Training & Exercise

Gain Muscle With Drop Sets

Gain Muscle With Drop Sets

WHAT ARE DROP SETS?Drop sets are a training technique geared towards increasing muscle mass by performing an exercise, then reducing (dropping) the weight, and continuing to perform more reps until you reach failure. They were a favorite of Arnold Schwarzenegger and...

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The Ideal Ranges For Time Under Tension

The Ideal Ranges For Time Under Tension

Varying the tempo on an exercise to manipulate the time under tension (TUT) is an excellent tool for building muscle and busting plateaus. It is also a great trick for making your in-home workouts more challenging if you are limited to a few lightweight dumbbells. TUT...

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Muscle vs. Fat: What’s The Difference?

Muscle vs. Fat: What’s The Difference?

Which weighs more, muscle or fat? If you answered “they weigh the same”, you are correct. The difference is that muscle is denser so it takes up less space. To put it another way, if you gained 5 pounds of muscle and lost 5 pounds of fat, your body weight would stay...

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Close Grip Bench Press: Build Triceps Strength

Close Grip Bench Press: Build Triceps Strength

As opposed to the traditional bench press, which primarily targets the chest, the close grip bench press primarily targets your triceps. In fact, aside from parallel dips, this exercise is in my opinion the best exercise for your triceps when performed correctly. When...

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Should You Lift To Muscle Failure?

Should You Lift To Muscle Failure?

You may be wondering, “Should I be lifting to muscle failure? How do I know if I’ve hit failure?” In strength training, lifting to muscle failure means performing a specific resistance training activity enough times that the primary muscle cannot perform one more rep...

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HIIT: The Most Efficient Way To Burn Fat

HIIT: The Most Efficient Way To Burn Fat

HIIT... No equipment needed! Are you missing out on one of the most efficient ways to burn fat and build lean muscle? High-intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, can be described as any workout that includes short bouts of intense activity followed by short...

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Hex Press For Bigger Pecs

Hex Press For Bigger Pecs

The dumbbell hex press is one of those exercises that is often forgotten when it comes to training the chest muscles. Most people look no further than flat bench and incline chest press or different angled fly movements when changing up their chest routines. If that’s...

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What’s The Best Home Workout Equipment?

What’s The Best Home Workout Equipment?

Whether you have a gym membership or not, there is no excuse for not working out. It’s a lot easier than you think to turn your living room into a gym with a few pieces of home workout equipment. In fact, working out from home: Saves time Saves money Allows...

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Bodyweight Circuit Workout For Busy People

Bodyweight Circuit Workout For Busy People

In today's society, multitasking is common place. Every single day we juggle kids, commutes, deadlines, and commitments. Still, this is no excuse for not exercising at least 30 minutes, 3-5 days a week. Anybody, from top performing CEO’s to the President of the United...

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How To Safely Test For Your One-Rep Max

How To Safely Test For Your One-Rep Max

Your one-rep max (1RM) is the most weight you can lift one time for a particular exercise. This is one way to track increases in strength and is also helpful to give you an idea of how much you should lift in other rep ranges. It’s important to note that you don’t...

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Muscle Confusion: Fact Or Fiction?

Muscle Confusion: Fact Or Fiction?

Contrary to what some of the big name fitness programs like P90X would like you to believe, constantly changing up your workouts to “confuse” your muscles does not allow enough time to build upon the progress you’ve made on each exercise week after week. Although...

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A Sit-Up That Improves Your Squat?

A Sit-Up That Improves Your Squat?

Want a great core exercise you can do anywhere to help you tighten up that midsection before Summer is officially here? The butterfly sit-up is one of my favorites! Here are a few reasons why this is not your average sit-up: They actually help with your squat,...

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Does Lifting Heavy Weights Make Women Bulky?

Does Lifting Heavy Weights Make Women Bulky?

"I am afraid that if I workout, my arms will get bigger. They are so big already and resistant to losing weight. If I gain muscle and I don’t lose any fat from that area, I can’t imagine…" I understand the concern my new Instagram friend has. After all, fear of...

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How To Structure Your Workout Program

How To Structure Your Workout Program

While there is no “single right way” to structure your workout program, below are some common strength training splits, based on days per week, that may help you to get started. These obviously do not take into account any specific goals, injuries, or restrictions you...

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How Many Sets And Reps Should You Do?

How Many Sets And Reps Should You Do?

How many sets and reps should you do? The truth is, there is no single best rep range for fat loss, gaining muscle, or “toning up”. There’s actually no such thing as “toning” at all but I’ll save that for another post. The reason it’s not so clear cut and dry is...

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Should You Use Exercise Machines?

Should You Use Exercise Machines?

All things being constant (same weight, same exercise), you will get more benefit from using free weights than you will from a machine. Two reasons: Because free weights allow for a full range of motion. We all come in different shapes and sizes, machines don’t. So...

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Why You Should Always Warm-Up

Why You Should Always Warm-Up

Most of us workout to lose weight, build muscle, and feel more confident. Unfortunately, most of us also skip the warm-up. I get it, there’s nothing particularly sexy or fun about warming up. But the truth is, when you bypass the warm-up and go straight into your...

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How To Lose Fat Not Muscle

How To Lose Fat Not Muscle

There are a few key things that need to be taken into account in order to lose FAT and not lose MUSCLE. Your body does have the ability to “catabolize” your own muscle, which you want to avoid at all costs if you are spending time putting in work at the gym. Simply put, if you are not doing the things I am about to list below, you risk not only LOSING muscle, but slowing your metabolism down and making yourself more prone to injury.

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How To Actively Engage Your Core Muscles During Exercise

How To Actively Engage Your Core Muscles During Exercise

Protecting The Lower Back With Core Engagement You have probably heard the term “engage your core”. But what does that really mean?  Many people mistakenly equate engaging the core with sucking in the stomach. However, this is the opposite of what you want to do and...

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How To Properly Track Your Fitness Progress

How To Properly Track Your Fitness Progress

If You Are Not Assessing, You Are Just Guessing Tracking your progress is an important part of staying on track with your fitness goals. Keeping a food log, workout log, taking "before and after" photos, recording body weight, body fat, circumference measurements, and...

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Fat Loss: Is Fasted Cardio Superior To Regular Cardio?

Fat Loss: Is Fasted Cardio Superior To Regular Cardio?

The Fasted Cardio Debate The jury is still out on whether or not fasted cardio is ideal for burning body fat. The short answer is...it’s complicated. There is research to support that your body can burn up to 20% more fat following a fasted bout of cardio in the...

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Optimal Rest Time Between Sets

Optimal Rest Time Between Sets

Different fitness goals require different periods of rest time between sets. Always time your breaks with a stopwatch or a timer. For fat loss and muscle endurance, circuit workouts and metabolic conditioning with 30-60 seconds or less between exercises are great for...

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Gym Etiquette 101: Mistakes To Avoid

Gym Etiquette 101: Mistakes To Avoid

While this gym etiquette list could be A LOT longer, here are some basic unwritten rules to abide by when in a crowded gym.  Some of these may seem obvious to my fellow gym goers who’ve been at this a long time, but remember that we were all beginners at one point...

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Squats: The King Of All Exercises

Squats: The King Of All Exercises

There are few movements as effective for building muscle, gaining strength and increasing power as the squat. They are one of the most fundamental compound movements in strength training. If you are not currently including them in your workout routine, you need to be....

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What Is Functional Fitness Training?

What Is Functional Fitness Training?

Functional Fitness Training Defined Functional fitness training can be described as any program that includes exercises designed to mimic and/or help you to perform daily tasks or activities safely and efficiently. Examples of these types of tasks or activities...

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How To Prep For A Fitness Photo Shoot

How To Prep For A Fitness Photo Shoot

Tips On Preparing For A Fitness Photo Shoot Six weeks from my fitness photo shoot, I was 178.5 lbs., around 12% body fat, and in decent shape, although not camera ready. By following a few steps outlined below, I was able to get those numbers down to 169.5 lbs. and...

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Health & Nutrition

Change Brings Opportunity

Change Brings Opportunity

Not being able to go to the gym or attend your favorite fitness class due to COVID stinks, but it also presents an opportunity to improve in other areas. Here are a few of them: Nutrition  The “I’m too busy” excuse can no longer be used. You may still be busy, but...

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Coronavirus: How You Can Help

Coronavirus: How You Can Help

We are dealing with a serious issue that is about to get worse before it gets better. I don’t believe we’ve dealt with a virus of this magnitude since maybe the polio epidemic of the 1940's and 1950's. So, if you want to hear my take on COVID-19, here it is…  Right...

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Should You Skip Breakfast?

Should You Skip Breakfast?

As much as 25% of the American population skip breakfast.⁣⁣⁣ Why?⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Don’t they know that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”?⁣⁣⁣ Or do they know something we don’t?⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Breakfast proponents would argue that eating breakfast keeps you from...

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5 Essential Holiday Fitness Tips

5 Essential Holiday Fitness Tips

Holiday Fitness Tips The average American gains anywhere from 5 lbs. to 12 lbs. between Thanksgiving and New Year’s! So before we kick off this month and a half marathon of good times and overindulging, let me weigh in with 5 tips to help you minimize setbacks and...

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How To Count Calories And Macros

How To Count Calories And Macros

“I workout and I eat well, but I can’t seem to lose any weight. Can you help me?” A new member of the Online Fitness Coach Facebook Group stated that her goal was to lose 10 pounds. She runs 10 miles a day almost every day of the week, participates in veteran...

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Which Starchy Foods Should You Avoid?

Which Starchy Foods Should You Avoid?

Did you know that white bread, bagels, and pancakes are actually higher on the Glycemic Index than table sugar?!Just like sugar, starchy foods have the potential to elevate blood sugar levels quickly. When this happens, your body releases the hormone insulin. Insulin...

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Top Sources Of Vegetarian Protein

Top Sources Of Vegetarian Protein

A high protein diet is ideal for both weight loss and muscle growth. High protein diets not only help to suppress appetite, but your body also burns more calories digesting protein than it does carbohydrates or fat, helping you to feel fuller for longer and on fewer...

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How To Eat Less (Without Counting Calories)

How To Eat Less (Without Counting Calories)

Counting calories and tracking daily macronutrients is a great way to dial in your nutrition, identify areas that need improvement in your diet, and keep you on track with your goals. If you’re new to fitness or just starting a weight loss journey, I would strongly...

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How To Assess Your Fitness Progress Without The Scale

How To Assess Your Fitness Progress Without The Scale

Do you know how to assess your fitness progress without the scale? Body weight is certainly important, especially if your main goal is weight loss. However, most people make the mistake of relying solely on the scale as their ONLY indicator of progress. Let me ask you...

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Use Your Hand For Portion Control

Use Your Hand For Portion Control

Tracking calories and macronutrients with an app like MyFitnessPal is a terrific tool for portion control and staying on top of your fitness goals, especially for those who are just starting a fitness program and need to dial in their nutrition, or those who need to...

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The S.M.A.R.T. Approach To Goal Setting

The S.M.A.R.T. Approach To Goal Setting

Have you ever set a goal or a New Year’s resolution, and did really well sticking to it only to fizzle out and fall back into your old habits 3 or 4 weeks later? I know I have. Breaking old negative habits and replacing them with new positive habits is never easy, but...

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10 Tips To Eat Healthy When Dining Out

10 Tips To Eat Healthy When Dining Out

If your job requires you to wine and dine clients frequently, or you simply enjoy eating out often, but you also have weight loss or fitness goals you are trying to accomplish, then you need to have a plan in order to eat healthy when dining out. Most restaurants...

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Find Your “Why”

Find Your “Why”

When it comes to working out and eating right, you are going to have plenty of days where you don't feel like going to the gym, or you are tempted to eat the bad food. If you don't have a compelling enough reason WHY you want to get in shape, making a lifestyle change...

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How To Drink Alcohol And Still Lose Weight

How To Drink Alcohol And Still Lose Weight

If you’re not careful, the weekend and vacations are where you can fall off the wagon and sabotage a lot of your weight loss efforts and fitness progress you’ve made. You normally work hard. So when the weekend and vacations come, you just want to relax and have a...

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The 80-20 Rule And Flexible Dieting

The 80-20 Rule And Flexible Dieting

The best plan is the one you can stick to. This goes for training and for nutrition. If you hate it, if you can’t stand the thought of doing it, you’re probably not going to be able to maintain it. This is why fad diets like Keto, South Beach and Atkins don’t work...

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Weight Loss Expectations Versus Reality

Weight Loss Expectations Versus Reality

The picture above is an actual progress chart showing the 20 pound weight loss trajectory over a 3-month period of one of my online coaching clients. I show this to illustrate that while you might expect weight loss to look a little more linear (see the red line), in...

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Benefits Of Supplementing With Creatine

Benefits Of Supplementing With Creatine

Creatine is the most researched supplement in the health and fitness industry. To date, studies do not indicate that there are any long-term health effects resulting from creatine supplementation and it is deemed safe.

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Why You Should Take A Greens Supplement

Why You Should Take A Greens Supplement

Greens supplements, also known as “superfoods”, are fruits, vegetables, algaes and/or grasses that have been compacted and distilled into powdered form. They typically contain an assortment of nutrient rich foods like spirulina, chlorella, alfalfa, vegetables, fruits, barley grass, wheat grass, herbs, and legumes.

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Winter Weight Gain. The Reasons And The Cure!

Winter Weight Gain. The Reasons And The Cure!

Studies show that the average American gains between 5-7 pounds over the holidays. It seems that every winter we acquire a few pounds, and come summer we don’t always lose them. A few of them tend to stick around, adding to our overall weight every year. It can be quite hard to lose to those extra pounds! Why does this happen and what can we do?

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The Benefits Of Whey Protein

The Benefits Of Whey Protein

When it comes to protein powders, all are certainly not created equal. In the world of fitness, whey is king. The benefits of whey are numerous and it is an excellent source of protein for individuals of all age groups and fitness levels, not just gym goers and fitness fanatics. What is whey protein?

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Probiotics And Their Use As A Dietary Supplement

Probiotics And Their Use As A Dietary Supplement

Many people are unfamiliar with probiotics, but there are studies to show that these supplements may be beneficial in the treatment of various ailments. Probiotics are dietary supplements that contain possible beneficial bacteria. Certain types of yogurt, for example, contain probiotics in therapeutic quantities. This simply means that some foods contain enough of this supplement to be helpful and is measured in quantities where it cannot be overindulged. Probiotics are be…

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Is Fruit Juice Bad For You?

Is Fruit Juice Bad For You?

Which is healthier, whole fruit or fruit juice? To start, whole fruit has a natural layer of fiber that fruit juice does not. Fiber is not only linked with health benefits that include reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, but it also helps you feel fuller...

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The Health Benefits Of Fish Oil

The Health Benefits Of Fish Oil

A lot has been made of fish oil over the last few years. When the words oils and fats are mentioned, health-conscious individuals tend to run for cover. What they fail to realize is that there are good fats and bad fats. Complete avoidance of oils and fats would actually be detrimental rather than beneficial to their health.

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How To Recover From An Unhealthy Weekend

How To Recover From An Unhealthy Weekend

For many people, Friday through Sunday can involve some pretty unhealthy choices. Finding a balance between allowing yourself to splurge a little after a week of clean eating and overdoing it can be tricky. If you do end up overindulging, here are 5 tips to help you...

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What You Need To Know About BCAA’s

What You Need To Know About BCAA’s

The Benefits Of Branched-Chain Amino Acids BCAA's, or branched-chain amino acids, are among three of the nine essential amino acids for humans. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Essential amino acids are those that the body cannot synthesize on its own...

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2-Week Intermittent Fasting Challenge

2-Week Intermittent Fasting Challenge

As popular as intermittent fasting has become over the last decade, fasting has actually been around for thousands of years and is practiced by many across different cultures and religions all over the world. Proponents for intermittent fasting claim that it is an...

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Follow Me On Instagram

Instagram post 17881888354537270 No exercise equipment at home? ⁣
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No problem!⁣
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Bodyweight circuits are a great way to burn fat and get some cardio in at the same time.⁣
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Here is how to do this. ⁣
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Choose 4 or 5 exercises. ⁣
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Be sure to include at least 1 lower body exercise, 1 upper body, 1 core, and 1 cardio or plyometric exercise. ⁣
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Perform at a high intensity, completing 1 minute on each with little to no rest between exercises. ⁣
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Rest up to 2 minutes upon completion of all exercises. ⁣
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Repeat 2-3 more times.⁣
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Give it a try, I think you'll find that it is a lot harder than it looks!⁣
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- Coach Brian⁣
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P.S. With all of the gym shutdowns, I’ve been spending a good chunk of my time writing up in-home bodyweight, resistance band, and dumbbell workouts for my 1-on-1 online coaching clients.⁣
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Want 7 days of FREE workouts that you can do entirely from home?⁣
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All you have to do is sign up using this link in my bio ☝🏼
Instagram post 17845320308045498 With gyms shut down everywhere for the foreseeable future, it’s as important a time as ever to make sure we are staying active and healthy. If you don’t have any workout equipment at home and need to make the switch, below is a list of what I believe to be the best pieces of in-home equipment, prices included.⁣⁣ You don’t need them all, but it’s a good idea to invest in one or two of these items to allow for a complete full-body workout.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Jump Rope: Effective for high-intensity cardio, warm-ups, speed and agility, hand-eye coordination, footwork, and metabolic conditioning. A good rope starts at $10.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Resistance Bands: These allow you to do exercises you cannot do with your bodyweight alone, particularly, exercises for your back muscles that involve pulling. A good set of 5 resistance bands with handles and a door anchor starts at $21 on Amazon.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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TRX Suspension Trainer: Many of the same exercises can be done with the TRX as resistance bands, however, the TRX also allows for some more challenging exercises that are performed suspended (feet hooked into the straps). These start at $149 with the door anchor included.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Pull-Up Bar: Pull-ups and chin-ups are very efficient because they work your biceps, triceps, forearms, lats, shoulders, core, and they improve grip strength. However, if you are unable to do a single pull-up or chin-up at this time, I would start with resistance bands and/or the TRX first. These start at $19.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Kettlebells: These allow you to do compound exercises, core exercises, rowing and pulling, curling, functional movements, and metabolic conditioning. These will vary anywhere from $13 to over $300 depending on the weight ranges you need and whether you buy just one or multiple kettlebells.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Adjustable Dumbbells: Although these can be expensive depending on the weight range you need, I consider them to be the best investment of all of these pieces of equipment. They allow you to do the most exercises, target all muscle groups, and they take up little space. Most can be adjusted from 5 pounds up to 52.5 pounds and start at $249.⁣⁣⁣
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- Coach Brian
Instagram post 17869377772553715 WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WHEN WOMEN LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS by @online.fitness.coach⁣⁣⁣
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“I am afraid that if I workout, my arms will get bigger. They are so big already and resistant to losing weight. If I gain muscle and I don’t lose any fat from that area, I can’t imagine…”⁣⁣⁣
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I understand the concern my new Instagram friend has. After all, fear of getting too bulky is one of the most common concerns among women who are new to strength training.⁣⁣⁣
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In reality, your chances of “accidentally” bulking up from lifting weights are about as good as replacing Danica Patrick on the racetrack because hey, you drive a car too right?⁣⁣⁣
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…Doesn’t work like that.⁣⁣⁣
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Nothing happens overnight. So if at any point, you felt like you’d reached your personal preference for muscle mass, you or your coach would simply adjust your training and nutrition plan for maintenance at that point. You won’t just wake up one morning and have accidentally gotten too swole.⁣⁣⁣
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One of the main reasons why it’s harder for women to put on a significant amount of muscle mass compared to men is that the balance of testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) in women is far lower than in men (in terms of the general population). Both of these play a large role in building muscle mass. Some studies suggest that testosterone levels in women are as much as 15 to 20 times lower.⁣⁣⁣
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So it’s not that women can’t get bulky, it’s just that unless your training regimen, nutrition and supplementation plan are specifically geared towards putting on size, it won’t happen.⁣⁣⁣
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It’s also worth mentioning that “bulky” is subjective. What’s bulky to you, may not be bulky to someone else.⁣⁣⁣
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If you are just looking to lose some weight and get fit, your training regimen and nutrition plan will look vastly different than that of a female bodybuilder or powerlifter for example.⁣⁣⁣
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Now stop worrying about getting bulky and go lift something!⁣⁣⁣
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Know someone who needs to see this? Tag them below! 👇🏼⁣⁣⁣
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- Coach Brian
Instagram post 17850016573759322 HOW TO USE YOUR HAND FOR PORTION CONTROL by @online.fitness.coach⁣
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Tracking calories and macronutrients via an app like MyFitnessPal is a terrific tool for staying on top of your fitness goals, especially for those who are just starting a fitness program and need to dial in their nutrition, or those who need to be as precise as possible with their nutrient intake as they prepare to step on stage.⁣
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Not only does it help to more accurately assess calories in versus calories out, but it creates mindfulness around snacking and gives you a better understanding of which foods are high in calories.⁣
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That said, it does require consistency and you do need to take a little time each day to record everything you eat and drink. Long-term, this may not be the best strategy for those who have very busy schedules.⁣
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The good news is that you don’t have to track calories forever. If you’ve never done it before, I recommend you do it for at least 3-4 weeks in order to gain a better understanding of how many calories you consume daily, which foods you eat that may have more calories than you thought, which foods contain the macronutrients you need for your goals, and what areas of your diet can be improved.⁣
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Once you’ve gotten a handle on this, if you decide tracking daily is not for you, you can simplify things by using your hand instead to estimate portion sizes.⁣
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To do this, use the following as a guide and try to eat like this at each meal 3 times a day. If you’d like to eat less or more often, simply adjust portions up or down:⠀⁣
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🥩 Protein: 2 or 3 palm-sized portions⁣
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🥗 Veggies: 2 or 3 fist-sized portions⁣
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🥔 Carbohydrates: 3 or 4 cupped handfuls⁣
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🥑 Healthy Fats: 2 or 3 thumbs⁣
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Know someone who could benefit from this guide? Send them here @online.fitness.coach⁣
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- Coach Brian
Instagram post 18086583487137338 THE TOP 5 UNDENIABLE BENEFITS OF SQUATS by @online.fitness.coach⁣
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There are few exercises as effective for building muscle, and increasing strength and power as the squat. If you are not currently including them in your workout routine, you need to be. Here are 5 good reasons why:⁣
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1. Burn Most Calories In Shortest Amount Of Time: Because you are recruiting so many different muscles and they are so taxing on your body, you burn far more calories than you do with isolation movements. They are great for maximizing your time in the gym.⁣
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Speaking of maximizing time, one of the most efficient ways to burn more calories is to actually gain more muscle. For every pound of additional muscle you gain, your body will burn an additional 50-70 calories per day. So, if you gain 10 pounds of muscle, you will automatically burn 500-700 more calories per day than you did before.⁣
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2. Translate To Everyday Life: Squats are a “functional” exercise. Functional exercises help your body to perform normal everyday activities. You squat every time you sit down or get up out of your chair, lift a heavy piece of furniture, or pick your baby up and carry them. Learning how to squat correctly will help you to perform these tasks without throwing your back out.⁣
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3. Prevent Injuries: Studies show that when done properly, squats strengthen and tighten your knee ligaments as well as increase knee stability. Most athletic injuries involve weak ligaments and stabilizer muscles. Squats help prevent injuries from happening by strengthening these areas as well as improving flexibility and balance.⁣
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4. Increase Core Strength: Not only do squats strengthen the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, but they engage the core and require a great deal of core strength. You simply cannot squat heavy without a strong core.⁣
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5. Boost Testosterone: Squats cause the release of extra testosterone and growth hormone in your bloodstream. This helps to build more muscle and increase strength not only in your legs, but your upper body as well.⁣
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Know someone who could benefit from this post? Tag them below! 👇🏼⁣
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- Coach Brian
Instagram post 17853353284722016 THE S.M.A.R.T. APPROACH TO GOAL SETTING by @online.fitness.coach⁣
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Have you ever set a goal only to fizzle out and fall back into your old habits 3 or 4 weeks later? I know I have.⁣
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Breaking old habits and replacing them with new one’s is hard, but not impossible.⁣
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Identifying your goal is the first step in taking something that has not yet happened, and turning it into a reality. HOW you set your goal will directly affect your outcome.⁣
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Here’s an example of how the S.M.A.R.T. approach looks as it relates to fitness:⁣
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✅ SPECIFIC - Details exactly what needs to happen. Ex: Lose 20 pounds, drop 6% body fat, and take 2 inches off my waist.⁣
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✅ MEASURABLE - Progress can be measured. Ex: Scale, body fat reader, and tape measurer.⁣
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✅ ACCOUNTABLE - Tell someone who will hold you accountable and won’t let you quit, what your goal is. This could be a loved one, best friend, workout partner, or a coach 🙋🏼‍♂️.⁣
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✅ REALISTIC - Is your goal realistic given the demands on your schedule? Ex: Losing 100 pounds in 3 months while working a full-time job with 3 kids is not realistic, but losing 20 pounds under those same circumstances is. A realistic goal is important for morale and motivation, but don’t use this an excuse to set an easily obtainable goal.⁣
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✅ TIMELY - Deadlines create the pressure we need to take action. Choose a timeframe you want to have achieved your goal by, put it in your calendar, and set weekly accountability check-ins and measurement reminders to ensure you are staying on track with your goals.⁣
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Lastly, come up with 5 strong reasons WHY this needs to happen. Examples of a strong “WHY” might include being able to play with your kids, avoiding health issues, looking good in a bathing suit, or simply having more confidence.⁣
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Write these down, and keep them where you can see them every day. Post them on your fridge, bathroom mirror, or carry them in your wallet.⁣
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Studies show that those who write down their goals are 50% more likely to achieve them... yet only 3% of adults actually do this. Be the 3%.⁣
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- Coach B
Instagram post 18121047382042891 HOW TO ASSESS PROGRESS WITHOUT A SCALE by @online.fitness.coach

Follow me @online.fitness.coach for more daily fitness advice like this!

Body weight is certainly important, especially if your main goal is weight loss. However, most people make the mistake of relying solely on the scale as their ONLY indicator of progress. Let me ask you this…

Does your scale tell you how much fat you’ve lost and how much lean muscle you’ve gained?

Does your scale measure how many inches you’ve taken off your waistline?

Does your scale track your food to help you eliminate bad habits like drinking too much soda?

Does your scale know that you set a personal record on your squat today?

Does your scale show you the changes in your body composition between now and the time you started?

If your scale does all these things, then disregard this post. Your scale is way better than mine. For everyone else, make sure you have at least 3 OTHER WAYS to assess your progress besides the number on the scale.

When you’re on a fitness journey, there’s a lot more going on than just weight loss. You’re getting out of your comfort zone, trying new things, reinforcing positive habits, trading a little body fat for a little lean muscle, starting to feel better about yourself, getting stronger, sleeping well, and waking up with more energy.

The scale measures none of this.

Focus on improving every single day, not on the number on the scale, and with patience and consistent effort you will reach your goals.

Know someone who needs to hear this? Tag them below! 👇🏼 - Coach Brian

#FitnessNewbie #GymNewbie #NewToFitness #FitnessBeginner #WeightLossTips #WeightLossHelp #WeightLossMotivation #WeightLossDiet #WeightLossJourney #WeightLossDiary #HowToLoseWeight #FatLossTips #FatLossHelp #FatLossMotivation #FatLossJourney #Dieting #CalorieCounting #HealthyHabits #FitnessTips #GymTips #ExerciseTips #WorkoutTips #FitnessHelp #HealthTips #DietTips #FitnessProgress #FitnessResults #FitnessGoals #OnlineFitnessCoach #TheOnlineFitCoach
Instagram post 17846025163791640 HOW TO DRINK ALCOHOL AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT by @online.fitness.coach⁣
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Follow me @online.fitness.coach for more daily fitness and nutrition advice like this!⁣
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If you're not careful, the weekend is where you can fall off the wagon and sabotage your weight loss efforts. You work hard, and sometimes you want to have a few drinks, but you don't want to undo all of your progress and hard work.⁣
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Here are 5 rules you can follow that will keep you moving in the right direction:⁣
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1. Workout in the AM so that you don’t interfere with exercise recovery, you burn some extra calories, and you rev your metabolism up for the rest of the day.⁣
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2. For breakfast and lunch, go high-protein high-veggies, and aim to keep it on the lighter side. For example, eggs for breakfast, salad with chicken breast for lunch. Don’t compound all of the extra carbs from booze with a high-carb breakfast like potatoes or cereal and than a high-carb lunch like pasta. Offset the carbs you’ll be drinking that night with protein and veggies during the day.⁣
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3. Stick to low-calorie drinks. Your best option is to go with liquor (whiskey, vodka, tequila, brandy, gin, etc.) on the rocks or with a zero-calorie mixer (club soda, seltzer water, diet soda, etc.). If that’s not your thing, go with wine or light beer. Beware of high sugar mixers as these will seriously increase the calories in your drink… and give you a mean hangover.⁣
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4. Avoid drunk food like pizza, tacos, fast food, greasy snacks and appetizers. I know this may not always be possible, but when it is, you again want to offset the influx of carbs with protein. A lot of times it’s not the actual alcohol people consume that causes the weight gain, it’s the food choices they make with it. So choose a lean protein like chicken, steak or fish as your meal if you’re going to be eating and avoid or keep bread, rice, pasta, sweets and snacks minimal.⁣
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5. The following day, sweat it out with a workout, even if it’s not a great one. Just get something in. Drink lots of water to flush your system and rehydrate. Go high-protein high-veggies all day to balance your macros back out.⁣
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- Coach Brian
Instagram post 17880976945465385 THE 80/20 RULE by @online.fitness.coach
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Follow me @online.fitness.coach for more daily nutrition advice like this!⁣
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It’s cliche but it’s true. The best plan is the one you can stick to. This goes for training and nutrition. If you hate it, if you can’t stand the thought of doing it, you’re probably not going to be able to maintain it.⁣
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This is why fad diets don’t work long-term. Will you lose weight in the first few weeks or months? You could. Will you eventually fall off the wagon and put it all back on plus a few extra? It’s highly likely.⁣
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Enter the “80/20 Rule”. This method allows you to have the flexibility to still enjoy those foods you love like pizza, burgers, and beer without completely undoing all of your hard work.⁣
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Here’s how it works - 80% of the time, get all of your workouts in for the week, maintain a healthy diet of lean proteins, veggies, fruit, healthy fats, and some carbs, and hit your daily calories. If you’re consistently putting in the work, then allowing yourself a couple of “cheat meals” or even a “cheat day” is not going to ruin you.⁣
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I understand that for some people, this does not work. If you know you have an unhealthy relationship with food, or if this method of “rewarding” yourself with food doesn’t suit you, by all means, do what works for you. If it’s not a problem, then this method works very well for a lot of people.⁣
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Being able to eat the foods you enjoy from time to time, while still staying within your calorie range or at least keeping it within reason, is going to be a lot less miserable than extreme deprivation 100% of the time.⁣
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When you actually plan out your “cheat meals” or your “cheat day”, it eliminates the feeling of failure or beating yourself up for getting off track. You planned it, you worked hard, you earned it, so enjoy it.⁣
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There is no single right way to “do” fitness or nutrition. What works for some people may not work for others.⁣
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If you made it this far, COMMENT BELOW what your favorite “cheat” food is! 👇🏼 (mine is 🍕 without question)⁣
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- Coach Brian
Instagram post 17849381152744881 HOW TO SAFELY FIND YOUR ONE-REP MAX by @online.fitness.coach⁣
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Follow me @online.fitness.coach for more daily fitness tips like this!⁣
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Your one-rep max (1RM) is the most weight you can lift once for a particular exercise. This is one way to track increases in strength and is also helpful to give you an idea of how much you should lift in other rep ranges.⁣
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🛑 Important: you do not actually have to test your 1RM to know what it is and unless you are an advanced lifter or a power lifter, it’s probably smarter not to.⁣
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You can injure yourself very quickly testing at your max strength for a single rep. It’s not for beginners, particularly if the lift is a complex movement like the squat or deadlift. You need to be confident that you have excellent form.⁣
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A better alternative is to find this number out by testing your max strength at higher rep ranges and using a 1RM calculator to predict what your 1RM would be on that exercise. You can find plenty of free 1RM calculators online or in the App Store.⁣
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Now that we’ve covered that, here are a few general rules to follow when testing:⁣
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1. Always test for your 1RM FIRST during a training session, never do it at the end of a session after you are already fatigued from previous exercises.⁣
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2. Have a spotter present in case for any reason you get into trouble and need help lifting the weight.⁣
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3. Always do a mobility warm-up before starting. Do not go in cold.⁣
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4. Begin testing by first completing 1 or 2 sets of 6-10 reps using 40-50% of your predicted 1RM.⁣
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5. On the next set, increase the weight to roughly 60% and aim for 5 reps.⁣
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6. On the next set, increase the weight to roughly 70% and aim for 3 reps. For most people, this is as far as you need to go. Use a 1RM calculator from here.⁣
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7. Allow for 3-5 minutes of rest between each set. The heavier you go, the more rest you’ll need so take your time between sets.⁣
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8. Re-test every 5-6 weeks and record your progress in a training journal.⁣
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9. Each time you re-test, do your best to keep the conditions the same (equipment, temperature, nutrient intake, sleep, time of day, etc.)⁣
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If you found this helpful comment “1RM” below!
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- Coach Brian
Instagram post 18034919866231168 THE BEST WAY TO LOSE FAT WITHOUT LOSING MUSCLE by @online.fitness.coach⁣
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Your body has the ability to “catabolize”, or breakdown and use your muscle tissue for energy if your glycogen stores are depleted and no glucose is available. If you are trying to lose body fat AND build lean muscle simultaneously, you obviously want to avoid this. Here’s how…⁣
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First, you must maintain a daily “calorie deficit”. This means that you consume less calories than your body needs to burn for energy. MyFitnessPal is a free app that allows you to track your calories in vs. calories out and your macronutrient ratios. You can also calculate your daily targets by clicking the link in my bio and selecting “Calculate Your Calories & Macros”.⁣
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Second, protein is the building block for muscle. Even if you were to cut out exercise completely, a high protein diet is still ideal for fat loss. A good rule of thumb is to aim for .8-1g of protein per pound of your body weight. For example, if you’re 175 pounds, aim for 140-175g of protein per day.⁣
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Third, in order to maintain muscle while burning fat in a deficit, you have to keep your strength levels up. Tracking numbers (weight used, sets, reps) can be very helpful.⁣
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You will find that while in a calorie deficit, you may have less energy. If so, you need to adjust your training program to allow for optimal recovery while still maintaining your strength levels.⁣
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To do this, adjust total amount of sets, reps, and/or exercises as well as how many days per week you are training. You may have to play around with adjusting those numbers to find the right combo for you.⁣
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Lastly, avoid excessive cardio. It has its benefits, but when it comes to building a lean muscular physique, strength training, not cardio, needs to be the focus of your program.⁣
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Know someone who is trying to lose weight and build muscle? Send them here!⁣
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- Coach Brian
Instagram post 17891352595438215 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MUSCLE VS. FAT by @online.fitness.coach⁣⁣
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Which weighs more, muscle or fat?⁣⁣
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If you answered “they weigh the same”, you are correct. The difference is that muscle is denser so it takes up less space.⁣⁣
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To put it another way, if you gained 5 lbs. of muscle and lost 5 lbs. of fat, your body weight would stay the same but you would appear smaller because 5 lbs. of muscle will occupy less space than 5 lbs. of fat.⁣⁣
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Whatever your goals are, you should be aware of the ways that muscle benefits your body and health.⁣⁣
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Research shows that there is a direct correlation between increased muscle and improved insulin sensitivity.⁣⁣
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This means that the more lean muscle you have, the better your body can handle glucose, which results in less stored body fat.⁣⁣
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Higher levels of body fat have been linked to everything from obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, atherosclerosis, arthritis and even some forms of cancer.⁣⁣
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Not to mention you look and feel better when your body fat is lower.⁣⁣
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Other benefits of increased muscle include:⁣⁣
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Increased Metabolism - Because muscle is denser than fat, it requires more calories. This means the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn throughout the day.⁣⁣
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Improved Bone Mass - Muscle strengthens the bones it surrounds and supports.⁣⁣
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Reduced Injury Risk - To gain muscle you need to strength train. Strength training improves bone mass, core strength, balance, and coordination which in turn reduce the risk of injury.⁣⁣
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Increased Muscle Definition⁣⁣
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Increased Likelihood Of Living Longer - Muscular individuals have a lower risk of falling in old age and less of a chance of seriously injuring themselves. Also, the more muscle you have, the harder your body needs to work to maintain its resting level. This results in better circulation, healthy organs, and a reduced risk of illness.⁣⁣
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Strength training at least 3 times per week along with a high protein diet is a great way to build lean muscle.⁣⁣
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- Coach Brian

Browse Categories

Gain Muscle With Drop Sets

Gain Muscle With Drop Sets

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The Ideal Ranges For Time Under Tension

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Muscle vs. Fat: What’s The Difference?

Muscle vs. Fat: What’s The Difference?

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Hex Press For Bigger Pecs

Hex Press For Bigger Pecs

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What’s The Best Home Workout Equipment?

What’s The Best Home Workout Equipment?

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Bodyweight Circuit Workout For Busy People

Bodyweight Circuit Workout For Busy People

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How To Safely Test For Your One-Rep Max

How To Safely Test For Your One-Rep Max

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read more
Muscle Confusion: Fact Or Fiction?

Muscle Confusion: Fact Or Fiction?

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A Sit-Up That Improves Your Squat?

A Sit-Up That Improves Your Squat?

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Does Lifting Heavy Weights Make Women Bulky?

Does Lifting Heavy Weights Make Women Bulky?

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How To Structure Your Workout Program

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How Many Sets And Reps Should You Do?

How Many Sets And Reps Should You Do?

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Should You Use Exercise Machines?

Should You Use Exercise Machines?

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Why You Should Always Warm-Up

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How To Lose Fat Not Muscle

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Which Starchy Foods Should You Avoid?

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Top Sources Of Vegetarian Protein

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How To Eat Less (Without Counting Calories)

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How To Assess Your Fitness Progress Without The Scale

How To Assess Your Fitness Progress Without The Scale

Do you know how to assess your fitness progress without the scale? Body weight is certainly important, especially if your main goal is weight loss. However, most people make the mistake of relying solely on the scale as their ONLY indicator of progress. Let me ask you...

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Use Your Hand For Portion Control

Use Your Hand For Portion Control

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The S.M.A.R.T. Approach To Goal Setting

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Find Your “Why”

Find Your “Why”

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How To Drink Alcohol And Still Lose Weight

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The 80-20 Rule And Flexible Dieting

The 80-20 Rule And Flexible Dieting

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Weight Loss Expectations Versus Reality

Weight Loss Expectations Versus Reality

The picture above is an actual progress chart showing the 20 pound weight loss trajectory over a 3-month period of one of my online coaching clients. I show this to illustrate that while you might expect weight loss to look a little more linear (see the red line), in...

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Benefits Of Supplementing With Creatine

Benefits Of Supplementing With Creatine

Creatine is the most researched supplement in the health and fitness industry. To date, studies do not indicate that there are any long-term health effects resulting from creatine supplementation and it is deemed safe.

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Why You Should Take A Greens Supplement

Why You Should Take A Greens Supplement

Greens supplements, also known as “superfoods”, are fruits, vegetables, algaes and/or grasses that have been compacted and distilled into powdered form. They typically contain an assortment of nutrient rich foods like spirulina, chlorella, alfalfa, vegetables, fruits, barley grass, wheat grass, herbs, and legumes.

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Winter Weight Gain. The Reasons And The Cure!

Winter Weight Gain. The Reasons And The Cure!

Studies show that the average American gains between 5-7 pounds over the holidays. It seems that every winter we acquire a few pounds, and come summer we don’t always lose them. A few of them tend to stick around, adding to our overall weight every year. It can be quite hard to lose to those extra pounds! Why does this happen and what can we do?

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The Benefits Of Whey Protein

The Benefits Of Whey Protein

When it comes to protein powders, all are certainly not created equal. In the world of fitness, whey is king. The benefits of whey are numerous and it is an excellent source of protein for individuals of all age groups and fitness levels, not just gym goers and fitness fanatics. What is whey protein?

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Probiotics And Their Use As A Dietary Supplement

Probiotics And Their Use As A Dietary Supplement

Many people are unfamiliar with probiotics, but there are studies to show that these supplements may be beneficial in the treatment of various ailments. Probiotics are dietary supplements that contain possible beneficial bacteria. Certain types of yogurt, for example, contain probiotics in therapeutic quantities. This simply means that some foods contain enough of this supplement to be helpful and is measured in quantities where it cannot be overindulged. Probiotics are be…

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Is Fruit Juice Bad For You?

Is Fruit Juice Bad For You?

Which is healthier, whole fruit or fruit juice? To start, whole fruit has a natural layer of fiber that fruit juice does not. Fiber is not only linked with health benefits that include reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, but it also helps you feel fuller...

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The Health Benefits Of Fish Oil

The Health Benefits Of Fish Oil

A lot has been made of fish oil over the last few years. When the words oils and fats are mentioned, health-conscious individuals tend to run for cover. What they fail to realize is that there are good fats and bad fats. Complete avoidance of oils and fats would actually be detrimental rather than beneficial to their health.

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How To Recover From An Unhealthy Weekend

How To Recover From An Unhealthy Weekend

For many people, Friday through Sunday can involve some pretty unhealthy choices. Finding a balance between allowing yourself to splurge a little after a week of clean eating and overdoing it can be tricky. If you do end up overindulging, here are 5 tips to help you...

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What You Need To Know About BCAA’s

What You Need To Know About BCAA’s

The Benefits Of Branched-Chain Amino Acids BCAA's, or branched-chain amino acids, are among three of the nine essential amino acids for humans. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Essential amino acids are those that the body cannot synthesize on its own...

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2-Week Intermittent Fasting Challenge

2-Week Intermittent Fasting Challenge

As popular as intermittent fasting has become over the last decade, fasting has actually been around for thousands of years and is practiced by many across different cultures and religions all over the world. Proponents for intermittent fasting claim that it is an...

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