Are you working hard in the gym several times a week and eating clean as you possibly can? If so, we applaud you for it, but the sad truth is that you are probably sabotaging your own success and making it hard for your body to lose weight and gain muscle.
What if we told you, that with a few simple steps and workout tweaks you could rise to a whole new level? Read on…
You`re Probably Too Stressed Out
Stress tends to elevate your cortisol levels thus raising your glucocorticoids levels by activating the sympathetic nervous system. This chain of action may cause a lot of health problems. Too much stress doesn’t go well with growth hormone and testosterone production, ultimately leading to fat increase, weaken bones and limited muscle growth.
Not Sleeping Enough
The average American slept for 9 hours every night in 1910, today it`s under 7 hours. Recovery is just as important (maybe even more) as training. Not enough sleep interferes with growth hormone production and muscle recovery. According to a recent research done in Japan by the International Journal of Obesity, shorter sleep duration resulted in bigger waist and higher BMI levels.
For better results and healthier future get at least 8 hours sleep at night, avoid drinking coffee after mid-day, no alcohol and if you can prepare your body and mind for sleeping with some kind of ritual.
You`re Not Eating Enough Protein
A high-protein diet (as shown in a study from the Journal of Nutrition) will improve your overall body composition and insulin levels much more than a moderate protein. Everything will make sense as long as you are aware that protein is the building block of muscle and helps in dropping fat while maintaining the muscle mass.
Too Much Cardio
Too much cardio can have a negative effect if your ultimate goal is to gain more muscle mass. On the other hand if your goal is to lose fat, over- prioritizing cardio limits is what really changes your body structure.
You Are Not Lifting Heavy Enough
It`s pretty simple, to gain strength and size you need to lift hard and heavy. Focus your attention on deadlifts, rows and squats. Training heavy is the best way to prevent muscle loss and also burns more calories.
You`re Not Drinking Enough Water
Even the slightest amount of dehydration can hurt your results when it comes to fat loss. Why? Because when you are dehydrated your metabolism slows down to conserve water, you can no perform at the highest levels and your progress becomes limited.
You`re Skipping Carbs
Carbs are not evil! They provide energy needed for building mass and restoring energy levels. This is absolutely vital if you plan an intense workout several times per week, And FYI even if you plan to drop weight carbs will help you more than hurt you. Your intake of carbs must be from clean sources like potatoes, whole grains, fruits, quinoa and yams.
You`re Not Eating Enough Fat
Yep, you are reading it right! In fact if you want to lose fat, than eat more fat. Aerobics combined with fish oil, nuts, avocados, coconut oils, olive oil (which are all fat) will help you drop more excessive weight than exercise alone. Because testosterone is made from cholesterol, fat is vital for muscle gain. Just avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oils and you`ll do just fine.
