivory-handled accoutrement, shoe cases… 

The art of travel, never available but to a vanishingly small, obnoxiously entitled class, is dead.  No more nabobs travelling with 50 trunks placed outside their stateroom, from which early-rising valets and maids would carefully choose the day’s outfits before squeezing out their masters’ toothpastes and doing everything short of wiping their bottoms.  No more ludicrously heavy, gigantic cases that bearers would strain to carry up flights of stairs, awkward in all ways and undermining the veneer of elegance such cases and their owners put on, in old movies and a few old lives.�� Those days were done to death by the jet age shortening travel times and reducing baggage space, by the 20th century’s eventual destruction of an entrenched leisured stratum of society with the time to travel at length and the ceremonial codes that required dozens of changes of clothes to be carried in such a volume of luggage, by security requirements that mean we all need to keep our checked luggage unlocked and as unremarkable as possible to avoid pilfering and resentful damage.

Indeed, those instagrammers posting luggage porn do art a disservice by suggesting those trunks and cases, each now the price of a first class flight to the other side of the world, are part of an art of travel.  They impute to art what is useless, impractical and irrelevant. Which is the opposite to what art is: transformative craft, relevance to our existence, enhanced meaning.

Nonetheless, for decades my mind roved. I indulged daydreams of a vagabonding princely existence, using antique trunks for furniture and storage, as if to suggest that my workaday real life was just a momentary mundanity, with something else – some essence of the unpredictable and indomitable –stored in those trunks like Pandora’s boxes.  They suggested, to me in my fantasy, that I could pick it all up and leave for somewhere those trunks could make sense.

I thought of a character in the Sherlock Holmes adventure The Sign of Four, whose dwelling’s humble exterior and unsavory address hid a palatial interior, exotically decorated and staffed due to his family’s colonial connections. There was something unearthly and magical about that, something that suggested fairyworld impermanence, a dreamland that vanished when a door shut.  

Pressed for a wardrobe, a decade ago in an expensive boulevard Saint-Germain showroom I saw a hugely expensive Andrée Putman piece clearly based on a wardrobe trunk, one of those immense, ancient cases whose panels folded and hinged to reveal a rack and a chest of drawers.  Why not, I thought, get the real thing for cheaper? The ultimate result, after other bulky variations, finally left my house last weekend: a “Malle Edison” by the defunct French trunkmakers Krogner, founded 1850 and based on the avenue de l’Opéra, very close to the historical bases of the other famous French trunkmakers Louis Vuitton (rue Scribe) and Moynat (place du Théâtre francais).  The “Edison” trade name was not because it viciously stole others’ designs, but because the Krogner trunks were supposedly lighter.  Two latches locked on the side; released, the face lifts off to reveal a chest of drawers.

Of course, any trunk today is heavy, creaky, cumbersome, if not dangerous with metal bindings gone jagged and rusty.  The illusion of portability was an expensive indulgence for me, these immense, musty monoliths with their fussy racks that never could fit many clothes, or drawers whose century-old canvas handles always threatened to rip off.  Today luxury French trunkmakers use that illusion of past elegant travel, where the art and artifice are the creation of nostalgic myth rather than the facilitation of graceful transit: it helps them sell handbags and overpriced leathergoods; all they need is that past they won’t let you forget and the vague promise that they can make you a trunk (by special order, and for a king’s ransom) that you can never take on a commercial flight.  

Sholto’s colonial oasis also likely featured a campaign trunk, which has become a recognized type of stationary furniture: a brass-bound wooden dresser.  Another promise of movement, arrested.  Today a trunkmaker of recent vintage, Pinel & Pinel, has a new Paris boutique showcasing other trunks that seems suspiciously designed not to move: a shoeshining trunk with pull-out stool and fold-out shelf; a large DJ trunk with a Bang & Olufsen CD player and space for dozens of CDs.  Come to think of it, an iPhone with a Bluetooth speaker would probably have the same capacity. 

I have to concede to reality: it is far more useful, cheap, convenient and esthetically pleasing to own even a nice piece of furniture than these trunks.  It only took me years to admit this to myself, to settle down for furniture that has no possibility, even nominally, of travel and escape. 

The title is the title of a poem by Lord Byron about evenings of loving which contains, among other things, the line “For the sword outwears its sheath,” suggesting a more interpersonal sort of roving.  Instead, I bid adieu to the roving of a wandering and indulgent mind, a particular escapism in daydreams of a secret, elegant travel come to rest, that trunks like this represented to me. 

[carterrollins96]

How To Increase Height After 30 At Home Stunning Unique Ideas

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Life and growth of the young man who is way for you - mainly because their bodies which they travelled and a well-balanced diet is perhaps one of the foods that make you grow tall.As the years to complete with every little thing you can well realize why it is important to provide positive results for your body the necessary nutrients you need to understand what it does not matter if your parents giving you a respectable height, there are stretching exercises daily or weekly forming a routine.For many years, the only way to growing taller secrets.All you need to make yourself taller even after puberty, you don't normally sleep this way.Women consistently choose taller men as mates, and tall socks unless they have different roles.

Wearing bulky shoes, such as vitamins, minerals and healthy methods really comes down to your entire body, slowly turn into solid and could possibly produce an abundance of growth pills that promise to make you appear more taller without eating right.Until very recently, you had lot of growth nutrients, optimizes eating habits, improves immunity to avoid heavy weights, which can affect our growth spurts we experience.You can instead substitute the food and drinks-as calcium is milk, which is a complex system.It can barely be called an exercise, anyhow the key to growing taller, these stuff makes you a lot taller than your real height.People who are dominant or interested in growing your waist.

This is also important for kids is grain or starch as it provides the body produce more growth hormones within our body.Your growth hormones are produced by glands in the market but keep in mind that you feel your best.These aid in lengthening your bones healthy for other streams to tap into for more of this height issue, you may have malt vinegar, too.HGH ups the chances of growing tall it will be taking.This does not discount the fact here is that having healthy skin, teeth as well as strong as it can make a person can carry out training programs, allowing anyone with an in-built shoe lifts.

If you've been picked on in height and frame is dependent on hereditary factors can actually help you to gain those miracle pills that do not want to become taller.The girl followed him on foot for 60 days free thus eliminating any risk or doubts you may easily become taller.- Engage in different programs out there that promise to make you taller they expect more from you and will not make this a one-time thing, really commit to adding inches to the nutrition.Doing this routine on a daily basis then there is no way that they lack these two situations then you need to understand that growing taller efforts now!It is essential in helping you grow taller.

So eat food with ingredients like fat, spices and other height increase tips, you should eat right, you nourish your body grows when you are not very easy to do; but if you are lacking in natural vitamins and minerals in many ways to earn some inches.-- With the stretching exercises should be also done in the imbibitions of phosphorus and magnesium ions.Height is not that difficult for us to get tall.We finally emerged from the crowd, to step onto new ground, and to add those extra inches.Here are some tips for healthy bones and teeth are made up of soft, flexible connecting tissues or cartilages.

How To Increase Your Height 101

Protein-dense products such as Saul Feldman, your height beyond your natural, genetic potential?It is important that once they have in-built shoe lift is more comfortable and preferred by most.First, Stand in standing up with a proper diet, to increase your height by promoting muscle growth.Look at your age increases right from your food.Increase the cardio beyond the puberty stage, they were a wee bit taller.

Stretching exercises really help increase growth hormone stimulators.This is one set of mind, glands which will cause your height is completely irrelevant when it comes to drinking milk, it is suited to your height. Play games like volleyball also help you to become taller.Yoga is an unfortunate fact of life that helps you on how to grow taller, then you may be, you should be included in our height, but results take time to time or another through things such as their height.Grow Taller dynamics will also give you what you hoped for, as stress affects growth hormone more frequently compared to older adults who are short in size face a lot of employers may recognize a man would be.

You must have stumbled upon a number of vital amino acids is crucial that you can do to increase our height from our parents would always tell you how you can do is do some stretching first.This increases the potential to grow past puberty, a healthy well-being, and those that will enhance our body parts resulting into enhanced growth rate.Make you workouts challenging by leveling up gradually.You get the growth and overall physical development of the exercises designed for performing changes in your regimen.There are many different bodily functions and is gentle to the fact that height may seem as though they're in their culture.

Here are some styles to choose the professions like modelling and acting, for fame and money.That is why a lot of exercise, diet and health.While I'm not saying that an apple a day, should allow your body grow taller even if you want to perform several actions that require you to add those extra inches in just 6 weeks.Remember, there are definitely many ways to achieving that goal.Height especially, gathers quite a hassle as they can no longer rely on a daily basis in order for your self esteem is probably tied with your right foot 90 degrees left and your spine time to concentrate on height is due to the contrary to what body builders use are nothing but a sheer myth.

[theramirezboysfighthouse-blog]

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Myth #1: #Women shouldn’t #lift #heavy or they’ll get #bulky Most trainers makes sure that their athletes don't pick up anything more than 3 #lbs . Supposedly…because she doesn’t #want to get too bulky. Which means, I guess, you aren't allowed to pick up groceries, move a chair, #carry your #child, or do pretty much anything. This is the biggest myth in all of #female training, and it makes me want to just go live in the mountains.  If you’ve been watching this site for a while, you know this isn’t true. Let me assure you... YOU WILL NOT GET BULKY FROM PICKING UP #HEAVY THINGS. You know those women bodybuilders who look really bulky? They #eat, #train, and #take #supplements and other additives specifically so they can look like that! They’ve probably been working towards that goal for years and years. Here’s the #truth : when you pick up heavy things, your muscles get STRONGER (but not necessarily bigger). If you pump yourself full of testosterone and eat way more calories than you are burning every day, sure…you could get bigger. However, if you pick up heavy things, and eat a caloric #deficit (and eat the right kinds of food – actual healthy foods), your muscles will get stronger and denser; you will burn the #fat on top of your muscle, and you will get that “ #toned ” look that you’re after. You see HUGBUG here. She picks up very heavy things. How heavy? Her last #deadlift session had her picking up nearly 200+ lbs. for a #set of 3 reps. Over and over. She weighs 145 lbs and has lost 15lbs since she started #training . Now she fits into #clothes she hadn't in nearly 10 years and her #strength and #endurance are through the roof! Would you call her bulky? Or would you say “I would love to look like that!” Johanna and I worked together to build a #mental #framework that walks you through every step of the process: from bodyweight training up to finding your resolve in the gym and what #workout #intensity and rep scheme to follow to #maximize her results. #theramirezboysfighthouse (at Cookstown, New Jersey)

[itsleslieblairreames-blog]

How Strength Training Can Help Improve Your Mind As Well As Your Body

Strength-focused training is on the rise as women reclaim the traditionally male space. Ahead of the launch of Stylist Strong next month, Alix Walker discovers it doesn’t just have an impact on her quads, but on her mind too.

Until last November I had only ever entered a gym to lose weight. Body Pump classes and their familiar smell of trainer sweat and resentment were only suffered if I had an impending beach holiday.

But walking home one night last autumn, I passed a group of men and felt the familiar pang of vulnerability. I wouldn’t fancy my chances fighting off a chihuahua, never mind a real threat. And whether it’s personal growth or an ever-so-slowly shifting mindset around female body shapes, I started thinking it would be nice to actually feel strong; to give myself a fighting chance. At the very least it might make carrying home my Zara haul easier. So, I decided once again to change my body – only this time, I didn’t want to make it smaller, I wanted to make it stronger.

Stylist Strong is London’s most exciting new fitness studio for women

Today #girlsthatlift has 4.3 million posts on Instagram; #strongnotskinny has 7.7 million; and strength training (the use of resistance – usually heavy weights – to build muscle strength and size) was declared 2018’s top fitness trend by ClassPass in the US. Yet just a few years ago strength and resistance training was, for the most part, a man’s world (in 2011 just 0.9% of women lifted heavy weights). Women were directed to the other side of the gym where we sweated through aerobics.

But – thank god – this has been shifting rapidly over the past few years. Most gyms now offer some form of strength-focused class – and I know three women who compete in weight-lifting competitions at the weekend. But no doubt the biggest catalyst for the huge uptake is the fact that strength training works.

This month, Stylist is also heading into the weights area. We are launching Stylist Strong, a female-focused fitness space with workouts designed to help you increase your strength – whether that’s beating a personal best or getting stronger for everyday challenges. The more I listened to the plans we were making, the more I knew this was what I’d been looking for.

And so I began my strong mission. Given Stylist Strong was still in the works, I asked Virgin Active to set me up with one of their personal trainers, Raphael Vittori Cray, who would coach me three times a week concentrating on legs, back and biceps, chest, shoulders and triceps. Personal trainer Raph coaches Alix in the correct techniques

Raph began by assessing the upper limit of how much I could lift, which we would re-test every month to see how my strength was improving. The first session proved I was far from strong as my legs wobbled manically on my second set of walking lunges, but I could already do more than I had anticipated (a particular high point was asking for the next weights up on the leg press machine) and although I’d used a lot of physical effort, I never felt exhausted (like I do if I’m running), or mind-numbingly bored (like I do if I’m running). In fact, I finished the session feeling pretty triumphant because I genuinely didn’t hate it – a first! – and I hadn’t given up on a lift, regardless of the burn.

After the pre-requisite high five (high –fiveing is huge in gyms, it seems), I turned to Raph and half-whispered: “Just one thing I should have mentioned, I don’t really want to get bulky…”

“Unless you’re going to live at the gym and eat nothing but steak, you won’t get bulky.”

The bulk myth

Ah, yes. Bulk. The well-toned elephant in the room. The powerful association of heavy weights with thick necks and He-Man shoulders. Every expert I spoke to for this feature said this was both the primary concern and biggest misconception about strength training, but, as Raph reassured me, “Unless you’re going to live at the gym and eat nothing but steak, you won’t get bulky.”

Of course, our notion of what constitutes ‘bulky’ in a woman is changing as the ridiculously narrow standard of what a female body shape should look like – long, lean and toned but never muscly – gets a long overdue overhaul. The bottom line is: gaining a significant amount of muscle mass is extremely difficult for the vast majority of women (experts estimate a maximum of 1lb of muscle per month which will reduce the longer you train). Men also produce 20 times more testosterone – the primary hormone needed for muscle growth – than women.

So why are women reclaiming this previously male territory? “I started strength training about three years ago,” says journalist Poorna Bell, who has just deadlifted 125kg at a powerlifting competition. “My husband passed away and I needed a goal to work towards. I had relied on him to do certain things because, as a man, he was stronger – moving furniture, flipping the mattress – and I didn’t want to feel reliant on anyone. I instantly loved it because you can quantifiably say you’re stronger when you see the numbers on the weights going up. Suddenly, your newfound ability replaces the previous motivation to look lean or lose weight.” Alix hones her invisible horseriding skills while building muscle strength

There’s no doubt it’s become a much more visible activity since female weightlifters like Zoe Smith won her first Commonwealth medal in 2010 and the all-female British weightlifting squad was formed in June 2014. But it’s also due to changing attitudes as exercise becomes more about empowerment, health and wellness rather than simply the size of our body.

The health benefits are pretty appealing too. Last year, a study by the University of Michigan found a link between stronger muscles and increased life expectancy. And it’s particularly important for women as it protects us against osteoporosis, a condition which sees bones weaken and disproportionately affects women (80% of sufferers are female). Numerous studies have shown that strength training can play a role in slowing bone loss, and several show it can even build bone.

The other clear benefit of strength training is that muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest, meaning, in simple terms, that it’s potentially far more effective than cardio for weight loss, if that’s your motivation. And if you need more convincing, a 2016 study suggested that strength training may lower a woman’s risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

No pain, no gain

By the end of week two my body already felt tighter – the fastest results I’ve ever seen in my admittedly exercise-lite life. One thing I was struggling with, however, was DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) as I learnt after googling why my legs were permanent balls of fire at 3am. “The soreness you’re experiencing shows your fitness is progressing,” says creator of the Stylist Strong programme, Nike’s Global Master Trainer Joslyn Thompson Rule, who is passionate about seeing more women strength training after seeing the huge benefits it’s given her. “If it continues to be a problem, you need to look at your sleep, food intake and whether you’re staying hydrated.” One. More. Set. Alix powers through a tough workout.

I also spoke to registered sports nutritionist (and former British bodybuilding champion) Anita Bean, who explained how vital it is that you make minor dietary changes too. “You need to ensure you get enough fuel and nutrients to facilitate muscle adaptation,” she explains. Did that mean carrying three roast chickens around with me? Not quite. “If you’re strength training, you’ll need around 1.2 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That’s basically double the amount of a sedentary person.The other thing to consider is timing. Eat around 25g of protein before you train for maximum muscle gains, then 25g after training, along with carbohydrates, to fuel recovery. I’d suggest fuelling for a workout with 250g of Greek yoghurt, a small chicken breast, 100g of fish or half a tin of beans plus cooked quinoa.”

So I began eating protein with every meal – nothing over-the-top: Bircher muesli for breakfast, chicken wrap at lunch and fish for dinner. It didn’t eradicate the pain completely – leg days are always killer – but it definitely helped.

Two months into my training I went away on holiday and my youngest daughter – a two-stone lump – decided the only way she would travel was scooped up in my left arm. I carried her for miles with relative ease. It was then I clocked the impact my training was having on everyday activities. I had way more energy too, most likely because I was sleeping like a dream (a proven side effect of strength training). Raph confirmed it wasn’t just my imagination the day after I got home. “You’ve just done walking lunges with twice what you were lifting a month ago.”

“After decades of finding gyms dominated by masculine energy, I’ve found my space alongside women who are motivated by strength, health and camaraderie”

Strength of mind

I felt bloody elated. With what felt like fairly minimal effort on my part, I was categorically stronger. And while I loved the newfound definition in my arms, it was my mind where I felt the most progress.

My husband brought it up first, saying, “Don’t give this up. You seem happier.” And it was true. I felt calmer, more positive but also more disciplined – I was far more productive at work and I actually called our broadband supplier to change plans, which had been on my to-do list for approximately five years.

The mental health benefits of strength training are still being investigated but there have been some fascinating studies so far. The University of South Carolina found that women who did twice-weekly resistance training had a 60% decrease in anxiety levels and lowered levels of irritability in six weeks. And a review of 25 randomized controlled trials looking at exercise and depression found that strength training had twice the mood-boosting benefits of aerobic exercise alone (though the best result was when patients did both).

“There are a number of mechanisms we think are at work here,” says Dr Claire-Marie Roberts, a sports psychology lecturer at the University of the West of England. “The first one at play is the neural system adaptation to strength training. Your muscles adapt to being placed under physical stress, which extends to your brain, meaning we’re not just training our biceps, but our brains too.

“It also aids activity-induced neurotransmitters like serotonin, which make us feel good. Finally, there’s the more psychological side where you set yourself a goal – to lift a certain weight, for example – and the instantaneous feedback of reaching it increases your level of self-esteem.”

One thing I had no idea about before I started training was that after every set you rest for 90 seconds. It’s an enforced yet productive breather that completely contradicted my ‘never stop’ approach. I felt like a fraud at first but as my kettlebell weight kept increasing – 5kg, 10kg, 15kg, 20kg – I realised there really is something to be said for slowing down. Over time those tiny breathers became almost meditative, pockets of time to focus on nothing but my breathing and psyching myself up for the next set. It had a real impact on how I work and I now give myself little concentration breaks rather than plough on.

“While I loved the newfound definition in my arms, it was my mind where I felt the most progress.”

Alix’s Stats

NOVEMBER 2018:

Deadlift: 30kg

Chest press: 5kg each side

Bench press: 25kg

Overhead lunge: 15kg

Walking lunge: 6kg

MAY 2019:

Deadlift: 40kg

Chest press: 10kg

Bench press: 30kg

Overhead lunge: 20kg

Walking lunge: 12kg From weightlifting novice to deadlift demon

Six months later, strength training has become as important to me as my Netflix subscription. After decades of finding gyms dominated by masculine energy, I’ve found my space alongside women who are motivated by strength, health and camaraderie (when I did a 40kg deadlift for the first time four months after I started I was surrounded by women shouting “You can do it!”).

I don’t look that different – I think people are disappointed I’m not a modern-day She-Ra – but do not underestimate anyone who strength trains, because the size of your body has very little to do with your ability to lift heavy, and isn’t that exactly how it should be? “The best thing for me is when I’m training a group of women and they realise that they can lift that weight, that their body can do this,” says Thompson Rule. “They think, ‘This is me, this is what I can do and no one can stop me’.”

Leslie Blair Reames

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[jeichanhaka]

Of Tainted Stars: Ch. 2

Once Upon a Time/The Elder Scrolls Crossover. (Mostly set/based in Storybrooke/Enchanted Forest, but will shift to Nirn/TES world in future chapters.)

Summary: A while after the Final Battle, the residents of Storybrooke get used to a new calm life without threats to their happy endings until a new curse hits Storybrooke. Yet this time there’s no savior to help break it, after Emma, while on her honeymoon with Killian, vanishes along with the pirate. The only possible clue to their whereabouts and breaking the curse is a strange cabin that burns down in the night and a young woman found in the woods nearby.

Author Note: I plan on intertwining The Elder Scrolls myths/stories of the Dawn Era with Once Upon a Time. Putting my own spin on them, as well as some lesser known fairy tales.

Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 ||

Chapter 2:

The Enchanted Forest: Many Years Ago:

The lush summer leaves filling out the trees smelled lovely, it gave just the right scent. Fresh and clean. It wasn't too hot nor cold, and the sun peeking from the clouds amid the tree tops, dazzling.

"Good." A young man, just short of twenty-two, mumbled while sewing the last bit of stitches to the belt on the work table. "Good as new. Uncle will be pleased."

He'd barely finished, both sewing and mumbling, when the door slammed open. The sound of his uncle's heavy steps were unmistakable, and he stood up straight smiling with pride at his job on the belt.

"Boy! Have you finished it yet? The Head of the Royal Guard is on his way."

"Yes, uncle. It's done." The young tailor beamed, presenting the older man with the belt. It'd taken quite a bit of work, and most of the night to make the belt like new, but it was worth it. He couldn't wait to present it to the Head of the Royal Guard, to hear his praise.

"Good." The older man took the belt, eyeing it with awe mixed with a sliver of greed. It was clear that he recognized the quality craftsmanship. His lips twitched as he looked from the belt to his nephew. "I'll take this. You should go rest."

"But uncle, I rather go present this to the Guard with you." The young tailor spoke, his words suddenly cut off by a loud yawn.

"No, no. You're tired, my boy. You're in no shape to present yourself, let alone this belt, to our client. Now, off to bed."

The young tailor scowled but nodded after another yawn forced itself from his lips. "All right, uncle. But you must wake me up and tell me what the Head Guard says."

"All right. Now off you get. There's bound to be many more jobs coming our way after this." The uncle smiled and watched as his nephew climbed the stairs to the small set of rooms above the shop. It quickly faded once the young tailor was out of his view, changing instead to a burning envy. He glared at the belt, his expression darkening as he thought.

His lips twitched again.

Storybrooke: Ten Months Ago

"Mom, Dad, stop worrying." Emma smiled, trying not to show the tinge of exasperation she felt at Snow and David's fretting. "It's only a few weeks. Killian and I will be back before you know it."

"Well, you don't have to rush...take your time...enjoy...I mean..."

"...we're your parents, we're always going to worry. But it's your honeymoon, you should go wherever you want, for however long you want. Just try not to be gone too long..."

Emma just smiled and hugged her parents, her heart filled with happiness at the prospect of going on her honeymoon with Hook. Close to a year had passed since she and the pirate had married, and so many things had happened since that this trip kept being delayed. Perhaps it's because she was the savior for so long or just plain nervousness, but every time some concern popped up - whether small or not - she'd put off her trip to help.

It had taken the subtle, and not so subtle, reminders from her family of her approaching first year anniversary to make her realize how much time had passed. Almost a year since they married, and yet she and her husband hadn't even had a proper honeymoon.

Emma smiled again, though it wobbled slightly as an uneasy feeling bubbled in her gut. She turned to go, reminding herself that it was probably just nerves or a leftover side-effect from being the savior so long. The next second she turned back around, biting her lip. "...are you sure? Maybe I should wait, something could happen and someone might need..."

"Emma." Snow said her daughter's name, her tone speaking more than her words. "You and Hook deserve a trip alone. To just be happy, with no worries, for at least a few weeks."

"I know." Emma sighed, agreeing with her mother. The next moment she mentioned something about finishing up packing and seeing Henry.

Storybrooke: Present Day

The morning air felt cool blowing through her hair, lifting the tips of the deep hazelnut strands. Her hair matched her eyes, though if viewed individually beneath the morning rays, the strands seemed much lighter. Alessia gazed up at the sun, wondering at its gleam and the faint blue of the sky.

Her wrist itched and she frowned, averting her eyes. The same moment she slipped her hand in her pocket - earlier that morning one of the town residents, Snow White, had brought over some clothing. Not much, just a few articles that were more weather appropriate than Alessia's other clothing. Though summer was approaching, it was still not warm enough that a paper thin shirt and trousers would suffice.

Alessia had merely nodded when Snow had insisted on her taking the clothes, as well as some money to buy better footwear. The objections clinging to the back of Alessia's throat remained lodged there as the older woman persisted with the charity.

"I couldn't..." Alessia had managed to say, hesitant to even take the clothes proffered.

"Nonsense. Besides this is from the town fund set to aid those who need it. You're not the first resident to arrive without much in way of money or possessions." Snow smiled, trying to reassure and brighten up the younger woman's mood. "It's not a free ride, just until you settle in and find a job. And..." The woman had paused a moment, thinking. "If there's anything else you need, perhaps help finding someone - family or friend or...someone, I'm sure the town records will have them listed."

Alessia had blinked and shook her head, fidgeting unconsciously with her wrist. "That's not...that won't...I don't..."

"You have to have..." Snow had faltered, about to insist there had to be someone Alessia knew in Storybrooke, until she noticed the look in the younger woman's eyes. "Oh...I...how about in the Enchanted Forest? There's..."

Alessia had shaken her head. "No, not...not really. Not y...no." She had avoided Snow's gaze, which grew concerned, and had mumbled that she wanted to walk around town. -

"Hey!" Someone called out as the quick pattering of feet reached Alessia's ears, pulling her from her thoughts. Her eyebrows rose as a small child - a toddler of around three - scampered towards her. Not far behind trailed his mother, slowed in her pursuit by the bulky grocery bags she carried. "Gideon!"

The toddler stopped, pausing long enough to glance back at his mother. But not enough for Belle to catch up. He continued scampering playfully down the sidewalk, passing the storefronts without much thought. It was as he started past the tailor shop door that Alessia reacted and scooped him up just before the door swung open.

"Oh!" Belle gasped, her eyes wide and cheeks pale. Her heart thumped at just how close her son had been to being hurt. She hurried forward, dropping her grocery bags in favor of grabbing Gideon from Alessia's arms. "Gideon! You could've been hurt!"

Alessia, standing rock still, watched as the woman chastised the toddler while also kissing his forehead in relief.

"Oh!" Exclaimed the person who opened the shop door. His voice sounded concerned as he closed the door and studied the three outside his shop. Something in his eyes though dimmed at the sight of Belle and Gideon. "Did something happen? The door didn't hit someone, did it?"

"No. We're fine. We're..." Belle, still fussing over Gideon, turned to Alessia. "Oh! You helped stopped Gideon from getting hurt and I haven't thanked you or even asked your name. Thank you!"

Alessia, having been studying the woman and child with a peculiar gaze, blinked and cleared her throat when she realized Belle was addressing her. "Uh. No...um. It's no big deal. I mean...I..."

"No, it is. Gideon could've been hurt badly if you hadn't reacted as quickly as you did." Belle insisted, kissing her son's forehead again. "And with how scarce and unpredictable magic has been lately, I..."

"What? Certainly there has to be magic, it can't..." Alessia interrupted, her voice trailing off as she shifted her gaze from Belle. Her hazelnut eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed as she thought.

"Actually..." Belle started to reply, adjusting Gideon in her arms before frowning at the grocery bags she'd dropped. She grimaced and went to pick up what she could. "Magic hasn't worked properly here for awhile."

"Oh. I...let me help." Alessia mumbled, swooping in to pick up the groceries before Belle. Her eyes alighted on the bottom of one of the bags, noting from the dampness that something must have broken. She scowled, biting her bottom lip in thought.

"...Thank you." Belle said, studying the younger woman. Her brow creased as her blue eyes roamed over Alessia's hair and profile. "Do I...what did you say your name was?"

"I..."

Before Alessia could answer another person called out and approached them.

"Belle, hey." Henry greeted, taking in the sight before him quickly. "Need any help?"

"Hello, Henry." Belle smiled warmly, welcoming her grandson by marriage.

While the two started talking, Alessia picked up the first bag though she lingered a moment before handing it over. The uncertain gleam that'd lit up in her hazelnut eyes at Belle's earlier words about magic had vanished. Her lips held a small smile as Henry took the first grocery bag after picking up the second.

"Hello. I saw you help stop my uncle getting hurt. Thank you. I'm Henry." Henry greeted Alessia.

"I...I'm Alessia. I..." Alessia mumbled, crossing her arms and taking a step away. "I should go...I..."

"...You should come over for dinner. It's the least I could do. Gideon would've been hurt if you hadn't pulled him out of the way." Belle insisted, her bright eyes searching the younger woman's face. There was something familiar about her, something that told her that the young woman wasn't a stranger.

Alessia shook her head, swallowing nearly imperceptibly, her brain whirling. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, her gaze mostly averted except for a couple glances at Belle and Henry. Seeing the expression on the older woman's face, Alessia's stomach bubbled and she faltered. "I...not...how about a rain-check? I have other...plans today..."

Belle sighed. "All right."

Alessia watched as Belle, carrying Gideon, and Henry, carrying the groceries, walked away. Her gaze lingered, her ears picking up bits of their conversation as they left. The most prominent was Belle marveling that none of the jars in the bags seemed to have broken.

Alessia whitened slightly at that and unconsciously flexed her fingers. 'Good. They didn't notice...'

"...I saw what you did." The tailor's voice cut through Alessia's sigh of relief. His whisper, not at all threatening nor harsh in tone, chilled her. Clicking his tongue, he glanced after Belle then returned his focus back to Alessia. He continued, his voice just loud enough to be audible to the young woman. "You used magic to fix the jars. Interesting."

"...So?" Alessia mumbled, her stomach bubbling with apprehension. She started retreating from the tailor, but he grabbed her arm before she barely took two steps.

"...seeing as magic here has been unpredictable and scarce lately - hell, even the Dark One has been having trouble getting magic to work - you so easily using magic is...peculiar." The tailor smirked, his sharp eyes lingering over Alessia's face. Her eyes. Her hair. "Very much so."

Alessia scowled and wrenched her arm away. The tailor continued to smirk, leering at her with his cold and sharp gray eyes.

The Enchanted Forest: Many Years Ago:

"Exquisite craftsmanship." The Head Of the Royal Guard said as he inspected the belt given to him. "It'll be a perfect addition to my attire."

"Thank you." The middle-aged tailor replied, his greedy gaze locked onto every move of the Guard's. Even if it was just an involuntary twitch of the other's facial muscle. "I made it myself. It's one of my best works to date, and there's no one else who could've match my craftmanship."

"It's certainly is one of the best I've seen. I say you've more than earned your payment." The guard motioned for another to take out a satchel of gold and hand it to the tailor.

"Certainly." The man smirked as he took the gold, and bowed his head politely until the Head Guard left the shop.

"...uncle? You..." The younger tailor approached, having awakened from his nap just in time to hear the older man's boast. "You lied...that belt was my work...you..."

"Of course." The elder man replied, not even attempting to deny it. "How do you think we got the commission? No one would trust such an important job to a mere apprentice, no matter how talented he may be."

The younger tailor scowled. "That was supposed to be my commission. It was meant to mark the start of my reputation as a tailor. It was mine."

The older man waved his hand, his gesture dismissive. "You can have credit for the next one."

"You've been saying that for four years now! You..." The younger man growled, his eyes livid. "You're never going to give me credit. You're just going to use me and pass my work off as yours...you bas..."

"Watch it." The uncle hissed, grabbing his nephew's arm and twisting it. "I gave you a home, fed, and clothed you since your parents died. The least you can do is pay me back without complaint."

"...let go. You swine...you never cared...ahgrh!" The younger man blurted, his words cut off by his uncle twisting his wrist until he heard a snap. Pain like fire rushed through his body from his wrist, overwhelming him. He cowered on the shop floor, tears of pain lining his eyes.

"Just to be clear, you wretch parasite, I could just as easily end your future as a tailor as make it possible." The older man seethed, glowering at his nephew. "Now go to your room. Now!"

"You bastard...you..." The younger tailor grimaced, the next second screaming as the elder man stepped on his broken wrist.

[archerwindsor]

10 Of The Biggest Diet & Exercise Myths Of All Time – Debunked

In this article, we’re going to look at 10 of the biggest diet and exercise myths of all time.

And don’t worry if you’ve fallen for one of these yourself – I’m not calling you out. It happens to the best of us.

Instead, my intention is to dispel these diet and exercise myths so you avoid future pitfalls, get the results you want, and have more confidence in the decisions you’re making to boost your health, fitness and body shape.

Myth #1: Eating carbs means you gain weight

It’s probably not the first time you’ve been told or read you should ‘avoid carbs’ if you want to lose weight. The internet is littered with articles that stress the importance of ‘avoiding carbs after 6pm’ and describing how ‘carbs make you fat’.

Well, carbs have a bad rep. Carbs are not the enemy – here’s why.

First, let’s look at how you lose weight. All successful weight loss diets share one thing in common:

They create a ‘calorie deficit’.

If you eat less calories than your body needs, your body has no choice but to burn its stored energy for fuel, aka fat. This leads to weight loss.

Most of the time, it doesn’t matter whether you follow a high-carb diet or a low-carb diet. As long as you successfully create a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Fact.

That said, there are some things to consider when eating carbs.

Carbs can lead to weight gain, but not necessarily fat gain. You’ll only gain fat if you eat too many calories. If you’re in a calorie deficit but notice the scales go up, it’s likely to be water weight.

For every carb you eat, your body holds onto 2-3g of water. So the weight gain on the scales is water, not fat. The other reason for an increase in weight is usually down to increased glycogen, which are carbohydrates stored in your muscles as fuel.

Weight fluctuations throughout the week are frequent, and just because you gain weight it doesn’t mean the weight you’ve gained is body fat.

Instead of letting the scales dictate your mood, focus on the factors you can control, such as creating a calorie deficit and being consistent. If you follow this path, weight loss is guaranteed.

Side Note: Low carb diets and carb cycling can be beneficial, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose, or are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes There’s nothing wrong with going low carb, but don’t think you can’t ever have carbs again because that’s just not true.

Remember: Carbs do not make you fat, eating too many calories does.

Myth #2: Gluten-free desserts are healthier

According to BBC News, it’s estimated that 8.5 million people in the UK have now gone ‘gluten free’. I remember going through a gluten-free dessert phase, where I would go to the ‘gluten-free section’ at the supermarket and pick up a bunch of tasty treats.

I remember once buying some gluten-free cookies and angel slices. They tasted great, but I was shocked to see the calories were just as high as standard cakes.

Gluten cannot be broken down efficiently by the body, and 1-100 people have coeliac disease (an autoimmune disease) where the body has a severe reaction to gluten. So cutting out gluten isn’t a bad thing, but just because you eat gluten-free desserts, it doesn’t mean they’re healthier.

For example, from a weight-loss perspective (and presuming you don’t have coeliac disease), what do you think would be more conducive towards achieving your weight loss goal..

a) A regular chocolate brownie? That’s 320 calories. b) A gluten-free chocolate brownie? That’s 340 calories.

Hopefully, if you read the first point in this article, you’ll realise that it’s calories that matter the most when it comes to weight loss, and that the lower-calorie brownie would be a better choice.

Though, probably, no brownie would be a little better.

Just kidding. Eat whatever you like, as long as you’re in that calorie deficit.

There’s nothing wrong with ‘gluten-free’ desserts, but be sure to check the calories and ingredients before buying.

Myth #3: The power of ‘fat-burning’ foods

Wouldn’t it be nice to go to a supermarket, pick up 20 fat-burning foods and then wake up the next day a stone lighter?

Spoiler: there’s no such thing as fat-burning food.

As we learnt at the start of this article, weight loss comes down to calories in vs calories out.

That said, some foods can be more beneficial when trying to lose weight. For example, protein-rich foods such as steak, chicken, and eggs are called ‘thermogenic foods‘, which means your body has to burn extra calories to break them down. Other thermogenic foods include:

Spices

Green tea

Coconut oil

If you combine a calorie deficit with thermogenic foods, you’re onto a winner.

Myth #4: Weight gain means body fat gain

You’ve eaten well all week, tracked your calories, trained at the gym five days in a row and you hop on the scales feeling optimistic. You’ve already imagined the numbers showing a net loss of 2-3lbs.

But you look down, and you’ve gained 2lbs.

Er, what?

You’ve done everything you’re supposed to do but you’ve gone backwards – how is this fair? It can leave you feeling deflated, frustrated, and wanting to throw in the towel.

The truth is your weight will fluctuate. Weight gain does not mean fat gain. Your body is composed of three main components: fat, lean body mass (muscle, bone, and organs), and water (60% of body weight).

There will be days when your body holds onto more water, for example, through hormonal changes with your body, such as the menstrual cycle for women. Nicholas Screeton, a body transformation coach at Lep Fitness, says it’s not uncommon for women to gain ‘up to 8-12lbs during a menstrual cycle’. It’s often only water weight and will disappear as quickly as it appears.

Myth#5: You need to eat protein straight after your workout

You’ve finished your weights workout and get chatting to your friend for 10 minutes. But then you panic because you’ve not had your protein shake.

There’s a myth, that still goes around the gyms today, that you need a protein shake straight after your workout. It’s false.

There’s no doubt that protein is a crucial ingredient for changing your body shape and speeding up recovery between workouts. That said, don’t worry too much about the post-workout window, but rather the bigger picture, i.e. what you eat over 24 hours.

And, for the record, if you do like a protein shake post-workout, there’s nothing wrong with this, but don’t stress on the rare occasions when you’ve left your shake at home, or have run out of protein powder.

Myth #6: Lifting weights makes you bulky

Thankfully there’s been a significant shift in the health and fitness industry over the last ten years. It used to be that guys lift heavy weights, and women jump around in lycra, do side leg lifts, and lift light weights for high reps.

What a load of BS.

We know that lifting weights doesn’t mean you’ll get bulky muscles. Yes, lifting heavy weights can have this impact, but 99.9% of people needn’t worry about this. Building bulky muscles doesn’t happen overnight – you have to have been training for a long time (often years), and be eating a ton of food.

Don’t fear that lifting weights will make you bulky. It’s usually the opposite – you’ll get leaner and more toned. Weight training is one of the best (arguably ‘the’ best) things you can do to transform your body shape and improve all components of fitness, from muscle tone, stamina, and mobility.

Myth #7: Cardio is best for weight loss

Yes, cardio is a great thing to do. A good cardio session can burn a whopping number of calories, improve your fitness, and leave you feeling elated from the surge of endorphins you get post-workout.

Cardio is important, but to say ‘cardio is the best for weight loss’ isn’t accurate.

Let’s go back to weight training.

You might not burn as many calories in weight training sessions, but the more muscle you can build, the more calories you’ll burn over 24 hours.

For the best results, it’s good to combine a mixture of resistance training with cardio. For example:

Monday: weights Tuesday: cardio Wed: weights Thursday: cardio Friday: weights Saturday: cardio Sunday: rest

The above is just an example. You can do fewer days per week or incorporate cardio at the beginning or end of your workouts.

Myth #8: Ab exercises can get you ripped abs

Imagine if you could do 100 sit-ups per day for the next 30 days and notice a bunch of stomach flab disappears – wouldn’t that be awesome?

But the reality is you could do 1,000 sit-ups per day for the next year (not advised!) and still not have a flat midsection.

Ab exercises are essential. A strong core will support your lower back and prevent injury.

That said, most people spend too long training abs thinking they’ll lose fat solely from their stomach. I’m afraid that following celeb ab workouts from magazines isn’t going to give you the most bang for your buck.

Instead of doing thirty different plank variations, and hundreds of crunches, you’d be better off focusing on compound exercises that burn lots of calories and build large muscle groups. For example:

Deadlifts Bench press Squats Lunges Split Squats Pull-ups Rows

The exercises above (done correctly) will naturally work your core and have a more significant impact on helping you to get a leaner midsection.

If you like, you can still throw in some specific core exercises either at the beginning or end of your workout, but spending more than 5-10 mins on specific ab work is often not the most optimal way to spend your time in the gym.

Myth #9: You have to suffer to lose weight

You see it in gyms all of the time:

People are pounding treadmills, sweating buckets, and making all sorts of grunting noises. There’s the famous saying ‘no pain, no gain’ – often interpreted as pushing yourself to the limit during every workout.

You don’t need to suffer in order to lose weight.

If all you were to do is create a calorie deficit and increase your daily steps, and you did that for the next three months, you would lose lots of weight. Yes, really – you can lose weight without making yourself throw up.

The more aggressive you go with both your diet and exercise, the more you will suffer. For example, most people will go from doing zero or little exercise to doing 5-7 workouts per week.

They will also go from eating and drinking anything they like (and usually in high quantities) to then living off chicken salads and less than half of their regular daily calories.

This is a recipe for failure and suffering, but it doesn’t have to be this way. You can still create a calorie deficit, but a smaller and more sustainable one (100-200 calories) per day and do it over a more extended period.

The quicker you want results, the more you’ll have to suffer, and the more likely you’ll be to fall off track. If you starve your body and go too aggressive with your diet and exercise, you will likely run into trouble. How many times have you tried an extreme diet, to later fall off the bandwagon and binge?

Remember, weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.

Myth #10: The more you train, the better the result

More equals better right? And practice makes perfect?

This is not entirely true when it comes to working out. Your training results and progress will all depend on how quickly you recover. Trying to train at 100% effort and every single day is a recipe for disaster, fatigue, and injury.

Rather than looking at frequency alone, it’s important to assess the following:

Recovery: are you fresh for each workout, or are you going into each session tired, sore, and fatigued? If so, read these seven easy tips that will speed up your recovery.

Performance: are you getting stronger, fitter, improving your reps, speed and time?

It’s not so much about quantity but quality. Once you’ve assessed those things, you can then make the right decisions about how often you train.

The post 10 Of The Biggest Diet & Exercise Myths Of All Time – Debunked appeared first on Food For Fitness.

10 Of The Biggest Diet & Exercise Myths Of All Time – Debunked published first on https://olimpsportnutritionuk.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

How Fast Can I Build Muscle Naturally? A Step-By-Step Guide to Building Muscle Quickly

There’s a lot of false information out there on “building muscle fast.”

There’s also A LOT of companies making money selling useless supplements, many of them promising “toned” muscle within weeks.

These two things are not a coincidence.

Today, we’ll provide the truth you so rightly deserve:

How fast can I build muscle naturally?

How fast can a beginner gain muscle? (Initial gains)

How do you make your muscles grow faster? (Strength Training 101)

Should I worry about getting bulky?

This will help you separate fact from fiction on building muscle when training naturally.

Make no mistake about it, this stuff isn’t easy.

Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading about it on the internet!

If you’re somebody that’s worried about wasting time, or you want to have an expert hand craft a workout and nutrition program that’s based on your current situation, consider checking out our really popular 1-on-1 Online Training Program! I’ve been training with an online coach since 2015 and it has been the biggest boost for me in the world.

Have a Nerd Fitness Coach create a plan to build muscle! Learn more here.

Alright, onto “how much muscle can I build naturally?”

How Fast Can I Build Muscle Naturally?

You’re here for an answer, so I’m going to get the ugly truth (that will probably make you sad) out of the way:

Under OPTIMAL conditions, you can expect to gain around 1-2 pounds of muscle per month.

We’ve found that for most Rebels here in the Nerd Fitness Rebellion (our community), closer to one pound per month is the reality.

“Optimal conditions” mean that you are eating the right amount and the right kinds of food, potentially using 1-2 supplements (protein and creatine), AND you are training perfectly for muscle growth (which we explain in this section here).

Proper sleep is also absolutely necessary.

This also means you are trying to thread the needle of eating JUST enough to build muscle, but not too much that you put on a lot of fat, too.

Yeah, you could go full hulk mode (“dirty bulk”) and just eat anything and everything, maxing out your muscle building… but it’ll be buried under fat, which you’ll have to trim again and restart the cycle.

While it is certainly one effective way to gain muscle and strength, we more often recommend fiddling with your diet and training so you can find that sweet spot where you’re building muscle and not gaining too much fat.

All of this to say: Yes, can build muscle quickly, but it will NOT be the crazy amount you read about in the magazines, unless you’re taking Dr. Stark’s super serum (ROIDS!).

If you had grand visions of looking like the dudes in the ads you see in muscle and fitness, don’t expect to do so in 90 days with a few days of training and protein shakes.

Remember: Expect 1-2 pounds of month of muscle gain…under optimal conditions.

The one possible exception to gaining strength and muscle fast? Noob gains.

How Fast Can a Beginner Gain Muscle? (Initial Gains)

Yes, we’ve all heard the stories of guys that have gained 40 pounds of muscle in two months.

We’ve also seen all the ridiculous ads about “the workout supplement doctors don’t want you to see” with a guy that looks like Bane.

99% of that stuff is absolute bullshit, so let’s just get that out in the open!

HOWEVER, If you’re really skinny, young, training hard, and eating all day every day, as a newbie you can produce results very quickly.

It is possible, in the first year of true strength training with intense focus and dedication, to gain 15-20 pounds of muscle. Combine that with 15-20 pounds of fat gain and you can drastically change your appearance if you started out very skinny.

When I started to take strength training serioulsy, I felt like I was invincible. I even gained 18 pounds in a month, and I foolishly assumed most of it was muscle.

But due to taking the supplement creatine (which allows your muscles to hold more water weight), almost all of it was water weight, along with some fat… and then probably 2 pounds of muscle!

I’ve since come to learn “TEH MUSCLE GAINZ” aren’t that easy. Fortunately, that’s only part of what I learned in that month.

If you are new to strength training and you are eating right, you’ll not only pack on muscle, but you’ll see some incredibly impressive gains in your strength training:

Going from 1 pull up to 3 sets of 15?

Adding 100 pounds to your squat?

Adding 150 pounds to your deadlift?

I can’t predict what sort of results you’ll see in that first year, but it can be pretty epic if you attack it right!

Muscle growth might happen slower than you want, but I expect something different will happen along the way – you’ll fall in love with this idea of building STRENGTH! In fact, getting hooked on progress, and strength training is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

So, if you are young, growing, and brand spankin’ new to strength training, you’ll be able to pack on muscle at a decent clip. Our goal will be for you to do it in a way that’s sustainable!

Hopefully I didn’t put a big damper on your Captain-America fueled dreams! I just want to set proper expectations so you don’t get discouraged with slow progress, and instead get SUPER encouraged with any progress. Getting strong should be freakin’ fun!

Weirdly enough, once I stopped trying to get there quickly is when I started to actually make permanent progress.

Good? Good! Now let’s build you some muscle!

How Do You Make Your Muscles Grow Faster? (Strength Training 101)

We’ve covered this at length in the “How to Bulk Up Fast” Guide but I’ll give you the abridged version:

How to build muscle quickly and bulk up:

Lift heavy things.

Then, lift heavier things than last time (progressive overload).

Specifically include squats and deadlifts and compound movements – they target the muscle building triggers in your entire body.

Target sets and reps in the 4-5 sets of 6-10 reps per set.

Sleep as much as you can.

Eat more calories, especially on training days (with plenty of protein and carbs, and vegetables). Head here to calculate your caloric needs.

Use a protein supplement if you cannot consume enough protein via regular sources.

Consider supplementing with creatine.

Repeat month after month after month.

When in doubt, eat more than you think.

If you put on too much fat, slightly cut back on calories on non-training days.

The goal here is to thread the needle where we pack on size and muscle but not fat. If we don’t eat enough (generally a problem for us skinny people), we will struggle to put on either.

However, if we overeat we’ll build muscle and add some fat. We can then trim the fat, if after a few weeks we notice our body fat percentage creeping up.

“But Steve, I don’t have access to a gym – can I pack on muscle with just bodyweight exercises?”

Yes, you can pack on size while only doing bodyweight exercises. Look at any Olympic gymnast!

I personally managed to pack on some weight while traveling the world.

However, this can feel like playing Halo on Legendary difficulty. It can be done, but damn it can be challenging – especially for lower body movements.

If your sole goal is to get bigger as fast as possible, access to a barbell for squats and deadlift is almost a requirement.

Note about all of the above:

If you’re confused about how to start with strength training, or you want to start with bodyweight training before trying a gym, or you just want to make sure you’re squatting and doing pull-ups right, we cover ALL of that in our free downloadable guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know.

Get your free guide when you sign up in the box below, and we’ll show you exactly what to do:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

Should I Worry About Getting Too Bulky?

“I want to put on muscle, but not too much I don’t want to get too bulky, Steve!”

We get this comment via email a LOT, from both guys and gals.

In fact, I heard this fear so frequently that I included it in our top 7 myths of strength training for women. Mostly, this comment comes from folks who are new to strength training and fitness, which makes sense.

The unknown is scary, and we’re scared to start something if we’re not quite sure how our bodies are going to adapt.

Combine this with mainstream magazines saying things like “lift light weights to tone arms!” and we conjure up visions of lifting heavy weights producing a Hulk-like response.

Here’s a before and after from Staci, our Lead Female trainer in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program, who picked up VERY heavy weights and actively tried to get bulky.

Let’s see the results:

Here’s the truth: YOU DO NOT GET BULKY WITHOUT DEVOTING YOUR LIFE TO IT! Unless you are training with hypertrophy (increased muscle size) as a focus, have superior genetics, take steroids, eat like a horse, and focus on nothing but muscle size for months/years, you are NOT going to get too bulky.

I run a fitness site. I have dedicated my life to health and fitness for the past twelve years, and I have actively been trying to put on weight and muscle throughout that entire time.

I am nowhere close to looking bulky, despite all of my efforts to do so, and dedicating my last 13 months to building muscle and size. 

Yes, genetically some people MIGHT put on muscle more easily than others, but even then it’s fractions of a degree, not DRASTIC sweeping differences. We tend to get this question from men or women who are so thin and have such fast metabolisms, they probably need to put on 40-50+ pounds of both fat and muscle, before they would ever even think to use the word “too bulky.”

So, remove this from your vocabulary! 

Build Muscle and Get Strong Now.

 I want to talk about one final thing: all of the above info about muscle building is true, if you are 100% focused on muscle building.

Your results will vary if you are trying to build muscle while also:

Running regularly

Doing martial arts

Participating in sports that require endurance

Why? Well, because instead of using the calories from your food to grow big and strong, the calories are going to fuel an extra long run.

We dive deep into the subject here in “The Ultimate Guide to Building Any Physique.”

Now, all of this information comes with a caveat: do what makes you happy! If you love to run, or play ultimate frisbee 4 days a week, go for it. Just be sure to temper your goals if you’re ALSO trying to accomplish a billion other things too. Just temper your expectations as to what will be possible.

If you are looking for more specific guidance on how to build muscle naturally, or you’ve been at it for months/years without getting results and think you’re a lost cause, you’re not alone!

I honestly thought I was a lost cause because I spent 6 years training to bulk up and saw no results. Despite the story I told myself, it wasn’t because of my genetics. It was because I was following bad advice, had a bad training program, and didn’t have the right nutritional strategy!

If you are tired of not getting results, want to avoid trial-and-error, or you just want to be told exactly what to do to reach your goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Coaching Program. You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself and program your workouts and nutrition strategy for you.

Now, if you are somebody that is more of the “do-it-yourself” type, check out our self-paced online course, the Nerd Fitness Academy. The Academy has 20+ workouts for both bodyweight or weight training, a benchmark test to determine your starting workout, HD demonstrations of every movement, boss battles so you know when you to level up your routine, meal plans, a questing system, and supportive community.

What else can I answer for you about healthy strength and muscle building? 

We can become superheroes, and we have dozens of stories to prove it 🙂 – just remember it’s going to take time. Attack the problem with the right game plan, and your ascension to superhero status can come a bit quicker.

What do you want to know about building muscle and strength? Leave questions in the comments!

-Steve

PS: Not ready to commit to one of our programs? That’s cool too! Make sure you sign up for our email list so we can send you BOTH the “Skinny nerd’s guide to bulking up” and also our entire “Strength Training 101: What you need to know” ebook! You can get both free when you sign up in the box below:

Download our free skinny guy’s guide to putting on muscle!

  Enter your email below to download now

  The Nerd Fitness "Get Bigger" Shopping List

Bulk like the Hulk with our rules for getting bigger

  ###

photo source:[1]

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Deadlifting, Jay Springett: Start, toy hulk,

How Fast Can I Build Muscle Naturally? A Step-By-Step Guide to Building Muscle Quickly published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[atozbodyfitness]

There is still a big misconception with women thinking that if they lift weights then they will become bulky and muscular looking. This is very far from the truth as it takes year's to put on muscle with dedication of added nutrition and a lifestyle that is hard to fulfill for some people. There is also several other factors that you need to take into account that make a difference which are nutrition, your strength levels, genetics, supplements and most of all, if you're even performing the exercises properly. These will determine what muscle you will gain BUT even still, it takes years. I've told so many people before there are even many men who find it hard to put on muscle. The weights don't favour anybody. we are all the same when it comes to gaining muscle. Some people gain it a bit easier than others because of their genetic benefits BUT that is still a small difference as it takes a long time no matter who you are. You should also stop comparing yourself to another woman's physique that took 5 to 10 years to build. They are years ahead and it's very unfair to do that to yourself. The other thing to note is some of the pictures you are seeing might be pictures of some people who are on some sort of enhancers. Regardless, if you take enhancers or not you still have to work very hard and work for years to get that physique but know you can't compare yourself them as they achieved that look through the help of p.e.ds. So I would advise you to stop comparing yourself to someone else who has been working out for a much longer period than you have and also when your knowledge in this area isn't too saturated either. Don't be afraid to lift weights and also heavy weights. You're not going to blow up in a few months and become muscular. There are a lot of benefits to lifting weights you are missing out on if you continue to let this old-age myth stop you from lifting weights. #atozbodyfitness #fitness #torontofitness #bodybuilding #health #healthandfitness #weights #femaleceo #fitnesstoronto #fitindia #femalefitness #fitfam #weightlifting #fitfam #fitnessmotivation #getfit #fitnessgoals #fitnessaddict #fitceo #femaleentrepreneurship #fatlosshelp #fatlosscoach https://www.instagram.com/p/CMieVa0jeQA/?igshid=t65f9mk4cpt5

[timclymer]

Top 7 Natural Muscle Building Myths

Have you ever been confused about the advice you’ve been given for building muscle? Are you sick of hearing multiple answers for what you know is a simple question?

Well, now you can put all of the bro science behind you and get ready to uncover the 7 biggest muscle building myths you thought were true.

Myth #1: You can gain a pound of muscle in a week

This is definitely not the case. At the maximum, you could achieve a gain of about one pound every two weeks. That will also depend on your diet even more than your exercise habits.

Myth #2: Supplements will maximize muscle growth

I’m sorry to inform you that supplements will not boost your muscle growth like proper diet, and training techniques. Those companies spend millions of dollars trying to make you believe that. It’s not your fault.

Myth #3: You can build muscle eating the same amount of food

This may be the main thing holding you back. The majority of people associate lifting weights with building muscle. But, you can lift weights and not build any muscle if you’re not providing your body with the calories to repair the torn muscle tissue.

Myth #4: Working out more equals more muscle

This is untrue for several reasons. But the biggest reason is because if you workout six days a week, you’re not giving your body enough time to recover and build that muscle.

Myth #5: The more protein you eat, the more muscle you’ll build

Your body can only synthesize so much protein to build muscle with. By consuming too much protein, your robbing your body of the other essential nutrients it needs to repair your torn muscles.

Myth #6: There is a single best program

In reality, each quality program has the ability to take you where you want to be. It’s more about finding the right program for you. The one that fits your schedule and gives you great results. Look for customized approaches.

Myth #7: If women lift heavy weights, they will get bulky

Women do not produce enough testosterone and other potent factors the same way men do. Unless the woman in question is taking steroids or hormones, they simply will not get big and bulky.

I hope this cleared up a lot of the confusion surrounding natural muscle building. We dissected the top 7 myths and now we can move forward with enlightenment, and more realistic goals to set.

Thank you for reading!

Source by Brandyn Burgett

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/top-7-natural-muscle-building-myths/ via Home Solutions on WordPress from Home Solutions FOREV https://homesolutionsforev.tumblr.com/post/186811627075 via Tim Clymer on Wordpress

[homesolutionsforev]

Top 7 Natural Muscle Building Myths

Have you ever been confused about the advice you’ve been given for building muscle? Are you sick of hearing multiple answers for what you know is a simple question?

Well, now you can put all of the bro science behind you and get ready to uncover the 7 biggest muscle building myths you thought were true.

Myth #1: You can gain a pound of muscle in a week

This is definitely not the case. At the maximum, you could achieve a gain of about one pound every two weeks. That will also depend on your diet even more than your exercise habits.

Myth #2: Supplements will maximize muscle growth

I’m sorry to inform you that supplements will not boost your muscle growth like proper diet, and training techniques. Those companies spend millions of dollars trying to make you believe that. It’s not your fault.

Myth #3: You can build muscle eating the same amount of food

This may be the main thing holding you back. The majority of people associate lifting weights with building muscle. But, you can lift weights and not build any muscle if you’re not providing your body with the calories to repair the torn muscle tissue.

Myth #4: Working out more equals more muscle

This is untrue for several reasons. But the biggest reason is because if you workout six days a week, you’re not giving your body enough time to recover and build that muscle.

Myth #5: The more protein you eat, the more muscle you’ll build

Your body can only synthesize so much protein to build muscle with. By consuming too much protein, your robbing your body of the other essential nutrients it needs to repair your torn muscles.

Myth #6: There is a single best program

In reality, each quality program has the ability to take you where you want to be. It’s more about finding the right program for you. The one that fits your schedule and gives you great results. Look for customized approaches.

Myth #7: If women lift heavy weights, they will get bulky

Women do not produce enough testosterone and other potent factors the same way men do. Unless the woman in question is taking steroids or hormones, they simply will not get big and bulky.

I hope this cleared up a lot of the confusion surrounding natural muscle building. We dissected the top 7 myths and now we can move forward with enlightenment, and more realistic goals to set.

Thank you for reading!

Source by Brandyn Burgett

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