How Many Days of Rest?

So I was thinking about topics for which to discuss in this week's post, when my good friend Jamie gave me the perfect idea.

Out of nowhere this gym bro asks me, "Jtrain! Have you ever written a blog post about how many days rest you should take?"

And that question hit me with so much inspiration that I thought, you know what? That's what my next post will be on. So here we go!

I've discussed the importance of rest and sleep in a previous post located here. I always tell people that sleep is the most underrated workout supplement of all time, and that the amount of sleep you get can be directly proportional to how successful you are at gaining muscle, staying healthy, and preventing injury.

Resting muscle groups is also important. It's cool and all to tell people how much of a beast you are because you do bench press 5 days a week (I'm looking at you frat boys), but allowing your muscle groups time to take in the damage you just caused not only allows it time to heal, but also allows you to focus on other muscle groups throughout the week and get a complete workout.

Source: Flickr/ Navy_NADAP/ No Changes Made

But the most obvious concern when it comes to resting muscles is injury. I've seen guys during my time at the gym talk as if someone killed a loved one when discussing some muscle or joint they blew out by lifting with unnecessary weight or not resting efficientl, and how they've never been the same since.

Resting and healing is as much a part of bodybuilding as lifting weights and nutrition. If you have a fantastic workout with fantastic nutrition but get poor rest you've just given yourself a poor workout.

Muscle isn't necessarily the result of resistance stimulation so much as it's a body's defense against future muscle tears in the form of repair. Seeing massive amounts of muscle is like seeing a huge mass of biological band-aids all over the body.

So how often should you rest a muscle group? Personally, my workout philosophy has ALWAYS been focusing on working out one muscle group into oblivion on a particular day of the week and then resting it for a week. That muscle may be recruited during other compound exercises throughout the week, but as far as specifically targeting and focusing on a muscle group goes, it's one day out of the week per muscle group.

But a week isn't necessarily the minimum amount of time you should take to rest a muscle group. A lot of my bodybuilding advice comes from my roots of compiling some sort of a "meta-analysis" of various online videos, forum discussions, scientific knowledge, and experience in the gym. And using that method I've come to the conclusion that while resting a muscle group for a week has served me well, you could probably go 3 days in between working out a particular muscle group and working it out again.




Don't lift heavy weight like this if your body can't handle it or hasn't been given the proper rest!
Source: Flickr/ Chapendra/ No Changes Made

A lot of things should be considered if you're thinking about doing that though. If your body is not used to working that muscle group out (like if you're just starting out with working out), you might need a longer amount of rest time before you start working it out with intensity again. And different muscle groups might need different times to heal. So keep that in mind.

The most important thing to do is to listen to your body. If you feel you can keep lifting with that muscle group and you've given it proper time to heal, then go nuts. But if you feel like something is off or that things aren't right, it's best to give it a rest or at the very least not give it as much stress as you normally would to feel it out and sense what it is capable of. Not looking like a beast one day is worth the alternative of damaging something that could put you out of the gym for a long time and ruin your progress.

So make sure you're giving each of your muscle groups proper rest. Train hard on the days where a particular muscle group is on your agenda, but don't deprive it of the rest it needs to heal and grow stronger. Rest is just as important, and in a lot of ways more important, than the actual lift for your body. So lift smart and don't negatively overwork your muscle groups throughout the week. You'll feel better, lift harder, and still have good results!

-Jtrain
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Have a question about natural bodybuilding / fitness / nutrition / stress? Need some advice? Email me at jtrainfitness@gmail.com and I will answer it on this blog! Be sure to enter your email to receive alerts for when the next blog post has come out, and be sure to tell your friends about this blog! Follow me on twitter @jtrainfitness and tell your friends to do the same!*
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Characteristics of a Good Workout Partner

Many of us go through life pondering the answer to the age old question of who we will end up with.

Who will be the person to step into your life and finally accept you into their heart and want to spend time with you?

Who will be that person dedictated to you and your needs?

Who will be the partner made for you, seemingly through means of destiny?

Who will be.........the one?

I'm talking of course about workout partners in the gym. Traditionally, I spent most of my years bodybuilding by myself with the occassional run of fantastic workout partners. But there were also times where inconsistency and a non-equal amount of passion for the lifestyle hindered my focus, intensity, and progress.

Source: Marco Crupi / Flickr.com / no changes

Personally, I have absolutely no issue working out alone. As stated before, I started out in the weightlifting game with no experience or any kind of friend who was well acquainted with the lifestyle. All I had was an extreme amount of focus that was fueled by a deep well of being pissed off at a lot of things. So I grew used to the lone-wolf mentality.

But a lot of people with different backgrounds, non-reflective of mine, also enjoy being alone while they lift for reasons such as time efficiency and not being distracted. Indeed, workouts can go by a lot quicker and be a lot more worthwhile if you're focused, determined, and knowledgeable enough to go it alone. It is the preferred method of a lot of gym-goers.

HOWEVER, if you can find a great workout partner, you can definitely advance and enhance your weightlifting / bodybuilding workouts in a very positive way. Great workout partners can keep you focused and on task, while also helping you bust through plateaus and make gains in the gym.

So for this post I'd like to go over some characteristics of a good workout partner. Things to look for when deciding if you want to see this person on a regular basis and team up with them during your workouts.

Here are some things to look for:

Good workout partners are dedicated

Pretty self-explanatory but still important. I can't tell you how aggravating it is when your passion and willpower suddenly gets buffered by someone who really is only there because they feel like they needed to be due to a Bowflex commercial they saw five minutes ago or, after doing one set of an exercise, all of a sudden want to run over and do another exercise because the one you just started isn't fun enough or is too difficult.

Good workout partners are dedicated to dealing with what they signed up for. They don't ask why they have to do exercises when they don't want to and / or act like a 5 year old who doesn't want to go to bed when you tell them what the next exercises are. They accept the pain, and they accept that to get to the top of the mountain, you have to deal with the climb. They ask the right kinds of questions if unexperienced, and they constantly want to work towards achieving their fitness goals.

Good workout partners put a lot of effort into their exercises

You can tell how much a workout partner cares about achieving their fitness goals by how hard they lift. A good workout partner lifts and / or works out so hard that it makes you want to lift harder on every set or perform any fitness action you are doing that much better.

And if you tell them to keep pushing it they don't stop. They'll go until literally their body involuntarily takes over and shuts them down.....true muscle failure.

One time I told a workout partner to keep lifting until his body had nothing left to give. What ended up happening after his set was done was that his arms weren't even capable of stabilizing the weight to be thrown down to his sides in a controlled manner. His arms collapsed as the weights flew across the floor. It was magical. THAT'S the kind of intensity you want your workout partners to be capable of.

Good workout partners are motivated

Similar to the "dedicated" aspect I talked about above.

A good workout partner is motivated. They don't need to be hyped up to want to go workout. They contact you before a workout telling you how hyped they are to workout that day. Often times they show up to the gym before you do ready to kill it. They have a fire in their eyes as they lift and ask questions about the next workout and if their current workout plan is good enough and complete. And if it isn't, they go in extra days and ask if you want to workout with them on those days.

Good workout partners push you

Good workout partners are constantly pushing you. Sometimes they might even compete against you. Both are good things in my opinion.




Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Bench_press.gif/800px-Bench_press.gif

When you grab a certain amount of weight, a good workout partner will suggest you lift even more weight than the one you're currently holding that you've been lifting with for the past 3 months. During sets, a good workout partner will spot you until failure, and command you to go past that failure.

You want your workout partner to force the best out of you, and ask for more.

Good workout partners don't make excuses

Honestly, this should be number 1. I can't stand excuses. And by this point I've heard every single one in the book as it relates to working out and having gym partners flake out on you.

Look, I know you go to school. I know there are exams and homework. I know people have jobs, and I know that people join sports teams. I know that people have friends, and that not all of those friends are into the gym.

A lot of these things are unavoidable. But a lot of them are also known about way ahead in advance. And everyone has spare time on their hands. If your gym partner doesn't workout with you 100% of the time, it's good to know if they still completed their workout requirements when you weren't there.

If they consistently say how much homework, tests, friends, extracurricular activities, etc. are getting in the way, then maybe they don't have the level of dedication needed from a good workout partner.

Use this simple test the next time you ponder whether or not a person's excuse is valid:

If you replaced the gym with someone that your potential workout partner is heavily attracted to, would they still be able to find the time to go on a date with that person? Would they still use their excuse and tell that person they couldn't go on a date with them? If they would still find the time for said attractive person, then their excuses are not valid and it's time to move on to another potential workout partner who will not try to find ways to get out of something they don't want to do.

Good workout partners aren't easily distracted

If you're working out with your workout partner, will they start chit-chatting for the next 20 minutes straight if a good friend walks up to them and says hi? Will they continue to talk as they start their next set and give minimal effort during said set due to this distraction? Will your workout partner respond to every single text they get during your workout, increasing the wait time between sets?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may want to consider a new workout partner or working out alone for more time-efficient workouts.

Good workout partners are consistent

One week you're working out with your workout partner every day, and the next couple of weeks they are sporadic with the days they workout with you for whatever reason.

A good workout partner is almost automatic and predicitble week to week. They are reliable, and you can count that they'll be a part of your workouts consistently.

Good workout partners make working out a top task
A good workout partner will show you that achieving their fitness goals is a top task in their life. They may have other things in their life that also deserve attention, but you will never be able to mistake the passion and commitment they exude when they place high importance on working out.
If working out doesn't seem like it's of extreme importance to your workout partner, it's time to let them go. You don't want to be around someone who places less importance on something you are passionate about.

Source: Jinny/flickr.com/no changes

And those are some things to look for when selecting a workout partner. You might be the kind of person who likes to workout alone, but working out with someone can be fun and beneficial too. Look for some of these traits the next time someone wants to workout with you, or you want to work out with them, and see if you can make even more progress towards achieving your fitness goals!
-Jtrain

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Have a question about natural bodybuilding / fitness / nutrition / stress? Need some advice? Email me at jtrainfitness@gmail.com and I will answer it on this blog! Be sure to enter your email to receive alerts for when the next blog post has come out, and be sure to tell your friends about this blog! Follow me on twitter @jtrainfitness and tell your friends to do the same!*
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Video Blog: Chest Training Tips!

Hey guys! So I have something very special for today's Jtrain Fitness post!

Recently I've discovered some awesome new techniques you can use when training your chest. Said techniques that I wanted to demonstrate are not really that easy to convey through text and pictures, so I decided to discuss them in a video!

I'm also going to summarize what I say in the text below if you're not really a video person, or if you want to read AND listen to me explain it. 

When you train chest, your main goal is to try and get the humerus to cross over your pec to get the best squeeze and an optimal pump. Doing this motion takes advantage of the mechanics and responsibilities of the muscles in the chest. So incorporating a fly motion into a lot of your chest exercises could really be beneficial.

I've never been a fan of the barbell bench press because it restricts your ability to get a full stretch in your chest on the negative end range of motion, and doesn't allow you to fully squeeze your chest at the end flex range of motion. I know it's a gym favorite, but it has never really been an exercise I felt was efficient and effective enough to justify incorporating into my chest workouts.

So if you feel like your chest workouts aren't giving you the pump your looking for, try doing a dumbbell bench press with a traditional motion, but as you get towards the top, turn your wrists in and turn the motion into a fly motion as if you're trying to touch your wrists. You can even continue to push upward once the weights touch for an even greater squeeze.

Another chest training tip I'd suggest comes into play when you're trying to do overhead cable flys. Do the motion as you normally would, keeping your arms straight, elbows locked, and attempting to touch / cross your wrists. However, once you've touched / crossed your wrists, push your fists down towards the ground, as if aiming for your knees. You should feel an even greater pump go throughout your chest.

And those are some quick tips I've recently been using in my chest workouts. I really think they've helped improve my workouts. Try using them on your next chest day and tell me what you think!

Hope you enjoyed my first video blog!

-Jtrain

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Have a question about natural bodybuilding / fitness / nutrition / stress? Need some advice? Email me at jtrainfitness@gmail.com and I will answer it on this blog! Be sure to enter your email to receive alerts for when the next blog post has come out, and be sure to tell your friends about this blog! Follow me on twitter @jtrainfitness and tell your friends to do the same!*
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Bodybuilding Recipe: Strawberry / Blueberry Protein Shake

You know, I've written a lot of posts on this blog. But I just now realized that I've never written a single post about one of the more entertaining and fun aspects of bodybuilding: bodybuilding meal recipes.

I think a lot of that is due to the fact that.....well.....most of the meals that someone super dedicated to bodybuilding would prepare are not as heavily glorified and are anything but aesthetic and/or focused on flavor. I'm not sure how enticing I can make a meal of two-day old chicken breast with plain microwavable broccoli cuts and maybe a slice of cheese (if I'm REALLY feeling adventurous) in a Tupperware container look to someone who isn't used to that lifestyle. When you can eat cold chicken breast right out of the pan you cooked it in two days ago because you think warming it up would take too much time or is inefficient, only concerning yourself with consuming the macronutrients it contains, you know you've gotten to a point where you think of food differently than everyone you know.

But bodybuilding nutrition can actually be a lot of "fun". And by fun I mean interesting in the ways that those who live the lifestyle find creative ways to play to their primitive instincts while still staying true to their meal planning and goals. I've seen a lot of very creative and innovative recipes.

So today I'd like to share my recipe for what I think is a delicious strawberry / blueberry shake. The way that this shake is crafted puts an emphasis on getting in large amounts of protein in a quick refreshing shake while achieving and not doing too much harm to your macro goals. .

What you'll need:

*Blender

* 2 scoops of whey protein powder (Non-specific flavor. Use your favorite. Make sure it's isolate).

* 1/2 cup of frozen sliced strawberries - The only ingredient on the bag should be.....strawberries

* 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries - The only ingredient on the bag should be.....blueberries

* 1 cup of skim milk

* Cinnamon

* Nutmeg

* Ice

* OPTIONAL: Truvia sweetener

Recipe:

Step 1:

• Using whichever container you will be blending in, add about half a cup to a cup of ice. The amount of ice you use is pretty arbitrary, and should be added to suit your preference. If you like thick shakes, add more ice, if you like smoother shakes, add less ice. Keep in mind that the frozen strawberries and blueberries will also cause the shake to thicken up.

Step 2:

• Add in two scoops of your choice of whey protein isolate. If you're eating a massive amount of protein across allof your meals already, consider maybe only using one scoop of whey protein.

Step 3:

• Add in your half a cup each of strawberries and blueberries. To be real with you, I'm guestimating the amount I put in. It might be a little more or a little less for you depending on how much shake you want and/or how much your blender container can hold. 

Step 4:

• Sprinkle in some cinnamon and nutmeg. At this point, there's already going to be enough flavor once I add in the milk for me to enjoy drinking this shake. The natural sweetness from the strawberries and blueberries will also add to the flavor. BUT, for those of you who need more sweetness, consider adding in some truvia or other sweetener of your choice.

Step 5:

• Add in about a cup of skim milk, or enough to where you'll be able to blend in and mix all of the dry ingredients. If you don't want to add any excess milk, consider adding in a little bit of water.

Step 6:

• Start blending. Keep blending until all the ingredients are mixed. The whey might get stuck to the sides, so you might need to stick in a knife or something to scrape it off and re-blend. You don't want protein chunks when you're drinking this!

Macros:

Here are the macros for a single serving of this shake (results will vary depending on how much you make or what you add and/or subtract. This is based off of the quantities at the top).


Calories: 402.5

Fat: 3 grams

Carbs: 36.5 grams

Protein: 63 grams



*If you use one scoop of whey, this should bring it down to 282.5 calories and 39 grams of protein*


And there you have it. This is one of my favorite protein shakes to make and serves as a delicious way to get in your protein, as well as other beneficial nutrients from the ingredients used. Try making one today, and tell me what you think!

-Jtrain

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Have a question about natural bodybuilding / fitness / nutrition / stress? Need some advice? Email me at jtrainfitness@gmail.com and I will answer it on this blog! Be sure to enter your email to receive alerts for when the next blog post has come out, and be sure to tell your friends about this blog! Follow me on twitter @jtrainfitness and tell your friends to do the same!*
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