Rest and Recovery -by Charles Turner

Never underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep and rest between workout days. If you don’t allow your body plenty of time to recoup, how can you expect to see the type of gains that you want? The one thing that is crucial to remember is that when you work out, you are actually breaking down your muscle. The body only builds muscle when you’re resting- through proper rest and nutrition.

The effects of inadequate rest and recovery between workouts can lead to the following:

1. Low levels of energy
2. Decrease in Growth Hormone and Testosterone Levels
3. Increase in catabolic (muscle destroying) hormones
4. Overtraining – this can lead to injury

It’s really simple, not getting enough sleep and rest between workout days will encourage your body to lose muscle and gain body fat; something none of us want when trying to reach our fitness goals. The solution is really simple…get more rest!

Tips:

1. Aim for 8 hours of sleep a day. Can’t get 8 hours- squeeze in small naps throughout the day
2. Relax a couple hours before bed to prevent your adrenaline levels from rising
3. Try to avoid physical activity close to bedtime- which can elevate your heart rate
4. Try to go to bed the same time/ and wake up at the same time everyday
5. Try not to weight train on consecutive days (no more than two days in a row) your muscles and nervous system need time to recover.

Remember when designing your training split; make sure that rest and recovery are never overlooked-it’s when your muscle truly grows. To maximize recovery try 1 serving of PROLAB Glutamine Pre/ Post workout, and a serving prior to bedtime. Sometimes the simplest solution could make all the difference when trying to reach your goals!

Muscle Gains Simplified –by Malcolm Marshall

Whether young or old, male or female, people are always asking for tips on how to grow lean muscle mass. The six main tips that I always discuss include:

1. Consume enough protein
2. Drink plenty of water – minimum 64oz per day
3. Get adequate sleep
4. Never over train
5. Consume plenty of lean, clean calories
6. Last but not least, don’t make excuses!

Our bodies consist of about 75% water, so it only makes sense that we must hydrate our muscles in effort to build lean muscle. When maximum muscle growth is the goal, it is very important to make sure to be consistent about your workout.

Most people fail to realize that rest and sleep are equally as important as training.  During sleep is when the body repairs and rebuilds.  Protein is of primary importance in how the body functions and building muscle. Our body uses protein to repair and generate cells, which is essential for the body to grow and maintain itself. Like water, protein makes up a large part of our bodies. Proteins provide the body with 4 calories per gram. They consist of the essential amino acids and can come from animal sources such as meat, fish, eggs, and milk or vegetable sources such as vegetables, cereals, legumes, and fruits.

My protein powder of choice is Whey Isolate by PROLAB.  PROLAB’s Whey Isolate provides ultra pure, rapidly absorbed premium grade protein to support lean muscle growth and help improve recovery time from intense training.  I would recommend consuming between 1-3 protein shakes per day – with one of those servings being immediately post workout.  Be consistent about your training, clean eating and consuming adequate amounts of protein – and you are on your way to lean muscle gains!